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Originalcyn's 2004 JBP Forester 2.5XT

('03-'05) 
234K views 1K replies 53 participants last post by  originalcyn 
#1 · (Edited)
Originalcyn's 2004 JBP Forester 2.5XT Premium

Forester was purchased on June 13th, 2013.

I'm not much of a mechanic, so there most likely will not be an extensive list of modifications involving the engine unfortunately.

So it'll probably include a bunch of relatively minor changes.

First few posts will be pretty close in date (if not the same). I have been saving up photos, but haven't had a chance to post.

Thanks to Brock Strongo for suggesting that i create a member build journal. And also for all the assistance with parts. It was great talking with you!



-Chronology-

[06.13.13] | Post #0003 | Original Purchase Photos
[06.24.13] | Post #0004 | Mats & Pedals
[06.25.13] | Post #0005 | Universal Media Device Mount
[07.03.13] | Post #0006 | Thule MOAB Basket
[07.21.13] | Post #0007 | Rota SDR 17x7 et48
[07.31.13] | Post #0008 | Grille
[08.25.13] | Post #0018 | Windshield Replacement
[08.27.13] | Post #0019 | Headlight Restoration
[08.31.13] | Post #0020 | Hazard Switch
[10.24.13] | Post #0021 | Grille Continued
[10.26.13] | Post #0025 | Center Console
[11.23.13] | Post #0026 | 4|2 Pot Calipers (Purchase)
[01.02.14] | Post #0039 | Whiteline KSB590Q Rear Strut Tower Bar
[01.07.14] | Post #0046 | 4|2 Pots Upgrade Part List
[01.28.14] | Post #0060 | Splash Guard Vinyls
[02.02.14] | Post #0067 | Scoop Plastidip
[02.03.14] | Post #0072 | Foglight Tint
[02.22.14] | Post #0092 | Hella Supertones
[02.24.14] | Post #0093 | Grille Install
[03.19.14] | Post #0113 | BNA Gauge Pod
[03.24.14] | Post #0125 | Strut Paint
[03.27.14] | Post #0131 | Mirror Tint
[03.29.14] | Post #0134 | Gauge Cluster Fascia Swap
[03.30.14] | Post #0141 | SPT Turbo Heatshield
[04.10.14] | Post #0155 | Mirror Tint Revisited
[04.14.14] | Post #0159 | STI Dead Pedal
[04.18.14] | Post #0179 | STI Genome Axleback
[05.01.14] | Post #0198 | 4|2 Pot Rebuild - Part I
[05.03.14] | Post #0199 | STI Genome Axleback Exhaust Clips
[05.15.14] | Post #0208 | Tint
[05.23.14] | Post #0209 | Spoiler "Restoration" - Part I
[06.13.14] | Post #0220 | Updates
[06.20.14] | Post #0227 | Rear Cup Holder
[06.27.14] | Post #0231 | Spoiler "Restoration" - Part II
[06.30.14] | Post #0232 | Rear View Camera Install - Part I
[07.08.14] | Post #0233 | Rota DOME Caps
[07.15.14] | Post #0234 | JDM Spoiler Installation
[07.17.14] | Post #0237 | Whiteline KSB599 Front Strut Tower Bar
[07.17.14] | Post #0247 | Suspension - Part I
[07.17.14] | Post #0248 | Suspension - Part II
[07.31.14] | Post #0256 | Wheel Restoration
[08.02.14] | Post #0259 | BBS STI 17x7.5 et53
[08.04.14] | Post #0262 | Interior LED Conversion
[09.08.14] | Post #0282 | Primitive Skid Plate
[09.13.14] | Post #0285 | Center Console & PS2 Installation
[01.06.15] | Post #0292 | Rear Garnish Wrap
[01.10.15] | Post #0293 | VDO Gauge Install - Part I
[01.10.15] | Post #0294 | VDO Gauge Install - Part II
[01.29.15] | Post #0301 | Extended Armrest
[02.14.15] | Post #0325 | ATP RA-37 Carbon Cabin Air Filter
[04.08.15] | Post #0328 | JDM Land - Part I
[04.09.15] | Post #0329 | JDM Land - Part II
[04.10.15] | Post #0332 | JDM Land - Part III
[04.11.15] | Post #0333 | JDM Land - Part IV
[04.12.15] | Post #0336 | JDM Land - Part V
[04.13.15] | Post #0341 | JDM Land - Part VI
[04.14.15] | Post #0344 | JDM Land - Part VII
[04.15.15] | Post #0345 | JDM Land - Part VIII
[04.16.15] | Post #0349 | JDM Land - Part IX
[04.17.15] | Post #0350 | JDM Land - Part X
[04.18.15] | Post #0354 | JDM Land - Part XI
[04.19.15] | Post #0356 | JDM Land - Part XII
[04.22.15] | Post #0362 | JDM Land - Part XIII
[04.27.15] | Post #0364 | JDM Land - Part XIV
[05.12.15] | Post #0365 | Gold Badge Mockup - Part I
[05.13.15] | Post #0371 | Gold Badge Mockup - Part II
[05.25.15] | Post #0372 | License Plate Frames
[05.28.15] | Post #0373 | Updates
[06.10.15] | Post #0378 | Gold Badges
[06.26.15] | Post #0379 | Tire Lettering
[06.27.15] | Post #0380 | Maintenance
[07.05.15] | Post #0381 | Gauges Revisited
[07.27.15] | Post #0387 | Updates
[07.30.15] | Post #0396 | STI Genome Front Strut Tower Bar
[08.02.15] | Post #0399 | 4|2 Pot Badging
[08.08.15] | Post #0402 | Spats Get!
[08.24.15] | Post #0411 | 4|2 Pot Install
[08.24.15] | Post #0414 | Brake System Backbone & Updates
[08.27.15] | Post #0415 | Laile Beatrush Radiator Cooling Panel
[09.07.15] | Post #0425 | STI Up-pipe
[09.19.15] | Post #0430 | Hood Struts
[10.11.15] | Post #0431 | Updates
[11.02.15] | Post #0432 | JDM STI Battery Tie Down
[11.07.15] | Post #0440 | Laile Beatrush Oil Cap
[11.14.15] | Post #0444 | Laile Beatrush Pulley Cover
[11.20.15] | Post #0449 | Headlight Retrofit Progress I
[11.22.15] | Post #0456 | Headlight Retrofit Progress II
[11.24.15] | Post #0457 | Headlight Retrofit Progress III
[11.29.15] | Post #0460 | Headlight Retrofit Progress IV
[11.30.15] | Post #0461 | Headlight Retrofit Progress V
[12.04.15] | Post #0467 | Headlight Retrofit Progress VI
[12.05.15] | Post #0468 | Headlight Retrofit Progress VII
[03.04.16] | Post #0480 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part I
[03.04.16] | Post #0481 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part II
[03.04.16] | Post #0482 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part III
[03.04.16] | Post #0483 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part IV
[03.04.16] | Post #0484 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part V
[03.04.16] | Post #0485 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part VI
[03.04.16] | Post #0486 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part VII
[03.04.16] | Post #0487 | Mythical Headlight HID Retrofit DIY - Part VIII
[04.01.16] | Post #0497 | Automotive Touchup Paint
[04.05.16] | Post #0500 | Importology Eyelids
[04.19.16] | Post #0505 | 02-03 STI Scoop & Stock Splitter Modification
[06.08.16] | Post #0549 | GrimmSpeed Hood Struts
[07.29.16] | Post #0556 | Battery Terminals
[08.13.16] | Post #0557 | Covercraft Fitted Sunshade
[09.09.16] | Post #0560 | Diode Dynamic LEDs
[10.03.16] | Post #0565 | Skirt Repair
[10.04.16] | Post #0567 | Front Lip Repair
[10.05.16] | Post #0570 | Painting Spats
[10.06.16] | Post #0573 | Painting Skirts & Clats
[10.07.16] | Post #0576 | Painting & Repairing Front Lip
[10.10.16] | Post #0584 | Ground Effects Install
[11.08.16] | Post #0589 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part I
[11.09.16] | Post #0598 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part II
[11.10.16] | Post #0599 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part III
[11.11.16] | Post #0600 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part IV
[11.14.16] | Post #0605 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part V
[11.15.16] | Post #0609 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part VI
[11.16.16] | Post #0612 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part VII
[11.17.16] | Post #0615 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part VIII
[11.21.16] | Post #0618 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part IX
[11.22.16] | Post #0619 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part X
[11.23.16] | Post #0620 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part XI
[11.28.16] | Post #0629 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part XII
[11.29.16] | Post #0630 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part XIII
[11.30.16] | Post #0633 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Part XIV
[12.01.16] | Post #0634 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Bonus Modes Of Transportation - Part I
[12.02.16] | Post #0635 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Bonus Modes Of Transportation - Part II
[12.05.16] | Post #0643 | JDM Land - Tokyo Redux - Bonus Modes Of Transportation - Part III
[01.11.17] | Post #0655 | Sickspeed Radiator Cap Cover
[03.26.17] | Post #0659 | Tire Mishap
[03.30.17] | Post #0667 | Mishimoto Radiator & Silicone Hoses
[04.21.17] | Post #0675 | Gold SPT Heat Shield
[05.19.17] | Post #0716 | Zero/Sports Splitter
[06.01.17] | Post #0729 | Powder Coat & Full Sized Spare
[06.08.17] | Post #0737 | Rear View Camera Install - Part I - Again...
[06.19.17] | Post #0745 | License Plate Bolts
[06.21.17] | Post #0751 | TSB 15-134-08R
[06.27.17] | Post #0752 | Windows Gussets & Signal Mirrors
[06.27.17] | Post #0753 | Mirror Swap Wiring Diagram
[08.20.17] | Post #0782 | Stealth Custom Nerd Decals
[08.23.17] | Post #0785 | Body Color Matched Gear Selector
[08.24.17] | Post #0790 | Ignition Ring Illumination
[08.27.17] | Post #0797 | Footwell Lighting
[09.14.17] | Post #0829 | Interior Project - Paint - Dash
[09.18.17] | Post #0833 | Interior Project - Paint - Center Console
[09.19.17] | Post #0834 | Interior Project - Paint - Surrounds
[09.20.17] | Post #0841 | Interior Project - Paint - Cargo Area
[09.21.17] | Post #0844 | Interior Project - Paint - Door Cards
[09.27.17] | Post #0845 | Interior Project - Sound Deadening - Doors
[09.28.17] | Post #0849 | Interior Project - Sound Deadening - Hatch & Cargo Area
[09.30.17] | Post #0852 | Interior Project - Wiring
[10.02.17] | Post #0853 | Interior Project - Sea-Scooby Style Sub Box - Part I
[10.03.17] | Post #0860 | Interior Project - Sea-Scooby Style Sub Box - Part II
[10.06.17] | Post #0867 | Interior Project - Finishing Touches
[10.09.17] | Post #0870 | Interior Project - Final
[11.07.17] | Post #0884 | Refinish Wiper Arms
[11.30.17] | Post #0890 | Roof Basket Refresh
[08.10.18] | Post #0968 | Updates
[10.18.18] | Post #1014 | STI Intercooler
[04.25.19] | Post #1031 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part I
[04.26.19] | Post #1032 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part II
[04.29.19] | Post #1035 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part III
[04.30.19] | Post #1038 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part IV
[05.01.19] | Post #1039 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part V
[05.02.19] | Post #1041 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part VI
[05.03.19] | Post #1043 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part VII
[05.06.19] | Post #1047 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part VIII
[05.07.19] | Post #1048 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part IX
[05.08.19] | Post #1049 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part X
[05.09.19] | Post #1051 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XI
[05.10.19] | Post #1052 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XII
[05.13.19] | Post #1053 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XIII
[05.14.19] | Post #1054 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XIV
[05.15.19] | Post #1055 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XV
[05.16.19] | Post #1056 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XVI
[05.17.19] | Post #1057 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XVII
[05.20.19] | Post #1060 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XVIII
[05.21.19] | Post #1061 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XIX
[05.22.19] | Post #1062 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XX
[05.23.19] | Post #1063 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XXI
[05.24.19] | Post #1064 | JDM Land - Tokyo Threepeat - Part XXII
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Original Purchase Photos
06.13.13

I didn't ever bother to get pictures of my Legacy before i started modifying it, which i really regret. So I made certain to get photos of the Forester before any changes were made.

These are the original photos from the craigslist ad:







I was pretty excited when i got her home, so i took a photo right away.



I also tried to get photos relative to a static scene so i could compare later.







Rear photo was pretty much unusable for the intended purpose, so i was bored and 'shopped it.

 
#5 · (Edited)
Universal Media Device Mount
06.25.13

Ram Mounts makes a pretty decent universal mount for cell phones and music devices. It's a flexible aluminum rod that's about 18". The bottom end of the mount attaches to the chair rail bolt. In the case of the Forester and the Legacy, it was better to bend the mount at the bottom to match the angle of the bolt.

Oh yeah, that flexsmart bluetooth to fm works surprisingly well. It's a decent intermediate solution until the stereo goes in.



 
#42 ·
Hi! Where can I get this?

06.25.13

Ram Mounts makes a pretty decent universal mount for cell phones and music devices. It's a flexible aluminum rod that's about 18". The bottom end of the mount attaches to the chair rail bolt. In the case of the Forester and the Legacy, it was better to bend the mount at the bottom to match the angle of the bolt.

Oh yeah, that flexsmart bluetooth to fm works surprisingly well. It's a decent intermediate solution until the stereo goes in.



 
#10 ·
07.03.13

I took some time to take the stickers off. Sorry Brock, wasn't my taste.
Holy hell that must have taken forever! I got comments about my stickers from hot girls all the time but to each his own...

With the grille, that is exactly how I did my Legacy grille (using the scrap from the center to fill in the gaps). It would help to rough up the edges of the grille so the epoxy will stick really well
 
#7 · (Edited)
Rota SDR 17x7 et48
07.21.13

A nice guy on NASIOC listed a set of SDRs with Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires.

They had been painted, and the paint was wearing off. The seller was nice enough to let me know what kind of paint it was.

Purchase Picture



Coat of Paint





Mounted





I was hoping for 18x8.5 wheels at some point, but i felt like this was a good opportunity for the time being.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Grille
07.31.13

I purchased Brock Strongo's grille, which he had painted. I put it on for the time being.



In the mean time, the old grille is going through modification.











After cutting out the center piece, you end up with two triangular holes in both sides of the grille.



I wasn't really sure how to cut out the top part. So i just leveled it at one of the lines that was already in it.





You can see the triangular holes here too.



On the Legacy, the solution was to fiberglass the sides and then fill them with glazing putty and bumper repair paste. I tried something different with the Forester. I took the center that i cut out and used it for material.











After i had the pieces trimmed out, i used some more of the center piece to make an abs slurry. I applied the slurry to fit the piece in, and i'll try to fill the rest of the triangular holes with the slurry as well.

-Update 08.07.13-

Well, it's been a while and i haven't really made that much progress on the grille. Here's where i'm at now:





Basically i'm done with the abs slurry and i've sanded it down to a manageable condition. Now i've got glazing putty on it to fill in the air pockets left in the abs slurry when it hardened. I'll do a few coats of that and get it all sanded down to be primered and painted.

CONTINUED HERE
 
#9 ·
Grille

This is an on going process, so it won't have dates.

I purchased Brock Strongo's grille, which he had painted. I put it on for the time being



In the mean time, the old grille is going through modification.











After cutting out the center piece, you end up with two triangularly holes in both sides of the grille.



I wasn't really sure how to cut out the top part. So I just leveled it at one of the lines that was already in it.





You can see the triangular holes here too.



On the Legacy, it the solution was to fiberglass the sides and then fill them with glazing putty and bumper repair paste. I tried something different with the Forester. I took the center that I cut out and used it for material.











After I had the pieces trimmed out, I used some more of the center piece to make an abs slurry. I applied the slurry to fit the piece in, and I'll try to fill the rest of the triangular holes with the slurry as well.
Great start!! I'm interested to see the final rendition of the grille! I've done mine, I used ABS epoxy to film the gaps...
 
#18 · (Edited)
Windshield Replacement
08.25.13

The previous owner of the Forester had the windshield replaced a short period of time before i purchased it. Unfortunately, though the glass was good quality, the job itself subpar. My friend does glass work for a living and spent the first few hours telling me that the molding was crap and that they had piled in the urethane. Anyways we decided to pull the glass and fix the job. There was no primer on the pinch weld and rust was already starting to show up. However, he got all the rust taken care of and got the windshield all back in nicely. Pretty stand up of him.











 
#19 · (Edited)
Headlight Restoration
08.27.13

My headlights were starting to yellow a tad, so i had them refinished. I've used those 3M kits before, and i've liked them quite a bit. The only thing about them is that after you're finished, you don't have anything to seal the lights with (or at least with the kits i used). Professional services sanded them down and then mixed up a sealant that is supposed to be a uv protective coat for the headlights that is comparable to the factory coat. I had good luck with the legacy, hopefully this set holds up to.





 
#20 · (Edited)
Hazard Switch
08.31.13

fylor figured out that the standard hazard switch is really just an orange/red switch that's painted silver. So i picked up some spare parts from Brock Strongo and went to town on the switch since i didn't want to spend the money to import the JDM one. I sanded with 320 grit, something a little finer probably would have been better. Anyways i finished with 1000 and then 2000 grit.











I'll have to take pictures when i get it installed. Here's fylor's thread.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Grille Continued
10.24.13

Updating the same original post for the grille started getting on my nerves, so i decided to just make it a new post.

So, mesh grilles. We need material. What's cheap and mesh?

Garbage Cans



Cutting up the material is a tad annoying, but with some time and a dremel or something along those lines, the work can go somewhat quickly. Gloves. Wear thick gloves.

With the mesh was all ready, it was time to shape it around the grille.




Fortunately i still had a lot of the ABS slurry left from earlier, so i figured it was a go to tool for adhesive. Keeping the mesh in place with clamps, i added several layers of ABS slurry.

I only had three clamps, so i had to ABS slurry in sections. Hopefully everything will hold up over time.




Starting to shape up.



Once the mesh was firmly in place, it was time to move on to body fill and paint, or rather MORE body fill and paint. So i started with body filling, sandable primer.



However, when a decent coat was on, it became apparent that there were still some pretty big divots in the surface, which of course called for body fill.



Primer coat down, moved on to base coat matte black. I used enamel. I'm not sure that was a good idea, but that's what it is.



With the base coat was on, i moved on to plastidip. Oddly i don't have pictures of this stage. A note, plastidip on the mesh is the only thing that has ever worked for me. Everything else would chip pretty quickly. A layer or two of plastidip made the mesh on my legacy last for years.

The chrome surround also needed some paint. I didn't want to leave it chrome in any case. The forester is JBP, so i tried to copy that using plastidip metallizer that i had laying around. I'm not sure it turned out how i wanted, but it is what it is for now.



This shot makes it easier to see the difference (though not well enough).



Final product, though it won't be installed for months probably.



 
#24 · (Edited)
Now for mounted pictures!!!
Thanks! I'm not terribly disappointed with it, so that's a good sign.

Hopefully it'll get installed soon. I'd like to get in and do my horns before i install it though.

Hit 100k on the 25th. I worry that it's all downhill from there. Hopefully not with some love and tender care.

I pulled over to get a shot of the odometer and just missed it.

 
#25 · (Edited)
Center Console
10.26.13

Dickie sent me back a piece before he left for active duty, so i installed it. He mentioned that it was imperfect and that he planned on sending a replacment. I didn't really want to drive around any longer with my hvac hanging out (though i did leave the vent grilles out).



You can see here how the ashtray door is no longer flush with the rest of the console. It's actually raised a lot on the left side.





It was nice to finally get a shot of the hazard button installed.

 
#30 · (Edited)
Thanks S2-13BT. I figured pads and rotors, probably front and back to match.

The hardware for the calipers themselves is what i'm foggiest on. I'm not really sure what all is supposed to be there. I know i'm missing sliding pins, but other than that, not really sure.

As far as the seals, i have a rebuild kit for the backs fortunately. The really issue is that the kit on the fronts is new, but i want to send everything in for powder coating. So that's kind of a waste unfortunately.

I was told that changing just the backing plate on the rears will allow for the 2 pots to bolt on, but that seems too good to be true. Any one have information on that?
 
#31 ·
4/2 pots don't use sliders iirc, the sliders are for applying equal pressure to the pistonless side in 1 pots. All the brakes I have seen with pistons on both sides are static but have no personal experience with subaru 4 pots to rely upon. I'm going to do this swap on my car using the GD wrx brakes and from what I've gathered either the rear hubs need to be swapped out or use a bracket like kartboy sells
 
#33 · (Edited)
4/2 pots don't use sliders iirc, the sliders are for applying equal pressure to the pistonless side in 1 pots.
He means the pins that go through the calipers and pads to situate the pads in the caliper properly.
Thanks for the benefit of the doubt S2-13BT, but Brock's right. I spazzed out and was thinking of the pins on the 02 wrx brakes that hold the caliper to the bracket that attaches to the backing plate. I'm retarded, of course it wouldn't have sliding pins. Sigh.

In any case, i went with the kartboy brackets since rallysportdirect was having their black friday sale. They're still ungodly expensive for no apparent reason that i can discern. But then again, if i had any kind of real skill i would have fabricated my own and would probably realize that there's a lot more to it than it looks like to the untrained eye.



Thanks for the the links S2-13BT, those will be super helpful! I can gather up what i'm missing that way.
 
#32 ·
He means the pins that go through the calipers and pads to situate the pads in the caliper properly.

If you can find the hub/backing plates that's a good way to go, but the adapters from Kartboy are certainly easier. Google for DIY guides on the swap, they're out there and will tell you what you need if going for the hub/backing plate route. Not sure if there's more to it.

Go here to identify the bits you need... Pins, and shims etc.

http://opposedforces.com/parts/

http://opposedforces.com/parts/impreza/us_g11/type_3/brake_system/front_brake/illustration_2/

http://opposedforces.com/parts/impreza/us_g11/type_3/brake_system/rear_brake/illustration_3/
 
#35 · (Edited)
In any case, right now i'm trying to gather the pieces that i plan on getting powder coated. So, the calipers, supertone covers, sway bars, and anything else that i think will be visible suspension wise.

The turn better than an sti thread has been pretty helpful. But it looks like i need to get a front sway bar ready just so i won't be with the forester while everything is getting prepped for powder coating. If i understand correctly, the sway bar is the same as an 04 STI fsb. I assume it's the same as an 05 XT fsb too, but i'm not certain on that. Same with 06-08 xt.

Now i'm reading that putting on a bigger fsb or rsb without dropping the suspension will destroy the lateral links as well? blerg, i'm getting confused.

In any case! Powder coating first! Just to figure out what's actually worth powder coating....
 
#39 · (Edited)
Whiteline KSB590Q Rear Strut Tower Bar
01.02.14

I got my bar in the mail on 12.28. I had been wanting one for quite a while. The only thing was that i was kind of disappointed with the attention to detail on the bar. For example, the welds looked, for lack of a better term, sloppy.



The bottom of the ring also had some weird discoloration under the paint, maybe like it had rusted? All and all it was a let down.

Additionally, the QR bolts had issues.

Here's a normal one. Notice how it has a plastic guide collar under the lever.



But one of the two i got was missing the collar all together. Any time the lever is opened it gouges the lever pretty badly.



A minor complaint is that the font on the levers where it says "close" also appear to be different. Which seems odd considering that they theoretically were made at the same time.



However, i'm not worried about the overall effectiveness of the item. It seems very sturdy.

The bar itself has eye bolts that lengthen or shorten the bar, and then nuts that tighten everything down afterwards.



First the strut tower caps have to come off. In the front of the cap, where it surrounds the seatbelt, there is a metal clip. Other than that one clip, all the clips are plastic. They didn't seem to be easily breakable, but it's probably a good idea to be careful.





There's a foam and vinyl flap on top of the strut tower that needs to be trimmed. I forgot to take a picture of it. Additionally, the carpet that surrounds the tower will need to be trimmed to allow the hinges of the rings through. The carpet has a harder plastic back, so it's not the easiest thing to cut, and can also crack somewhat. I used the ring to measure where to cut, which i guess is a given.









If you cut the carpet right, you can be left with a little flap of carpet that will fit between the two hinges of the ring, to cover it up a little bit.

Also in the picture you can see the vinyl and foam cover mentioned earlier.



After everything is tightened down, shove the foam back on top, and put everything back together!









Cornering feels better, but i'm pretty amateurish at actually being able to tell a difference. It looks nice in any case, though the privacy cover sits over the top of it making it a lot less visible.
 
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