Kubi and I have both just received our front and rear strutbraces from strutbracer.co.uk. and I've just got my Eibach spring kit...

Gonna be fitting them tomorrow after work and I cant wait!! :devil:

Does anybody know what size self tapping bolts to use on the front brace as our kits were supplied as "fitting screw's not supplied"? I had a look on the guide but didnt notice bolt sizes... or is it just me?

55stiloschuey said:

Kubi and I have both just received our front and rear strutbraces from strutbracer.co.uk. and I've just got my Eibach spring kit...

Gonna be fitting them tomorrow after work and I cant wait!! :devil:

Does anybody know what size self tapping bolts to use on the front brace as our kits were supplied as "fitting screw's not supplied"? I had a look on the guide but didnt notice bolt sizes... or is it just me?

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Well Wooo Hoooooo to you to Iv'e allready got mine fitted :nerner: :tempt: and the tapping bolts SHOULD have come as part of the kit christmas what was the sze of those bolts [PNL wracking his brain bloody old age]

PNL said:

Well Wooo Hoooooo to you to Iv'e allready got mine fitted :nerner: :tempt: and the tapping bolts SHOULD have come as part of the kit christmas what was the sze of those bolts [PNL wracking his brain bloody old age]

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I can hear the cog's going Phil..

On the box it says fittings not supplied.. :bang:

55stiloschuey said:

I can hear the cog's going Phil..

On the box it says fittings not supplied.. :bang:

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Google strut bracer and click on fiat and then stilo look at the photo of the brace Yes bolts supplied

we know they should be, but they have none. tried contacting, no reply.

just want to know size/type bolt?

55stiloschuey said:

I can hear the cog's going Phil..

On the box it says fittings not supplied.. :bang:

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It said the same on my fitting insructions but there were some with the brace (OMP). Have not fitted it yet though. Will check the sizes tomorrow. I think the size might be in the fitting guide on here?

DublinAbarth said:

It said the same on my fitting insructions but there were some with the brace (OMP). Have not fitted it yet though. Will check the sizes tomorrow. I think the size might be in the fitting guide on here?

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Hi Dublin.. yeah if you dont mind mate just need to know rough length etc.. The guide says what size spanners etc but not bolt size and as kubi said strutbracer are being a little ignorant! The rear is a treat though!!!:devil:

55stiloschuey said:

Hi Dublin.. yeah if you dont mind mate just need to know rough length etc.. The guide says what size spanners etc but not bolt size and as kubi said strutbracer are being a little ignorant! The rear is a treat though!!!:devil:

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Sure, Ill check. From memory they are only about 10mm in length. Only has to go through the chassis leg you see. But if you want to wait until tomorrow I will find out exact size. I presume then 55 that your Shu is manual? In that case you have no Selespeed resevoir to relocate. Happy days!

Cheers mate.. Yeah all we've got is some wiring to reroute slightly. All the holes are drilled and ready to go on mine... We started it saturday avo but the only bolts we could find weren't strong enough to cut a thread!!:bang:
So at the mo we've only got the rear but what a difference! If the front makes anywhere near the same amount of change then I'll be VERY impressed!!!

55stiloschuey said:

Hi Dublin.. yeah if you dont mind mate just need to know rough length etc..

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If I remember they were around the half inch to five eighths long and tapping threads on them for cutting into the bodywork

55stiloschuey said:

Cheers mate.. Yeah all we've got is some wiring to reroute slightly. All the holes are drilled and ready to go on mine... We started it saturday avo but the only bolts we could find weren't strong enough to cut a thread!!:bang:
So at the mo we've only got the rear but what a difference! If the front makes anywhere near the same amount of change then I'll be VERY impressed!!!

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The chassis on the Stilo flexes so much its not funny. After lowering the car while driving over uneven surfaces I noticed a chaffing sound coming from just beside the grab handle on the right side. I put my fingers up to the rubber door jam here and could feel the door moving or the body frame around it. I have the sky roof though and I imagine that with this the flex is much worse. I can't wait to fit the strut brace when i get a chance.

Just a point to consider though. I wonder would it be better to fit male & female bolts instead of self tappers to the brace. These would be even more solid. A friend who is a specialist-car mechanic and used to race 205GTI in the 80's winced at the idea of self tappers and told me to send the brace back. I had to agree with him that the self tappers were not the best idea as all cars I have seen have a more solid brace set up.

I'd agree with Dublinabarth,

Instead o a self tapper could you not use a standard type bolt with a nylock nut? i don't know what the access is like underneath so not sure if this possible?

I would think that self tappers would distort the metal over time with all the force that it's stopping, or is the metal "really" thick?

I think the Issue of body flexing would only affect the strutbrace fixings [tappers] if the car was eccessivly lowered and stiffened the pressure then on the strut braces could losen the hold of the tapping bolt and in this instance I would use nuts and bolts to fix the strut braces

Got one today

PNL said:

I think the Issue of body flexing would only affect the strutbrace fixings [tappers] if the car was eccessivly lowered and stiffened the pressure then on the strut braces could losen the hold of the tapping bolt and in this instance I would use nuts and bolts to fix the strut braces

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...like mine so. Think I might be the first to fit the bolts then. The access is not great I think. Might involve removing the inner arch etc. Dirty job.:yuck:

Anyway, I checked the size of the self tappers. 25mm long (head 5mm + 20mm thread), thread 5mm wide and its a simple 10mm hex head.

Hope this helps 55. Insane...nice work!!!

cheers dublin!! we laid our hands on some self tappers which are about what you've said.. they are spot on and what an improvement!!!
I dont think bolts are really needed to be honest, the self tappers really do bite the inner wing. And since all the movement would be side to side rather than up and down i think its enough. But a nut and bolt can only make it stronger... kubi and i were discussing what benefits would come from welding???

Any pics, including close up
neil

I'll pop some pic's on tonight mate.. I have to say again just how much better the car feels! :devil:

YUMMY...:yum:

55stiloschuey said:

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YUMMY...:yum:

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I notice that you have fitted a breather filter to the pipe that nomaly runs into the main induction pipe obviously because you have fitted the K&N filter fitted but do you see any difference with the way the engine actually breaths with it or was this just because you couldnt route it back into the main induction pipe ? I'm wondering what will happen to this pipe with the GSR induction Sysyem that Peter is producing :chin: