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Strut Tower Brace

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Offline the_maplebar

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Strut Tower Brace
« on: December 16, 2005, 12:31:59 PM »
So I have my lift kit together and I just need to figure out what to do with the Strut Tower brace if I install strut spacers.  I did some searching and found this:

I am also now concerned with the strut tower brace. Something I never really considered. I could get some longer bolts and sleeves to raise it as well but I wonder if it would compromise the strength of the whole torsional relationship. I already have the Calmini supplied sleeves on.

Any more description, or better yet pics of how this is done?  Did you ever find a solution for this?  From the ProjectNomaad writeup it looks like you may have just removed the Calmini spacers, used OME struts, and rolled sheet metal to make room for the brace after the body lift.  Is that right?  Did the sleeves seem to work fine with just the strut spacers?

Also I was looking at Jagular7's webshots, I remember you used to have pics of different springs and other suspension components.  I couldn't find them on the website anymore, do you still have them anywhere?
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2005, 12:43:09 PM »
Apparently Jagular7's XL7 suspension photo album is not one of the publicly shared ones at Webshots,  but I found a link to it in one of the other threads.  So I don't need that info anymore.
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline jagular7

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2005, 10:25:05 PM »
I don't think I have any pics of what you are looking for. To add, my webshots will be closing by the end of the month. I'm now looking for a place to put pics for cheap or free.
photobucket is one site.
Lenexa, KS

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Offline blacknight

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2005, 08:11:40 AM »
If you MP with your email address I will send you some close-ups of where I cut to fit the brace.

George

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Offline AJMBLAZER

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2005, 05:19:45 PM »
I don't think I have any pics of what you are looking for. To add, my webshots will be closing by the end of the month. I'm now looking for a place to put pics for cheap or free.
photobucket is one site.

Tried CarDomain?  I've got one for each of my 3 vehicles and it works great aside from the little CarDomain icon in the bottom corner of each picture you link to from there.  Nothing major.




Okay, so what's the problem with this stuff?  I don't think I'm seeing it but then I haven't looked too closely at the strut tower brace on my GV.  Anyone have pictures?

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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2005, 08:21:31 AM »
The strut tower brace and struts mount at the same location.  The strut spacers don't actually extenc the struts, they space the mounting location down 1"-1.5".  That also lowers the mounting location for the brace.  This means that you will most likely have to cut the sheet metal on the fenders to get clearence, and it's most likely not going to clear the engine either.
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline blacknight

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2005, 10:28:27 AM »
Finaly some pics of where I cut to fit the strut-brace after the 2" bd lift


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Offline AJMBLAZER

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2005, 03:58:02 PM »
I hate to sound thick but can someone show me in that picture where it was cut?

How'd it work out for you blacknight?  Any welding involved?

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Offline blacknight

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2005, 05:24:18 AM »
No welding just cutting.

note the red marks


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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2005, 01:08:13 PM »
Ok, that is what I thought you were talking about Blacknight but wanted to make sure.  I understand how you would cut the fender sidewall to make space for the brace after installing a bodylift.  I was wondering about dealing with the brace after installing strut spacers.  I haven't installed mine yet, but it seems that the mounting surface will be lowered 1.5"...  You may need to cut the fender sidewall to the brace to the mounting location, but won't it still hit the motor?  I noticed in my first post that there has been a reference that Calmini supplies sleeves (to raise the brace?) with their strut spacers.  Anyone know more about this?

Thanks
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2006, 08:59:54 AM »
George, I was looking back at old posts and realized that you have the Calmini kit installed.  Do you not have to do anything with the Strut Tower Brace when you install the Calmini Strut Extension?

Thanks,
James
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline blacknight

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2006, 11:55:40 AM »
Calmini said that I should of ground the holes for the bolts a little.  But thing bolted right back up after installing there longer bolts and spacers.  The reson a cut the wheel well was for the 2" body lift.
George

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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2006, 12:20:29 PM »
I was wondering about that, seems like the bar has a little give to it if you put some muscle into it.  How long are the spacers for the brace, and how big is the drop for the strut extension?
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline the_maplebar

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2006, 08:14:01 AM »
Calmini said that I should of ground the holes for the bolts a little.

I was thinking about this overnight.  If you ground out the holes you would not be able to screw the bolts back into the strut tower.  So do you put the bolts through the strut tower and use nuts on the bottom?  That would give it more slack when starting off the bolts, whick could then be torqued down to get everything staight, when bolting the brace to the strut tower it needs to be at the right angle to get the threads started correctly. 

Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing, here is a pic of what I think I need to do in order for the brace to clear the engine after installing the strut spacers.
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]

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Offline blacknight

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Re: Strut Tower Brace
« Reply #14 on: January 13, 2006, 12:04:07 PM »
You're grinding the hole to make it longer not bigger.  The reson for this is the sturts are tilted in and as you rise the strut brace the alignment  of the bolt holes changes

George