Bracing...

[francisjonno 2]

When i changed my exhaust a couple of weekends ago I had to remove 2 braces under the car to get the old exhaust off, I refitted them after replacing the exhaust.

Both tie either side of the transmission tunnel together.

There's 1 small one (<1ft) 2/3rds of the way down the transmission tunnel and another larger one (c.2.5ft) at the end of the trans tunnel.

Is anyone aware of upgrades for these? I assume uprated ones will help improve the torsional rigidity of the car

Thanks

[FishWick 21]

Pretty sure they are there to keep the exhaust on the car should it fail, instead of falling off the car and smashing through someone's radiator behind you :-) Quite a common thing in the 'good old days' before things got stricter.

Shame no one has come up with a way of stopping shredded truck tyres doing the same thing!

Most cars from 97 on have a similar thing. Nearly all recent Audis I've looked under have exhaust cross straps also.

If you want to brace the car, focus on the rear turrets as that large open space flexes a lot. The floor is strategically ribbed and pressed from heavy guage plate in places, so won't flex. It's everything above the floor than twists and creaks!