Anyone have problems installing the FTRA?
TECH Junkie
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,242
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From: Lakeland, FL
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? This thing is a pain to install especially to get that bottom plate to line up right, just be patient and follow the instructions as best you can and it will eventually go in.
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 877
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From: Texas
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? Thats exactly what Im having problems with! I cant get those 3 bottom holes to line up with the holes for the bolts that hold in the lower air deflector. The hole for the bolt that secures the brace also doesnt line up! Ive worked at it and worked at it, do I need to just redrill the holes so that I can bolt the dang thang up? I just hate to modify or alter something that is brand new. Well I guess thats the only thing that I have left to do so I can get that damn thing to work.
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? FTRA went in easy for me!
the instructions are not hard to follow. if you are refering to the number of steps and pages that they include, take in mind most of the steps are,
"Step 5. Remove the Air lid.....
Step8. Remove the Four bolts that hold the lower section of the air box."
I thought the little sticky foam pieces where junk, so i used duct tape to seal the whole thing up.
the instructions are not hard to follow. if you are refering to the number of steps and pages that they include, take in mind most of the steps are,
"Step 5. Remove the Air lid.....
Step8. Remove the Four bolts that hold the lower section of the air box."
I thought the little sticky foam pieces where junk, so i used duct tape to seal the whole thing up.
TECH Junkie
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,242
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From: Lakeland, FL
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? what I ended up doing with the bottom peice was putting it in by itself just to prove to myself that it would fit,,, it went in very nicely by itself, I think it is the bending of the lower and upper peices when combined that makes it such a pita,, once I knew that it would fit I pried the bottom radiator support peice out and pulled like a mother to get the thing in there, Once the holes just barely fit I bolted a couple of the bottom 3 bolts in loosely and just manuevered the thing until all the holes lined up,, not perfectly but I got them to line up. Other people have drilled the holes in the ftra or elongated them to make it fit. Dont worry the end result is worth the effort you will feel a difference.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 142
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From: Napervile, IL
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? I thought the install went really well. I just put mine on three days ago. You really need two people for the job though. What we did was remove the air dam on the bottom and pushed the FTRA down as far as possible and all the holes lined up really well. No drilling at all. I even made it look "stealth" like by putting it behind the air dam. Maybe the hole in the plastic for the FTRA isn't big enough so you can't push it down far enough? Good luck with it though!
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Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 67
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From: The Motor City Area
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? I had this same problem.
First: Step back from the car, crack a beer or two, and take a break. This step is important for most modding. Skipping it sometimes leads to broken parts and/or knuckles. Just don't get carried away, or else you'll be awfully dissapointed when you can't test drive your new mod cuz yer smashed.
Then: Go back to the topside and make sure everthing is properly aligned and pushed down. It's also possible that you did everything correctly, but the stackup of errors between Fast Toys' and GM's manufacturing of the pieces involved equals misalignment of holes. In that case, put some body weight into it until you can get the bolts through.
First: Step back from the car, crack a beer or two, and take a break. This step is important for most modding. Skipping it sometimes leads to broken parts and/or knuckles. Just don't get carried away, or else you'll be awfully dissapointed when you can't test drive your new mod cuz yer smashed.
Then: Go back to the topside and make sure everthing is properly aligned and pushed down. It's also possible that you did everything correctly, but the stackup of errors between Fast Toys' and GM's manufacturing of the pieces involved equals misalignment of holes. In that case, put some body weight into it until you can get the bolts through.
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Junkie
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Lakeland, FL
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? Good advice bad apple,, I do remember having to take a good half hr break cause it was starting to **** me off that it didnt just fall into place.
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? hey boy i tried to tell u that u didnt have enough common sense to put it in. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 28
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From: Hyde Park, Ma
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? It's been a while since I put mine in but I recall drilling a hole in a plastic piece to get the bolt to go through. Never had any problems with it after t years.
Paul
Paul
TECH Regular
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 445
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From: McChord AFB WA
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? The bottom plate was the biggest PITA that I have ever seen--I had to grind the three holes as well and needless to say I was <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" /> about all of the trouble it was
But, good luck with yours <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />
But, good luck with yours <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? The ones I've put on went on OK. The toughest (most time-consuming) was getting everything lowered in front of the condenser w/o damaging the fins. It helps having two people (and using cardboard). Once in place, the holes lined up OK (but were not centered, I think it depends on how you cut the air deflector). Since the metal is somewhat thick, it takes some massaging,but it should fit w/o drilling.
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 90
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From: Oklahoma 1000+ posts from LS1.COM and 430+ posts from WWW.COFBA.COM
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? sucked for me. The wholes did notline up so I was retarded and drilled/ opened the holes up bigger and then bolted it on. I should have just cut the plastic piece a little more a shifted it to the right. Doh <img border="0" alt="[cry]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cry.gif" />
Re: Anyone have problems installing the FTRA? yeah the holes were a PITA for me too. Another thing I was trying to figure out was why they had robertson screws for the top instead of just regular philips head screws?