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BT Tech Strut Tower Brace install pictures and Text

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Gadgetdad, Mar 1, 2008.

  1. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Dinsmoor,

    Wow, your 2 photos show little or no clearance at all.

    GadgetDad's photos (see his last 2 or 3 photos in my Word file of his photo album) seem to show a lot more clearance than you have.

    Brian -- do you know what's up with that???
     
  2. BT Tech

    BT Tech New Member

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    You have the brace installed upside down. It is possible that the label that says "top" was incorectly placed on the bar. Flip it over and you should be good to go.


     
  3. HomeandRanch

    HomeandRanch New Member

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    BT I plan on buying one of these and the stiffening plate when my Prius arrives. Will you start checking the bars before they go out to make sure they labeled correctly? I would hate to screw up my brand new car, I can hear the wife now.:eek:
     
  4. BT Tech

    BT Tech New Member

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    I box each one personally and out of the 50+ braces we have already sent out, this is the first time that this has happened. All that is required is to unbolt the brace and turn it over to obtain the proper clearance. This can be done in less than 5 minutes...



     
  5. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    The brace is curved or bowed.

    If installed correctly, it should bow out toward the front of the car, not in toward the cabin.

    And when viewed from the "TOP", it should look like a smile :), not a frown :(.
     
  6. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    SUPPLEMENT:

    If you install the brace with the bow out toward the front of the car, but still have the fit and clearance problem, then the "TOP" label was put on the wrong side of the brace.

    But this doesn't mean that you should flip the brace over so that the brace bows out toward the rear of the car. Rather, you should flip it over end over end so that the brace still bows out toward the front of the car, but the up/down angle of the installed brace is changed so that there are no longer clearance problems with the reservoir caps.

    Thanks to CDAVIDANDERSON, who had first written about this clearance issue, for the clarification.
     
  7. dinsmoor

    dinsmoor Junior Member

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    All - Talked with Brian. We suspect the bar was not correctly bent. It has the "bow" but not the up/down curve from left to right. I tried turning over the bar and the 10mm (approx) clearance went to 0mm over the coolant cap (i.e. it is resting on the cap if I flip it around).

    Brian will be sending me a replacement bar as soon as he gets them from his fab shop.

    If this does not solve the problem I suspect it may be an issue with changes on the geolocators on the car from Toyota. (The relative location of the equipment mounted on the engine may be higher on this vehicle than the ones used to generate the specification for the strut bar Brian used, need to talk to my manufacturing friends at Toyota to see if this is possible...)

    Has anyone had a successful install of the strut brace on a 2007 Touring?

    Thanks,

    - Claude

    p.s. Flipping the bar over to check is very easy once you have installed it once. The Prius is basically "tinkertoy" when it comes to removing the trim cowl, wiper assembly, and the drip pan. Classic design for manufacturability/maintenance.
     
  8. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    GadgetDad's Prius is a 2007 Touring. See his pics. He didn't seem to have the clearance issues you had.
     
  9. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    Dinsmoor, what is a geolocator?..... As Boo said, mine is a '07 Touring, and I have no clearance problem.

    BTW: Boo, are you strut'n yet?

    Lee:cool:
     
  10. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    No. Still saving it for the right moment. Must be fear of strut'n.
     
  11. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    :p I'm still saving my skid plate install and my LED footlighting for a nice long weekend with nothing else planned. Maybe even a Zaino day if I could figure out which of the dozens of Zaino products I really need to use!

    You really will enjoy the BT Strut Brace. One thing I've noticed is that the tire pressure seems more critical with the Brace installed. When my pressures are too dissimilar (I run 42 front and 40 rear), the handling is noticeably off of usual.

    Best Regards, and hope your special day comes soon!

    Lee
     
  12. chinalfr2

    chinalfr2 Member

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    I just installed the BT Tech Strut Tower Brace on my 07 Prius. I'm too experiencing the same problem as dinsmoor. There is some clearance issue with the Strut Bar blocking the coolant refill cap.

    Here is a few problems I found :
    1. Not enough clearance to remove coolant refill cap
    2. No clearance between the Strut Bar and the Electrical Relay Box.
    3. Left & Right Strut Bracket is crushing with the plastic cowling and make contact with the metal tray.

    Aside than the minor problems, the Strut Brace performed very well. I can feel the differences when I turn my car left/right. The car handle much more better than previously. I will highly recommended this upgrade to all Prius owner.
     

    Attached Files:

  13. rmnelson

    rmnelson Junior Member

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    I'm having the exact same problem too. I took it out last night to make sure I hadn't installed it upside down (which I had not), and the difference in clearance over the coolant cap is <1/2" installed either way. So I have these symptoms:
    1) Passenger side mount rubs on the wiper tray.
    2) Passenger side reservoir cap not removable without removing bar.
    3) Center reservoir cap can be unscrewed until it lifts free of the top of the reservoir, but there is insufficient room to actually remove it from the reservoir.

    I'm moving from Delaware to Oregon in 1.5 weeks; a 3000 mile drive. Should I worry about fit problems causing trouble during the drive, or can I deal with it once I get out there?
     
  14. dinsmoor

    dinsmoor Junior Member

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    Sorry. Geolocator or precision location features are typically holes or mounting locations on a car body or sub-assembly that are used to locate where other components are be mounted. If the location of these "geo features" change components tied to them will move also.
     
  15. MagneticGrayIndy

    MagneticGrayIndy 06Prius;94M Miata;65Rambler770

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    hmm... I've seen these advertised for the prius and also for the miata (another car I have) and I guess I'm just wondering if they really make much difference for non-racing types.. I mean, the Prius... would I really even notice any handling improvement when I pretty much drive like a 90 year old woman now?
     
  16. b2j2

    b2j2 Member

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    Many thanks to Boo for .doc of installation!
     
  17. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    You're welcome. I don't think I've ever been thanked before for my word processing.

    Gadgetdad, the photographer and author, deserves many more thanks.
     
  18. hackIT

    hackIT Oceanic Member

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    Thank you for this! I can't wait to get this Strut Tower in place. One more piece of the puzzle. :)

    I'm curious... of those who have already installed this piece, are you experiencing the clearance issues mentioned earlier? Or are you satisfied with the overall fit? Thanks in advance.
     
  19. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    Fits my '07 Touring edition flawlessly. It seems there have been a few strut braces sent out that didn't fit so well, but the problem is being corrected.

    I have noticed improved handling and an increased sensitivity to tire air pressure imbalance. It seems like just a couple of pounds pressure off from my usual 42/40 effects the car more with the brace than without. This is a good thing! I check pressure more often now!

    Overall from the ease of installation to the improved handling, I am very happy with the BT Strut Brace. An added bonus is that it looks really cool when you show your buddies the tandem power plants under the hood! B)

    Lee
     
  20. hackIT

    hackIT Oceanic Member

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    It sounds like it's a worthwhile addition... I'm ordering the Chassis Stiffening Plate today, and am going to work on getting the Strut Tower Brace & Skid Plate next.

    Thanks again for posting the pics!

    ~Tom