I just purchased a used R1 strut tower brace and am having a problem. It will not fit on my 95. I know the R2 strut brace is not adjustable for length like the R1 style. I have shortened the brace as far as it goes and it is still too long. Did Mazda change the strut bolt pattern on 95s or something? This is damn frustrating.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

It should just drop in as far as i'm concernced. I don't think there is anything different with the 95 models.

 

u should have no problem installing it. maybe you are not installing it the wrong way (upsidedown maybe) but worst case sanario is that your chassis or frame could be bent or twisted enough for the strut bar to not match of with the struts.

 

Yeah, I'm beginning to fear that my chassis is not true......I'm taking it into Rick's Rotary for an oil change (for the warranty company) in the next week and I'll get his opinion. God, I hope the frame isn't bent, it looks true up on the lift. It's hard to believe the chassis could be bent enough for the bar not to fit, even adjusted as short as it will go, and yet the car still tracks straight on the highway and handles awesome. I don't know at this point.

Wish me luck

 

good luck man...... i hope the strut bar is defective.

 

take a picture of how you are trying to install it and post it. maybe we can be of more help with a visual.

 

I'm thinking your car was in a accident man...

I'll take that bar off your hands..cheap...

 

Even w/o being in an accident it is possible for the frame to have sagged enough for the bar to not fit - lift the car to take all the load off the suspension (ie under the frame not suspension) and then try to fit the bar - you may have to use considerable force to push the strut tops apart enough to fit the bar - have the car realigned after you get the bar in place.

 

Johnny: Took me three months to get a bar in good condition - it was not cheap. Even Jesse Lau is charging $175 shipped for dinged up ones. And yeah, I'm thinking that the car has impacted something in it's clouded past.... If this doesn't work out, I'll sell you the bar for what I paid for it, no shipping since you live less than 10 miles from me. Freshly cleaned, polished, and waxed.....

Maxpesce: I am not really knowledgable about frames, having never had a (possibly) bent one before. Is this just as simple as pushing really hard on the strut towers? I would think a frame bending machine would be required. I admit I'm fairly ignorant on this part of the car.

Thanks for the responses.

 

How far off are we talking, inches or fractions of an inch?

 

maybe you can try my GAB bar...and we can make somekind of swap-ole-la

 

It's pretty far off, definitely over 1/2 an inch. With the bar set to as short as it will go and the strut plate mounted to the outboard bolt, the brace is twisted up and the inboard bolt is quite a bit off. I will try to take pics after work and post them.

 

No thanks, that obsessive-compulsive part of my brain is demanding that I only use a OEM strut bar. Probably the same part that kept whispering "Buy an FD, Buy an FD, Buy an..."

 

I took my rear strut tower bar off for a total of 3 days on a 600 mile trip (I needed the extra clearance for cargo), and when I got back I was not able to reinstall it without jacking up the car to unload the suspension. Even with the car jacked up it still took me and a friend quite a bit of effort to get it on there. Try jacking the car up and see how it is then.

 

I'll try jacking up the car to unload the suspension and see if that works. Meanwhile, here's some pics of the fitment.

Hard to see but the driver's side is twisted up and forward just to get the outboard bolt through the hole.

 

oops


-- merciless was here --

 

shows the passenger side bolted down

-- merciless was here again --

 

close-up of driver's side

-- merciless was here again and again --

 

me holding the strut brace straight to see how far holes are off


-- merciless was here angain and again and again --

 

that's not too far off...possible re-drill and you off and running...

I was talking about the first one...
the one with somebody with long hair is pretty far off

 

hmm, I wouldn't try to re-drill that. The far side especially looks like you would not even have enough metal there to drill through.

 

Yeah, I'm not drilling any new holes. I'll jack up the car this weekend and see how it goes.

 

Being that i am a collision damage estimator for a body shop, i would say there is a good chance that your frame is bent especially if you just bought your rx, alot of shady places are selling frame damaged rx7's these days, especially if you live in the cali area. To determine this for sure, if you have the money take it to a local body shop, AND PLEASE make sure it is a good one, no a hack n sack one, and in my industry believe me 90 % of the body shops are hack n sack especially insurance aproved places. Anywayz take it to abody shop that has a CAR-O-LINER bench system and have it measured, should go for 150-300 bucks but it will give you a definate answer on if your frame is bent or not.... anywayz hope that helps, and forevery rx7 owner out there make sure that if your car gets in to an accident take it to a shop that has either a car-o-liner or cellete bench systems and uses either dupont or glazurit for paint materials. the manufacturer of the paints is lifetime waranty and the bench systems offer 0 tollerance in straightening technology. despite what you may have heard, PPG is CRAP!!! anywayz theres my answer hope it helps :P

 

So, a good body shop can straighten out the frame with no ill effects (other than needing a re-alignment)? BTW, do you know of any GOOD body shops in the Bay Area? I'll ask Rick for suggestions when I see him in the next week or so, but any advice would be good.

 

Try pivoting the ends a bit. When I remove mine to work on the motor, I just remove one side like you have it. When I go to put it back on I have to work it a bit. I usually turn the end so the outboard bolt goes on then kinda bang it down over the inner one. Also loosen the bolts on the other side as they may give you some slack, then tighten all of them at the same time.