How to: Cheap / Free Strut bar mount inserts

lawrencium265 · Post by **lawrencium265** » 10 Mar 2022, 11:34

My strut bar mounts are completely worn. I can grab the strut bar and rock it back and forth a lot. It was probably doing next to nothing.

I ordered two strut bar mounts from a seller on eBay. They got sent to the wrong state. I reordered them, they got sent to a completely different state from the first one, and still not the right one. I ordered the inserts from ipd, they are on backorder until ????

I finally got fed up with it. I pulled my mounts and started measuring them. I went out to my shed and found a piece of 3/4" grey PVC conduit. The inside diameter was just a little too small, perfect.

I cut a couple of pieces to length based on the bottom part of the mount, about 1 inch maybe less, it doesn't matter.

Then I heated up the piece I cut with a heat gun, you could also use a torch if you're careful. You only need to heat it for about 20 seconds or so. You want it pliable but not melted. Don't heat up the mount or you could damage it.

I put on gloves, this is important so you don't burn yourself. And I shoved the piece of PVC over the metal center of the bushing and pressed it in using a vice. It's pretty rubbery when it's hot so this is kind of tricky to do. If your bushing sleeve looks off center you can put a tool in it to pry it around and make it straight while the plastic part cools.

I was able to shove a good portion of the pieces I cut into the void in the bushing. I used a saw to trim off the excess and reinstalled the mounts.

I wasn't expecting much, but they are now rock solid. I can move the car back and forth without the bar twisting. I can't tell any difference while driving however.

I think you could probably do the same using two plastic bottles since most soda bottles are 22mm inside diameter at the neck, exactly the same as the outside diameter of the bushing center. Cut the bottle top off just under the support ring. Try to install it as is, or heat it up, idk because I didn't have one to try.

I have no idea how long this will last, hopefully my ipd parts come in before it fails or I can order their hd version. I'm happy to support them, I was just so fed up with the situation. I wouldn't recommend going out and buying anything so you can do this, but if you have leftover materials or find something that you have that will work then its not going to hurt anything.

Post by **chrism** » 12 Mar 2022, 07:16

I’m thinking the cross bar’s purpose is to provide more of a counter-torque for the engine than to provide cross-chassis rigidity. Most, if not all, of the chassis braces that I’ve seen are anchored near the strut towers with larger, solid bracketing and NO cushioning like our cars have.

lawrencium265 · Post by **lawrencium265** » 12 Mar 2022, 07:21

chrism wrote: ↑12 Mar 2022, 07:16 I’m thinking the cross bar’s purpose is to provide more of a counter-torque for the engine than to provide cross-chassis rigidity. Most, if not all, of the chassis braces that I’ve seen are anchored near the strut towers with larger, solid bracketing and NO cushioning like our cars have.

When I said "rock it back and forth" I meant twisting it from the front of the car to the back. It has damaged the insulation on the firewall from moving too much. One bushing is from 01' the other has a date on it from 08'.

Post by **chrism** » 12 Mar 2022, 09:57

“… It has damaged the insulation on the firewall from moving too much...”

Wow, it sounds like you have a lot of engine movement. The lower engine mounts might not be doing their job very well any more. It might be wise to check their condition while you’re at it. If they’re worn out it will put additional stress on the upper mount and the two bushings you are addressing, especially when accelerating or downshifting aggressively

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lawrencium265 · Post by **lawrencium265** » 12 Mar 2022, 10:11

chrism wrote: ↑12 Mar 2022, 09:57 “… It has damaged the insulation on the firewall from moving too much...”

Wow, it sounds like you have a lot of engine movement. The lower engine mounts might not be doing their job very well any more. It might be wise to check their condition while you’re at it. If they’re worn out it will put additional stress on the upper mount and the two bushings you are addressing, especially when accelerating or downshifting aggressively .

I replaced all 5 engine mounts already, and this was the last piece of the puzzle. I it's been about two months of horsing around trying to buy parts, so I said enough is enough I'll just do it myself!