With over 10 years of experience in the automotive import aftermarket industry, A Spec has been at the forefront of developing new products for new and upcoming platforms such as the new Honda Fit. Located in the heart of Southern California, we are official distributors for many high end Japanese aftermarket products from manufacturers such as Volk Racing, Work Wheels, Bride, ARC, Endless etc. as well as other high end non-Japanese aftermarket products such as Recaro, Nardi, Personal etc. Our tuning philosophy is toward the true heart of performance. We tend to focus on those parts that provide an overall performance increase to whatever vehicle you drive.
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I got the bars in Friday. I must say, these are cool. Of course these are the first strut bars ever that I've bought for any car I've owned. I will get pics once I figure out how to install them on the front.
Tuan, The fronts came with machine screws, washer, and nuts. I guess we have to get under the fender well and bolt down the front strut bars with the machine screws and nuts?
The rears shouldn't be hard.. Looking forward to putting them on and testing out the performance. When the weather is better here in TX! It's either hot one day or cold the other... Right now,, it's cold!
I got the bars in Friday. I must say, these are cool. Of course these are the first strut bars ever that I've bought for any car I've owned. I will get pics once I figure out how to install them on the front.
Tuan, The fronts came with machine screws, washer, and nuts. I guess we have to get under the fender well and bolt down the front strut bars with the machine screws and nuts?
The rears shouldn't be hard.. Looking forward to putting them on and testing out the performance. When the weather is better here in TX! It's either hot one day or cold the other... Right now,, it's cold!
-Tomi
Yeah the fronts will be bolted down from underneath the wheel well. So you will have to jack the car up front up front, besure to block off the rear tires with some chucks. Then put some jack stands under the front of the car. You will have to bolt-in 3 on each side. 20lbs will be tight enough.
The rears, all you need to know, leave the car on the ground. Pull of the OEM bolt with 14mm (from your stocks). Then put on the bolt we provide you, then the bracket then the OEM on top of the Bracket. After your done with that put on the bar. Tighten them down 20 lbs! And your set and ready.
Getting the nut supplied for the rear struts are easy, but once you put on the bracket, it's a pain in the ass to get it tightened down with normal ratchet hand tools. But I got it. Took about 5 minutes each side. It was dark so I just did the rear ones. I noticed that the rear brackets have quiet a bit of space when you put the bar on. With the nut and bolt, do you tighten them all the way down? or do you leave a gap? I just hand tightened it for now until I have the right tools with me. Didn't have a hex tool large enough.. =(
Looks sweet! Can't wait to get the front ones on now...
Pardon my ignorance here, but I don't quite understand this product. For me cars have always been just a way to get from point A to point B and performance tuning isn't something I know much about.
Having said that, I *do * understand that you'll get a better response on steering with these bars. However, I'd like to know what the trade-off is. I figure that there must be a down-side to it or else it would just be standard equipment on all cars.
Will my passengers and cargo take more lateral force from the turns?
If I drive like my grandmother, will I even get anything out of this?
Does this modification have any impact on my factory warranty from Honda?
I can't do the rear one as it will interfere with the cargo area (and I'll need it to haul band gear around). Will only having a front strut bar do any good?
Thanks.
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Sorry shipping to canada will be 210 shipped for both bars.
The 130 shipped price is for the lower 49 State only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomiGunz
Getting the nut supplied for the rear struts are easy, but once you put on the bracket, it's a pain in the ass to get it tightened down with normal ratchet hand tools. But I got it. Took about 5 minutes each side. It was dark so I just did the rear ones. I noticed that the rear brackets have quiet a bit of space when you put the bar on. With the nut and bolt, do you tighten them all the way down? or do you leave a gap? I just hand tightened it for now until I have the right tools with me. Didn't have a hex tool large enough.. =(
Looks sweet! Can't wait to get the front ones on now...
Once you get the bolt on to the bracket. Put the bar on, and just Tighten all the way down. It is tuff to put the oem bolt on, but you can do it! After that just tighten all the way down. Anymore problems let me know.
TUAN @ A Spec.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyfiend
Pardon my ignorance here, but I don't quite understand this product. For me cars have always been just a way to get from point A to point B and performance tuning isn't something I know much about.
Having said that, I *do * understand that you'll get a better response on steering with these bars. However, I'd like to know what the trade-off is. I figure that there must be a down-side to it or else it would just be standard equipment on all cars.
Will my passengers and cargo take more lateral force from the turns?
If I drive like my grandmother, will I even get anything out of this?
Does this modification have any impact on my factory warranty from Honda?
I can't do the rear one as it will interfere with the cargo area (and I'll need it to haul band gear around). Will only having a front strut bar do any good?
Thanks.
There isn't really a trade off. A strut bar helps to add rigidity to the chassis but will not make the car uncomfortable at all.
The reason it is not on all cars is most likely due to cost and vehicle purpose. Most commuter cars (such as the Fit) were not marketed to be "sports cars," so suspension bracing for aggressive driving would not be standard equipment. If you look at cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, they come with strut tower bars from the factory. Another reason why it is not standard equipment on cars is most likely due to cost. A car can still operate without a strut bar, so auto manufacturers won't spent extra cost to put an item on that isn't "necessary," except in cases such as the Lancer Evo example.
Your passengers and cargo will not take more lateral force, not in noticible amounts at least. The strut bars SHOULD not void warranty on your vehicle, but perhaps you should talk to the dealer you purchased it from before buying. In fact, a lot of Honda dealerships have performance parts departments that sell items such as strut bars on the premises.
If you choose to only run a front strut bar, then that's not a problem either.
I have a new problem. I can't keep from taking hard corners. These bars are awesome! I usualy slow down a little around the corners cuz I can feel that the car isn't going to grip. but now, with he bars, the car accelerates through the corners with no problems.
Tuan,, the front brackets were a REAL pain in the ass to install. The inner part of the tower bar brackets was a pain. You have to have something to hold that nut under the little space you have. The battery side was hard. I droped the nut and a few tools down the engine bay a few times. But that was my fault cuz the whole bracket wasn't aligned right. Once Aligned it went in good. I didn't have to jack up the car either. Just stuck my hands underneath and bolted the nut and bolt down. The passenger side was easy to do since there was plenty of space.
Other then that, it's not that bad of a install. Performance is great. It was all well worth it.
BTW: Don't take my little complaint serious, it's actually not hard to install these bars. Because it's a honda,, sometimes, there's not much space.
Tomi,
Yo glad to see it worked out, yeah the front is hard to put on (cuz of the nut on the bottom side). The reason y its hard its cuz the suspention is right above the holes u you need get your hands on. The tools I used to install was, a short end rench. I felt the bottom side is harder then the top. But just make sure to bolt on down 1st. Then the rest should be easier.
Yeah let me know,
If u dont have a server to host pictures, just send me the pictures, ill post them for ya!
Yeah the rear doesnt really take up much room, but when you want to lay the set down, then yes it will take up space, but takes seconds to pull off the bar, for more room!!
Yeah the rear doesnt really take up much room, but when you want to lay the set down, then yes it will take up space, but takes seconds to pull off the bar, for more room!!
Thanks for the picture,
TUAN @ A Spec.
Yup.. I hear people bitchin about space. Just unbolt it and go.. =)
Tuan, I would like a set. does it come with instructions? sorry im a bit of a Newbie with this stuff. But im Open to learning! :-)
How do I pay you and everything.. thanks.. PM me or reply back on here. :-)
No instructions. It's just simply bolting on bolts and nuts. Very easy to install, but takes time.. Just look at the pics for a guide..
The rear bar has 2 nuts supplied and you gotta take the OEM nut off of the rear strut. Then put the supplied one on. Put the strutbar bracket on, bolt back on the OEM nut. Put the bar on, tighten things up and you're done.
The front has 3 nuts, washer, and bolt. The nuts go under the frame. Use a socket tool for the nut so you can get it under the fender. You dont' have to jack up the car. There's a couple of round, black stickers that you peel off. The bolt goes there. Just line up the bracket, stick the socket tool with the nut on it and look into the hole to make sure the nut is aligned. Once aligned, put the bolt on by hand. Don't tighten until you get all three bolts bolted on. Tighten them up with you're done and bolt on the bar. Tighen up the bar and go take some corners!
If you need detailed photos, I'll be more than happy to take photos for you.
Hey Tuan,, I want some Aspec stickers... what size you have?
No instructions. It's just simply bolting on bolts and nuts. Very easy to install, but takes time.. Just look at the pics for a guide..
The rear bar has 2 nuts supplied and you gotta take the OEM nut off of the rear strut. Then put the supplied one on. Put the strutbar bracket on, bolt back on the OEM nut. Put the bar on, tighten things up and you're done.
The front has 3 nuts, washer, and bolt. The nuts go under the frame. Use a socket tool for the nut so you can get it under the fender. You dont' have to jack up the car. There's a couple of round, black stickers that you peel off. The bolt goes there. Just line up the bracket, stick the socket tool with the nut on it and look into the hole to make sure the nut is aligned. Once aligned, put the bolt on by hand. Don't tighten until you get all three bolts bolted on. Tighten them up with you're done and bolt on the bar. Tighen up the bar and go take some corners!
If you need detailed photos, I'll be more than happy to take photos for you.
Hey Tuan,, I want some Aspec stickers... what size you have?
-Tomi
Tomi,
Thanks for the info. I think I understand how to install the rear. Seems easy enough. But the front im not to sure. If you could send some detail pics, perhaps with arrows that would be EXCELLENT! I think the part where im supposed to do something underneath the car is confusing me. On my del sol, to install the front strut bar, everything was in the engine bay... Thanks!!
Look at the 4rth picture that I posted up top. You'll see the passenger side bracket. On the left of that bracket, you see the two hex bolts. On the right you see one hex bolt. The 2 left hex bolts are the ones you gotta get the nut underneath the fender well. You can actually put your hand underneath the fende well and feel the 2 holes. When you figure out where they are, you can put a socket tool up there with the nut on it to hold it in place. You won't be able to put your hand under there while holding the nut. It's too cramped. So a socket tool helps alot. Again, after aligning the bracket to match the holes, put the socket tool with the nut on it underneath the fender. While you do that, look through the hole from the top to align the nut to the hole. Then put your hex bolt on. That's the quickest way to do it.
The right single Hex bolt is kinda tricky since there is little space. You gotta hold that nut under the metal frame to keep it in place while screwing in the hex bolt. Takes a few tries but you'll get it.
Reason why it's a little complicated is cuz the front strut bars are mounted to the frame. Not the top of the struts itself. But you don't have to unbolt anything!
I hope that helps. If not, I'll try to get some photos for ya..
Look at the 4rth picture that I posted up top. You'll see the passenger side bracket. On the left of that bracket, you see the two hex bolts. On the right you see one hex bolt. The 2 left hex bolts are the ones you gotta get the nut underneath the fender well. You can actually put your hand underneath the fende well and feel the 2 holes. When you figure out where they are, you can put a socket tool up there with the nut on it to hold it in place. You won't be able to put your hand under there while holding the nut. It's too cramped. So a socket tool helps alot. Again, after aligning the bracket to match the holes, put the socket tool with the nut on it underneath the fender. While you do that, look through the hole from the top to align the nut to the hole. Then put your hex bolt on. That's the quickest way to do it.
The right single Hex bolt is kinda tricky since there is little space. You gotta hold that nut under the metal frame to keep it in place while screwing in the hex bolt. Takes a few tries but you'll get it.
Reason why it's a little complicated is cuz the front strut bars are mounted to the frame. Not the top of the struts itself. But you don't have to unbolt anything!
I hope that helps. If not, I'll try to get some photos for ya..
-Tomi
Thanks Tomi,
I just ordered the set. I'll give a shot at it once it comes in.. If I run into any problems. I'll be back on this thread! :-) Thanks
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