STB install

[rollbonez]

Ok, so today I installed both the rear and front Next Level STBs on my 02 GT.

Two questions:

1) How tight do I need to torque the bar? After I tightened the nuts down to the strut towers, I started twisting to actual bar to tighten it. I twisted until the joints on the braces didn't move around anymore.

2) Are the rear braces supposed to sit flat and flush with the strut tower? When I tightened down each single nut on the rear brace, the back end would pop up. Is that normal?

[99GrandAMSE]

Originally posted by rollbonez
... 1) How tight do I need to torque the bar? After I tightened the nuts down to the strut towers, I started twisting to actual bar to tighten it. I twisted until the joints on the braces didn't move around anymore.

That is all I did was once the strut tower bracket bolts are tight, I twisted the bar until it was hand tight, then 'locked' it :)


2) Are the rear braces supposed to sit flat and flush with the strut tower? When I tightened down each single nut on the rear brace, the back end would pop up. Is that normal?

Well, mine is as yours :( and is the EXACT location where the 'design' should be modified.

[dearim]

The rear bar takes some SERIOUS fiddling to get it to sit flat against the strut tower. I worked for probably an hour total to get mine to sit flat. I found the same thing as you -- tightening the nut down made the ends pop up -- I found the trick was to loosen the bar as much as possible, then kinda butt the concave cutouts against the strut studs while I tightened the nut. I was finally able to get both brackets to sit flat on their respective towers.

[LargeFish]

Those are shocks in the rear, not struts.

[DroopyDroors]

I think grand am's are struts all the way around.....

[99GrandAMSE]

Originally posted by DroopyDroors
I think grand am's are struts all the way around.....

99+ are but previous years have struts in the front and seperate shocks and coil springs in the rear.

[sunrunner_pei]

Originally posted by LargeFish
Those are shocks in the rear, not struts.

'99+ has struts both front and back. :)

[LargeFish]

Thanks, had no idea they changed the rear that much...

[99GrandAMSE]

Originally posted by LargeFish
Thanks, had no idea they changed the rear that much...

... I typically learn something on here everyday too :)

[rollbonez]

Well, guys,

I emailed pfyc.com and Jeff said that the rear struts should fit flush and that all their test fittings fit well.

I went ahead and torqued the bar in the other direction (pushing out instead of pulling in) and the braces settled down some more, but still aren't completely flush.

At least part of the "notches" are flush against the washers on the back bolts, but if I reach back there and feel around, I can still feel the brace is raised about 1/8" higher than the washer.