Strut Bar Install

[Escalade]

Can someone please explain best way to install a front strut bar??

[yearoftherat]

Hae you heard of google before?

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123647313-HOW-TO-(GTSpect-Front)-Strut-Tower-bar-install

[bman13]

Hae you heard of google before?

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123647313-HOW-TO-(GTSpect-Front)-Strut-Tower-bar-install

Can be less rude about it...just sayin

[Escalade]

Hae you heard of google before?

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123647313-HOW-TO-(GTSpect-Front)-Strut-Tower-bar-install

I guess my next question is what the hell is google???

[Escalade]

Seriously though...I'm not that mechanically inclined and don't want to mess anything up.....I'm worried about the strut getting all screwed up when I pull all the bolts off.....

[Default User]

3-4 bolts on top of each strut mount.
pull off the plate (no longer needed)
put the strut bar on the mounts
put the 3-4 bolts back on

really should only take about 10-20 minutes.

I your not comfortable doing this, or don't have the tools to do it, I suggest going to a mechanic.

just remember shops dont do these thing for free, but I wouldn't pay more than $40 to undo 6 bolts

[jova87]

keep the car on the ground..
get a 9/16" socket and ratchet
pop the hood
unbolt the 3 bolts(per side) on top of the strut mount
pop off the triangular plates
position strut bar
place triangular plates on top
bolt all together
tighten your bar
close your hood
enjoy the drastically improved handling hehe

painted my bar today lime green

[rgray]

if you aren't tracking the car... will a front strut even be noticeable?

I love the RSB but I'm curious if the front will make any difference....

[Default User]

^^^that depends on the way you drive. But it will compliment the rest of your suspension mods.

Tightening up the chassis is always a good thing.

90% of the tuner cars out there do not track their cars. yet a STB is always on the mod list, along with lowering, intake and exhaust

[rgray]

^^^that depends on the way you drive. But it will compliment the rest of your suspension mods.

Tightening up the chassis is always a good thing.

90% of the tuner cars out there do not track their cars. yet a STB is always on the mod list, along with lowering, intake and exhaust

Great! Thanks for the reply. +1 to tighter is better (when isnt it ;)) but I guess now there is only one way to know for sure.... dammit another thing to add to my future-mod-list!

[Freakzaz]

I don't know what brand strut bar you have, but this Corksport installation manual can help in a way: http://support.corksport.com/instructions/Axe-3-020-WEB.pdf

[Darkice]

its pretty easy and straight forward probably the easiest mod i did with my 3

[Darkice]

lmao it srsly takes less then what 10 mins to do

no comment lmfao! TWSS

ya i still have my strut bar sitting in the basement..i should put it on but im too lazy

[Zuluwun]

I'm glad the OP asked this, cuz I was wondering something similar. I was wondering if I should install my ETD myself, but I'm worried about the strut shifting. It seems like the key is to park the car on level ground

[Airman Jack]

Has anyone (who actually tracks their car) noticed a difference with before/after using a strut bar? The struts are tied into the firewall for pete's sake, if that suckers flexing you've got bigger issues!

[Default User]

Has anyone (who actually tracks their car) noticed a difference with before/after using a strut bar? The struts are tied into the firewall for pete's sake, if that suckers flexing you've got bigger issues!

I take ot you dont have one then?

[Airman Jack]

Nope... seems like a cosmetic thing for our cars as far as I can tell. Now, don't get me wrong, I think they look great as some under hood bling!

[Default User]

it is some serious bling LOL

but when I tracked my 300 and my VW, I found all the suspension upgrades, including the STB, did help.
I cannot speak of an STB alone and the benefits - but when paired with the mid brace, the rear brace and F/RSB - it made a huge difference in the corners.

[Airman Jack]

Cool! Glad to hear you felt a difference. Do the 300 and whatever VW you were modding have the front struts tied into the firewall like our 3 does?

[Default User]

300zx - no. But my VW was.

There will be huge debates on this topic simply because in a unibody, the towers are tied to the firewall.

However, my take is while the towers are "tied" into the firewall they are by no means stiffer as a result of it. The towers will deflect inward when the suspension moves And even more so if you have stiffer dampeners and springs, etc.

Most people think the body is rugged and stiff. But as many know, the front end of the car is made to crinkle up in the event of a collision

At the end if the day, (like all aftermarket parts and mods) it's what the driver feels. And IMHO, for about $60, can you really go wrong?

[JP3]

Do you have to get all technical and put a certain amount of torque on the 6 bolts on the struts or just tighten as much as you can?

[dentinger]

i just used an impact gun on mine, when i was installing my coilovers/installing stock struts. get em tight, but not crazy tight.

[nuttygent]

In case it helps, it takes no extra skills what so ever and a half hour at the most. When you place the bar close it will be come self explanatory. If you don't corner with any aggressiveness it is a bit of a waste, but if your a wee bit frisky with the on and off ramps you will feel a noticeable difference in the front end with a half decent set of tires.

[nuttygent]

Oh, one more thing...DON'T go as tight as you can, when it goes snug to you, just a touch more than that is good enough.

[Rob23]

i just used an impact gun on mine, when i was installing my coilovers/installing stock struts. get em tight, but not crazy tight.

not a good idea, those bolts can break pretty easy if you over tighten. you just want them hand tight, then you should check them a couple days or after driving a couple hundred kms to make sure they are still snug.