Not the good kind, sorry folks


but I just noticed this past weekend. After all this time getting my front strut bar ready and prepped and painted and parts replaced. and the engine bay cleaned


I go to put my dinan strut bar on and the plates don't sit flat! Crap.....


I can only get 2 bolts, and no chance for the third,


take the plates off knowing that I failed.


place the bolts back on the studs, and my last stud, snap! oh damn


now I only have 2 studs on the passenger side....


time to think of my options, and opinions folks?


the strut bar will still most likely go on, those dinan plates look preety rugged, and now I think its time for some camber plates, wether that's with coilovers or shocks/springs.....

 

Your Dinan/Strut tower plates + either Vorshlag, RTM or SPC?

 

Do the pound it flat method with mallet and piece of 2x4. Go to our suspension section or stock prob issues and you will find more than a few threads on it.

Get a new pin: part no. 31306778829 for $2.00
Get new locking nut part no. 31316769731 for $1.00
Get an alignment

and Motor on.

 

To fix the mushrooming:
-Jack the car up on the passenger side.
-Let the suspension sag, and loosen the 2 remaining nuts (not remove, loosen).
-Get a 2x4 and a large hammer, and use the 2x4 as cushion on the strut tower from the hammer, and hammer until the tower is flat again.
-Tighten the nuts to 25 ft lbs.

To fix the broken stud:
1: Buy a new strut mount.

2: Replace the broken stud as suggested, but it will be about 2-3 hours.

Heat and penetrating oil will be your friend, living on the east coast and all.

DO NOT try to remove the lower pinch bolt in the steering knuckle without soaking it in penetrating oil and heating it cherry red. You'll break it off and spend the next 5 hours drilling it out and replacing it with a through bolt.