Front Strut Bar

[J'son]

Hey guys, couldn't find anything else really answering this question.

Just bought a front strut bar for my r33 skyline. I've heard a few things regarding the installation, and I have a few questions and concerns.

Firstly I was told to install, I should jack the car up and have the front in the air. My question for that is, if undo the bolts to hold the strut bar on, won't my suspension come out?

Secondly I was told the struts need to be sitting as close to 90 degrees as possible, how am I meant to even check or insure this? I would have thought having the car on the ground would have kept them closer to the right place?

Thirdly, some say it will and some say it won't affect my wheel alignment (mostly camber I presume). I really didn't want to fork out for another wheel alignment... But will do what must if it is required.

Advice, info, tips? Thanks.

[Trozzle]

I can't see how the hell it would affect wheel alignment, I'd say that's a myth...

I'd recommend jacking the car up enough that the wheels are just touching the ground, but not putting any weight on the suspension - this way they don't fall out so to speak when you undo the nuts holding your struts in, but they're also not going to move about at all.

[wal32r]

As long as the studs from the strut just come through holes in the strut tower, you dont need to jack it up.

Just undo the nuts, slide the strut bar end over, tighten nuts. Job done

[StinkyPoo]

Lol,

I'm pretty confident that all suspension bits should be tightened while the car is sitting on it's own weight. Nothing should be loaded except due to gravity, unless you want it to be.

You should not notice any changes in alignment.

And, if you do fit the brace when the car is sitting on the road, wheel alignment will not change.

[J'son]

Yeah I think I'll do it with the car sitting flat on the ground, as if do it lifted it is more likely to create some degree of change, or possibly put un-necessary pressure?

At least this way I know it is set to how the car normally sits.

Next time I do get a balance and alignment done, I can ask them to check the settings of the strut bar and if necessary tighten it a bit when they have the car lifted, and then do all the alignment.

It would have only been the camber that changed.. But was told should lift the front to take any strain off the suspension for when doing the job. I'll give it a go when can once pick up the strut bar - hopefully this arvo.

[Sir Lord Van Von Vader'ham]

as eiji and nathan said, its ment to be done with the the car on the ground.

Just remove the strut nuts, adjust the bar till it just slips over the top and then do the nuts back up.

you wont need an alignment and you be suprised wiht the difference in the front (at least i was, but thats in a bendy 31)

[J'son]

Pedders where I got my whiteline bar from still insist it won't work unless I lift the front properly. So that all the stress and pressures are off the body, and to attach it and tighten it up properly before lowering the car back to the ground...

[zebra]

Pedders where I got my whiteline bar from still insist it won't work unless I lift the front properly. So that all the stress and pressures are off the body, and to attach it and tighten it up properly before lowering the car back to the ground...

Lol @ Pedders!

Just undo the 4 nuts, stick strut bar on and do it up!

To be honest a strut bar does sweet fa on a skyline, you are better off with a caster rod brace imo.

Ive done track days both with an without the strut brace on the same suspension and didn't notice any difference.

[J'son]

Strut bar - To preload or not to preload that is the questionSo. I had the oppertunity to drive my car without preloading and then preloading the strut bar. Story goes was trying to install my strut bar in my driveway with only basic hand tools and my cars own floor jack. jacked up one side and put my hand under the fender and slipped the bolts in and tightend them from the top. I can say after going for a test drive it made a real big difference.

After driving for awile i put the car on a lift today and then took off one end of the strut bar and it was dificult to pull off. Once off it wouldnt go back in easily being it was under tension while being installed. But not the kind you would want. I could actually turn one of the ends maybe 4 full turns. Reinserted it back and tightend the nuts up. Now the bar is under a slight tension. Put the car back down and went for a spin. All i can say is wow. I couldnt belive that it owuld make that much difference.

If you dont have acess to a rack easy way is just jack up the front of the car to relive the load off the strut towers when you install the strut bar. It is worth the extra effort.

It makes some sense, but I just keep getting advice both ways from people and places.

[StinkyPoo]

I would think that lifting the car, letting the struts hang and then fitting the strut bar would cause the brace to undergo compression when it is returned to road height.

From my understanding the strut brace was to prevent the tops from spreading apart.

[GTRKat]

If in doubt,maybe have a chat with someone like Chris from Inline in Qbn. I'm pretty sure when I watched him do mine it was flat on the ground but that was nearly 5 years ago so don't quote me.

[Sir Lord Van Von Vader'ham]

its also the way that whiteline instruct you to put them on.

+1 lol at pedders.

[wal32r]

As Eiji said its to stop the struts moving, so fit it when the car is on the ground stationary and they will be joined in that position.

If you lift it up and do it, putting the strut bar under compression, wont it be encouraged to lose its compression going over bumps?

Therefore moving the strut towers??????

[J'son]

It makes a lot of sense to do it flat. Esp the if do it up, it gets some pressure on it, helping it move wrongly when go over bumps rather than keep it in the place of when the far is flat.

I'll keep looking for info, but I put it on with the car flat for now, but may need to check it again, as the ground was a little slopey on my drive so it might not be 100% right.