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STB fitment issue

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Old Apr 22, 2015 | 12:31 PM
  #1  
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Default STB fitment issue

I just got a used STB and it doesn't fit at all. I also tried a different one a while ago and it had the same issue. Back then, I thought the STB was no good, but now I'm thinking that the chassis may be bent.

The car does seem to have had an accident in the front driver side, but you can only see it on the reinforcement bar behind the bumper. It looks like it was fixed, but there's no other traces of damage beyond that point into the chassis.

The car in overall drives ok, with no alignment issues and it looks fine also. The hood doesn't align 100% right though.

I just want to check here if I'm missing anything on the installation procedure before moving into checking the chassis.

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These are from the previous attempt, as you can see it's a fabricated STB, but the results were the same:

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Old Apr 22, 2015 | 03:53 PM
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I hate to say it, but that car has been hit hard. These cars are bad about getting racked out of shape like this from front impacts. It is not an issue pertaining particularly to one brand's bar, but the car itself. So unfortunately, you will have this fitment issue with any bar you use. Unless you take the car to a shop with a frame jig and have the strut towers pulled back to factory spec
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Old Apr 22, 2015 | 05:27 PM
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Thanks guys, it really looked like a lost cause given the apparent big gap, but thought I would give it one last shot before getting rid of it, and I followed these instructions that I found in a similar post here in the forums:

Here we go again....you CANNOT get the shock tower brace in place, unless you A) remove the nuts from the upper shock mount on ONE side of the car, and remove the nuts AND bolts from the other side of the car; B) loosen/remove the sway bar link on ONE side of the car; C) lift the front of the car, and push down on the wheel that you took both the nuts and bolts off. As the studs from the upper shock mount go down into the wheel well, put the STB in place; D) bring the wheel back up, and guide the studs through the STB; E) replace all hardware and lower car to the ground.
Here's the result:


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Old Apr 23, 2015 | 08:35 AM
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^ yep

Reason being is the strut studs distance apart narrows (between passenger and driverside) the closer to the end of the stud since they are mounted at an angle. once you get the mounting plate further down on the stud/ flush the gap opens back up and allows proper fitment.

Had the same issue when I just rested mine on the studs without removing the nuts.

Nice Halos on the fog lights BTW
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Old Apr 25, 2015 | 12:27 PM
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Glad you got it installed. Looks like you stumbled on to one of my old posts....
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