[b454rat]

The last truck I built was a 454 4-speed with a later 205. Had 35" tires on it. I didn't beat the crap out of it, but gotta have some fun with a big block stick truck. That didn't have a brace on it. All the trucks I've owned, worked on, stripped parts off of in a junkyard, DIDN'T have that brace. Even with a small block, when you jump on it you can feel the drivetrain twist, shifter can move 3-4" maybe more. If you have that brace on there, the one piece is trying to hold the entire drivetrain from twisting. The t-case itself isn't gonna break, the wee little adapter is gonna take the force of it. I've had some 80s trucks with the 208 that had braces to went to the bell housing, but took them off and still didn't have a problem.

If you want to brace or add some support, that brace shown above would OK. Or some other type, but it needs bushings so it can flex with the rest of the drivetrain.