Let’s talk Differential Braces and Why They are Needed!

Hello everyone! Today we will be talking about differential braces, as well as why they are needed for most 3.0L Explorers. Enjoy!

1-bolt Subframe

 In early-2021 Ford decided to cut costs and put the 1-bolt rear subframe on the ST, Platinum, and then-new King Ranch. The 1-bolt was the rear subframe that was on the 2.3L Explorer ST’s.

The product of that, is even with the stock 400-HP that the 3.0L produces, under hard driving and especially launching causes too much pressure on the one-bolt, causing it to snap. It is an horrible snapping sound that is very apparent. The vehicle is then rendered unusable as the rear differential hangs freely. Also, someone has recently found the bolt to be bent, which is new. This displays that even if you are not launching often, and just occasionally hard driving, it can bend the bolt and weaken it, making it more susceptible to snap.

Ford’s Fix

Instead of just putting the 2-bolt rear end back in the 3.0L Explorer’s, Ford kept the 1-bolt in most applications (some lucky late ’21 and ’22 units got the 2-bolt) and just added an updated bushing on newer builds (2022 and newer). In order, here is what Ford did to “fix” the bolt snapping problem:

• -First wave of recalls/late 2021-newer builds: Parking brake automatically engages when placed in park/inspection of rear subframe
• -Second wave of recalls/2022-newer builds: Parking brake automatically engages when placed in park, updated bushings

Obviously, Ford’s “fixes” do not fix the bolt fracturing problem. They chose to save a couple bucks and just slowly bleed warranty money as the problem continues to happen.

Aftermarket Fix

Once the bolt fracturing problem became well known, aftermarket companies rushed to solve the problem. Using knowledge from other platforms, the differential brace was the apparent fix. A differential brace mounts to the rear subframe, and connects to the rear differential. It then takes some of the grunt away from the 1-bolt.

No, bigger and beefier is not necessarily better.

This is where many people will argue that you need to stop movement completely. Everyone always wants to have the biggest and beefiest part, but that is not necessarily the best. The differential still needs to have some movement for comfort of the passengers in the vehicles, and protection of other weaker parts. Rigid, unmovable parts can break other weaker parts. So, as with anything, there needs to be a balance.

Do 2-bolt rear subframes cars need an differential brace?

For those lucky enough to get the 2-bolt rear end, it handles mostly everything you throw at it. However, if you are launching the car a lot (and I mean a lot), the bushings have been found to fail. In those rare environments, yes, a differential brace would be beneficial.

Differential Brace Comparisons

Now let us look at the different offerings. Fenfab, AWR, Livernois, DX (Lethal Performance), Steeda, and ID-Speed all make their own versions of the differential brace.

Unranked: DX (Lethal Performance) and Livernois Differential Braces

There have not been many people who have installed these unit, as they are pretty new releases.  I have not heard any bad reviews of them, so they aren’t bad. Looking purely at the technical specs, they both seem decent, but from what I can see, probably not better than the ID-Speed unit. Once I get more info on the two I will update this post.

Last Place: FenFab “DiffyStiffy”

Fenfab was the first company to offer a differential brace. Over 4 years after its release, many other offerings have been brought to the market. It is now not a good product in comparison to the other offerings. I am not a fan of the Fenfab for two reasons. Firstly, my biggest gripe with the DiffyStiffy is that you have to drill into the subframe to install. Secondly, it does not support the differential well enough. I have seen someone flip one DiffyStiffy and install it on the right side on the differential and install another regularly on the left side. This makes a Double Diffy Stiffy. It helps quite a bit compared to a singular Diffy Stiffy, but it is still not comparable to the other offerings. Unfortunately, although the Fen Fabrication Diffy Stiffy has a fun name, it is not a good option.

#3: AWR Differential Brace: Best budget option

AWR seems to be the most popular offering. I am not the biggest fan of this unit. In a test done by JXB, the AWR was found to cause a weird torsional effect on the differential. Because the AWR is an asymmetrical design supporting the differential, it supports only one side. It does support the side on the singular bolt, so it stops the bolt from snapping, but since it only supports one side, the other side is not supported. Because of this, the differential twists. I would still recommend this diff brace if you just need a more basic, cheaper unit to just stop the bolt from snapping. If you are a more serious drag racer, I would not recommend this.

#2: Steeda Differential Brace

Steeda is a well-know supporter of the platform. Third to the market, their differential brace is another popular unit. The first run of the unit had some problems. They were known to snap their mounting bolts. Apparently, Steeda has updated the part, and the second run is supposed to have fixed that problem. I am still weary of the part however, especially since all the other differential braces have not had any problems. Not a top recommendation.

#1: ID-Speed Differential Brace

The best differential brace is the ID-Speed unit. The ID-Speed unit is designed to mimick the 2-bolt rear subframe. This gives the differential the most optimal support, and therefore it works the best.

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