Here are a few pics of the parts installed:



















A few notes from my install:

- For the rear install, have a 5mm and a 8mm hex driver, and an adjustable wrench to unlock the rear strut self locking nuts
- Use a 10mm socket for the remaining bolts in the rear
- You'll need to add spacers (~4mm worth for the front two attachment points) and a longer bolt (~2") to install the front strut bar - with the included bolts the strut bar was hitting the TB assembly
- Be prepared to either remove the front wheels (easy install), or...
- Really stick your arm between the tires and the fenders, to reach the underside of the strut towers so you can thread the nuts (can you tell this is the way I did my install? ) - may I suggest a bit of duct tape on the tip of your finger to hold the nut in place while you blindly find the ends of the bolts inside the fender... will save you from a lot of sweating and frustration If you have large hands and/or forearms, this task may be difficult to impossible - remove the front wheels in that case.

I took a quick test drive and the Fit feels a bit stiffer and more responsive than stock. I don't yet have any aftermarket springs or shocks, but these parts have made a noticeable difference already. It took a while to get these in the two tone blue color scheme - I could've gotten the orange colored ones, but I really wanted to keep the white and blue theme going in my Fit The trunk cage does take up some space, but the rear bar sits flat on the trunk floor so it's not so bad - but if you need to access the spare tire and jack, you'll need the 8mm hex driver and 10mm socket to detach the side arms, and then remove the rear bar - A LOT OF WORK just to access those things... so I just carry a can of flat fixer, and pray that I don't get more than a simple nail or screw in my tires. Like I said before, adding the spacers will prevent the front strut bar from hitting the throttle body assembly, but the bar also blocks access to the brake fluid reservoir, and the positive terminal on the battery. Thankfully, brake fluid is not something I change as often as oil, and I don't have to remove the whole bar in order to access those items. Like the rear strut bar, it takes an 8mm hex driver and an adjustable wrench to remove one of the bolts, so you can lift the bar out of the way. I'm sure other bars will have similar issues, since the Fit has such a small engine compartment, making parts that "fit" probably mean making certain compromises.

 

Very nice...I like how the blue is not super bright and subtle. Did you drive the car with just the trunk brace or with just the front strut bar? If so, how did it feel?

 

Thanks, but I had both installed before the test drive, so I can't really tell which one made the most difference. On the first drive I noticed the noise and vibration of the strut bar hitting the TB, so I adjusted adding the washers/spacers. There was slight damage from the steel TB rubbing on the aluminum strut bar, but it's not visible at all - you'd have to remove the bar to be able to see it. Now there's enough clearance between the TB and bar, so there are no noise/vibration issues. Tomorrow I'll be taking the highway with a some twisties along the way. Should be able to notice the improvements then.

 

Oh, and the two tone blue is really nice, changes hue slightly depending on angle of view and lighting, but it stops short of being a chameleon type of paint.

 

nice man thanks for the write up

 

you got your cage so fast.. i am waiting on my order still..

-joe

 

That stuff looks familiar! hehe

 

Very nice.....looks good.

 

that sounds like a pain in the ass to get your spare.. i just got the tanabe which is awesome looking and everything.. i just gotta lift up the thing to get the spare not unhook anything..

 

sLiVeRwOrM, that's why I don't carry the spare anymore, just a can of flat fixer in the side pocket.

Lance, that should be the exact one you had on yours before, only a different color

sillypuddy, I've been waiting for this since July. I could've gotten the orange ones earlier, but opted to get the more recent blue one.

 

Yes The color is nicer! My strut tower bar is orange!

 

but your tanabe is not a cage.. if you only use a rear strut bar, it doesn't interfere with the spare

-joe

 

i am one of their dealers and i still don't have one

-joe

 

Looks great my friend, everything are awsome, but the cargo...........seem like it takes away a lof of space

 

wow looks good...real clean to...i would like to opt for that and add it to the mod list...did you get this from GT spec or a vendor??