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How to install RRE lower tie bar??

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slipstream808

15+ Year Contributor
773
6
Mar 2, 2005
State College, Pennsylvania
I dunno. I don't get it. It came with the tie bar, a spacer (I'm guessing that's what it is), a washer and a long bolt. I guess I have an idea of where it goes, but I really can't see it from RRE's website, and I don't know which side the curved part of the bar goes and where the spacer and bolt go. Any and all help would be apprecieated (especially photos). Thanks!!
 
I got one used and basically just did some trial and error test fitting. Loosen all the bolts on the gussets and just slide it in there to see which direction fits best. As for the bolts, you can kind of figure them out the same way, one will be too short and one will be too long. Sorry I can't help anymore than that. If I had noticed your post earlier I could have gone and looked under the car because it was on jackstands.....
 
That's OK, it's a start, though!
 
If I was up in Maine with my car, I would take a pic and post it up. Instead, I'll tell you to crawl as far back under your car as you can. Then keep crawling.

IIRC, the twisted side of the bar is shaped to fit sung on a piece of metal. The other side is where the spacer goes. The bar connects the closest two bolts from the sides of the car.
 
Hmmm... Mike at RRE sent me this:

"The more curve end goes with the longer bolt and bolts to the
crossmember
that runs from front to rear.

MIKE w"

OK, I THINK I've figured out the bolts that it goes to. Problem is that there is too much of a lip on the gussets on either side of the car. I mean both sides should have the spacer, and the spacer should be larger. At this rate I think I'm gonna end up stripping a bolt or something trying to make it fit "snug". I found a pic on DSMTalk, but crap the underside is that of a GSX and doesn't seem to look like mine, and it doesn't give enough detail.

I hate this... really I do... I feel like a friggin' nood right now!!
 
Or does it go UNDER those gussets/braces??
 
N/M... I got it in the end. The passenger side gets sandwiched inbetween the crossmember and the brace, and the driver's side goes over everything.
 
I tried installing an RRE lower stress bar a couple weeks ago. This was a "new" unit I bought from someone on the forums, and the bolts/spacer came from RRE. It didn't seem to fit right…at all, and I'm wondering if I was doing something wrong. I did have the RRE instructions and installed it as it said to.

1. On the passenger side, the spacer was hitting the side of the suspension stay and wouldn't sit flat.
2. On the driver side, the bar was hitting the lip on the crossmember.
3. The angles on both ends of the bar just didn't seem to be right, even if it were sitting properly.

Any ideas from someone who has one? I also emailed RRE but I figured I would post here as well.

Pictures are here:
RRE bar pictures by turbosax2 - Photobucket
 
To be clear, I like RRE a lot. But in circumstances where their bar products don't fit very well, or at all, are sometimes because of the variations that occur when making each item by hand. I can recall a couple of instances where this has been true, and AFAIK RRE stepped up right away and replaced the bar(s).

If he can recall, maybe ask JToby about the fitment of his old RRE bar. I do recall him saying he lost a degree of camber when he put it on. I never bothered to ask, but I'm guessing he lost a degree in the wrong direction. That could be a very interesting side effect if a bunch of lowered DSMs all of a sudden have 0 camber up front.
 
So you're not supposed to reuse the large washers with the RRE bar?
 
CB, my searches did return some instances where people had trouble with strut tower bars not fitting because they were too short. I found nothing on the lower stress bars, though. I would definitely believe that this bar is just a fluke because of being hand-made.

RRE just returned my email and said that if I were jacking the car up by the crossmember it could cause issues with installation. I can't remember for sure if I had jackstands underneath it at that point or not. (Sometimes I leave the jack there just in case.) I will try again with the full weight of the car on the wheels next time. This may help, but I doubt it.

romeen, I'm not sure what washers you're talking about.
 
What about grinding the edge of the spacer where its contacting the lip of the stay?
 
For what it's worth many years ago when I got my tie bar it didn't seem to install right the first time. I called RRE and after some explanation, the details of which I've since forgotten (this was back in like 2000), I got it to fit. It was... very precise and had to be in JUST right but I got it to work.

If you want to compare to a bar that at least was known to work on my car at one point I'll et Brian bring it back with him so you can look at it. I have it sitting here somewhere in a box. Doesn't fit my car now with my modified subframe despite us trying for a while with various spacers. I may re-visit at some point but since I'm getting a cage this winter I probably won't need it and will just sell it.
 
What about grinding the edge of the spacer where its contacting the lip of the stay?

To be honest, I only tried for 10 minutes to get it in. I didn't start getting to 'just-get-creative-and-make-it-work-already' mode.

I'll get a pic of mine if it helps ( came with car)

If you have a chance to, that would be appreciated.

For what it's worth many years ago when I got my tie bar it didn't seem to install right the first time. I called RRE and after some explanation, the details of which I've since forgotten (this was back in like 2000), I got it to fit. It was... very precise and had to be in JUST right but I got it to work.

If you want to compare to a bar that at least was known to work on my car at one point I'll et Brian bring it back with him so you can look at it. I have it sitting here somewhere in a box. Doesn't fit my car now with my modified subframe despite us trying for a while with various spacers. I may re-visit at some point but since I'm getting a cage this winter I probably won't need it and will just sell it.

That would be helpful. I'll have Brian get in touch with you.
 
Well, I finally got the bar installed today. I put a bunch of wood under the wheels so it was installed with the full weight of the car sitting on the wheels. Backwards from how I read the instructions to show, although it matches the picture romeen posted. Guess the instructions weren't clear enough for me.

I did have to add one washer between the bar and crossmember on the passenger side and four washers (in addition to the spacer RRE provided) on the driver side for the bar to clear the suspension stays. I know the 2ga stays differ from the 2gb stays; perhaps this bar was designed around a 2ga. I suppose if I notched the stays I could avoid using so many spacers for clearance. If I take out too many it may hit the downpipe, though.

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Funny you mention that. In my case, I had the full weight of the car sitting on the wheels when the bar was installed. When I set the camber a couple weeks ago, obviously the reading was taken with the full weight of the car on the wheels as well. So I don't see how installing the bar how I did could change the camber.

Or, maybe I did the installation wrong. Perhaps it would have been better to install this bar with the car supported on jack stands at the pinch welds. That way the subframe is at a more "neutral" state. Thoughts?
 
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