I bought my Si about 2 weeks ago and didnt have the strut bar so I found a CTR bar on craigslist and test fit it but the bar was too long, I was only able to put it through the studs on one side and not the other. So I didnt buy it thinking it was the bar being effed up and got one from the dealer today and same problem. What could it be? A theory I have is that its slammed all the way that the strut towers flexed inwards a bit?? Just guessing.. I has Tein control master flex coilovers.

 

An Acura CL? Not even close to the same car, that is why it does not fit

As for a clean look, your best bet it to just buy a used ITR bar cheap, it will bolt right up, i did it on my 2000 em1, think i paid $60

 

By CL I mean Craigslist lol my bad

 

Has the car been wrecked?

I very very very highly doubt you could do any damage like that by being slammed.

My first thought is you have frame damage.

 

+1 sounds like the front end of that car took a good hit at some point.

 

Probably the reason there isn't a bar on it in the first place.

 

I had trouble getting my 2000 Si's stock bar back in after replacing the engine. Jack the car up from different points til it flexes enough to start it on there. You might get a loud bang when you lower it and it settles into its right spot. Re-tighten it down too.

 

Never been in a wreck I made sure of that when I bought the car. I'll try that today when I jack up the car to raise the suspension.

 

How can you be so sure? If you are just going by carfax/autocheck then that's a negative. There are so many people that have accidents that don't get reported it's not even funny.

 

Um. You sure you got the right bar? Pics of the almost fit?

 

I did do a carfax and nothing came up. Im **** when it comes to buy a car and from what I checked throughout the whole car I didnt notice any replaced body parts, bolts, or respray anywhere and if there was then they did a really good job at it.
I did get the right bar. I'll get some pictures up today.

 

Carfax doesn't tell you squat if it's not reported.

 

I know that but doesnt hurt to look

 

Hey man the best thing u can do is look up the specs on the engine bay and measure all the points to make sure they all line up correctly. If they don't all match to factory spec then that car has been in a reck. Try searching for frame spec's, or call Honda and ask if they can look it up for u.

 

I will do that thanks

 

Carfax doesn't tell you ****.

My car has been wrecked, and noithing will pop up on carfax. If it is not reported it will not pop up.

You saying to doesn't look to hurt, what does that mean??

There is no reason a CTR strut bar shouldn't fit. If they fit normall ex/dx's which they do, and the SI bar fits those as well. the CTR will work.

 

Wait. Which studs are you putting the bar into?

 

Or....look for VIN tags on the body? Might be 100,000X easier. If the frame was out of wack, I hope you'd be able to see some damage. If it once damage and then was repaired seamlessly...it's probably NOT out of spec.

 

post pictures...

 

I had the same issue on my 99 Si. I never had the bar and finally bought it. I think I had the car on jacks or something but when I went to put it on, it didn't fit. I was like WTF? I even tried to bend it a little but still it didn't work. I drove the car for a day and tried it again, the bar dropped right in. I'm guessing something on your suspension has not settle right. Try jacking the car up and installing it.

 

I have a CTR bar on my EJ8 Coupe. Same chassis as an EM1. It fits perfectly.

 

The studs where the stock strut bar go on a EM1
All the VIN tags are there so no panels were replaced and no damage can be seen
I will
Thats exactly what Im going to do

 

Here are some pictures. You can see on the second one how very little more it needs for the studs to go in.

 

Is the bar bent? It's sooo close.

 

Nope I just got it brand new from the dealer. The first one I tried was the same but that one was a CTR used.