Front Strut Help

[phil3842]

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh208/rx2_freak/enginewithbrace1.jpg


i just bought a cusco strut brace and it didnt have mounting harware what size and length bolts do i use, and on an ek where it mounts it has the holes covered by pieces of metal so how do i go about mounting it.

[dahon]

make sure you trial fit the brace first and see if the holes in the brace line up with where you want to drill.
drill holes in those indents you see where its got a backing plate under it. (where the holes you circled should be)

use a 8mm metal drill bit. when you have drilled, make sure you cover the bare metal in paint to guard against rust.
bolts you can use are High tensile M8 bolts with a 13/14mm head. these should be around 30mm long.

for mine i put the bolt through the bottom (through the wheel well) with a flat washer, and up the top within the chassis i put a flat washer, spring washer and a nut to secure the bolt.
to prevent water entering the joint i also covered the flat washer within the wheel well with sealant (on the side where the washer & chassis/wheel well contact) before i inserted the bolt onto the washer.

if these instructions seem vague i can take some pics/diagrams for you.
this was done to put on a ek4 chassis brace on an ek1 but it should be the same with your cusco brace.

[tezza88]

hey dahon i had the same problem as phil and i dont want mine to fall off when i drive lol so is it ok if u show me some pictures cause i really want it to stay on the chassis without any rust or loosening the bolt when i drive PM me with pics please =]

cheers terry

[SuiJin]

this is so risky as the tower walls are quite thin as observed, when mrgrim was doing a cut and shut on my eg. Won't recommend it. most struts bolt onto the towers factory bolts and hold on to certain components of the vehicle.

[dahon]

^^ SuiJin,

yeh i saw the walls were pretty thin wen i was deciding whether or not to drill etc, but if u think about it this way... the strut towers are already supported by that metal... so if it were going to tear then it wouldve tore.... and drilling into the metal it was seen that the metal was very tough and strong, no way would one brace be able to tear it as the brace only transfers small forces as it tries to keep rigidity but in comparison to the strut tower mounts themselves these forces are pretty negligible id assume.

if u look at the location of the braces on the cars with the stock braces (chassis braces), its in the exact same spot, with exactly the same holes. (if your car didnt come with a factory brace, there should be two indented locations for each side, for where the brace bolts go, OR as with the case of some integras, rubber stoppers plug the holes)
Factory bolts are pretty much the same, high tensile bolts. So basically your just doing a factory aftermarket install, which was in my case as i acquired a oem honda chassis brace and decided to put it into my car.

its been on for a while now (~3 months) and i have not seen any structural defects of any kind, rust does not seem to be entering the holes due to the paint & sealant...

tezza ill try get some pics but its been a while so it might not be clear anymore... (dirt and crap) or ill draw u a diagram...

[tezza88]

that will be great dahon! im only worried about the washers and stuff i need to get to secure the strut. they gave me a 8.8mm bolt with the washer and the threadlock nut so yeah can your give me a diagram to show if i need anythin else to secure it ^^

cheers