rocketeer928
Veteran Member
Autotech Sport Tuning Upper Front Stressbar
Last June I saw someone else’s Jetta with an upper front stressbar, and I liked the look of it under the hood. I was told by a fellow TDI Club member that this stressbar wasn’t really necessary to stabilize the engine compartment, especially since I have a Panzer skid plate installed. However, I decided to purchase the Autotech Sport Tuning Upper Front Stressbar anyway and to install it on my Jetta TDI.
Test fitted the upper stressbar onto the strut towers to make certain that I had enough clearance to close the hood; no problem.
With the upper stressbar on the car, I used a punch and hammer to mark the drilling sites for the three holes on each strut tower. On the passenger’s side the holes were drilled at the one, five, and nine o’clock positions, and on the driver’s side the holes were drilled at the three, seven, and eleven o’clock positions. The two pictures show an awl, but I used the punch and hammer instead.
Removed the upper stressbar.
The directions from Autotech Sport Tuning indicate to remove the top strut nut and to allow the strut to drop down from the towers. This direction was given to allow easier access beneath the strut towers when attaching the upper stressbar rings. However, I was in the middle of installing the upgraded DC Stage III+ clutch kit and had the engine supported by the engine support bar, so I wasn’t too keen on removing the struts.
Using a 3/16-inch bit first, drilled out the six holes. Then drilled out the six holes with a 5/16-inch bit. Vacuumed up the metal shavings and test fitted the rings, and of course they weren’t dead on (nothing ever goes as planned or smoothly). I ended up drilling each hole with an 11/32-inch bit, and the driver’s side 11 o’clock hole had to be drilled out with a ⅜-inch bit. Vacuumed up the shavings again.
To help prevent future rust (I know, the metal is galvanized, but just in case…), I sprayed each hole with some black Rust Oleum enamel paint from both the top and bottom. When I sprayed from the bottom, I placed tape over the holes so as to not spray paint all over the body of the car and windshield.
Unbolted the upper stressbar from both strut tower rings. Because I didn’t disconnect the struts, I used a combination of a stubby ½-inch wrench, ½-inch socket, flexible extensions, and off-set extensions to first hand tightened the strut tower ring bolts and nuts. I used the provided hardware, where each hole had a 5/16-inch bolt and washer on top of the strut tower ring, and a washer and 5/16-inch nylon nut underneath the strut towers. At the driver’s side 11 o’clock position, I had to use a slightly larger washer than provided, since it’s hole was ⅜ inch. Tightened each bolt to 15 Nm (10 ft-lb).
Once the car was back on the ground (after completing the clutch and axle work), loosely reattached the upper stressbar to the rings with the ⅜-inch bolts, washers, and nuts. Adjusted the upper stressbar length by turning the 9/16-inch nut at the passenger’s side until the ⅜-inch bolt could be inserted straight.
With a 9/16-inch wrench, turned the passenger’s side upper stressbar nut until snug.
Tightened first the driver’s side and then the passenger’s side ⅜-inch bolts, washers, and nuts with two 9/16-inch wrenched until secure. The torque rating is 11 Nm (8 ft-lb), but it was impossible to get one of my torque ratchet and socket in there with other components in the way.
Two pictures of the upper front stressbar installed:
Last June I saw someone else’s Jetta with an upper front stressbar, and I liked the look of it under the hood. I was told by a fellow TDI Club member that this stressbar wasn’t really necessary to stabilize the engine compartment, especially since I have a Panzer skid plate installed. However, I decided to purchase the Autotech Sport Tuning Upper Front Stressbar anyway and to install it on my Jetta TDI.
Test fitted the upper stressbar onto the strut towers to make certain that I had enough clearance to close the hood; no problem.
With the upper stressbar on the car, I used a punch and hammer to mark the drilling sites for the three holes on each strut tower. On the passenger’s side the holes were drilled at the one, five, and nine o’clock positions, and on the driver’s side the holes were drilled at the three, seven, and eleven o’clock positions. The two pictures show an awl, but I used the punch and hammer instead.
Removed the upper stressbar.
The directions from Autotech Sport Tuning indicate to remove the top strut nut and to allow the strut to drop down from the towers. This direction was given to allow easier access beneath the strut towers when attaching the upper stressbar rings. However, I was in the middle of installing the upgraded DC Stage III+ clutch kit and had the engine supported by the engine support bar, so I wasn’t too keen on removing the struts.
Using a 3/16-inch bit first, drilled out the six holes. Then drilled out the six holes with a 5/16-inch bit. Vacuumed up the metal shavings and test fitted the rings, and of course they weren’t dead on (nothing ever goes as planned or smoothly). I ended up drilling each hole with an 11/32-inch bit, and the driver’s side 11 o’clock hole had to be drilled out with a ⅜-inch bit. Vacuumed up the shavings again.
To help prevent future rust (I know, the metal is galvanized, but just in case…), I sprayed each hole with some black Rust Oleum enamel paint from both the top and bottom. When I sprayed from the bottom, I placed tape over the holes so as to not spray paint all over the body of the car and windshield.
Unbolted the upper stressbar from both strut tower rings. Because I didn’t disconnect the struts, I used a combination of a stubby ½-inch wrench, ½-inch socket, flexible extensions, and off-set extensions to first hand tightened the strut tower ring bolts and nuts. I used the provided hardware, where each hole had a 5/16-inch bolt and washer on top of the strut tower ring, and a washer and 5/16-inch nylon nut underneath the strut towers. At the driver’s side 11 o’clock position, I had to use a slightly larger washer than provided, since it’s hole was ⅜ inch. Tightened each bolt to 15 Nm (10 ft-lb).
Once the car was back on the ground (after completing the clutch and axle work), loosely reattached the upper stressbar to the rings with the ⅜-inch bolts, washers, and nuts. Adjusted the upper stressbar length by turning the 9/16-inch nut at the passenger’s side until the ⅜-inch bolt could be inserted straight.
With a 9/16-inch wrench, turned the passenger’s side upper stressbar nut until snug.
Tightened first the driver’s side and then the passenger’s side ⅜-inch bolts, washers, and nuts with two 9/16-inch wrenched until secure. The torque rating is 11 Nm (8 ft-lb), but it was impossible to get one of my torque ratchet and socket in there with other components in the way.
Two pictures of the upper front stressbar installed:
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