Anybody installed a Butterfly Brace?

My Flyin' Miata Butterfly Brace arrived a few days ago, but it's still too cold to begin installing it.

Has anybody else installed one yet? Any pointers or tricks to installing it? The car is a 96.

No, nobody has ever installed one. Ever. This is also the only forum for Miata owners. Ever. Sorry, better luck next time!

I have one in my garage now, waiting new exhaust. I installed it on my car only to find the front of the center section hit the the p.o.'s hack job of an aftermarket, muffler shop installed exhaust.

On the frame reinforcement rails that I do have installed, I found that the supplied self-tapping bolts to hold down the passenger side fuel and brake lines didn't let you get enough bite with a phillips screwdriver to work. I had to use some hex-headed ones. Also, I found the routing of the hard lines over the corner in front of the rear wheel kind of harsh. I also put some rubber hoses on the threads from the bolt because the pass, tightly, through the hard lines.

I assisted a friend install one on his 1999, it was fairly painless, but we did have use of a lift. I can't imagine doing it on jackstands.

I did it on jackstands. It was as bad as mistanfo can't imagine it to be.

I've done it on jackstands a few times. The frame rails are actually pretty easy that way, but the center section of the butterfly is a pain. Yes, I'm looking at ways to improve it.

What makes the center section so difficult on jackstands?

Access to the center bolts. I like to attach the rear bolts first, then swing the brace up in to place and insert the front ones. You can do that with the car low to the ground, but it's easier if you have more clearance.

Others assemble the center section to the wings first, then offer the whole shebang up as a unit. In that case, it matters not what's holding your car off the ground.