Hi I have a 1999 Maxima SE, I purchase a stru bar from Ebay. I am not very experience with installing stuff into my car. Before I do so I need to make sure what tools and how I should do it. When install the bar do I just need to unscrew the bolts all the way or just enough so I can fit the strut bar in? What are those bolts used for anyway? There has to be a purpose to what they are holding in place right? Thank you!

 

Take the 6 strut nuts off. Place FSTB on. Put 6 strut nuts back on.

Done...

 

u'll need a torque wrench, torque the nuts at around 35-40lbs
i believe my 99 had 14mm nuts, but some 99s are different
adjustable wrench to tighten the ends of the bar

u have to unscrew the bolts on the car all the way..and i'm guessing the bolts that u are talking about are from the strut..hence "strut" bar

 

What do those bolts hold anyway? If I take the bolts off all the way will something fall off? Thanks guy for your quick response....

 

nothing will fall off...and most of us live on this board that's why u get quick responses

 

Another thing is that the map light in the front of the car where you push a button to light it up. What type of bulb is it? It's a small round bulb unlike the map light that is in the center top which uses a cylinder type of bulb.

 

Leave your car on the ground when you do this installation. The struts will not fall off the car. The car is pressing down on the strut/strut bracket, to keep them pushed up against the bottom of the strut tower. Use a torque wrench! If you over-tighten the nuts, you'll break off a strut bracket stud, just like I did...

 

i think the light your talking about is a 1895 size light bulb

 

Guys are you sure its 35-40lbs, cause on maximadriver.com it said 30lbs. I tightened my to 30lbs. Also my 98 had 19mm bolts. Is something wrong with my car?

 

Anyone?

 

Your fine..

 

while we're on the subject, i've heard that 99 se-l's or rather 99 1/2's can not use a regular 99 FSTB becuase it does not fit right without cutting something. I've asked, and never found out what it is that needs to be cut, does anymoe know?

 

i have one.
on the driver's side strut tower, there is a bracket, which is not on any other maxima, which gets in the way of the strut tower brace.
so yo have to cut this off with a saw before you install the fstb.
you can look through my homepage on page 2 to see the bracket cut off with the fstb on.

i think bolts should be tightened to 30-35ft lbs with a torque wrench. my bolts were 19mm each.

this is an easy installation, take off all 6 strut tower bolts. put the strut bar on, adjust it so it fits properly, tighten the adjusting nut on the fstb, and put back the strut bolts, tighten with a torque wrench to 30-35 lbs.

don't go insane on turns after your installation, as this mod hardly improves handling.

 

i have a Haynes repair manual that i live by when i work on my car (theyre great). well it says 29-40 ft-lbs.