Installation of Aluminum Front Brace

These photos show installation of the AE aluminum front brace, # 9120. This is an old xx-4 trick which helps save the bulkhead.

Use a sanding drum to remove material from the "chin" of the bulkhead. You must remove much material, so be careful not to take off so much that there's an hole in the front where the belt runs.

Remove a bit more material from each side to "round" the part. Then, bend the brace slightly. See assembled photo. Don't bend the brace too much or it will be too short to span the hinge pins.

You just have to keep working with the Dremel and bending the brace until the brace fits snugly against the bulkhead.

Use the regular hinge pins with an E-clip on the front but none on the back. The pins will no longer stick out of the control arm at the rear, but they can't go forward because the bumper holds them in. This sometimes requires a bit of sanding on the bumper too, and screwing on the bumper becomes a handfull, but it's worth it.