Okay, I feel like an idiot, cause this should be a 5 minute install. But i can't get my new strut tower brace on. I undid all the bolts, and jacked up the passenger side. Then i put the brace on the drivers side, and tried to get it on the bolts on the passenger side and its too short. I even stood on my rim to pull the studs down into the strut tower more, almost to the point where they were even with the metal surface, and it still won't fit. Am i missing something with this?

 

What brand STB is this? I didn't have to jack up my car to get my BMR one in

 

Yeah what brand is it? Is it a 3 point STB, perhaps the back part is hitting the cowel and not allowing you to put it in? Give us some more info bud. You sure as hell don't need to jack anything up for a STB install.

 

my SLP unit went it, 5 mins... what did you guys use to tighten that one bolt on the pass side??? the one near the A/C line??

 

What are you doing??? - undo 4 bolts, put on STB, refasten 4 bolts - 5 minutes tops. NO jacking, standing, pulling studs or any of that stuff!

 

I don't know about 5 minutes....the passenger side was a b!tch because of all the hoses and clearence issues with the ratchet/wrench....took me about 20 minutes but it certainly wasn't hard....

 

I had a similar problem, but i know my car has been seriously wrecked on one side. It did fit after the same trick you were using.

 

When you buy a bar with relatively small holes for the bolts/studs to pass through, it is not unusual to require the studs on one side to be retracted. The studs are angled out at the top - they are not true vertical, meaning that the bar appears to be too short to fit over them. I guess if you bought a bar with big, sloppy oversize holes, it wouldn't be a problem, but with the 4-pt LG Motorsports STB, it was necessary to retract the studs on one side before the bar would fit over them.

Why it still won't fit with the studs retracted is a bit unusual though.

 

k, i bought the car when it was three years old, but it has never hit anything that would cause any damage (unfortunately i can't claim it never hit anything but it wasn't hard at all). Well, i'm calling the manufacturer today, this is killing the confidence, if i can't install a strut tower brace, should i bother trying to do headers?
Thanks for the help so far guys

 

Just cause your having trouble with the STB does not mean you should question your ability to work on the car.
I think you are being too gentle with it.
I beat the pi** out of mine to get it on.
It wanted to fight but I was determined to win.

 

I dont think my BMR came with bolts...what should i do?

 

You reuse the bolts that are already on there, unbolt them slip on STB and then put bolts back on and tighten.

 

Alright i got the STB on, and the bolts all tight, cept the bolt on the passenger side that is being blocked by the AC crap....i tightened that one up as tight as i coudl get with my fingers, is that ok or does it need to be tighter? All the other bolts are very tight, this one i cant get to with a wrench...what should i do? leave it alone or what?

 

Get a box wrench and go in from the back. Not easy, but doable. Maybe a "stubby". Force the wrench as hard as you can by hand. Might also consider a "crows foot wrench" to get in there. I wouldn't leave it "finger tight". Believe me, if the shock tower only needed three bolts, GM would have deleted one of them.

 

Try putting on the passenger side first, without the car being jacked up.