Effectiveness of spacing a strut brace up to clear a fuel rail

[CodyAce]

I hate to sound so simple with this thread, but am curious on if my idea will 'ruin' the strut brace's effectivness.

Test fitting a Fraz S14 bar, I've come into an issue of it clearing my top feed fuel rail by 1/16" or so. With that under consideration, I do believe that upon power delivery, that the engine will tweak up into the strut brace (Nismo mounts).

I need to remedy this issue, and was contemplating simply 'spacing' the strut brace up, buy placing it atop the existing nuts to hold the strut in place on the shock towers, and then using another nut to secure it




I know it sounds crazy, but would it be a bad idea? Would this potentially shear the bolts? Will the bar still work as it should?

Another reason I'm even considering this, is that in the event I need to take the tower brace off, is that in the event I need to take it off, I really do not want to jack the car up to get a wrench up in the wheel well to hold the bolt when I take the nut off the top. Kinda of a PITA


Just a thought. I'm a greasy fingered sloppymechanic, so I figured it would be best to bounce this off the engineers on here

[djsilver]

If it's only 1/16" just get some thin jamb nuts to hold the struts and put the bar on top of those. You'll get clearance but the shear forces won't be outrageous.

[CodyAce]

If it's only 1/16" just get some thin jamb nuts to hold the struts and put the bar on top of those. You'll get clearance but the shear forces won't be outrageous.

That's what I was thinking off...however instead of the little jam nuts, just using an existing flanged nut (which is about 5/16" tall....just a sereated flanged 5/16 nut) and lay it on top of that.

[godrifttoday]

I think it would work but defenetly decreas The bar effectiveness.... Because the bar mounting points are similar to hub eccentric spacers .... U notice the ring on the top of The strut tower, that's where your strut bar Mounts to

[CodyAce]

On the topic of that, I have taken notice of that upper 'ring' on the strut braces, however both the Fraz, my old Courtesy bar, and my roomates other bar, don't really even contact that raised 'lip' atop the struts. Once I noticed that, I began to think it was not as important as I originally thought. Alos with that in mind, there are many cars that don't have that raised lip that also have strut bars.

[Def]

I would be more concerned with bending failure of the strut tower itself. Why not cut up some 3/16" aluminum plate and use that to space it?

Alternatively you could get some mounts that are lower than Nismos and enjoy a lower cg and no strut bar problems. JGS rubber mounts are awesome. I can't find any faults with them and they seemed to drop the engine a few mm over completely dead stickers.

[CodyAce]

I would be more concerned with bending failure of the strut tower itself. Why not cut up some 3/16" aluminum plate and use that to space it?

That was another option I was thinkin off, figured that would work perfectly as well.

Alternatively you could get some mounts that are lower than Nismos and enjoy a lower cg and no strut bar problems. JGS rubber mounts are awesome. I can't find any faults with them and they seemed to drop the engine a few mm over completely dead stickers.

Ahhhh, I never realized the JGS ones actually lowered the engine more. I was always under the impression that the nismo ones were the lowest! Hmmm, looks like I'll be ordering these tonight, as I really only need about 1/4 to 5/16 of an inch to make me feal comfortable with clearence.

[Def]

Nismo mounts raise the engine up according to popular internet lore. The JGS aren't advertised to lower the engine, but I got a slight slight drop with mine. I bet they give you enough space so you can do some minor clearancing and be good.

[CodyAce]

Nismo mounts raise the engine up according to popular internet lore.

Internet lore hahah! Fantastic way to put it. I guess even I've become a believer of fairytales now!

Looks like the JGS mounts are coming, if anything it's gotta bring the engine down that little bit I need.

...plus I can sell the Nismo mounts to offset the cost

[djsilver]

Nismo mounts raise the engine up according to popular internet lore. The JGS aren't advertised to lower the engine, but I got a slight slight drop with mine. I bet they give you enough space so you can do some minor clearancing and be good.

When I switched to Nismo mounts the engine did sit higher but I suspect it's not a difference in designed dimensions but a comparison between a new set and a dead set of OEM mounts.

[Mark Washington]

I would recomend lowering your engine and installing a skidplate for the oil pan. Xcessive makes both and both are simple to make. I had nismo motor mounts and they ended up raising my engine to the point that my strut tower bar was rubbing on the KA24E's valve cover. Since I spent so much on the motor mounts and tranny as well I wasn't excited to buy new ones. (I had poly touge factory ones before but the oil pan hit a rumble strip and broke the stud to the driver side motor mount) I lowered my engine an inch and I felt a big turn in gain on turn 2 Thinderhill. Also less rubbing on my fender from the outside of the Origin 30mm wide fender. I was woried about pinion angle but I have done nothing to the trans mount yet. I did put spacers on top of the trans crossmember and longer M12 bolts. If you do this and dont do a skidplate it will!! not be good and the pan will hit. Here is what I did but as I said^^ you can get them from xcessive/Rich

[Mark Washington]

[Sleepy_Steve]

Thats a fine welding jig right there.

[CodyAce]

Installed the JGS rubber mounts today

Pretty easy process --why they are a two piece setup I dunno, but it is what it is. Engine lowered by an easy 3/4 of an inch from the Nismo ones, providing MORE than enough room to make it all work!

[Def]

Installed the JGS rubber mounts today

Pretty easy process --why they are a two piece setup I dunno, but it is what it is. Engine lowered by an easy 3/4 of an inch from the Nismo ones, providing MORE than enough room to make it all work!

The rubber part is a readily available/cheap replacement. I forget what the application is for, but you can buy them at NAPA.

I bought them after I learned that, as that's the type of mount I'd make if I were going to make them.