rear strut bar..

[monty73741]

tada a how to
http://www.mx3gsr.freeservers.com/rearbar.htm

man this is all we had to go on in the old days before the ubb....just user web sites & the egroups.com...now yahoogroups.com

[masonholmes]

Yeah.. with a dremel or grinder wheel it's cake to modify the steel seatbelt housings. (mine are about to come out tho, as I removed the rear seat) As for the plastic modification, if you're not trying to contour it to the bar, all you gotta do is grab it with a pair of pliers and snap off that little square. I've currently got a Fast rear strutbar and this method is perfect and clean and took no time at all.

[Macen]

I got the Corksport one. Installed it today. Pics can be found on my homepage under Teknik -> Bakre fjäderbenstag.

[mitmaks]

ive got both front and rear on my mx3 from ebay, rear one you have to cut plastic trim around seat belt return spool with dremel to properly fit bar

[Sam Baker]

we installed a rear one (from a 323/escort i think) on eore's car a few days ago. took about 1 hour with a hack saw and a hammer LOL a custom job but it looks clean and makes a big difference. imo... a bar is a bar, no matter where u get it from

[mykel78]

I got the ones from Corksport like three years ago, love em. easy install, left all rear trim out= more room in the hatch(wow, 2-15's sounded awesome). Took out rear seat a year ago, no need to punish passengers anymore, and WOW even more room!! looks ugly now, but just wait, cardomain will be up soon...

[Limegreen mx-3]

i have front and rear sturt bars form ebay i have had no problems with them front fit perfect and for the rear used a front bar but drilled holes to fit the two bolt pattern on the rear sturt. 2 hour to customize it to fit good along with cutting out a section on the metal seatbelt bracket and cutting a section the plasic trim. prefroms well in the coners. its saws 25mph i go 50 u get the point anyway to impatited to order from corksport and spent 80$. i have had the sturt bars in my car for almost 1 1/2 and haven't let me down considering how i drive. laters

Drifter MX-3

[perhapsadingo8yerbaby]

Got my front and rear bars from ebay. Ditched the rear seat and seatbelts long ago so the rear one was a quick bolt-in job and the front one also a perfect fit. Both bars are the "toucan" type and I consider it the best suspension mod for the money that anyone can add. Have since added a polished transverse "monkey bar" that bolts onto the upper seatbelt mounts of the B-pillar and a BOMZ polished floor bar across the rear footwells. The car handling improved - became supertight and feels rigid and responsive now in the twisties.

[Macen]

So, should I turn the bar and pu tension on the struts, or should I just let the bar be?
I understand that tension the bar makes the wheel alignment change, but how much can I tension the bar without making too much changes on the alignment?
I have the Corksport rear strut bar. Also removed the backseat and the belt holders. Now I have almost as much space in the rear of my car as in a Volvo stationwagon :p

[atlantamx3]

What?

No-- you will not change your alignment by tightening your strut bar.

it will only go so tight, however.

[RoundTop]

the strut bar prevents the chassis from twisting under stress. This means in a tight turn where your chassis would twist slightly, it keeps it nice and solid and strait, causing less roll and twist.

[Macen]

Ok, my bad then.
But how much should I tighten the bar?

[perhapsadingo8yerbaby]

Actually, it is possible to overtighten the strut bar adjustment when installing. I did that once on a rear upper strut bar for a 626 and it tweaked the rear camber angle out of alignment enough that both rear tires immediately began wearing prematurely on one edge of each tire tread. You should be parked on a paved level surface. Remove any excess weight from the car i.e. heavy tools etc. Standing outside the car, adjust the bar just so that it is a snug fit between the strut towers then tighten it down at that position. You want the bar to fit snugly but in a "neutral" position that locks the strut towers to each other without creating any new tension that could force the strut tower(s) out of normal position.

<small>[ October 29, 2004, 03:08 AM: Message edited by: perhapsadingo8yerbaby ]</small>