i got the ebay strut bar exactly like this one:
ebay

and everytime i go into reverse, u can hear something in the engine hitting the bar (the silver thing right under the bar), but then you know that it doesn't hit it anymore (because the part that hits it jumps up and then goes back down).

- is it okay to leave it like that? after all, when the car moves, it isn't touching it.

- if it isn't okay, then who has this bar and how did u turn it so that it doesn't hit it?

 

Some people have actually used washers to 'raise' the bar to correct this.

 

Go to Home Depot and buy 18 3/8" washers. Put 3 under the strut bar on each bolt. Retighten down to 35 lb feet pressure.

 

Are you serious? Is this a problem on all brands or just the brand X cheap ones?

 

nah not really.. Stillen has the same problem too I heard.. But I think they changed that and made ones for 02-03? But all your doing is putting washers in. I doubt it will effect the fstb functionality at all.

 

Remember search is your friend on questions like this that have been discussed time after time. I did a long time ago got a really cheap bar off ebay. I re sold it on ebay because the thing hit the exhaust manifold, but later on found out people have been sucessful with placing washers under the bar and even grinding the manifold down alittle bit. I just ordered a Bomz (hard to come by now) that supposedly doesn't have any fitment issues. There are a few others that don't either like Stillen and Cattman. There's another one on ebay by OTTO Racing that looks like the stillen that may fit aswell with no fittment issues.

 

I had the same problem with a Courtesy Nissan bar. When putting 2 or even worse 3 washers there are hardly any stud threads left to tighten the bolts onto. I used 1 washer under each stud, and tested it . 1 washer solved the problem. If you absolutely have to, use 1 washer under the outboard studs and 2 under the studs nearest the bar. That way you at least have 2 nuts 'completely' on the studs.

Like I said, 1 washer solved my problem it gave me about 3/8" clearance...problem solved.

Also, when tightening up the bar, lift it (the bar) while tightening, that may give you a few extra 16ths.

 

You can just rotate the bar till it is further from the manifold.

 

You do not need washers or anything else .
Adjust it right and it will hit know more

expand it and it will bow a little
to much will hit the hood to little will hit the motor

 

I had the same question back in December. I had put the bar on just before I took the car in for the transverse link recall. I paid $80 for them to tell me the scraping sound was the strut bar...I thought it was something the dealer did.

Anyway, I picked up 3 stainless steel washers for each bolt and it has worked perfectly. 2 might do it, just play around with it.

Mark

 

I just rotated the bar a little towards the cabin of the car. When the engine is under WOT, it rocks backwards anyway, so the manifold won't hit the bar. In reverse, the engine rocks forward. If the knocking happens in both 1st and reverse, then it's a position thing (bar needs to be more forward or backwards tilted). If it's only in reverse, then it's a height issue.

Hope this helps.

BTW... mine is a new Courtesy bar. I just got it in the other day.

 

I have one of those Bomz STB myself ($22 on eBay!!!) and had fitment issues on my 2k2. I didn't have time that day to really fool with it so it's off the car right now.

And of course it's like 20 degrees (no garage either) so I won't be able to try any of these suggestions until it warms up.....ARGH!!!!

I don't know what the heck happened but when I was tightening stuff down one of the bolts that attaches the bar to the bracket has completely seized up. I know I didn't cross thread it, but damn it doesn't want to budge! I have hex key sockets to use on my ratchet so I know it's not be being a wuss.... might have to take the dremel to it and replace the nut/bolt.

 

So, you are pre-stressing your Strut Towers outward. Won't this create an alignment issue?? Or at worse a torn frame weld after years of stressing??

 

Since these nuts are critical, "safety-of-flight" parts, I would never have any that are not completely threaded. Also, what are the alignment issues created when more washers are on one stud than another? Can we trust Courtesy to take these engineering issues into account, when they have not even engineered the bar to clear the damn engine?

I had installed the Courtesy bar on my '03. In doing so, I had adjusted both sides of the bar out as far as possible to maximize the "bow", pulled up on the bar before tightening it (even stuffing a rag between the intake and the bar), and the bar STILL HIT when the car was in reverse (or when a small, sharp bump rocked the engine on the motor mounts.)

The danger, in my opinion (seconded by my dealer) is that the intake casting could crack. In my former line of business (aerospace) I learned alot about how brittle aluminum castings are, and how susceptible they are to cracking simply due to fatigue, let alone the stress of constant impacts.

Again, in my opinion, folks who have clearance issues are asking for trouble, just as people who modify their intake system are asking for MAF woes. I took the bar off, and am shipping it back to Courtesy. If Stillen has modified their bar to fit the '03, I'll try that, but not if the clearance is even close. Not worth the risk.

 

No level of bar rotation worked for me.
Plus, I didn't want to use washers since it will reduce the stability of the plate against the tower housing.

My solution.

http://www.crick.org/bam/max/fstb_pics.htm

 

No level of bar rotation worked for me.
Plus, I didn't want to use washers since it will reduce the stability of the plate against the tower housing.

My solution.

http://www.crick.org/bam/max/fstb_pics.htm

 

Duh...why didn't I think of that? I have no problems using my dremel on a $25 bar. I just don't want to do any damage (or permanent modifications) to the car...

 

The only concern I had was lessening the integrity of the bar but I talked to a Structural Engineer friend of mine. He just laughed and said the amount you have to take off (1/32 - 1/16 of an inch) will not affect it in any way with the amount of stress that will be produced. Dremel is the way I went - a very little bit at a time until I had enough clearance.