Sparco Strut Bar Install Probelms - 38.5in tower to tower?

[Cory1970]

Is my car totaly screwed or is there two different strut bars?

Alright, I was pumped about installing my strut bar tonight since it was the last part of my suspension set up untouched. It wouldn't quite fit, so i did some research on the forum and found some rumors that there was 2 different unibodies. Is this true?

My distance shock tower center to shock tower center was about 38.5in. I read on the IE site that 39.5 and 38.75 were the distances for the two different unibodies. Some posts have claimed that this is false.

I know my car has been hit in the past, but the tower seams show no signs of repairs. Were should I be looking for problems?

[atomic]

I have read the same things as well. And from what everyone is saying it is more that some unibodies seem to sag more than others over the years. I read somewhere on here where someone said to jack the car up from the center of the front cross member causing the shock towers to spread apart some. I have ordered one as well and my center to center measurement is 39.3/16 so hope to find out what kind of problem I will have installing mine when it comes in.

[JasonC]

I had this problem with my 85. A hammer fixed it though :eeek:.. My car was also in a wreck so i think that's what the problem was (but from strut to strut, the masurement is the same on both cars). Cause i got the bar on my 87 and it just slipped rite on it.

[LINUS]

Sounds like you are a candidate for the IE narrow bar.


Either that or pay someone to weld in one of those adjusters with locknuts on your present bar, but that would probably be cost prohibitive, as I bought a pair of those for my panhard rods on my Landcruiser after lifting it, and IIRC it was ~$100 for the pair, then you pay for welding service. I weld, so at least it wasn't such a killer.

If there was a lot of interest I'd look into buying some & modifying Sparco bars, but it would cost more than the average E30 owner here would want to spend I think.

If people were interested, PM me. Then I'd see if it was worth my time to persue.

[Cory1970]

I have read the same things as well. And from what everyone is saying it is more that some unibodies seem to sag more than others over the years. I read somewhere on here where someone said to jack the car up from the center of the front cross member causing the shock towers to spread apart some. I have ordered one as well and my center to center measurement is 39.3/16 so hope to find out what kind of problem I will have installing mine when it comes in.

I am very doubtful that the uni-body would sage .75” . Buy why would there be 2 uni-bodies?

Does anyone have more info?

[atomic]

I am very doubtful that the uni-body would sage .75” . Buy why would there be 2 uni-bodies?

Does anyone have more info?

Here is a link(below) on R3V about the very same problem and in post 2 you will see where what I recommended to do was what this post said to do and in post 4 there is a link which is a very good read on how the unibodies strut towers do seem to move in both directions depending on how the car has been driven over the lifetime of the car(last paragraph). Hope it is helpful to you

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=94218&highlight=strut+bar

[Cory1970]

I am very doubtful that the uni-body would sage .75” . Buy why would there be 2 uni-bodies?

Does anyone have more info?

Sag sp error...

I will read the post, take another look at my car and get back to you guys tomorrow. Thanks for all the help!

[Bill-B]

It does happen sagging ftl

[Cory1970]

I jacked the car up from the center this morning with no luck. It is way too far off to man handle on. The area that cups the side of the shock tower on the sparco bar is sitting on top of the tower.

It is obvious that this bar is not going to fit. The real question now is if my car is damaged or is there actually 2 uni-bodies?

I am building an the car for spec E30, so I don't want to start with a junk uni-body.

[atomic]

You could if have the tools jack it up outside between to solid anchors points(trees... etc) and put around as high up on the struts as you can get cumalongs on each side and gently tension them up equally, being careful not to pull the car of the jack(shouldnt be jacked to high, enough to get the tires off the ground) or bend the strut bodies and this should pull the towers apart enough to set in the brace. Or if you can attach the the cumalongs as high up in the shock tower as you can it would be better but should work the other way. Or if you know a guy with a frame machine he should be able to hook it up and pull it apart so you can set it in there before releasing the pull. Just some ideas


I know I read about this before starting on my suspension and measured mine and it was dead on 39.5 and now that it has been lowered and driven less than 100 miles it now measures 39 3/16 so I am fixing to go through the same mess once my bar gets in. Although it isn't as bad as yours in the sag department.

[einstein57]

i had that problem and a rubber mallet was my answer. but it was not as bad as yours.

[Cory1970]

You could if have the tools jack it up outside between to solid anchors points(trees... etc) and put around as high up on the struts as you can get cumalongs on each side and gently tension them up equally, being careful not to pull the car of the jack(shouldnt be jacked to high, enough to get the tires off the ground) or bend the strut bodies and this should pull the towers apart enough to set in the brace. Or if you can attach the the cumalongs as high up in the shock tower as you can it would be better but should work the other way. Or if you know a guy with a frame machine he should be able to hook it up and pull it apart so you can set it in there before releasing the pull. Just some ideas


I know I read about this before starting on my suspension and measured mine and it was dead on 39.5 and now that it has been lowered and driven less than 100 miles it now measures 39 3/16 so I am fixing to go through the same mess once my bar gets in. Although it isn't as bad as yours in the sag department.

I never measured my towers before I lowered the car. It is very interesting that yours saged after lowering. Has anyone else experienced this? I wish there was a better answer to the "two unibodies" theory.

I would be afraid to use a come along on my shock towers because I would not know which one it was pulling out. My passenger side is most likely the one with a problem, since I could not get less than 2.75 degrees of camber on that side. Even if I could isolate the passenger side, how would I install the strut brace while the come along was still attached?

[JGood]

I never measured my towers before I lowered the car. It is very interesting that yours saged after lowering. Has anyone else experienced this? I wish there was a better answer to the "two unibodies" theory.

I also have a lot of trouble believing this theory.

I had to use a BFH to install my Sparco bar. It helps to scrape that seam filler shit off as well, from the side of the tower. Took me probably 4-5 hours over 2-3 days to get it in, I was hoping leaving the jack stands under the sub frame would allow the suspension to pull the shock towers out a bit over time.. I was NOT being gentle, either. Make me wonder if it did any good, or if it just tweaked my chassis.

[Cory1970]

I also have a lot of trouble believing this theory.

I had to use a BFH to install my Sparco bar. It helps to scrape that seam filler shit off as well, from the side of the tower. Took me probably 4-5 hours over 2-3 days to get it in, I was hoping leaving the jack stands under the sub frame would allow the suspension to pull the shock towers out a bit over time.. I was NOT being gentle, either. Make me wonder if it did any good, or if it just tweaked my chassis.

Where were you hiting with the BFH? How far inward were your shock towers?

Any more info would be helpful.

I just hate the idea of beating on my car.

I am still not sold on the sagging theory. My current panel fit is great. Wouldn't sagging towers cause my hood to fender gap to be smaller?

[Bimmerista]

Attempted to install my Sparco bar this morning.

I lifted the car from the center, waited approx 30 minutes, tried to install the bar, ended up using a rubber mallet to see if it'll help the case and I ended up breaking the guide pin that goes through the strut hat. :hitler:

Now I don't know if its safe to drive it like that until the pin I ordered from the dealer arrives.