DIY: Lower Tie Brace beam installation on a 96-00 Civic ANY model
12-08-2004, 10:19 AM
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DIY: Lower Tie Brace beam installation on a 96-00 Civic ANY model
Okay, I'm sick of people's b.s. directions. So, here I tell you people with a 1996-2000 Honda Civic exactly how to install a simple lower tie bar.
The lower tie bars brace the frame to prevent body squat and increase chassis rigitity. In a macphearson strut suspension, there are Lower control arms. These are bolted to the frame and pivot on a single bolt. This bolt is where you bolt this bar.
I will talk about intalling a rear lower tie bar.
1. Jack the car. Get the wheels off the ground anyway you want. I used a scissor lift, and I advise the same.
2. Undo the bolts to the lower control arms (LCA). The torque on these is 40lb-ft. The bolts are flange bolts, and use a 14mm wrench. What people don't tell you, is that if the car is lifted, yes, the LCA will stay in place, but will rotate front-to-back of the car. Ever jacked up a 96 Civic on a lift? Notice the wheels kind of get closer together? Look at the basic geometry of the suspension. The suspension pivots on the TRAILING ARM more than anything. So, when you can't get the bolt back in..(after you get the bolt off, put the bar in place over the bolt, put the bolt back in) you may notice the hole isnt straignt. The frame and hole in the LCA don't line up. I got another jack when the car was on the lift (a transmission stand) and put it under the frame at that point. No help! the LCA was not lined up. I eventually jacked the suspension under the middle of the trailing arm. This changed the angle and rotation of the LCA and i got the bolt through. This took me 20 minutes to figure out. Learn from me.
*Note: I have heard that if you have the right vice, you can sort of hold the lower control arm to the frame. If this can be done for you, you can unbolt that bolt with your car on the ground, and don't need a lift!
3. After you have the bolts lined up, they go back in. Its a simple install that you can see from picture how to do, but this info helps, cause doin this in your garage on the floor isnt easy, although that keeps the trailing arm straight, the spring on the LCA may push it outta the way.
What I reccomend you do, if this can't be done for you.
Leave the car on the ground. Get your jack, and put it under the LCA where the strut attaches. Don't get the wheel off the ground, but jack it enough to have the jack be taking the push from the spring. Then when you undo the bolt, if the LCA still slips, itll only slip down, and get the jack to push it up back right into place.
Front Tie Brace:
Same as the rear, although the front lower control arm is flat and wide, braces in 3 places. Still undo the one big bolt on each side (19mm) and its 76lb-ft of torque. THis one you can just put the jack undet the LCA anywhere. YOu may not need a jack if the car is jacked, and it shouldn't slip out or get off aligned. THis is much easier. If the car is on the ground, jack the LCA at some point to take the spring's power off the LCA at that joint so the force doenst jump thje LCA out of place.
Since the LCA has 2 bolts for this part, just put a jack under the front LCA and you should be able to undo the bolt with your car on level ground with nothing coming out of space or alignment.
Hope this helps people like me who were told it was "sooo easy". Yeah, only with all the information and tools.
The lower tie bars brace the frame to prevent body squat and increase chassis rigitity. In a macphearson strut suspension, there are Lower control arms. These are bolted to the frame and pivot on a single bolt. This bolt is where you bolt this bar.
I will talk about intalling a rear lower tie bar.
1. Jack the car. Get the wheels off the ground anyway you want. I used a scissor lift, and I advise the same.
2. Undo the bolts to the lower control arms (LCA). The torque on these is 40lb-ft. The bolts are flange bolts, and use a 14mm wrench. What people don't tell you, is that if the car is lifted, yes, the LCA will stay in place, but will rotate front-to-back of the car. Ever jacked up a 96 Civic on a lift? Notice the wheels kind of get closer together? Look at the basic geometry of the suspension. The suspension pivots on the TRAILING ARM more than anything. So, when you can't get the bolt back in..(after you get the bolt off, put the bar in place over the bolt, put the bolt back in) you may notice the hole isnt straignt. The frame and hole in the LCA don't line up. I got another jack when the car was on the lift (a transmission stand) and put it under the frame at that point. No help! the LCA was not lined up. I eventually jacked the suspension under the middle of the trailing arm. This changed the angle and rotation of the LCA and i got the bolt through. This took me 20 minutes to figure out. Learn from me.
*Note: I have heard that if you have the right vice, you can sort of hold the lower control arm to the frame. If this can be done for you, you can unbolt that bolt with your car on the ground, and don't need a lift!
3. After you have the bolts lined up, they go back in. Its a simple install that you can see from picture how to do, but this info helps, cause doin this in your garage on the floor isnt easy, although that keeps the trailing arm straight, the spring on the LCA may push it outta the way.
What I reccomend you do, if this can't be done for you.
Leave the car on the ground. Get your jack, and put it under the LCA where the strut attaches. Don't get the wheel off the ground, but jack it enough to have the jack be taking the push from the spring. Then when you undo the bolt, if the LCA still slips, itll only slip down, and get the jack to push it up back right into place.
Front Tie Brace:
Same as the rear, although the front lower control arm is flat and wide, braces in 3 places. Still undo the one big bolt on each side (19mm) and its 76lb-ft of torque. THis one you can just put the jack undet the LCA anywhere. YOu may not need a jack if the car is jacked, and it shouldn't slip out or get off aligned. THis is much easier. If the car is on the ground, jack the LCA at some point to take the spring's power off the LCA at that joint so the force doenst jump thje LCA out of place.
Since the LCA has 2 bolts for this part, just put a jack under the front LCA and you should be able to undo the bolt with your car on level ground with nothing coming out of space or alignment.
Hope this helps people like me who were told it was "sooo easy". Yeah, only with all the information and tools.
12-08-2004, 10:32 AM
#4
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