Lola T540 question

[old 59]

I am interested to know if everyone who has a Lola T540 uses the lower diagonal brace between the gearbox and the lower rear cross member.

I did look at Steve Beeler's Lola at the 50th last weekend and noticed that he uses one. I was wondering if anyone has taken it off and had any issues without it.

The reason I ask is I was told by a fellow Lola owner that he hasn't used it in years and he's had no problems running without it. I recently rebuilt my Lola, didn't use the brace, and have all kinds of issues with the front motor mounts coming loose.
Wondering if there is a connection there...pardon the pun!

Thanks

[teamwisconsin]

Stephen-
my experience with Lola’s of all shapes and sizes are that they generally would put the car on the ground and watch it collapse under its own weight. They would then strategically add one tube at a time until the thing wouldn’t do that anymore. Then they would proceed to hang tabs and brackets off all those tubes for pumps/tanks/coolers so that it looked like it was supposed to be there all along.

Ergo, although I have no experience with T540’s, if there is a brace to install, I’d run it.

Good seeing you last weekend! I had an SRS care package for you but I forgot to hand it off when you were by the trailer!

[racersonly]

That torque stay is common on Lola FFs. The impression I’ve always had was that it should be used.

[Tim.R]

Do you have a picture of this brace?
We are running a T540 as well and i don´t think we have this brace on our car!

[racersonly]

Tim,
My T540 no longer belongs to me. A local racer does own a T340 and the torque stay on his car is very similar. I can take a photo for you, but I may not get out there until next month.
It’s a pretty simple straight link that bolts to the 7/16” dia lower right hand transaxle to adapter bolt on one end, and the 3/8” dia left hand A arm to frame bolt on the other end. (I hope that explains it adequately.)

[billtebbutt]

I am interested to know if everyone who has a Lola T540 uses the lower diagonal brace between the gearbox and the lower rear cross member.

I did look at Steve Beeler's Lola at the 50th last weekend and noticed that he uses one. I was wondering if anyone has taken it off and had any issues without it.

The reason I ask is I was told by a fellow Lola owner that he hasn't used it in years and he's had no problems running without it. I recently rebuilt my Lola, didn't use the brace, and have all kinds of issues with the front motor mounts coming loose.
Wondering if there is a connection there...pardon the pun!

Thanks

Hi Steve,

I used one on my 440. Not a fair comparison to be sure (!), but I figured "Whats one more strand of spaghetti in that bowl of spaghetti?"

cheers
bt

[steve zemke]

My experience is that any tube on the car originally should contiue to be used unless an alternative tube arrangement has proven better. The factory does not put anythinng on the car that doesn't make it faster.

[old 59]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their input. Yours was hilarious Ethan!!

Not until Jack called it a Torque Stay did I look at it's function differently. I was under the impression it was for fore/aft support, but when I read Torque Stay I realised it was intended to counteract rotational torque. This has to help with my front motor mount issues.

Again, thanks everyone for your input.

[racersonly]

Do you have a picture of this brace?
We are running a T540 as well and i don´t think we have this brace on our car!

Tim,
I promised you a photo. Forgive me for taking so long.
The stay is the black piece in the photo. It connects to the trans axle bell housing on one end and the frame on the other in a “z” shape. This photo is from a T340. It’s very similar on a T540. On the T540, it attaches to the frame on the same bolt that connects the left rear lower A arm, where the bolt passes through the frame.

[old 59]

Thank you very much for the photo Jack.