Top-mount bolt torque settings and other advice needed

[Ryvita]

All being well, I'm planning on spending tomorrow doing a bit of fettling of the Forester prior to a 'Ring trip later this month. I have ready to go on: Whiteline front & rear ARBs with adjustable drop links and uprated mounts for the rear, and front and rear strut braces. I think I'm pretty happy with the process for the rear. I knew to get the uprated mounts to go with the stronger bar and from looking at it, look straightforward. The front is slightly more congested. I believe you have to remove the undertray and what I've heard referred to as a C-brace which I presume is a sub-frame component or similar. Then there's the strut braces to go on. The front one is simple, the rear needs some removal of plastic panels.

So, questions are:

- Is there a specific torque setting I should go to for the top mount bolts once the strut brace is added? I presume bolt straight on, don't add any washers etc to minimise possible movement.
- I believe that the front ARB can be done without upsetting the geometry?
- Any advice on how to pick apart the boot walls to get at the rear top-mounts. I believe some dremell-ing of the plastic will be required to fit the strut brace mounts?
- Anything else I should be conscious of?

Thanks in advance!

[MDMA .]

Boot is a bit messy for the upper bar. Its a stanley knife job to cut some material away. Not the best unfortunately. Instructiobs should have the torque setting. Think front is M6, 3 nuts on each side. I will take some pics if you like. Might be tomorrow before i get them up. Will nip in the garage now anyway.

Tomorrow. Need to move 3 cars to get in !

Edited by MDMA . on Friday 6th May 21:13

[vxr2010]

The rear top mounts I just do mine tight with two spanners , I have washers in mine for ease of getting it undone , on a 2004 forester sg9 you would need to cut plastic , would it be worth getting two plastic sections from another car rather than cut yours up ? Arb would have no effect on tracking etc , rear arb appears to have more effect , good tyres and wheels plus suspension probably give the best improvement

[vxr2010]

When you put on the rear top brace don't go to town on the top suspension mount bolts you will just damage them but it is very easy to fit the plastic cutting is probably the worst part and it appears to generate more road noise too , I think that answered what you wanted post or pm me if you need to ask more

[stanton_a]

The o/s uprated rear bar mount is a right pita as sits very close to the fuel filler neck, a helper with small hands would be ideal so you can offer the mount up while they get the bolt nipped up

[Konan]

The top mount to body bolts are done up to something tiny like 15ftlb - low enough that I used the 1/4 torque wrench usually reserved for putting bits on my bike.

No washers but it is recommended to use new bolts as they're locking thread types.

[Ryvita]

Feel guilty that I didn't update after this.

The strut braces went on fine. Haven't yet cut the plastic around the rear one yet so have just got it rigged up and bent on with cable ties. Crude but functional.

There was a bit of a saga with the front ARB. When I opened up the packaging I found that they (ScoobyWorld) had sent me a non-adjustable BSF33 rather than the adjustable BSF33. But it was labled up BSF33Z so seemed to be a manufacturing error. I called them and they were confused; then they checked their stock, and it turned out that their entire batch of adjustables were non-adjustable. Seems Whiteline have been having some manufacturing problems recently, with a change of factory or something I believe. Top marks to Scoobyworld though, they were straight on to the supplier arranging a return and replace courier. It's not gone on yet, so is probably going to be done while I'm out in Germany at the Ring. :-)