I would not suggest using the gear without the engineered brackets. They are crucial to the flex, absorption, and transfer of energy through the gear and to the fuse by allowing the gear to "float" and reflex through them. A lot of the stress is transferred to the middle portion of the gear. The brackets also rotate along the bolts that tie them to the fuse as the gear flexes. Restricting the movement or the flex of the gear by any means other than the two designed points of restraint will not work.