Cusco Braces ALL Review

Cusco braces ALL
3C4-540-A, 3C4-492-F, 3C4-492-C, 3C4-492-RM

Cusco has been a premier suspension company for many years and have always been known for quality and improving structural rigidity in certain areas R&D and past experiences.

The FK8 platform is promising with its stiffness being able to 3 wheel the car on certain bumps in stock form. Surprising supercars around the corners being a front wheeled drive vehicle with its entry and exits.
All these braces work in conjunction together. Should your budget not allow for all 4 braces installing one or two braces, you will notice a difference in rigidity. I highly suggest you get all 4 braces, you will not be disappointed. The instructions are in Japanese but the pictures are self-explanatory if you are mechanically inclined.

Installation for the engine tower bar is simple and can be done on a level surface. Remove the 6 bolts on the strut tower hats. Make sure the Cusco strut tower flex points is loose to give you play as the fitment is tight as it should be. Install the tower bar and reinstall the 6 bolts and retorque to the Honda specifications. Then snug the hex bolts. Here is a trick to help settle the bar more, grab the tower bar and move left to right forcefully on both driver and passenger sides. Now tighten the snug hex bolts.
Lower bars require a lift as the majority of the under panels must be removed with the exhaust to install the rear lower bar. Take off your rims and start removing the under paneling, while doing this start removing the exhaust too.

Front lower brace is the easiest to install. Remove the 2 bolts as pictured in the instructions and install and retorque to Honda specifications.
Center lower brace will require screw jacks as you are taking off 4 subframe bolts. Two vertical bolts and 2 lateral bolts as shown in the pictures. Remove the bolts and support the subframe with screw jacks. Install the Center brace and make sure to use anti-seize upon reinstalling the bolts back. Re-torque to Honda specification.

Rear Cross member brace with the exhaust removed to support the rear end with screw jacks. Remove the 2 vertical bolts near the rear springs and the 2 vertical bolts near the exhaust hump. Install the rear cross member brace and associated bolts, torque to Honda specifications. Reinstall the exhaust and all the under paneling you have removed.

My long-term impressions of these upgrades, well worth it. Steering has become more direct upon turn in and the “R” feels “flat” during cornering. Referring to what I just said “flat” the body is more rigid thus making the shocks/spring do their job. Theoretically, a chassis is like another “spring” and adding structural rigidity eliminates flex thus makes the suspension work more efficiently. Think, an empty box without the bottom or top folded in. When you apply pressure side to side the box is flimsy, but when you fold the bottom or tops to complete the box it makes that box much stronger right? That is the premise of adding the braces to your vehicle. You added additional bracing to the car but remember this is not as effective as a professionally done roll cage.

Handling is subjective towards the driver. Your transitional speed will improve aka slalom speeds around cones lined in a straight line. But it’s like a butt dyno only way to compare these upgrades is on a track with data I don’t have. I haven’t had a chance to track the car in stock form and now with my upgrades.

Thank you for posting. Here is some questions.

- How is the fitment of the under cover when you put it back?
- Did you had to trim it? If you did can you post pictures?

***out of topic but I would add the beatrush under middle chassis bar and rear seat bar to complete all the stability bars.

FK8_K20c1 said:

Thank you for posting. Here is some questions.

- How is the fitment of the under cover when you put it back?
- Did you had to trim it? If you did can you post pictures?

***out of topic but I would add the beatrush under middle chassis bar and rear seat bar to complete all the stability bars.

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Curious of this myself

Does the bars block you from putting the OEM panels back?

I have the front lower cross bar and mid brace, no issue with putting the factory under shield back on.

HKS oil cooler sandwich with factory size oil filter fit without issue either.

#04338 said:

I have the front lower cross bar and mid brace, no issue with putting the factory under shield back on.

HKS oil cooler sandwich with factory size oil filter fit without issue either.

Click to expand...

Thank you but I would still like to see a picture.

Don't trust me? lol

HKS oil cooler came with the shorter filter but I choose to use my current Bosch filter. Only @ 3118 miles.

It won't be on the lift, but I will snap a pic from the ground up in my garage.

#04338 said:

Don't trust me? lol

HKS oil cooler came with the shorter filter but I choose to use my current Bosch filter. Only @ 3118 miles.

It won't be on the lift, but I will snap a pic from the ground up in my garage.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Not that I dont trust you but I heard otherwise from a friend and he showed me pictures of his undercover being cut to acomodate the front lower brace from Cusco. Just wanted to confirm.

Just messing with you bud. lol

I will snap and attach tonight for your ref.

Here are the pics. Seems like there are holes already predrilled from the factory for the front lower bar bolts.

#04338 said:

Here are the pics. Seems like there are holes already predrilled from the factory for the front lower bar bolts.

Click to expand...

Thanks, In definitely buying them.

I had something like this in my track s2k. Anywhere there was an opportunity for a brace, one was installed. Highly recommended if you're tracking it. Made the car feel like it was carved from one solid piece of ROCK.

On the flip side, it also made driving on the street a giant pain in the ass. As mentioned the chassis is like a giant spring. Springs have some give. If take a hammer to a rock, the whole rock feels it. If there's a pothole it's going to suck.

YMMV. I'm not 20 anymore and I quite like the ride in the CTR as it is.

How are these bars compared to the Beatrush or Laile bars? The Beatrush ones looks beefer and stronger. I'm not doubting either company, but just saying. Unfortunately, the middle lower Beatrush bar doesn't fit our USDM evap I may go full cusco lower and beatrush for the top.
Also, does the cusco cross brace fit along w/ the Spoon stiffening plate? Yes, i know it may be overkill, but just curious.

FK8_K20c1 said:

Thank you for posting. Here is some questions.

- How is the fitment of the under cover when you put it back?
- Did you had to trim it? If you did can you post pictures?

***out of topic but I would add the beatrush under middle chassis bar and rear seat bar to complete all the stability bars.

Click to expand...

sorry been super busy with work.
I believe your questions have been answered with pictures provided by another member.
But I have had no issues with the under paneling going back no trimming.

Type-JZ said:

How are these bars compared to the Beatrush or Laile bars? The Beatrush ones looks beefer and stronger. I'm not doubting either company, but just saying. Unfortunately, the middle lower Beatrush bar doesn't fit our USDM evap I may go full cusco lower and beatrush for the top.
Also, does the cusco cross brace fit along w/ the Spoon stiffening plate? Yes, i know it may be overkill, but just curious.

Click to expand...

Both beatrush and Cusco have their approach on how they want to stiffen the FK8 platform. I prefer Cusco, As to Beatrush looking beefier/stronger? What are you referring too?

In regards to doubling a cusco center brace and spoon stiff plate I would just choose one or the other. I don't think both will fit at the same time. Cusco allows your to reuse your existing bolts. As for the Spoon's it will come with new longer bolts to install their stiff plate.