Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior Installed APR Strut bar

Just installed the APR Strut bar yesterday..definitely makes a difference in handling.

If it makes a popping/creaking noise when you push and pull on the bar, does it mean that I have it on too tight? I wasn't sure how tight to tighten everything, so I tightened everything until I couldn't tighten it anymore with a reasonable amount of force, so tightening it without trying too hard. I don't think the bar is hitting the frame at all, I think it's just popping from the metal in the bar.

Also, it either seems to creak/pop a lot when I'm driving and hit bumps. Is this normal?

did you tighten the bolts on the bar its self?

Yep...what are the bolts underneath for? There are four ones underneath, two on each side, that require the smaller allen wrench.

you need to tighten those too. But as for the poping, its normal. remember your stiffening up the car at that point and it still wants to flex so therers gonna be some rubbing between the strut tower and the bar.

I think I heard someone say to use some grease on it and it will stop making noises. Not sure maybe someone else can chime in or you can try searching for it.

if you put some white lithium <-sp? grease under the plates on the bar it will help reduce the noise

PIcS!!!!

i had mine with no greese and it worked like a charm no noise...

but yah someone mentioned it in the install guide...i think...

https://celicahobby.com/ubbthreads/thread.f_57367_0_collapsed_2__1.html

sure helps when doing hard fast turns.. no more tire squeel.. but carbing

From...

https://celicahobby.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=1870225086#1870224968

Before installing your APR bar, did you wipe down the area where the plates will be sitting? Often times if that area is not smooth from debris, the plates will not sit 100% flat no matter how much you tighten - because there will be small grit/sand between the two flat spaces, making it possable for the plates to slide enough to make that knocking sound you hear.

I'll try the grease and wiping it down...thanks!

The other thing you need to do is pull the bar towards the front of the car when you tighten the smaller allen bolts.

Yes, greasing the underside of the endplates will help eliminate the noise. If you look at the undersides, you'll see an indented section with rings around the center hole. Put lithium grease (from the tube, not spray can) all over that section. You should also put the grease around the sides of the top of the struts. These are the parts that actually make the noise in the first place. They have rubber bushings in them that expand when you turn the steering wheel, and rub against the undersides of the APR endplates. Turn the wheel all the way to one side and put grease on the side of the struts that stick up, then turn the wheel all the way to the other side and do the same.

BTW, you don't have to pull the bar forward when tightening the bolts. It clears the firewall/windshield cowl fine. The only important things to remember while installing are to have the car on a flat, level surface, and to have the steering wheel pointing straight forward. Otherwise the bar will be misaligned on the struts and cause excess stress on the strut bolts.

I really need to get one of those

dude you need to tighten that thing up squeeks mean movement

It's not a squeak, it's more of a crackling like the bar is being stressed and bent. I just don't want to tighten it too much because people say that they strip their strut threads and then have to get new ones.

I removed it, cleaned it all up, put lithium grease all over and tightened everything tighter this time and no sounds whatsoever. Thanks for the tips guys!

You should tighten the bolts on the endplates to 30ft-lbs max. Any more and their tops may snap off. The hex bolts on the bar itself can be hand tightened as much as you want. I tightened mine really hard a few times without any problems. Just makes the bar more solid.

30 ft-lbs? Hmm, I think I probably tightened them way more than that...I don't have a torque wrench so I'm not sure what 30 ft-lbs would feel like while I'm tightening them. I basically tightened them to the point where if I did it much more I feel like I might break something. That sounds like I did it way too much I think.