I installed the H-Sport front swaybar yesterday and after driving the car I noticed alot of noise comming from behind the dash... Sounded like there was a hole in the firewall. I thought maybe it was just because of my Alta Intake install and that I was hearing more noise since I turned everything off in the car so i could listen to any suspension noises. After being confused and trying to think of what I could have done installing the swaybar, I remembered the H-sport instructions mentioning something about the Steering Column Firewall boot being dislodged. It was dislodged and I did have a hole in my Firewall.

What I can't figure out is how is this boot supposed to be installed? It's two pieces, the inside piece appears to just slide down the column and appears to rest against the firewall but what about the outside piece? It's very thin rubber and doesn't support itself well. Neither piece is grooved like a rubber grommet would be. My best guess was that both pieces were supposed to be on the inside with the stiff rubber one resting on top of the thinner rubber boot. Neither appears to actuall snap/attach to anything or each other. Anyone know how this was intended to be installed?

 

Is it possible that your grommet has torn itself in half? I don't remember mine being two pieces.

 

I ran into this issue too. Since I don't have an ETK/TIS....My best solution is to pull back the floor carpeting and align the boots to the firewall opening as best as possible. Rest the carpeting on top, and it has stayed in place since (3 months now). I agree this firewall grommet design is complete crap.

Good luck,
Ryan

 

>>I ran into this issue too. Since I don't have an ETK/TIS....My best solution is to pull back the floor carpeting and align the boots to the firewall opening as best as possible. Rest the carpeting on top, and it has stayed in place since (3 months now). I agree this firewall grommet design is complete crap.
>>
>>Good luck,
>>Ryan

Thanks Ryan, that's what I did. Just doesn't make sense that nothing appears to attach to anything. Justs rests there on the firewall.

 

>>Is it possible that your grommet has torn itself in half? I don't remember mine being two pieces.

Andy, would you mind taking a look at yours? It's clearly visible from inside the car next to the gas pedal. There is a cone shaped rubber thing on the column at the fire wall that will slide up the column a few inches, under that should be the thin rubber seal that I don't understand how it should be installed or attached.

 

For those that are considering installing a Front Sway bar, check Randy's How-to. You disconnect the steering rack from the steering shaft, one bolt and it is disconnected and no more worries.

 

>>For those that are considering installing a Front Sway bar, check Randy's How-to. You disconnect the steering rack from the steering shaft, one bolt and it is disconnected and no more worries.

Not so, I followed his instructions and even removing the steering knuckle didn't prevent dislodging the boot. Even so, the dislodging of the boot isn't a big deal if I just understood how it was supposed to go back together.

 

Here's a pic of mine:



I cut a small slit in it to run the wires for the coolant temp and oil pressure gauges.

 

Andy,

I don't think that's the steering column boot. The steering column exits way below the intake, and if you have the alta like mine it's below the intake box and cannot be seen except from under the car or by the pedals inside the car. I think that's the instrument wiring exiting behind the dash.

 

Ah never mind then. I thought you were referring to the wiring boot NEAR the steering column.

Maybe this will help?


_________________

SHOW ME THE NUMBERS! 1/4 Mile Database

 

Andy,

It's #6 on that pic. But it's how it connects to the firewall that it doesn't show. Also, #6 on my car is two pieces, it has an piece that looks like the bottom of #6 with the hole in it and then the boot that goes over it.

 

Is this what you are talking about?

It is snug to the firewall. It feels like it might be wedged between #2 and the firewall, but it's hard to tell.

 

Ok, now I've got it figured out. What a royal pain in the &%@.... Anyway. the thin rubber I was talking about has a lip that slips around the base of the Steering column boot and then you snap the entire boot thru the fire wall. It's very awkward to do if it pops apart, especialy with one hand on your knees in the footwell around the pedals.... Guess I know what to watch for the next time I replace the front swaybar.

 

Early

just a curioous question. What made you go inside the car and check this area? When I did my install it was all under the car, I took off the steering knuckle etc. What drew you to the conclusion that is was this boot? just asking because I want to make sure that I didn't do something wrong or maybe a future issue might arise.

 

The extra engine noise inside the car after installing the Swaybar made me think that I must have done something during the install of the swaybar to cause it. The only thing that came to mind that could cause it was the Steering Column boot. I jacked the car and saw that it was not properly positioned thru the firewall but it was not easily accessable thru the steering rack and suspension. Decieded to see if I could get to it from inside the car and sure enough, it's right next to the gas pedal. I'm sure what happened was that I disconnected the steering knuckle bolt but the shaft was still in it. When I lowered the subframe it obviously still pulled the knuckle and the steering column down before the shaft came out of the knuckle causing the boot to get dislodged.