ok so basically this is a 5 minute job, but its a fun 5 minute job. i jsut wanted to say again how easy and great it was to do business with NST (the peoples who sell the DME bars front and rear (i will post an install shortly after this one for the rear).


so here we go!

Tools needed:

ratchet set (14 mm i belive is all you'll need. just get a set just incase, i know for the rear you will need a 10mm to take the panels off to access the strut bolts).

Flat Head Screw Driver.

and a Phillips head screw driver (or anything with a point, like a pen or somethin just to pop the clips on the windshield wiper cowl)

and 5 minutes


ok so start by popping hood (duh!)

now locate teh windshield washer caps (1 plastic cap on each blade) and use the flat head to pop it off as shown.




(repeat for other blade)

now use the 14 mm socket to remove that nut and place somewhere save so you wont lose it! *i placed all bolts right on the battery*

now with out the wiperblades



get the philips head screw driver and pop the 4 clips 2 on each side (i didnt take a pic of these because whoops... mine are missing )

and once those clips are gone place hands here and pull up and out



and now with the wiper cowl out. here comes the fun part :D



take the 14 mm again and loosen and take off all 3 bolts on the strut bolts.







once all 6 bolts are off you can place the strut bar in place and bolt it back on :D





now tighten them all up so they are nice and snug, and reinstall the wiper cowl just like you took it out.... but backwards then put the wiperblades back on and the caps that go over the nuts, check all work for loose bolts and if you want put the cool DME logo on the strut bar or anywhere else just make sure to represent!







enjoy!

and dont forget if you like it hit up

www.nonstoptuning.com for the best deal and customer service you can get.

also dont forget to check out their pulleys and the DME radiator plate!!

link for the rear strut bar install (which is a little more involved then this one mostly because you have to remove the trunk panels and cut a tiny bit)

 

You didn't jack the car up??

 

nah i did it when i had the DC sports, and theres no difference. i didnt see a need to jack the car up. plus with this one you have to take all 3 top mounts off and in my head i pictured teh strut assemblys falling when i jacked it up. so i said screw it and just installed with out jacking

 

whats the point of jacking it up?

i'd imagine it'd be unsafe if you did that lol

 

I thought that jacking up the car would release the tension in the struts to make it actually perform when you put it on. Maybe I was informed wrong but that does sound correct. The bottom struts have bolts on so it wouldn't actually fall off.

 

ooh you're right, yea that would make sense, just jack it enough to release suspension load but not take the wheels off the ground

 

since the force on the struts is upward with the suspension loaded (car on the ground), jacking the car up for this install would be counterintuitive-it would actually make it harder.

 

i installed the dc strut the first time with out jacking the car up and still i feel nothing different and then yesterday i jack the car up and did the same thing and still nothing when i had a strut bar on my lancer i felt a big difference in handleing why not with the tc ????

 

mainly cause the build of the tC and the location of the strut bar. i felt the same way with my Dodge Avenger when i added it, but since the strut towers are pretty high in the engine bay its not too noticeable. at least thats what i understand...

and myabe its just me but the DMEs look alot like the Greddys.

 

for the people who have this, did you have to "assemble" the bar when you got it?

im having a bit of an issue here...the long threaded bolt that connects the bar to the bare metal pieces that bolt onto the 3 strut bolts wont bolt on tightly, even w/ the washers in place...it seems like the smaller bolt has a plastic ring in the inside threads making it impossible to go through...

 

yea the bar has to be assembled sorry i didnt put that part in there.

i got you on aim tho

 

an allen wrench or vice grip will be required for assembly


i suggest you just get the bare metal parts on the strut bolts first, and then tighten up the bar afterwards.

 

Excellent DIY Dave!!!

We are now carry DME products as well.

 

thanks paul!

 

how many lbs of force to put the wiper bolts back on? and how much on the strut bar bolts? I hear that the stock on the strut bar is 38lbs but with the strut bar you want a few more lbs (maybe about 40-45lbs) ....
but the last thing I want to do is strip the bolts. Also, you should be using lock tight w/ the strut bar install right?

 

I did not use loctite on mine.Just use a torque wrench and I think it was about 38-40lbs I did mine at.

 

I really need to know the windshield wiper torque - yea the strut bolts are 38-40lbs

 

BUMP!

 

i've had the DME front strut bar installed for about 2 months now and im very pleased with it. it literally took all of 10 minutes to install, and most of that was spent fighting the wiper cowl...(i really dislike those plastic clips that toyota used, i ended up damaging like all of them). my impressions are that my tC actually feels better controlled going over bumps/ridges/tracks in the road. its like the bump doesn't reach the passenger compartment anymore, instead the suspension just reacts effectively. i've also noticed my steering to be much more stable at highway speeds and my cornering ability to be much tighter. great product, im very pleased.

lastly, i thought it was pretty sweet to be able to put the DME badge on my front grill to represent.

 

are you guys able to flex the strut bar? like, bend it if you apply some sort of amount of pressure to it. a lot of people tell me that a well performed strut bar is rigid and solid to where there is no possible flex.