viceversa Thanks for the info and pics

 

no prob, when are you putting your bar on?

 

So I tried the install again today, still couldn't quite get it. Maybe someone who has successfully installed it can answer this question for me.

When you take off the center bar and place it on a flat surface, does it rest perfectly flat and stable?
My center bar seems a little tweaked, the 2 cylindrical parts on the ends are not perfectly in-line.

With the new brackets, one side of the center bar will go through while only half of the bolt will fit through on the other side (center bar hole seems slanted).

 

That is where the big crescent wrench comes into play

 

I installed this bar yesterday.

Please, for the love of God, try to not use the "crescent wrench method." After securing one side of the bar to the passenger side bracket, all I did to get the driver side in was loosen the bolts on top of the shock tower to allow the bracket more play/room. After you secure that bolt in, re-tighten the bracket to the shock tower.

Props to my bro PJ for helping me out. Without him, it would have been very difficult for me to get this bar installed. He even helped me find a way to avoid cutting the snorkel for the Stillen intake kit application, AND I have an R2C filter.

 

If it was that easy for you to install, can you do me a favor and remove the center brace and check if it sits flat for me? I tried installing with both brackets loose and un-tightened and it still would not fit, i want to make sure its not a problem with my center brace (mine sits nowhere near flat)

Thanks

 

mine does not sit flat either, but it fits. i remember seeing all of them in a box and they all had that slight bent towards the outside edges.

 

I can't understand why people aren't more upset when the quality is so poor. You shouldn't have to modify these parts to fit your car.

 

^^^+1 ; Glad someone said it!

 

I just thought I would put this out there that once i received the right bracket i had no problem getting the bar on. and no i did not use the crescent wrench when installing.

 

Details and pics please

 

likewise, mine went on no probs.

 

^ It was by no means easy; I'm just saying that it wasn't impossible.
If I have time, I'll remove it and see if it sits flat, but I cannot promise how soon, sorry.
It is certainly weird that your bar refuses to go on. Have you tried installing with two people while both brackets are loose?
Let me be more specific:
by loose, I mean loosening (1/4 inch? maybe not that much) the bolts on the strut towers. After fastening one side, get a friend [the stronger, the better in this case, I guess] to hold the bar and pull it towards the unfastened bracket while you try and put the bolt in place.

I'll snap some soon, Wes.

______________________________

I will say that two things about this bar. I can definitely feel a difference in handling, no question about it. However, I am slightly annoyed by the fact that the car shakes/vibrates a little more because the bottom of my bar touches the wire harness, which touches the engine. When the RPM's drop low enough at idle/stop, there is more vibration in the cabin that can be felt in the steering wheel and on the brake pedal.
For now, I can live with it. I'm *hoping* that once I do the main harness tuck, there will be less/no vibration like there is now. Also, the bar still touches the hood. How can I tell? because there are bracket-shaped indents on my hood liner (the piece that says "Front Midship...").

My new bracket's welds are better, but, sadly, there is a loose piece of metal inside one of the legs of the brackets. When the new bracket is shaken, it sounds like a Christmas bell; consequently, the same type of noise can be heard when the engine vibrates a certain way when I'm reversing/going slow. I wish Scott had un-welded the bracket, taken out the loose piece of metal, and re-welded it together before sending it to me. If I get some spare time, I'm thinking of trying to pin-point exactly which leg is the one that has the loose piece of metal in it and drilling a hole in it to try and get it out. Not sure though.

 

I finally installed mine. I still have the stock box in as well. I hacked the crap out of it, thanks to my friend the rotary tool. I had to remove the snorkel at least for now. The passenger side bracket must have had too much paint in the holes because it was a pain in the butt to get the bolt through. Then I couldn't get the drivers side through while the car was still in the air. I dropped the car and it went in fine.

 

pics of the modded stock airbox?