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View Full Version : WRENCHIN' WITH TRAV - Front Strut Bar Install



egSi
14-03-2005, 10:24 AM
Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!

Aim: To fit a Front Strut Tower Bar to my eg5 Hatch.

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/posin1.JPG

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/posin.JPG

Time: 30mins or less.

Required:
- Strut Bar
- 10mm Allen Key
-14mm Combo Spanner
-17mm Combo Spanner

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/toolsneeded.jpg

Info:
The quickest and easiest way to improve the handling of ANY vehicle is to install an aftermarket strut bar, heres a quick guide to fitting one, allot easier than most people think.

Step 1:
Ok pop your bonnet and undo the 14mm strut top nuts. Do both left and right. Easy as.
http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/undo14mm%20bolts.JPG

Step 2:
Now with the nuts off, install the strut bar brackets and do up the 14mm bolts tight.
http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/tighten14mm.JPG

Step 3:
Ok now ensure the bar is not done up tight and is still a lil but loose( i mean if you are fitting an adjustable bar)
http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/fit_bar.JPG

Step 4:
Ok when install the drivers side u may notice that there isnt much room with the throttle cabble being mounted on the tower, dont fret, just need to bend it away till u have enough clearance, like so.
http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/bend%20bracket.JPG

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/clearance.JPG

egSi
14-03-2005, 10:28 AM
Step 5:
Ok now tighten it all up, the 14mm on the bracket and the 17mm on the bar adjuster.

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/tighten.JPG

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/tighten15mm.JPG

Step 6:
Ok now double check everything is done up tight and also check if teh bar is sturdy, whats the point if it isnt? lol. If all is tight you are all done!! Well Done!!

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/last%20step_check%20if%20sturdy.JPG

BEFORE:
http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal_BEFORE.jpg


AFTER:

http://undergroundimports.com.au/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal_AFTER%20DONE%21.JPG

bennjamin
14-03-2005, 11:05 AM
ok write up....Makes more sense to use a ratchet + 14mm piece btw.

egSi
14-03-2005, 11:15 AM
i dont have a deep 14 mm socket

dundas
15-03-2005, 12:29 AM
hahah ai was just going to mention that LOL---
a spanner would of taken ages LOL-- KIllarrr

egSi
15-03-2005, 08:25 AM
stop hatin on my spanner shenanigans dundas

FlavzzTEGRA
25-03-2005, 02:45 PM
love your work trav, strut bars make the bay look tuff as :thumbsup:

p.s nothing wrong with an old school spanner ;)

crispy
26-03-2005, 10:35 PM
Looks nice. Have you noticed a big difference with it on?

|N|
26-03-2005, 10:49 PM
nice one trav.. i think i have the exact same bar as urs

TYPE-ONE
10-05-2005, 04:58 PM
awesome write up. my frens are doing the install right now. but they've been winging that it doesnt fit. i'll just leave them to work out y it didnt fit. they prolli screwed the nut on the bar all the way. NOOBs.

egSi
11-05-2005, 07:52 AM
awesome write up. my frens are doing the install right now. but they've been winging that it doesnt fit. i'll just leave them to work out y it didnt fit. they prolli screwed the nut on the bar all the way. NOOBs.

LOL adjuster nut done up LAST! :D

type one
11-05-2005, 10:12 AM
spanner?? yikes... rubs soft hands together...

panda[cRx]
11-05-2005, 10:39 AM
nice write up spanner boy. when i put mine on last year i had my fuse box sitting on the way (fuse box on gen2's sits on drivers side behind the airbox)

hondafever
11-05-2005, 11:51 AM
Nice work Trav, described in very detail, I bet it help on handling, specially corner.... good work...:wave: :wave:

egSi
11-05-2005, 12:13 PM
lol thanks guys, i got some diys up my sleeve i have to bloody do :rolleyes:

so busy sorry, soon tho.

aStRooo
12-05-2005, 11:30 PM
hehe i did this a few months ago, but somehow my socket wrench stripped one of the strut top nuts. its totally rounded off, so i got three nuts off and one got stuck, so decided to just put the other three back. any way i can get the rounded one off?

Terry
13-05-2005, 06:51 AM
good! great help for DIYers:thumbsup: .....expect more in the future:D ........

RUDEF2
14-05-2005, 10:44 AM
strut bars always make the engine bay so much nicer looking hehe... good description


Clarkey

mugeneration
26-06-2005, 04:08 PM
hehe i did this a few months ago, but somehow my socket wrench stripped one of the strut top nuts. its totally rounded off, so i got three nuts off and one got stuck, so decided to just put the other three back. any way i can get the rounded one off?

bit violent this way, but you can drill into the nut. use a drill bit about 5mm smaller than the nut. If the heat doesnt disintegrate the rest of the nut or push it out then you should be able to tap it out using a pick like device and hammer. Pretty iffy doing it this way, if you're really concerned about it take it to a metal engineering place to get em to take it out, shouldnt cost much at all, hell they might do it for free lol.

stephen8512
28-08-2005, 10:31 PM
does it matter how tight u lock the nuts? do u have to get a torque wrench to see the proper Nm rating to tighten it or what

aimre
29-09-2005, 12:09 AM
ummm..... wat if u got aircon?

egSi
29-09-2005, 08:22 AM
if u got aircon u should rip it out or undo the lil braket thing and move it out the way :thumbsup:

stephen8512
08-11-2005, 08:09 AM
im gonna bump this thread. can someone answer my question above plz?

Zdster
08-11-2005, 08:22 AM
I torqued mine down after installing my strut bars as those nuts hold the tops of the suspension.

stephen8512
08-11-2005, 08:59 AM
yeah but like does it matter that u get the correct torque rating (or watever its called)? cuz all i did was use a socket wrench to just tighten the screws back into place.....
is a torque wrench necessary for the tightness of the nuts?

Zdster
08-11-2005, 11:09 AM
yeah but like does it matter that u get the correct torque rating (or watever its called)? cuz all i did was use a socket wrench to just tighten the screws back into place.....
is a torque wrench necessary for the tightness of the nuts?

Short answer - Yes.

All a torque wrench does is tighten down a bolt to a specified level - when you do it buy hand using a socket wrench there is no way of being sure of how tight or loose you have left the nut/screw.

egSi
08-11-2005, 11:27 AM
yes ^^ just use the correct spanner(not shifter) and itll be ok. :thumbsup:

Zdster
08-11-2005, 11:40 AM
yes ^^ just use the correct spanner(not shifter) and itll be ok. :thumbsup:

Whaa Trav. So you are saying dont worry about torquing it down? Just tighten it with a spanner?

egSi
08-11-2005, 11:45 AM
Whaa Trav. So you are saying dont worry about torquing it down? Just tighten it with a spanner?

well its a front strut bar man, not THAT important, its not like its a head bolt :p

stephen8512
08-11-2005, 11:46 AM
^^^cuz thats exactly what i did trav. with ur install i see u just used a spanner. i used a socket wrench and matched the socket with the nut that fitted it and just tightened it down....this wont have an adverse affect on my car in any way will it?

egSi
08-11-2005, 11:50 AM
nah mate, just check it in a week. if its still tight then good. then check it in a month, if still tight then good.

i try to make a note to check my nuts :p and bolts everytime i do an oil change or something.

a brace that is not properly secured does not do ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stephen8512
08-11-2005, 11:57 AM
WHEW! thanks mate. Its just that i got my cusco strut bar fitted today and it took me somethin like 30 mins.....
usually im more cautious about things like mods but yeah...
anwyays thanks again trav. love ur DIY writeups mate! helped me out a lot. (not just this one but others too :D)

Zdster
08-11-2005, 11:58 AM
well its a front strut bar man, not THAT important, its not like its a head bolt :p

No, I disagree :). What are those nuts actually holding down? It is not just the strut bar - it is the entire suspension top.

egSi
08-11-2005, 12:36 PM
oh ok fair enough, the nut holds the 'top hat' in as well.

mine arent torqued down and i have had no probs man.

maybe ur just anal :p

Zdster
08-11-2005, 01:22 PM
oh ok fair enough, the nut holds the 'top hat' in as well.

mine arent torqued down and i have had no probs man.

maybe ur just anal :p

LOL. Can you feel the love :D. Maybe I just torqued them down so that I could have a conversation like this with you ;).

egSi
08-11-2005, 01:24 PM
neg rep for u now :p


just out of interest, what did u torque em down to?

Zdster
08-11-2005, 01:33 PM
neg rep for u now :p


just out of interest, what did u torque em down to?

Oh man - already loosing points :D.

Cant really remember, but from memory it would have been around 30-40Nm. Found a nice site where the guy talked about proper torque settings for suspension - if you want it I can try and find it again, just let me know Trav.

egSi
08-11-2005, 01:46 PM
all jokes aside, its good that u looked it up and bothered to do it.

u should post it somewhere not for me maybe for others. :thumbsup:

btw check ur user cp ;)

Zdster
08-11-2005, 02:47 PM
all jokes aside, its good that u looked it up and bothered to do it.

u should post it somewhere not for me maybe for others. :thumbsup:

btw check ur user cp ;)

Thanks Trav :thumbsup:.

I have had a look but cant find the torque specs, but you should be able to find it in any workshop manual.

panda
11-11-2005, 02:22 PM
i always thought car had to be jacked up for the tower bar instalation, corect me if im wrong

92Si
24-10-2006, 11:23 PM
Yeah, I'd been told that too. Is it correct?

iced
24-10-2006, 11:39 PM
Yeah, I'd been told that too. Is it correct?
the general rule with suspension is to tighten bolts etc when the car is on the ground and the weight supported by the cars tyres not by a jack.
unless you fly your car like a plane you should fit the strut brace wen the car is on the gruond.