GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Anyone know how much to tighten the bolts after installing a front strut tower brace? I am putting one on this weekend and I don't know how tight to make them.

Here is a thread that might help you out. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=2534 It looks like you only need to tighten them to between 25 and 30 lbs.I kept this one in my notification list because I also plan on installing one in the near future. Hope this helps.

How do you measure the torque you are putting on them????

There is a special ratche-looking tool called a "Torque wrench". Depending on the type you purchase, you can either read the torque on a guage, or it will "click" when you reach the torque you set using an adjustment on the wrench. There are also types that light a flashlight bulb on the wrench when the torque is met, although I haven't seen those for a while. Craftsman sells a couple different styles. Don't buy the cheap kind because the cr@ppy plastic crumbles apart after a whle and the lifetime warranty doesn't apply to torque wrenches. >

be very careful when you're tightening the nuts on the front struts...i accidentally over torqued them and snapped one of the studs...it was a very expensive repair...about 100 bucks for the strut plate and another 150 for the labor to repair it (i have no idea how to take the strut tower apart) because the stud is manufactured into the plate, you can't just tap it out and replace it.Just giving everyone the heads up...

I just purchased an A Spec front strut brace. I understand about tightening the studs, but what about the adjustment nuts for the spacing between the struts? Can you use this adjustment to lenghthen or shorten this bar to the detriment of you suspension? What do you really do with that adjustment?

I believe it's not really an "adjustment", just how the bar fastens to the end pieces. I have one also, and I screwed the end pieces on far enough so the holes in the end plates slipped over the studs on the top of the struts. Once I had the bar "adjusted" to the correct length, I tightened it down.

Thanks, cohocarl. I'll put mine on if it ever stops raining here.

quote:be very careful when you're tightening the nuts on the front struts...i accidentally over torqued them and snapped one of the studs...it was a very expensive repair...about 100 bucks for the strut plate and another 150 for the labor to repair it (i have no idea how to take the strut tower apart) because the stud is manufactured into the plate, you can't just tap it out and replace it.Just giving everyone the heads up...i did that too, except not on a vibe, and it didn't snap

oh yea, and i'm an idiot, so dont do that