Removing the Tanabe "strut tower" brace to change fuses...

I have given this scenario a careful study and developed a few tools and techniques for access to the fuse box cover on a Gen III Prius with a Tanabe strut tower brace installed.

1. The left hand bracket can be removed and reinstalled without removing the wipers, wiper motor and the two splash pans.

2. A 14mm offset custom made long box wrench or "ring spanner," a long flat blade screw driver and an extension magnet is needed to remover and install the bracket nuts.

There is enough space, using a long offset box wrench to loosen and tighten the 14mm flange nuts holding the bracket.

The long flat blade screwdriver can be used to "spin" the free nut on and off once it is loosened.

The magnet is used to retrieve and position the nut.

I am NOT installing the Tanabe, but will be using this technique to remove the OEM nuts to install the Cusco strut brace.

 

I that what you've done? Does it void the warranty, if you have water damage?

 

I guess access to the fuse box is NOT that important to the Tanabe strut bar users, until they need to.


I can't even see making and selling a product that does what it does to the access to the fuse box cover.

 

Tanabe could have easily designed an "easy removal" option into theit design for very little money.

There is a large gap under the bracket between the strut tower and the fuse box. All they would have to do is to make a "cut" in the bracket at this point, weld a small plate under the gap to bridge it and use two bolts to hold the removable overlapping parts together.

If I were to purchase or own the Tanabe, I would modify it by cutting the bracket, making a plate out of aluminum and holding the two pieces together with fully drilled and tapped holes and bolts.

Using a "close fit" one at a time drilling, tapping and bolt placement method, the removable joint can be made where their will be virtually no possibility of movement in the joint, while still being very easy to disassemble by removing two bolts.

Then, the issue of getting the bar to fit between the breakers, its removal and reinstallation to service the fuse bot would be a nonissue.