Prius Generation 2 2004-9 Zero Clearance Mid-chassis Stiffening Plate *mike500* on 2040-parts.com

I listened and tested this brace through dynamic stress analysis and mechanical testing on a custom built test fixture. The function is identical to that of the “box beam” with ZERO “hangdown” below the main chassis rails.

Made for those “worry warts” with lowered vehicles or those driving their cars in heavy snow areas. The thin plate slices accumulated snow like a knife. CUSTOM white oven baked epoxy finished Mid Under Chassis Special Minimal “hang down” Stiffening Brace for the Gen II Prius 204-2009 YEAR models

These mid-chassis braces provide greater stability and better feedback to the driver's road feel. The "squishy" feeling is reduced or virtually eliminated.

　 The brace is machined from a 6061 T6 age solution hardened aircraft grade aluminum billet plate extrusion. The extruding process eliminates the stress from bending sheet or plate aluminum and makes the piece much more resistant to metal fatigue. This means that the brace will likely outlast the car. There are no welds to break and weaken the tempered aluminum. The brace's design represents my 45 years experience in the aircraft metal fabrication industry. The brace has been phosphoric acid etched and finished in a white oven baked epoxy that is equivalent to or better than powder coating.

　 This lightweight and extraordinarily stiff and strong braces weighs within a fraction of an ounce less than the OEM brace shown in the photo below my custom brace.

This brace is unlike any of the braces pioneered by Brian at BT Tech and others for the Prius, which is NOTHING MORE THAN “thickened plates” weighing twice or more than the original and with no accommodation to allow the brace to twist, Toyota in the Generation III Prius recognized the need of the brace to twist to prevent damage to the thin metal of the rails at the weld nuts used to mount the center brace. MY BRACE is designed at the OPTIMUM STIFFNESS to maintain the EXACT SEPARATION DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CHASSIS RAILS.

The “cardoid” thinner plate allows “twisting” with the movement of the chassis rails, while still being much stiffer than the OEM brace in the “fold bending” mode. Notice that the OEM brace is twist compliant, NOT the so called “stiffening plates.

The purely DECORATIVE machined cavities and counterbored mounting holes others have added to their designs to justify ADDED cost, does NOTHING to improve the performance of the design and actually HURTS the bending modulus of the brace when the car is in motion.

Counterboring the mounting holes actually weakens the area around the holes. The Allen headed socket stainless steel cap screws can cause “galvanic corrosion” and is NOT compatible with the aluminum plate. They are actually weaker than the OEM bolts. They require the user and installer to purchase a special socket. Mine uses the superior OEM bolts.

The DECORATIVE “cavities” machined into the brace actually WEAKENS the structure of the metal. The smooth uniform piece bends EVENLY along its entire length like an archer’s bow, while a piece with CAVITIES will exhibit more bending stress at the places weakened by the DECORATIVE cavities.

My set includes forged 10.9 grade extended length J.I.S bolts to replace the OEM bolts that may have been rusted under the ca as shown in the last photo. My bolts have wider flanges and the contact surface wit the brace is perfectly smooth and perpendicular with the shank of each bolt.

Installation should take less than 15 minutes. Jacking or lifting the car is NOT needed. The mounting holes are made purposely as small as possible to provide the closest mounting. Toyota and other aftermarket custom makers like Cusco and Tanable uses comparatively large clearance holes for easy mounting. That, however, makes for a less secure and weaker fit. A little filing may be necessary for some individual vehicles due to manufacturing variances.

There is NO additional "hang down" with this brace. The structure of the car’s rails accommodate the extended “trailing edge of my brace perfectly. It does NOT extend beyond the ends of the car’s rails.

This sale is for ONE white OVEN BAKED epoxy finished Prius Gen II ultra stiff minimal “hang down” mid under chassis brace Nothing else shown in the photos as examples OF THE OEM braces are included. .

The item is guaranteed to be exactly as described.