Front Strut bar and NWP Intake spacers.
02-08-2012, 01:25 PM
#1
Front Strut bar and NWP Intake spacers.
Not sure if this has been asked before but is there a list of Strut tower bars that will fit a 5.5 gen with NWP spacers? I just installed the 5 piece kit and my Ebay strut bar won't fit across.
02-08-2012, 05:44 PM
#9
I did not have to do any trimming on my Racingline strut bar & I have NWP Spacers and no issues ... have you tried jacking the car up just off the ground in the middle, that way the two towers separate a little bit more which might be just what you need to get the bar to just drop into place
Last edited by Ghost_54; 02-08-2012 at 06:04 PM.
02-08-2012, 06:12 PM
#10
I did not have to do any trimming on my Racingline strut bar & I have NWP Spacers and no issues ... have you tried jacking the car up just off the ground in the middle, that way the two towers separate a little bit more which might be just what you need to get the bar to just drop into place
02-08-2012, 06:19 PM
#11
For me it was a battle between hitting the bar and putting too much pressure on the hood. I just ended up removing my Racing Line bar.
Mind you, it only hits when gunning it in reverse. I do have electronic stock mounts. Come spring, I may reinstall it and just not gun it in reverse. Right now I'm more concerned with trying to keep the rusties @ bay.
Mind you, it only hits when gunning it in reverse. I do have electronic stock mounts. Come spring, I may reinstall it and just not gun it in reverse. Right now I'm more concerned with trying to keep the rusties @ bay.
02-08-2012, 08:11 PM
#12
I think that is a good mention regarding the bar hitting the hood. My bar did this and cut off my windshield sprayer line on the driver's side. I removed a section of the rubber line and installed a small aluminum line. I was able to press the sprayer rubber hose over the line....completely fixed my sprayer.
02-09-2012, 06:11 AM
#14
1. The bar may gently rub against the fire-protecting insulation on the underside of the hood. After a few years, it can scratch up the bar where it rubs.
2. The bar may squeeze the washer fluid line. If it does, simply relocate the line.
3. If you have to raise the bar a mew millimeters, then use washers underneath the FSTB brackets.
4. Washer size? Is that a joke?
5. The Otto bar hasn't been manufactured in many, many years. Ditto on the Cattman Ti-bar, which is a gorgeous design and a nice piece of history.
6. The typical and somewhat generic FSTB from ebay should be fine, although not particularly attractive.
7. The Racingline Performance FSTB is a great product... if they're ever in stock. And around $100.
8. The Stillen FSTB is always in stock, but stupidly expensive.
9. Stillen recommends that you grind a few millimeters off the little bolt nub where the bar *may* be compromised by the upper intake manifold.
10. If your engine mount bushings are old and sloppy, the added play will cause your engine to lift and hit the bar.
11. If you're using ES torque mount bushings on a 6MT, your engine may actually sit a little lower than stock because of the center placement of the bushing pin, which gives you total clearance for your FSTB.
12. And lastly, get your FSTB brackets blasted and powder-coated, because they will rust.
Here's an old picture of clearance for a Racingline FSTB, with NWP Spacers and ES Torque Mount Bushings. Please ignore the dirty old UIM. (It got better.)
2. The bar may squeeze the washer fluid line. If it does, simply relocate the line.
3. If you have to raise the bar a mew millimeters, then use washers underneath the FSTB brackets.
4. Washer size? Is that a joke?
5. The Otto bar hasn't been manufactured in many, many years. Ditto on the Cattman Ti-bar, which is a gorgeous design and a nice piece of history.
6. The typical and somewhat generic FSTB from ebay should be fine, although not particularly attractive.
7. The Racingline Performance FSTB is a great product... if they're ever in stock. And around $100.
8. The Stillen FSTB is always in stock, but stupidly expensive.
9. Stillen recommends that you grind a few millimeters off the little bolt nub where the bar *may* be compromised by the upper intake manifold.
10. If your engine mount bushings are old and sloppy, the added play will cause your engine to lift and hit the bar.
11. If you're using ES torque mount bushings on a 6MT, your engine may actually sit a little lower than stock because of the center placement of the bushing pin, which gives you total clearance for your FSTB.
12. And lastly, get your FSTB brackets blasted and powder-coated, because they will rust.
Here's an old picture of clearance for a Racingline FSTB, with NWP Spacers and ES Torque Mount Bushings. Please ignore the dirty old UIM. (It got better.
)
02-09-2012, 06:21 AM
#15
Edited: Rochester made a much more eloqoent post. 
In my experience, when you put washers under the braces for the ebay bar (brand?), it then puts enough pressure against the underpadding of the hood that the washer lines get pinched closed. Remember, these washer lines are just thin rubber. The likelyhood your washer lines will get pinched or the brace touching the underpadding of the hood will mostly depend on the brace's thickness and its arc between towers. Also, keep in mind that even though this happened to me with the ebay bar, the pressure against the hood padding was so little that I could not notice where contact was being made.....there was no visable indentions or discoloration on the pad. The pressure must have just been slight enough to close off that little sprayer line at some point as it traveled across my hood.
In my experience, when you put washers under the braces for the ebay bar (brand?), it then puts enough pressure against the underpadding of the hood that the washer lines get pinched closed. Remember, these washer lines are just thin rubber. The likelyhood your washer lines will get pinched or the brace touching the underpadding of the hood will mostly depend on the brace's thickness and its arc between towers. Also, keep in mind that even though this happened to me with the ebay bar, the pressure against the hood padding was so little that I could not notice where contact was being made.....there was no visable indentions or discoloration on the pad. The pressure must have just been slight enough to close off that little sprayer line at some point as it traveled across my hood.
Last edited by Chris Gregg; 02-09-2012 at 06:24 AM.
02-09-2012, 06:25 AM
#16
1. The bar may squeeze the washer fluid line. If it does, simply relocate the line.
2. The Otto bar hasn't been manufactured in many, many years. Ditto on the Cattman Ti-bar, which is a gorgeous design and a nice piece of history.
3. Stillen recommends that you grind a few millimeters off the little bolt nub where the bar *may* be compromised by the upper intake manifold.
4. If your engine mount bushings are old and sloppy, the added play will cause your engine to lift and hit the bar.
11. If you're using ES torque mount bushings on a 6MT, your engine may actually sit a little lower than stock because of the center placement of the bushing pin, which gives you total clearance for your FSTB.
12. And lastly, get your FSTB brackets blasted and powder-coated, because they will rust.
Here's an old picture of clearance for a Racingline FSTB, with NWP Spacers and ES Torque Mount Bushings. Please ignore the dirty old UIM. (It got better.
) 
too what Rochester said!
02-09-2012, 06:29 AM
#17
Thanks, CMax. That old Ti-Bar is probably the best FSTB ever designed for our cars. Zero clearance issues, and the rounded double-tube design has no issues with the washer fluid. Plus, the titanium is strong as fck, and beautiful.
Sell yours to the OP for... for... One Million Dollars.
Sell yours to the OP for... for... One Million Dollars.
02-09-2012, 07:11 AM
#21
Thanks, CMax. That old Ti-Bar is probably the best FSTB ever designed for our cars. Zero clearance issues, and the rounded double-tube design has no issues with the washer fluid. Plus, the titanium is strong as fck, and beautiful.
Sell yours to the OP for... for... One Million Dollars.
Sell yours to the OP for... for... One Million Dollars.
#merrellbenzout
02-09-2012, 07:43 AM
#25
Seriously, how hard is it to use teh google?
02-09-2012, 06:14 PM
#28
Doesn't he always?
My bar did a whole lot more than gently rub on the underpadding. It left an indentation. That was b4 I installed the spacers and raised it a little.The spacers are a far superior mod than the fstb, IMO. I realy don't miss the bar but I really do enjoy the spacers.
02-09-2012, 06:29 PM
#29
A couple of 3/8 washers for each nut seems to have done the trick. I also kinda of rotated or rolled the bar forward a bit. I have a torque bar so I am sure it will be fine.
02-13-2012, 07:07 PM
#39
didnt think about that lol I jus installed my NWP Spacers as well and when installing the UIM the height difference was very noticeable, but thank goodness my stillen FSTB cleared it w/ no problem
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