Cusco Front Strut Bar Install

A heads up for everyone when you install the Cusco Front Strut bar on the 2005 Legacy GT Wagon.

First, separate the silver bar from the blue mounting plates. Then after removing your top nuts from each strut tower, position the blue plate over the exposed bolts. The one on the passenger side is easy to line up. Now snug up the top nuts on the passenger side

When you find that you can not get the blue plate over the bolts on the driver's side, stop cursing; do not pick up a sledge hammer or crow bar. Believe me I found it maddeningly frustrating when it would not drop over the bolts and into place.

Go and get your trusty hydraulic floor jack and slowly lift the front of the car and wheels off the ground; this will permit the strut to drop down. Now with the exposed bolts lower in the frame, you can very easily position the blue plate over the 3 slightly lowered mounting bolts.

Lower the car to the ground. Now snug up the top nuts on the drivers side. Attach the silver bar to the blue mounting plates (you will need a metric Allen Key)

Caution: do not lift the car so high that your hood/bonnet hits the ceiling, also do not lift the car so high that you drop the strut out of the tower and position.

Use a torque wrench to tighten the top nuts on each side and you are finished. I also applied loctite to the threads on the bolts before torquing the nuts down.

The instructions are in Japanese which I can read, and this method is not discussed even in the Japanese directions. Damn it!

Did you take any pics? How about with it installed?

No photographs were taken of the actual installation steps involved, since I was quite pre-occupied with the hydraulic floor jack,bolts,Loctite and wrenches that I was using.

 

However the detailed instructions that I provided should be more than sufficient to assist fellow forum members in affecting this upgrade.

 

Do you have additional any questions that I can answer; to aid you in your own installation of the strut bar?

 

Best regards:

Did you take any pics? How about with it installed?

 

 

come over to my house and I'll have it in in 5 minutes...if you'd like.

 

Adam

I have an STi front strut bar in the mail, and I still have a rear bar that I have never installed. Also, I got a Prosport boost gauge this week, but haven't made time to install it.

 

Still working on the exhaust. Trying to figure out the tip length. Many parts to install, just need to make time.

Cool, mine's in the mail so that's good to know.

 

 

Also ordered Cusco front/rear swaybars, and an AVO reinforcement bracket to go with it. Should be handling nicely in the next week or so!

this was a great walkthrough!

just put mine on (although it was the GTspec bar) but this helped. good writeup!

I put my cusco on a few weeks ago, this did help.

 

I took some pics too, if anyone would like I could add some pics.

I just bought mine, so any before/after pics would be great. I have an '05 LGT what should the strut bolts be torque'd to?

Just got in, late now but I'll try to get some up in the AM.

Quick pics:

 

Before:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb158/chrisgemail/Silver%20Bullet/0908081544.jpg

 

Angle that I got bracket in at, still a bit tricky with the bar off (2 shots):

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb158/chrisgemail/Silver%20Bullet/0908081545b.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb158/chrisgemail/Silver%20Bullet/0908081545a-1.jpg

 

Bracket on:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb158/chrisgemail/Silver%20Bullet/0908081545c.jpg

 

Complete install:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb158/chrisgemail/Silver%20Bullet/0908081603b.jpg

 

Per the TQ, I don't recall exactly the number and I'd hate to misinform you.

That looks GOOD! Thanks. IDK if the TQ is really a big deal, it's not like TQ'n a head or the tires or something, but better safe than sorry. Was is at least around 35 Ft/Ib?

I checked the settings on line last night and found this

B: INSTALLATION

1)Install the strut mount at the upper side of strut to

body, and tighten it with new self-locking nuts.

Tightening torque:

20 N⋅m (2.0 kgf-m, 14.5 ft-lb)

 

BUT PLEASE CHECK AND CONFIRM THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT TORQUE

it is quite a while since I did my install so check and recheck the setting:lol:

Well I'll crank on it till I think I start to hear something crack, and call it good LOL! I was looking around online too and found a couple different ones, so hopefully it comes with the TQ setting in the instructions or something. Now if the D*** thing will get here lol

i believe the cross bar bolts should be bolted to 35lb-ft and then the baseplate nuts to 14.5lb-ft

Will I need new lock nuts when I put this on? Or will I be able to reuse the ones there. Also, IF I need new ones what size do I need? If I have to raise the car to lower the sturt tower to put it on will it affect my alignment?

 

Just waiting for a response since it is sitting in my room waiting to go on=)

Reuse the nuts. I didnt have to raise the car

Will I need new lock nuts when I put this on? Or will I be able to reuse the ones there. Also, IF I need new ones what size do I need? If I have to raise the car to lower the sturt tower to put it on will it affect my alignment?

 

Just waiting for a response since it is sitting in my room waiting to go on=)

 

So this is a pretty easy mod to do i take it? It just fits on the existing screws and gets locked down right? Would I notice a huge difference in cornering (on/off ramps)?

Took me about 15 minutes. Had to lift the car up and figlle it on but it works. It seems to handle a bit better, but the biggest difference I noticed was it took away a rattle I had in my dash....weird

Took me about 15 minutes. Had to lift the car up and figlle it on but it works. It seems to handle a bit better, but the biggest difference I noticed was it took away a rattle I had in my dash....weird

 

It will fit under my hood...right? '05 OBW 3.0. I don't wanna get that thing on there only to realize that my hood won't close, that would SUCK!<--haha, what an angry little smiley

It will fit under my hood...right? '05 OBW 3.0. I don't wanna get that thing on there only to realize that my hood won't close, that would SUCK!<--haha, what an angry little smiley

 

I had to install like this thread suggested ... take it all apart, put the bases on the pillars, then put the bar in place. You do have to put the cross bar under the hood trim. The hood closed fine, and and I haven't noticed any rubbing at all. Should be fine. http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af6/Stick8373/DSCF0064.jpg

Glad I read this thread and see that you have to take the plates off the end first... was gonna be really mad if the bar I just got was for an impreza or something. I just tried to line up the bolts and it seemed there was no way it would fit with the angle cut plastic back there near the firewall.

Thanks for the thread, came in handy. Got the bar on in no time after reading this.

 

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9/strutbar03.jpg

 

After driving, pretty sure I noticed what sounded like the bar hitting the firewall a bit .. anyone else notice a similar noise after installing this?

No, you shouldn't notice anything different other then the suspension working a little better. Maybe check that all the bolts and tight?? Drove mine pretty hard for a few days after install ... and it's been on for 3 or 4 months with no issues.