STi Strut Bar not fitting properly

[jasqi]

I recently purchased an sti strut bar off a member and the passenger side mount slid onto the 3 bolts fine. The driver side on the other hand won’t line up with the bolts correctly. My car smacked a curb going like 40 awhile ago and it goofed a lot of stuff so I wouldn’t be surprised if the strut bolts were bent slightly or something. Now what I’m asking is what would be the best solution? Attempt to bend the mount into place? Try and bend the bolts back to place? Drill larger holes on the strut bar? Kind of lost on what my options are or should be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[blackobxt]

Well, I’d start by going to an alignment shop to see how bad things really are. From the sounds of it, getting a strut bar to fit is the least of your worries.

[Infosecdad]

Have you loosened the joints in the strut bar? Sometimes you have to loosen everything and fit both sides simultaneously. But, if you hit a curb doing 40, then all bets are off and there may be more suspension damage that you just don't know about yet affecting you.

[shralp]

Honestly, I’d put it up for sale and put the funds towards something else in the car. Not worth trying to modify it and front strut bars on our cars do virtually nothing to help handling

[blackobxt]

We got a legacy gt in on repair back in like 2009 that schmucked a curb in a snow storm and it did just what you’re experiencing, tweaked the strut tower bad enough that the new stuff wouldn’t line up. Took our body guy some aggressive loving to get it to line back up.

[jasqi]

Honestly, I’d put it up for sale and put the funds towards something else in the car. Not worth trying to modify it and front strut bars on our cars do virtually nothing to help handling

 

 

Yeah that would make the most sense, got it for a good price and I like the look mostly. The curb damaged a hoard of things, it bent a control arm in half, bent my rack, broke all 4 wheels, bent the rear sway bar mount, etc. I’ve fixed the majority of this, and I’m sure the strut functions as normal and that the screws are a little off is all. I’m thinking i’ll drill the hole’s a little bigger and secure it, it’s just for looks anyway.

[jasqi]

Have you loosened the joints in the strut bar? Sometimes you have to loosen everything and fit both sides simultaneously. But, if you hit a curb doing 40, then all bets are off and there may be more suspension damage that you just don't know about yet affecting you.

 

 

Yeah no this wasn’t like a “oops whoopies it still drives kind of thing” It destroyed A LOT, I hadn’t had the car on insurance yet and I mechanic my own stuff so the cost wasn’t terrible. Only remaining component that I know of that needs replaced now is my bent rack. I personally know this car will never be the same and I accept that, Im still in the hole for it and it will be forever a learning experience, getting a new bumper, fenders, sideskirt, and a wrap come spring. Overall taking into account the aftermarket stuff I opted for in the process I’ve spent around $3k getting it to drive and for the new body pieces, the final cost to get the car to it’s mostly former glory is going to be around $5k total.