Rep Power: 362

what the hell? I can NOT get this stupid bar on for the life of me!

I jacked my car up from the driver's side (pretty high), I put it on the passenger side first and I just can't get it on!... it's about 1/2 - 1 inch away from getting in the holes and I don't know what I can do to change it without messing up my alignment.

Please note that I used to have this bar on my car a long time ago, so it's not like I don't know how to install it.

Any suggestions?

 
Rep Power: 0

Just a thought, but I would try to install it without jacking the car up. I think it will be easier that way.

 
Rep Power: 362

it isn't... I tried it already

 
Rep Power: 0

Did you leave the passenger side loose, so there is a little slack to move the bar into position?

 
Rep Power: 362

what do you mean loose? ...

there doesn't appear to be ANY slack at all with the suspension bolts... I un-did the nuts on all of them and they don't budge.

 
Rep Power: 338

this may be stupid but how about jacking up both sideS?? Would that help at all?

 
Rep Power: 362

I don't think so... the instructions (to my first bar) suggested jacking up one side. I assume it's so the chassis can flex together while you put the bar on ...

but now, it doesn't appear to be flexing at all ... because it's not any easier to put the bar on while it's jacked up

 
Rep Power: 281

k, this happened to me too, and this is what i did:

1. leave the car on the ground
2. place the bar under the part where the hood lining is, tucking it in there
3. press the top bolts in on either side by folding the bar down
4. once the top bolts are in, play with the bottom ones and it should fit

i installed this bar the same time as my teins, so I hope this makes sense to you, good luck

 
Rep Power: 362

I spent about 30 min trying to mess with it ... but I'll try your method .. hope it works

 
Rep Power: 297

yeah i had a bad gap too and couldnt get it, took me some time but with slight adjustments i got one side then one on the other while still loose, unbolted, then other bottom one. and if it still doesnt work, use a towel and a hammer with a friend holding the end that is in.

 
Rep Power: 424

Don't hammer, if its a 1/2" off and won't get any closer, check and see that the bar isn't bent in any way its not supposed be.

 
Rep Power: 362

nope ... it's straight as an arrow ...

I'm thinking etiher the megan coilovers have bent bolts or my frame is messed up ... (I WAS in a front-end accident after I had my first bar) ... but I also had stock suspension (well... springs.)

 
Rep Power: 368

I've got this setup in my car, I had the same kind of gap you're talking about, never had an accident up front. I bolted down the passenger side then jacked up the driver's side front. That relieved a tiny bit of flex but it still took me 15 minutes and some work with a rubber mallet to get the bar on. As soon as I got the bar just onto the ends of the bolts I pounded down on the bar end with the mallet a bit (watch out that you don't pop the bolts out of the strut hats) then used my ratchet and the nut to secure the bar.

 
Rep Power: 0

you should take your car to the shop and have them check out your frame then, that might be the reason why it wont fit.. and someone told me that you should jack up the car on both sides to put the bar on, you should atleast try it.. no?

 
Rep Power: 316

Try to put it on the driver side first

 
Rep Power: 362

^ tried that ...

I'm rather hesitant about using a rubber mallet to get it in. If it doesn't want to go in, then why should I have to force it in? ... I think there would be too much stress on it if I have to force it in for it to fit ...

plus how would I get it out? T_T;;;

 
Rep Power: 368

It's easier to remove cause you can just pull the struts out from underneath - having gone through 3 suspension setups in 2 years with the Neuspeed bar (all gave me difficulty in installation). The worst you can do with the mallet is knock out the bolt from the top mount (did that on my hayames, pressed back in no problem) or wrecking the threads on the bolt. I'll be truthful, with the Megans I had to really whack on the bar a couple of times to get it down to where I could stick the nut on but as soon as that was done tightening it presented no problems, and the threads looked pretty intact afterward. Up to you man, but maybe you should have your frame checked, as suggested above. Got a pic of how far off it is?

 
Rep Power: 362

no pics, but I will take some when I get home if you'd like.

I'm just worried that if it's not going in nice and smooth, what happens when I do get it in? ... the bar is gonna have a ton of stress on it ... and even more so when I begin cornering hard.

Like I said earlier, my first bar went in with no problems ... but then I was on factory suspension with springs. I guess they weren't very stiff and my wheel sagged quite a bit everytime I jacked my car up ... but now, they wheel hardly sags at all... which probably makes the bolts not angle themselves to make an easy install.

 
Rep Power: 319

i installed my strut bar without jacking up any side...i just undid the bolts put the bar on and put the nuts back on...they didnt move or anything

 
Rep Power: 297

i didnt mean hammer, i meant mallet, my bad couldnt think of proper word. dont want to bend the bar or crack the paint, sry brain freeze

 
Rep Power: 346

Wow!!! I have the same set up as yours and no problems. Might wanna get your frame checked.......

 
Rep Power: 362

Okay, I was finally able to get this bitch on.

I jacked up the car on both sides ... un-did the nuts on the two bolts on each side. I didn't know the strut would sag ... but anyway, it did, allowing me to have some slack to play with.

Overall, I love this thing ... I loved it before ... because I had it before ... but it's back ;P

I'll take pics later ...

 
Rep Power: 335

yeah man i konw where ur coming from i had a hell of a time getting mine on. finally after about an hour i got it in there.