Strut Tower Brace Installation Instructions

Tools Required
13mm socket
5/16" hex drive socket
Torque wrench strongly recommended

NOTE: This procedure does not change suspension alignment and should always be performed on flat, level ground with the car fully sitting on the tires. No jacks, jack stands, lifts, etc should be used. The weight of the car on the suspension is what maintains the alignment while the shock hat bolts are removed!

  1. Remove the 6 shock mounting nuts, 3 from each shock tower top using the 13mm socket. The factory nuts are eccentric, so they may require a socket wrench to remove fully and not spin freely. Discard these nuts (or keep if you wish), they will not be re-used. If your car still has a factory alignment pin (small metal nub threaded into the empty hole pictured), remove and discard. This pin is of no use except for the initial suspension alignment from the factory. 
  2. Place each mounting ring on top of the shock tower and over the studs, with the mounting blocks facing towards the front of the car. 
  3. Using the new stainless flange nuts provided in the hardware kit, thread a nut onto each stud. Do not tighten, leave each nut a few turns off the surface of the mounting ring so it moves freely within its adjustment travel.
  4. Standing in front of the car, place the cross bar onto the mounting blocks, using your finger tips to center the bar to the edges of the mounting blocks. Generally, the mounting holes in the blocks should be visibly in the center of the slots in the cross bar, but the slots are there for adjustment as needed. 
  5. Using the 5/6" hex socket (works best not on the wrench yet), hand feed the 3/4" hex bolts into the mounting blocks, putting a stainless washer on each. The washers have a "flat" side and a "round" side, which you'll be able to see / feel. We recommend the flat side be toward the bar. 
  6. Once you have all of the mounting hardware loosely installed, and are satisfied with the centering of the cross bar, torque the cross bar bolts to 30 ft-lbs. Note: do NOT over tighten these. It's not necessary and you may strip the mounting threads and ruin the part. If you do not have a torque wrench, thread the bolts until snug and then tighten no more than 1/4 turn. 
  7. Using the 13mm socket (not on the wrench), snug the 6 mounting nuts on the shock tower. You may need use some of the adjustment play to ensure there is clearance for the socket on all 6 nuts. Then, torque all 6 nuts to 30 ft-lbs. 

We recommend checking and re-torquing the nuts after and initial 100 miles of driving.