How-To Install Traction Bars
Tools Needed:
Two 9/16" & 3/4" wrenches, sockets and ratchet.
Unibit or 3/8" & 1/2" drill bit with drill gun.
13mm wrench or adjustable wrench.
Jack and Stands.
13mm socket and ratchet.
Large Pliers/channel locks.
Black Sharpie/market or scribe tool.
Tape Measurer or ruler.
Installation:
Start off by jacking up the front end of the vehicle on each pinch seam. Make sure to use jack stands to hold the vehicle up.
Locate the cross member. It has two plates across the bottom of it with two small holes in each plate. Take your 3/8" drill bit or a unibit and drill out the holes closest to the front of the car to a 3/8" opening like shown below:
The small 3/8" bolts will go through these holes to mount one end of the traction bar.
NOTE: Every bolt will have each piece of harware on it in order of how it will go on the car. Leave it all together till you go to install it.
Once those holes are drilled, remove the endlinks. If they are stock you will need a 13mm socket/ratchet and large pliers for the top to grab it with. Remove both endlinks.
Next grab a traction bar and adjust the rod ends and jab nut all the way into the bar. Now take the small 3/8" bolt and assembly and remove the nylon nut from the end. Pull out the centering spacer and put the bolt with the washer still on it through the rod end. Once it's through, put the centering spacer onto the other side of the rod end with the bolt in the center still. Put that end through the hole you drilled out in the cross member and use the nylon nut provided to bolt it all down. Using your 9/16" wrench to hold the nut on top, tighten the bolt down from the bottome with a 9/16" socket/racthet. It should look like this:
Repeat that for the other bar.
Once the traction bars are bolted onto the cross member you are ready to install the new endlinks provided. Take a look at how everything is situated. The Rod End is going to sit inbetween the two centering spacers. The sway bar is going to be inbetween the first two bushings and the lower controll arm will be inbetween the last two bushings like this:
In order to get everything to line up and put the endlinks through properly, you will need to adjust the length of the bar. Twist it to lengthen or shorten it like this:
Do that to both sides untill you can get the endlinks through the lower control arms.
Once both ends of the traction bars are bolted up and tight twist the bars to tighten them slightly to put some pretension on each controll arm. Once your happy with the pre-tension(not too tight) use the jam nuts to lock the bars into place.
You can do this by getting the 3/4" wrench and the 13mm wrench(or ajustable wrench) and snugging the jam nuts to the bars themselves as shown in the pic below:
Your traction bars are now installed!!
CHASSIS BRACE:
Next onto the brace. Start off by taking your measurements. Locate the rectangular holes in your frame. They are just behind your front wheels on the bottom of your car. Pictured below at a 45* angle, use some type of flat edge (wrench in picture) and measure from that edge using a ruler
1.5":
Mark it with your sharpie at 1.5".
Do the same for the other side of the car.
Next mark from this edge out also 1.5":
This should give you a square area to punch you 1/2" hole at and should be approximately here:
Once both sides are marked, punch the holes with your 1/2" bit or a unibit:
Test fit the 1/2" bolt to make sure the hole is big enough.
Once both holes are punched get the chassis brace and make sure the side with the spacer is touching the chassis. Put the 1/2" bolt through the bar with the washer on the head side and put it though the new hole. Get the nylon nut and thread it on the inside of the chassis. Hold it there with a 3/4" wrench and tighten the bottom with a 3/4" socket/ratchet.
Reapeat that for both sides. Wait to tighten the brace down untill you center it in the slots.
Some of you may need to re-tighten your exhaust. If it's sagging and hitting the bar it will vibrate against it.
Should look like this when your done:
Go back through and double check everything is nice and tight.
Congratulations, you are now done! Drop the car, wash your hands and enjoy!
-Garrett
