Hotchkis® - Chassis Max Handle Bars

Adding structural reinforcements at the top of your front and rear suspension components is an easy way to beef up torsional rigidity if autocross, pro-touring, or racing events will be attempting to compress and twist the frame and axles of your vehicle. Because the tops of strut towers are under constant pressure to shift position in their mounts when wheels are pulled and yanked in every direction, braces keeping things affixed rigidly in position keeps alignment and grip at relaxed Sunday drive levels. Hotchkis offers bolt-on structural reinforcements for front strut/shock towers, rear shock towers, front control arms, firewall, and front fender wells that do just that and get your classic muscle car handling like a modern import equipped with a tuning kit.

The Chassis Max Handle Bar kit comes with curved bracework that locks the top of the control arms and shock towers with the same firewall structural elements that fenders bolt onto. Doing this keeps front wheels and suspension elements from shifting out of position under pressure, so steering, turn-in response, and front grip all stay predictable. Depending on vehicle application, the cross member bar included in the Chassis Max Handle Bar kit may be adjustable to account for variations in vehicle manufacturing, condition, and normal suspension sag. The Front Strut Tower brace crosses the top of the engine bay area and secures both front strut towers in place together at four mounting points that are drilled during the installation process. Hotchkis Fender Braces bolt on to the center radiator core support and both fenders to reduce body twist during banked turns, and the Rear Shock Tower bar secures both rear shock towers rigidly in place using existing mounting points.

Steel tubes found on all Hotchkis brace kits are formed by a Drawn Over Mandrell (DOM) process, which allows manufacturing tolerances to be as little as .0003 inch compared to the .06 inch range most hot rolling processes cannot beat. One-piece, ¾”-thick billet ends provide easy, strong attachment points and are joined to the tubes by Tungsten Gas Insert (TIG) welding. The process provides clean, even welds and a consistent level of bonding strength on all areas – eliminating inconsistencies which create weak points and areas prone to metal fatigue or failure. An outer finish of nickel or powder coat is applied for show car looks and to prevent peeling, discoloration, and deterioration from exposure to high underhood temperatures. Hotchkis builds all components in the United States, and backs them against failure due to manufacturing defects for three years.