General > Product Reviews
UNIbraces XB & UB - Review (UPDATED 23rd Oct)....
RedRobin:
--- Quote from: berg on June 03, 2012, 09:12:00 pm ---
So without reading all the pages of the GB did Bruce give you options to buy spacers and some of you have and some haven't? No point buying them if you dont need them, but then also bit frustrating if you go to fit your UB and find that you then have to order additional spacers and wait for UNibraces to send them over!
How much are the spacers because most people fitting these will have a Milltek/Pipewerx/BCS/Blueflame I guess.
--- End quote ---
....Yes, Bruce via Dom gave us all the option to buy spacers as an extra. I bought a spacers set just in case and so to reduce hassle getting them later - It's a round trip of 340 miles for me to VWR.
As you rightly suggest, most folks going for the UNIbrace mods will already have performance mods and hence a high-flow performance exhaust system. Like a Quaife (or similar) diff, A UNIbrace only comes into play such that you are more aware of it when you are driving enthusiastically.
berg:
--- Quote from: bacillus on June 03, 2012, 09:36:31 pm ---Spacers are $35 as per the website. :smiley:
--- End quote ---
not bad then
RedRobin:
--- Quote from: GTItraveler on June 04, 2012, 03:04:06 am ---Hello Robin,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. This weekend was my first non seven day work week in over two months — a much needed rest!
Thanks for a very thorough and well documented review! A few small clarifications and comments:
1. The UNIbrace XB is .187" thk. Only the UNIbrace UB is .25".
2. Was the additional sound resonance you were hearing only when the rear seats were folded down? This would make more sense as the entire hatch then becomes a resonance chamber.
3. The comments that were referred to about the deep nuts or studs breaking have only been when people over torque the nuts. The instructions are very clear: "snug the nuts up, then another 1/4 turn with a 6-8" long rachet." I would also add that blue loctite can also be of benefit. This will stop the nuts from backing off.
4. Your analysis of the spacers and resultant forces on the studs is correct. Many people assume that since the studs look thin that they are not strong. This is not true! Steel is very strong in tension! The UNIbrace UB is very stiff. If the brace is properly positioned and the nuts properly torqued. The resulting forces on the studs is as as you mentioned, in tension.
5. Generally, most exhausts do not need the spacer kit. The general guideline is that if there is a resonator in the mid pipe and it is not larger than 4"Ø you will likely not need the spacer/deep nut kit. From my experience to date only the base non turbo Golf, the UR downpipe with it's HUGE tilted elliptical resonators and a MTM for the Golf R are the only ones that absolutely required the kit. In the US not that many people use the full Milltek, so this may also have to be added to the list. The spacer kit is rather inexpensive so if in doubt it is a useful insurance policy.
Hope this answers people's questions.
Best,
Bruce
--- End quote ---
....Hi Bruce and many thanks for your clarifications and information - My original review post has now been amended accordingly.
Although the UB is inevitably being discussed, I haven't fitted and experienced the UNIbrace UB yet and so my review is currently incomplete but will be updated and expanded in due course.
Re your point 2 on additional sound resonance, to date I have only tested the UNIbrace XB with both seats down. I now need to go back to that same stretch of road and test the XB with one seat up and then both seats up. I already know that I never experience any resonance with my seats down and no XB fitted. If my tests/trials result in resonance whenever the seats are down, then it will be reasonable to deduce that the XB acts to transfer sounds in a similar way to how aftermarket engine mounts do. In basic terms, sound is vibration and so what we would be hearing is, in a sense, the UNIbrace XB doing its job of transferring energy > vibration > sound.
I personally enjoy and love the Grrrrr sounds from my VWR engine mounts but the sound I heard from the XB was very unexpected and not a pleasant surprise at all - I would have to include it in my list of minus points. But l will firstly have breakfast and go off and test the subject on the same stretch of road (easy with a roundabout at each end) before making judgements and writing more.
It goes without saying that your time and input here is greatly appreciated by all, not just by myself :happy2:
E30Dom:
There's some great points and discussion going on here...
Everything has its on natural frequency, maybe the road surface vibrated the car at the unibraces natural frequency, resonance... It will certainly be interested to see when driving the same road, if it happens again, and if varying speed affects the outcome...
Also if you are wanting to feel UB seperately, I would remove Xb, so you can remind yourself how it all feels without it, then add UB, obtain impressions on how it makes the car feel, then add the Xb on top for the full effect...
Look forward to these updates...
Dom
RedRobin:
--- Quote from: E30Dom on June 04, 2012, 10:20:48 am ---There's some great points and discussion going on here...
Everything has its on natural frequency, maybe the road surface vibrated the car at the unibraces natural frequency, resonance... It will certainly be interested to see when driving the same road, if it happens again, and if varying speed affects the outcome...
Also if you are wanting to feel UB seperately, I would remove Xb, so you can remind yourself how it all feels without it, then add UB, obtain impressions on how it makes the car feel, then add the Xb on top for the full effect...
Look forward to these updates...
Dom
--- End quote ---
....Re standard, UB, XB, comparisons - That's more or less what I plan to do, Dom. Timing depends on when VWR can fit me in.
I have now driven exactly the same road with seats down and the extra sound has gone.
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