210,000 miles...Sparco bar doesn't fit...

[Sean]

I was going to install my front Sparco strut bar that I'd had sitting since I bought it during that group buy a while back.

Well, I've already jacked the car up in the middle, HOPING that the strut towers would get far enough part - no go.

My strut bar DOES NOT fit between the two strut towers.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm leaving the car jacked up all night, in hopes of the frame settling back down, but I doubt it.

Just wondering if anyway has any ideas... :|

[Jordan]

Just sell it to me. It will fit on my car.

[Sean]

Thanks for that helpful reply... :|

[rwh11385]

jacking up the frame rails won't do shit for you. you have to raise the front subframe to take the stress off the strut towers. do that (and not the oilpan) and it should eventually fit. it's what I had to do.

[Sean]

jacking up the frame rails won't do shit for you. you have to raise the front subframe to take the stress off the strut towers. do that (and not the oilpan) and it should eventually fit. it's what I had to do.

So, the crossmember behind the steering rack isn't the point where I want to jack the car up?

That's where I jacked it up - I don't see anywhere else to jack the car up in the middle?

[Bryson]

hahahahahaha owned yourself robert

[rwh11385]

I completely skipped your second sentence. I thought by looking at the 2nd to last sentence alone you had just done it by the sides. I don't read.....

now that I read it all. i think you're fucked.

[DanGillan]

hammer till it fits

[Sean]

I completely skipped your second sentence. I thought by looking at the 2nd to last sentence alone you had just done it by the sides. I don't read.....

now that I read it all. i think you're fucked.

That sucks ass....:-\

I could probably have my strut towers brought back into the correct positions, couldn't i? But, that wouldn't be cheap, would it?

hammer till it fits

Hammer what?

[rwh11385]

How high did you raise the engine? I move it up a little and got close to cramming the bar in there......then raised it more.....and had more clearance and finally it fell in place.

Of course, it didn't want to lay flat exactly, but did go between.



I think Dan is recommending sledger hammer to the bar to bend it to fit.

[Sean]

How high did you raise the engine? I move it up a little and got close to cramming the bar in there......then raised it more.....and had more clearance and finally it fell in place.

Of course, it didn't want to lay flat exactly, but did go between.



I think Dan is recommending sledger hammer to the bar to bend it to fit.

You're talking how high I raised the subframe right? The crossmember that is currently jacked up.

It's up high - both tires off the ground by about an inch. I did notice that when i went out just a while ago, the tires were touching the ground - so I raised it somemore. It seems to have gotten closer - but still not close enough.

I don't really want to hammer the bar - that doesn't change the fact that my strut towers aren't the way they SHOULD be.

[rwh11385]

I had the sides on jack stands. Maybe if you put jackstands under the frame rails on the side the pressure will be off of the towers enough to get it on. sounds like you are lifting the entire front end by just the subframe/crossmember. I had the tires off the ground then started to jack up the crossmember/engine.

[Sean]

I let it sit overnight on the jack - the studs for the strut assembles are RIGHT outside the holes on one side.

It barely fits - and I can't get it on.

Pics here: http://e30.electrontek.com/project/parts/

Need some help here...suggestions welcome! :|

Also - not sure if this could affect it - but thought I would mention that the metal right below my ac compressor was pretty badly bent - looks like someone attached a tow rope to it instead of where you should attach it... Pics: http://e30.electrontek.com/project/parts/P5142511.JPG and http://e30.electrontek.com/project/parts/p5142509.jpg

[Bill 84 318i]

My suggestion: man up. With some creative twisting/pushing/pulling, it'll go on. Very rarely do they simply slide on.

[kansas-ix]

Use a torch to heat and hammer it to fit on.