strut tower bar doesn't fit!

[Touchdown038]

Hi -

I recently bought a front strut tower bar off eBay ($30 shipped) and got it today, so I put it on but then when I try to close the hood, it doesn't close all the way ... did I do something wrong installing it? :help

Thanks,Dan

[MaineExport]

Likely, your only mistake was buying a bar off Ebay for $30 shipped. Chances are it is poorly designed and/or constructed.

To answer your installation question, it's hard to tell if you did anything wrong, if you don't tell us what you did. But, I'll give it a shot. I haven't seen the bar you are referring to, so you'll have to take this with that in mind. Also, you didn't mention what model/mae your car is.

Assuming you have a 240sx (s13 or s14), remove the six nuts on top of the strut towers. Put the bar in position across the strut towers and over the strut studs. Replace the nuts and tighten.

[Touchdown038]

My car is an 89 coupe. So ok, I unscrewed the 3 nuts on both sides, matched up the holes for the bar with the studs, tightened down the nuts, and it looks and feels very sturdy, like it is on there good. The only problem is that when I put the hood down, it bends slightly outward with the bar on there. And if you wanna look at the bar I got, here is a link to it.

Thanks,Dan

[MaineExport]

It sounds like you installed it properly, not much to it.

There are a couple options. You can return the bar and complain about the fitment problem.... hopefully they will give you your money back.

Or, put a line of heavy grease across the top of the bar and close the hood. Then open the hood, and wherever the bar hits the it, the grease will transfer onto the hood. At that location you could trim the hood support with a grinder or cutting wheel. Although, doing something that extreme, just to make a $30 STB fit, seems a little extreme.

You could also bend the bar so it fits.... how high is it above the engine?

[AZhitman]

Man, I'd return it. Take a look at a STB made by Neuspeed - THAT'S a bar that'll make a difference. The bar you bought will only prevent flexion in one plane vs. all three - It's essentially useless. Not really beefy enough to have much impact, and the bottom line is: IT DON'T FIT.

Just my .02.

[Touchdown038]

Yeah, I'll probably end up returning it... I knew a bar for $30 was too good to be true.

Has anyone on here had success using the cheap bars on eBay?

- Dan

[Mayhem_J30]

A FSTB will not provide a noticeable roll/flex improvement. I would start with your sway bars and not put on the FSTB until a last stage. If the company will refund your shipping too, send it back.Most people I hear have had good luck with the install of FSTB's. EBAY is typically the place to get these since they are found so cheap compared to a performance store.

[MaineExport]

True, Mayhem, but the performance bars are usually a much better product. Like Hitman said, Neuspeed makes some very good STB's, not sure if they make them for Nissan though. Good rule of thumb is to avoid the cheap, hinged-joint style bars. If a bar is one piece, it will have better structural rigidity in all directions... not just laterally.

[Mayhem_J30]

yeah just weld some 2 inch steel on there and pray you never have to pull the motor or take off the head. haha

[Silvia007]

pound the living daylights out of the arms that come out of the disk that goes onto the strut towers so it bends downwards. A friend of mine bought cheapies from ebay and that's what we had to do, we used a 25lb slege and after both sides were bent (there should be ample room on the strut towers to be able to do this). After that's done, throw the sturt bars back on and voila, ur done!

[AZhitman]

Yep - That should do WONDERS for the torsional stiffness of an already pathetically weak STB.

The effect on your alignment should be impressive as well.

Put it back in the box, spend your $$$ on something that will deliver greater handling returns - Like good tires, an alignment, replacement bushings, etc.

[MaineExport]

Yep - That should do WONDERS for the torsional stiffness of an already pathetically weak STB.

The effect on your alignment should be impressive as well.

Hahaha..... TESTIFY!!!!

You have to admit though.... at the very moment that you decide to use a sledge hammer to modify your vehicle... you have made a concious decision to make that particular part "for show purposes only"!:D