Hi all, after much reading of past threads on strut brace fitment, I am still none-the-wiser (where is that damn wiki!!!)

I get the fitting process, undo strut top bolts on flat level surface with steering straight ahead and bolt it on. The question is, how much tension do you work into the bar?? The guy I bought it off (little red wagon) said that just enough tension until it is just about feeling tight, however some of the threads I read from a while back said tension it up as much as you physically can. So, what is the correct way? I dont have any instructions either :)

Not hard brodude!
Undo 3 bolt on top, put brace on either side, put bolts back on. I would say do them up slightly tighter then a spark plug. so do them up tight, then about another half a turn.

;1107455']Not hard brodude!
Undo 3 bolt on top, put brace on either side, put bolts back on. I would say do them up slightly tighter then a spark plug. so do them up tight, then about another half a turn.

tuffy i've been told it's throws out your wheel alightment and balance is this true?

tuffy i've been told it's throws out your wheel alightment and balance is this true?

lol. ummm never heard of that. I'm no suspension expert (actualy im not an expert with anything) but how the hell would it throw it out?! beyond me

I think Cybermonkey is asking about how much tension to put on the BAR, not the mounting plates at the strut towers.

Having got my strut braces from Whiteline, they came with NIL instructions on this point. As I don't have the quick-release clamps, my brace-bars have virtually no tension/pre-load on them - if I unbolt the bar from the mounting plate (leaving the plate bolted to the strut-tower), I have to be able to get the bar bolted-up again.

IMO, the bar is there to "tie" the strut-towers to each other, not to push-out or pull-in the strut towers in any measureable way.

You could check Whiteline Red Ranger website and see what advice, if any, they offer.

EDIT: Couldn't possibly affect wheel BALANCE, but if you put heaps of tension into the strut-brace (either pull-in, or push-out) and you had a "sloppy" car body, maybe it could have a bit of influence. I think if the strut-brace tension made too much difference to the front-end, it'd be a vehicle at falling-apart stage, wouldn't it?? The chassis and strut-towers are meant to be stiff, and the strut-brace is just a bit more reinforcement. Am happy to be corrected...... but we are talking strut-brace, not adjustable strut-tops.

Hmm, again i just did it up will it was tight, didnt want it putting TOO much tension between the towers, alas, no educated descision here just a guess

;1107457']lol. ummm never heard of that. I'm no suspension expert (actualy im not an expert with anything) but how the hell would it throw it out?! beyond me

if you put to much tension?, i honestly don't know thats why i asked.

Yes you do want to pull the towers together.

Because when you corner the force from the outside wheel, which is doing most of the work, is trying to pull the top of the suspension tower outwards.

So put the cross brace in. Then rotate it until it is straight and pulls inwards.
Then tighten the lock nuts.

Gerry

Yes you do want to pull the towers together.

Because when you corner the force from the outside wheel, which is doing most of the work, is trying to pull the top of the suspension tower outwards.

So put the cross brace in. Then rotate it until it is straight and pulls inwards.
Then tighten the lock nuts.

Gerry

thanks buddy that was helpfull

cheers guys, one of the old threads I read had a comment from Disciple about tightening up the bar heaps to make the struts pull in tighter.

the correct way to do it is to take the bar off the strut brace undo the upper strut mounting bolts and put the strut brace ends on and torque the nuts to 39-49Nm then put the bar on.

the correct way to do it is to take the bar off the strut brace undo the upper strut mounting bolts and put the strut brace ends on and torque the nuts to 39-49Nm then put the bar on.

that wasn't my question...

that wasn't my question...

oh ok sorry, once you do the above and you put the bar on you tighten the bar up, you cant really change the distance between the towers its not like you have super human strength and your going to be able to pull the strut towers one way or the other. its a pretty simple mod the main and most important thing is to make sure you torque the strut tower nuts. hope this helps. cheers luke

oh ok sorry, once you do the above and you put the bar on you tighten the bar up, you cant really change the distance between the towers its not like you have super human strength and your going to be able to pull the strut towers one way or the other. its a pretty simple mod the main and most important thing is to make sure you torque the strut tower nuts. hope this helps. cheers luke

That was my point but thats written better. you can only tighten the bar so much, once its tight its tight.

Guys,
You do not put any tension on the brace at all

This has been around for years and the same questions asked, Whiteline themselves used to have a bulliton in the site stating the same thing

The idea is you can put it on and take it off any time without having to tension it. Also the only thing you are doing by pulling the towers in or pushing them out is altering your camber, this is what a camber kit is for.

The brace still works just the same regardless if it is sitting there bolted up or if it pulls on the tower

What I would like to see is someone like Trotty make a mod to the brace to also have it bolt to the firewall as well

i thought it alterd the camber if you did it up tight :)

Yeah and puts a lot of strain on your towers, ever heard of a camber kit, that is what you use

Guys,
What I would like to see is someone like Trotty make a mod to the brace to also have it bolt to the firewall as well

+1 my 4agze corolla had a factory brace that was a two piece and went to the fire wall. nice :P

Guys,
You do not put any tension on the brace at all

This has been around for years and the same questions asked, Whiteline themselves used to have a bulliton in the site stating the same thing

The idea is you can put it on and take it off any time without having to tension it. Also the only thing you are doing by pulling the towers in or pushing them out is altering your camber, this is what a camber kit is for.

The brace still works just the same regardless if it is sitting there bolted up or if it pulls on the tower

What I would like to see is someone like Trotty make a mod to the brace to also have it bolt to the firewall as well

thanks Mal. Yeah I also seen a pic before where the brace was bolted to the firewall. I dont think it was a Magna though...

Well thanks for all the replies, I couldn;t find much to say about the tension on the actual bar but I guess we have our answer. Now where is that Wiki :P

1.Undo the nuts at the ends of the brace so that you con spin the centre bar.It came off the same model car so it should be close.

2.Remove upper strutt bolts 3 each side of car.

3.Sit brace over threads and replace and tighten nuts for strutt tops.

4.Rotate centre bar untill level or in the position you want, 1 way will pull it in the other way will push it out half a turn is all you should need and it will feel snug.

5.tighten nuts at the ends of the bar.

6.Give it a polish.HAVE A BEER. Done.

What I would like to see is someone like Trotty make a mod to the brace to also have it bolt to the firewall as well

Agree with Mal on this one.

Something along the lines of this:

http://www.roadstersolutions.com/media/Z4Strut.jpg

my mate won an EVO 8 3-point strut brace off ebay for $1 (no kidding, genuine...) so I'll see if that can be made to fit....possibly..

When I fitted mine recently I got it off another 3rd gen (cant remember which model) and it was pretty much a case of bolting it straight up, came pre-tightened. Had to use a little bit of force (not alot) to get all the holes over, but I figure this is better than having it loose.

ok, this is embarrassing. I cant get the nuts off the strut tops :( My mechanic has done them up so damn tight after he fitting the KYB's. I had a bloody long bar on the end of the wrench trying to get them off and was worried of cracking the bolt. Would it be easier with the front lifted up and the weight off the shocks?

Eat some wheatbix and try again...lol...Seriously if you have a breaker bar you should be able to turn until you hear the "crack"...try some WD40 on them leave for a while and try again.

Eat some wheatbix and try again...lol...Seriously if you have a breaker bar you should be able to turn until you hear the "crack"...try some WD40 on them leave for a while and try again.

yeah will try WD40 but I really didn't want to push it any further, already broken a nice socket tonight trying to get them off

You could also try the 'Freeze/Release" aerosol products - Loctite make it and maybe others - it sprays out crap like WD40, but really cold, idea is the thermal shock helps break the friction on nut/bolt.

cheers Elwyn, I will get some 2moro, these nuts are going anywhere :(
http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/25082009267.jpg
http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/25082009268.jpg

lol they don't make spanners like they use to...hey? Chinese/Taiwan imports?

lol they don't make spanners like they use to...hey? Chinese/Taiwan imports?

actually these were mega old Stanley spanners that belonged to my grandfather i believe, made in england.

No! The memories!

I sheared the key for my mag wheels just last month, trying to undo a very stubborn wheel nut at midnight temperatures.
And the time before last that I attempted to do an oil change, I sheared a 1/4" socket ratchet trying to undo the sump plug.

If you're game, try WD40 + bashing it with a block of wood or something. Maybe there's a little bit of rust in there binding it up as well? Perhaps some sort of vibration against it might shake it loose? ie: like a rattle gun at your local tyre joint or mechanic :)

when i cant get somthing off i just pull out the angle grinder :)
but seriously i cant im imagine them being that tight? :roflwtf:
i think u should get the perfect size socket and a huge ass breaker bar

i think u should get the perfect size socket and a huge ass breaker bar

See above. Socket couldn't be a better fit. What are the chances of me breaking the bolt with some uber force from a longer bar?

that spanner is a pos.

chrome vanadium ftw


seriously need one of these,
http://p-car.com/diy/bearing/bearing_files/image003.jpg
when you are doingup, undoing thins like this, dont mess around. to get my strut nuts undone, i needed to get a 1/2 inch sidcrome ratche, nearly a foot long, then add another foot of stainless pipe just to get enough leverage. the mech probly used a rattle gun.

that spanner is a pos.


have some respect, that spanner is older than you :P

I will be going to get one of those from tool shop today :)

have some respect, that spanner is older than you :P

I will be going to get one of those from tool shop today :)

Get a good set of 1/2" tools mate. 14mm socket and breaker bar on that will make easy work of it

yeah heading to Super Creep this afternoon and see what they have on offer

I'm in need of a decent 1/2" drive set :(

Make sure you get a superworks gold socket if you're going to Supercheap... Lifetime warranty so if you destroy the socket you get a new one :D

Make sure you get a superworks gold socket if you're going to Supercheap... Lifetime warranty so if you destroy the socket you get a new one :D

correcto. SWG are made by ABW tools in QLD so they are pretty damn good for the price.

don't take this the wrong way, but that spanner looks like it's been bent turning clockwise... hopefully it's just the pics. because you'd want to be turning anti-clockwise to undo those strut top nuts.

cheers,
.wook

don't take this the wrong way, but that spanner looks like it's been bent turning clockwise... hopefully it's just the pics. because you'd want to be turning anti-clockwise to undo those strut top nuts.

cheers,
.wook

good pickup

Righty tighty lefty loosy :D

twas anti-clockwise, the spanner is actually warped so it looks like a knuckled ring spanner when in fact it isnt lol And it could be upside down in the photo :|

I just bought myself a 380mm 1/2" handle and all new cv sockets. Hopefully this gets the job done! Epic amount of work for such a minor mod. I suspect this will end up being longer than the TUFFTR-build thread

twas anti-clockwise, the spanner is actually warped so it looks like a knuckled ring spanner when in fact it isnt lol And it could be upside down in the photo :|

I just bought myself a 380mm 1/2" handle and all new cv sockets. Hopefully this gets the job done! Epic amount of work for such a minor mod. I suspect this will end up being longer than the TUFFTR-build thread

lol But hey least my strut brace didnt take 5 days to install :P

no :(

omg its on! Decent tools, bish bash bosh job done.

I am so lame

ok just taken it for a drive, definately a different feel when steering it! Near where I live are a couple of very tight gradient hairpins. Normally you can feel the offside tyre lifting almost, difficult to explain. Now, it feels more planted when cornering and definately a sharper steering feel. definately not a placebo effect, the car felt like it drove differently

Guys,
You do not put any tension on the brace at all
Listen to this man...lol

This has been around for years and the same questions asked, Whiteline themselves used to have a bulliton in the site stating the same thing

The idea is you can put it on and take it off any time without having to tension it. Also the only thing you are doing by pulling the towers in or pushing them out is altering your camber, this is what a camber kit is for.

The brace still works just the same regardless if it is sitting there bolted up or if it pulls on the tower

What I would like to see is someone like Trotty make a mod to the brace to also have it bolt to the firewall as well
Would love to have a go and get a template to get lasercut top plates and a rear plate made for a mass order.... i could make a run up...

as above

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/Mitsubishi%20Magna/26082009273.jpg

Nice job...............finally!

Make sure you set aside 2-3 days for an air filter change :P

;1109351']Make sure you set aside 2-3 days for an air filter change :P

Bent spanners, skinned knuckles... All part of changing that pesky air filter lol

To OP,

Have you got a rear sway bar on the car? If not, consider that for a sweet future mod.
My TJ Sports has an OEM one, and I got a KJ without the rear sway bar...... was noticeably crap around corners compared to the TJ.

I got a Whiteline add-on rear sway bar, and tho I had some dramas with it hitting the toe-control arms, after Whiteline modded the bar it has been sweet.
Mal (MadMagna) is selling the rear cross-member etc to add an OEM rear bar (he doesn't like the way Whiteline attaches to non-OEM cars).

There have been a few cars at Pick-n-Payless Blacktown which have rear sway bars on, so you could see what they want for the bits req'd - its bulky and heavy shite you need to swap over, but the way the OEM bar attaches is better than the add-on Whiteline way (tho the whiteline bar gives a good result too).

My turn next, bought on Ebay today. Can I borrow your new tools if mine aren't up to it ? :)

To OP,

Have you got a rear sway bar on the car? If not, consider that for a sweet future mod.
My TJ Sports has an OEM one, and I got a KJ without the rear sway bar...... was noticeably crap around corners compared to the TJ.

I got a Whiteline add-on rear sway bar, and tho I had some dramas with it hitting the toe-control arms, after Whiteline modded the bar it has been sweet.
Mal (MadMagna) is selling the rear cross-member etc to add an OEM rear bar (he doesn't like the way Whiteline attaches to non-OEM cars).

There have been a few cars at Pick-n-Payless Blacktown which have rear sway bars on, so you could see what they want for the bits req'd - its bulky and heavy shite you need to swap over, but the way the OEM bar attaches is better than the add-on Whiteline way (tho the whiteline bar gives a good result too).

aye it was one of the best mods I have done that swaybar. Its an adjustable whiteline jobbie. In fact, I dropped it back down to medium because I was getting tragic oversteer :eeek:

Yeah my advice to anyone with a FWD who doesnt have a swaybar is to get one!

My turn next, bought on Ebay today. Can I borrow your new tools if mine aren't up to it ? :)

LOL sure

;1109351']Make sure you set aside 2-3 days for an air filter change :P


Bent spanners, skinned knuckles... All part of changing that pesky air filter lol

you bastards lol

FYI, I fitted my HIGH FLOW K&N panel filter all by myself. and it made sweet FA difference

since the alignment this morning, I have noticed the strut brace plates are warping around the bolts. Is this normal?

damn you must drive hard.... haha

since the alignment this morning, I have noticed the strut brace plates are warping around the bolts. Is this normal?

Wouldn't have said so, but hard to say without seeing. Its minor, I assume? You may have just tightened those 3 bolts hella-tight (or tighter than mine anyway).

Will cast an eye over both my cars on may way to work and post back later. These cars have done maybe 15-20K since the braces went on them, some of it over dirt. Haven't warped much that I've noticed, but will give latest update this arvo or evening, if work isn't flat-chat!

ok cheers elwyn

since the alignment this morning, I have noticed the strut brace plates are warping around the bolts. Is this normal?

How bad is the warping?

Mine have warped slightly. You'd only notice it if looking closely but at a glance you wouldn't notice it.

What camber did you get on the front? Or do you have camber bolts on?

Yes mine did that too. Probably done them up to tight mate

Well, a decent glance at both my cars with strut-brace shows a bit of warp/deflection where the strut-top bolts have pulled the brace rings down a little bit.
I'd say those rings are only mild steel, and mine have looked like that since they were put on.

If yours looks minor, and sounds similar - I'd say "nothing to see here people, move along". Enjoy.

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/Mitsubishi%20Magna/29082009275.jpg

I fitted mine Thursday night and noticed that the strut tower isn't flat on top. The strut bar's mounting rings have conformed to that shape a bit as soon as I tightened the nuts. After one day's driving, there isn't any lift at the hinged point like your pic though.

FYI - the nuts on the strut towers were a mild challenge for me as well. A simple spanner wasn't coping, but a 1/2" drive socket and ratcheted 30cm handle did the trick. It looked like there was lock-tight or similar on there!

yes oggy there was loc tight on mine too. The 38cm ratchet handle made short work of it though :)

Cyber - your pics look similar to mine, maybe a bit more "warp-age" on yours by the pic, and being near the brace-bar atttachment prob just makes it look more worrying than it is. Keep an eye on it, and see if the "warp" increases with usage.

If needed, you could always get some reinforcing plates made up (like long washers) to go on top of mounting plates under the strut-top nuts. However, my bet says that you won't find it changes any further - and that nothing further is req'd but enjoyment of your mod!

thanks for the input elwin, it has made a big difference to handling so very happy with this mod. Not sure where the wank-factor stuff came from because this is a worth while performance mod

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/Mitsubishi%20Magna/29082009275.jpg

Yep my strut brace did that too.

Same here.

sweet :D

Not on mine...yours look extreme....but its probably more related to driving styles...I don't throw my car around corners I drive around them with all four wheels on the ground....lol Do you have a rear roll bar installed, and at what setting?

rear sway bar on medium.

thanks for the input elwin, it has made a big difference to handling so very happy with this mod. Not sure where the wank-factor stuff came from because this is a worth while performance mod

+1. I was actually quite surprised that the difference would be so noticeable.
On my first drive to work with the strut brace installed, I got a LOT less tyre squeal around my favourite corner :eeek: and I reached the speed limit about 3 car lengths before the sign post that I'm normally level with when speed limit is reached.

So basically, cornering speed is up significantly. :happy: