Tips or tricks for installing a front strut tower bar?

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Ride92

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2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech & i-Activesense

• Feb 22, 2017

• #1

Hello everyone, Just got a shipping update that my UltraRacing Strut tower brace is due to show up tomorrow and I'd like to get it installed soon. Are there any tips or tricks to installing it? In the past I've heard of lifting up so the suspension is unsprung and things like that. Is that still a good practice or if by doing that with the nuts of the struts will I be messing up the alignment. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks

 

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Helder M2

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Mazda 2 / 2010

• Feb 22, 2017

• #2

The way I know it is the car in a flat place and that's all, always disconnect the battery when something is installed in the engine bay, I know that some nut is difficult to give torque, before starting it verifies that you have the necessary tool.

I decided for the BEATRUSH, I know the ultra racing is better because it's one piece (steel), but I like the beatrush design, good luck and upload photos

 

Chris_Top_Her

Banned

Moderator

Contributor

:

San Antonio, Texas

:

'15 CX-5 Miata AWD

• Feb 22, 2017

• #3

I'd like to add use caution when torquing whatever bolts (if not all) on top on the actual bar because you maybstrip them. It happened to me on my 2013 when torqijg one of the bolts to spec.

 

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Ride92

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2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech & i-Activesense

• Feb 23, 2017

• #4

Great tip on watching the torque for the bolts, that's exactly the kind of thing i'm looking for. Does anyone happen to know what the torq spec is for the nuts on top of the strut towers?

 

Chris_Top_Her

Banned

Moderator

Contributor

:

San Antonio, Texas

:

'15 CX-5 Miata AWD

• Feb 23, 2017

• #5

Ride92 said:

Great tip on watching the torque for the bolts, that's exactly the kind of thing i'm looking for. Does anyone happen to know what the torq spec is for the nuts on top of the strut towers?

Click to expand...

37-43 ft lb, per workshopmanual. Pm me an email address and i can send you a copy pf the w/s and engine manual if you want it.

 

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tibimakai

San Dimas CA

:

USA

:

2014 CX-5 Touring

• Feb 24, 2017

• #6

If you are tightening to the spec, it shouldn't "slide" 2-3mm under load.

 

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Ride92

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2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech & i-Activesense

• Feb 24, 2017

• #7

Under load it does not slide at all. I'm just worried that the forces exerted on it under corning will make it slide from side to side. Basically turning into a $100 piece of steel I added for no real advantage

 

Chris_Top_Her

Banned

Moderator

Contributor

:

San Antonio, Texas

:

'15 CX-5 Miata AWD

• Feb 24, 2017

• #8

If you are concerned any movement wil show up on the bars paint or mark with a sharpie the border

 

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tibimakai

San Dimas CA

:

USA

:

2014 CX-5 Touring

• Feb 24, 2017

• #9

Use some lock washers. But in my opinion, if it is tightened properly, the bar shouldn't slide, under those side forces.

 

D

davesxx01

Member

:

2016 CX-5 GT

• Feb 24, 2017

• #10

I corner pretty hard and do some off roading. Zero movement on my Ultra Racing bar.

 

Last edited: Feb 24, 2017

R

Ride92

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2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech & i-Activesense

• Feb 27, 2017

• #11

I'll Add my own tip here for anyone looking to install a strut tower bar. I really am not comfortable with using the factory flange bolts as they are not fully threaded on the inside. Why? I don't know but when reinstalling them once the bar is in place there is limited amount of threads on the nut making contact with the protruding bolts of the strut tower. I actually stripped one a bit when trying to torque it down, so be very careful. A better solution is to use some new M10X1.25 flange nuts or nuts with washers that I threaded all the way thru. It's a much better engagement then the OEM nuts.