Purchased a GM front strut tower brace from someone on here, for my 2005 Sunfire.. Tried putting it on, took off the nuts required and the ECU, but it doesnt fit.. Either something is bent, or GM screwed with the last year measurements for J-bodies, although I know this website and its users would know. Can someone help? If I can find out what I did wrong, I wont sell it then. And yes, I was putting it on the correct way.. haha thanks

Sometimes they can be a little twisted or just not line up perfect. I know on mine i had to loosen my strut bolts drop the struts then put the bar in place and raise the struts back up into the holes just wouldn't line up otherwise. play with it a little it should go on it might need a little "friendly" nudge.

RED wrote:Sometimes they can be a little twisted or just not line up perfect. I know on mine i had to loosen my strut bolts drop the struts then put the bar in place and raise the struts back up into the holes just wouldn't line up otherwise. play with it a little it should go on it might need a little "friendly" nudge.

this...and remember that on NON convertables, there are not points on the firewall that will line up perfectly. you will have to probably drill a hole or two is you want it fastened all the way.

The firewall mount is from the previous mounting of the ECU, and it lines up but not fully, the entire strut bar pulls to the driver side. and on the driver's side, this is were it does not fit: the upper part of the firewall's lip (what the rubber sealing gasket holds onto) is too close to the strut tower. I brought the strut bar in at an angle, but then when I try to get the passenger side on, it gets missaligned. :/

Hmm i'd have to see pics to get a clear picture of whats going on but from the sound of it you may have one of those bars that got twisted out of shape pretty good.

either that or his strut tower got bent. . . . I could see that almost as much as if it were the bar being bent.



I need a new sig.

You might have to persuade it on a lil, I remember mine was tight when I first put it on

you almost have to put both sides on at the same time, I usually line up on side, put a nut on a thread or two just to keep it from coming off all the way. Then do the other side, that way I have maximum wiggle room to let drop into place. I have had three of my own over the years, never had too much difficulty putting it in, sold many more, and never heard a complaint from buyers.

Well, maybe I need to get pictures, maybe I will try again tomorrow. And I tried to simply drop it straight on, although that lip is in the way. And when I said sealing gasket, I meant the rubber gasket that seals the hood from water gettting in the engine bay. Im thinking, thatt maybe I just have to tighten all my bolts and force it on.. Although, I remember I was thinking something similiar to that the first time, and tried to force it, but that damn lip was just too much in the way and I dont want to bend it..

did you move the wiring loom below the weather stripping? I had to unclip it, bend the little tabs, insatll the bar and then reclip the wire loom.

This strut bar from gm should fit without any issues sounds like yours is bent some how. Now if it was an ebay bar I would see it not fitting correctly

I have a GM vert bar on both my 05 fires. They went on no problem. Might have a bent bar or bent towers or.....


-I drive my car to work-

Zs Z wrote:did you move the wiring loom below the weather stripping? I had to unclip it, bend the little tabs, insatll the bar and then reclip the wire loom.

^This. Had the same issue.

Well, I dont believe the bar is bent too much.. And wow, yes I meant weather stripping, not some gasket like I said. Lol brain fart. Anyways, what wiring loom? The ECU? Cause i took that off.. and all its wires, but still no luck.

Your fonna have to post some pics or something. 05 was no different than the previous years in that respect.

Wow I didnt know I had to have a URL for some damn pictures.. Well here they are. <a href="http://s953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/PyroMechanic/?action=view&current=IMG_20120523_144042.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/PyroMechanic/IMG_20120523_144042.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This better work.. Lol

Alright they are quite a few there, And I showed pictures of 3 different attempts of trying. Im starting to think that the firewall bracket is off.

Looks like you need to trim the tab that's going over that cruise control stud. I'm positive that's what's hindering the install. The one I installed had 2 tabs in different locations.

I dont have cruise control though, nor ABS.. Idk what stud youre talking about lol This install is really beginning to get me mad, including how I dropped a strut nut down the engine bay and couldnt find it for 15 minutes. Im beginning to think that the bolt that the firewall bracket is getting in the way. I couldnt even force this thing on, it is too out of line. If I get one thing in line, the other side is off. It all goes back to the drivers side though, cause when I align the passenger side, the firewall bracket aligns, but the driver side of the bar sticks up and out, not letting me bolt it on..

like the above said, just trim the tab. I would cut a slit from the middle and up. It will definitely fit then.

Honestly and this is just me. I would get the one side on. then take a mallet and tap the otherside over till it drops on. just bolt up the one side first.

The bolt on the firewall(I was calling it a stud) was what I was talking about. It is there because thats where your cruise control module would be if your car was equipped with it. Either cut the tab on the strut bar or cut the bolt. doesnt look like they will work together.

Henchman, lol thats exactly what I meant by force on. And I did what Zs said and trimmed the firewall tab a little, sanded it and primed it so it wouldnt rust, then put it on, it fit. And does anyone have suggestions on where to put the ECU? Cause right now, the picture shows how I put it back in, ghetto style.



And thanks for everyone's help, appreciated it.

when I still had my PCM over there I think I cut a notch in the bracket so it would clear the bar, pretty sure I only had it attached at the tower too, but I could be wrong, its been a while now. glad you got in on there.