Greetings all,

I searched around and could not find the info I was looking for, but I was wondering about the general ideas behind chassis braces and the material. Cost aside, I have seen that many race vehicles are running polymer braces while bashers are upgrading to aluminum. For obvious impact reasons this makes sense, but there was a discussion I cannot find about needing a certain amount of chassis flex to improve traction on rough terrain, and that very rigid braces can actually make the car perform worse.

On my Lasernut I have both front and rear plastic braces, as well as this top brace. I really dislike the top brace and was thinking that maybe two "upgraded" lower braces for the front and rear bulkheads, and then omit the top strap and get a much smaller diff top plate and steering top plate. Maybe aluminum front and rear braces would be enough for rock racing?

s