Zack342

iTrader: (89)

i recently purchased a front strut tower brace for my max which arrived today. so i decided to install it. i remove all the bolts for and try fitting the strut bar on the towers. it doesn't fit there is some sort of bracket there. has anyone else encounted this problem, how did you resolve it. can you guys post some pics of your FSTB. i know this is a simple thing but i can't get it to fit. i bought it off of ebay its this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWN%3AIT

please help does anyone else have this bar its made by otto racing.

96maxdaddy

Mine looks exactly like that one, but says matrix tuned instead. It took me like five minutes to intall.

Is the "bracket" on the car itself?

Try to take some pics of what you are talking about.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

anyone with a 99 wanna chime in. i will get pics tomorrow afternoon. thanks

toofast240

I have a 98 so maybe I am no help to you, but the 4th gens should all be similar in this area. It should just bolt right on. See if the bracket is something that can be put back on after you put the FSTB on and bolt them down together. Without knowing what bracket you are talking about, I can't really help too much. If you try this, let me know how it works for you.

RobUsaf81

I think all SEL's come with some bracket there that gets in the way, Ive heard that people just cut it off since its not important or anything. Other than that i dont know of any other way to get that thing on there. My 99 had no bracket but it wasnt an SEL so it fit right on.

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

1. Start by removing the three 14mm nuts on each side of the strut assembly. (if you have a 99 or 00, it's 19mm) You know, the ones that hold in your struts... hence the name, STRUT BAR.
2. Loosely place the front strut bar in the holes and press down so that the brackets are FLUSH with the body. Once they are, EXPAND the bar, so the're a bit snug, by either rotating the strut bar so that the bases get further apart, or removing the brackets and loosening it . You want to have it set farther apart to push the two struts apart, causing more structural rigidity.
3. WARNING.. bling! bling! When you're putting back the three nuts, DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! Torque to 30 pounds +/- 2. You do not want to have the bolts stripped. If you have them too tight, when you corner hard, you might rip the bolts off, so be smart. don't over tighten.
4. Once that's tightened, it's all good. Done with that.

credit: cheston

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

mines are 22mm. i will take pic this afternoon after class. stopid bracket in the way

fisher01

iTrader: (1)

That bracket on the strut tower is common in many 99's. Just take a hack saw and remove the bracket.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

I know exactly what bracket you are talking about. I had to deal with one when I put my FSTB on. I would use a coal chisel rather than a hack saw. When I put the coal chisel(or something like that to hit it off), it just popped right off. I had to paint a little bit under there so that it didn't rust. I tried a dremmel at first, but that just took too long and made such a mess. It is easier to just use something to kind of knock that part off. Make sure you get it all so that you can put the FSTB on there flush.

Then, just follow happyricefob's steps and you are done. My bolts were larger than 19mm also. I think I ended up just using a crescent wrench or something like that. It worked fine.

Nazca

iTrader: (1)

I have the same problem with my 99. Here's a pic of the bracket I think you're referring to:

Bracket in the way

I was going to dremel it off, but the chisel idea sounds good too.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

yeah the bolts for the 99 and some 98 are 22mm, the same size as a O2 sensor tool BTW. Had to rotozip a friends 99 SE to fit the bar. Stillen's directions advise on cutting the edge of the FSTB's braket. http://www.greghome.com/Greg's%20Garage/1999%20Nissan%20Maxima%20SE/Front%20Strut%20Tower%20Brace.htm

Id do that chisel thing too. Oh and no one figured out what the braket is for. There was a thread about this thing and everyone agreed its usless. So remove it and install FSTB!

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

that is the bracket thanks for the info guys. my bro had a 99 Max 2 years back and i don't rember seeing this bracket when we installed his strut bar. ofcourse it was the courtsey nissan bar and it went on with no problem. so it should chisle right off without damaging the towers or making a hole? is it welded on or just kinda bonded?

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

thanks man, love the video by the way!!!

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

its going to just pop right off. if i wack it with a chisel?

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

that is the bracket all right.

I would just pop those A/C lines off that are right there by the bracket to get them out of the way. We don't want any mistakes envolving an A/C from a $30 bar from ebay...ha ha.

After you chisel or whatever, I would paint back over the exposed metal to prevent rusting. You will not really be able to see it anyway, because the FSTB will cover pretty much all of it.

Cornbread

Had that bracket on my car as well. I just drilled a couple of holes in it and started twisting. It ripped right off. Have no idea what it was there for in the first place. Anyone have a clue?

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

All the people that are talking about ripping out that Bracket....are you FED Spec?
I am FED spec and I was thinking that it might be used for something in the Cali spec ones?
I don't know though.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

Brudaddy, my friends is a 99 cali spec with nothing attatched to the braket thingy.

Nazca

iTrader: (1)

99 Cali spec for me

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

i am a 99 cali spec SE-L