epuffy

I grabbed a sway bar from some dude on eBay a few months ago, and I just installed it. Problem is, it sits right on the engine (there's no clearance at all, I think it's the manifold?). When I slow down or hit the breaks I can feel vibration and a slight noise. Is there any way I can stick something under the mounts or something to give the bar more clearance? Or is that dangerous and the bar mgith snap or fall off or something? Thanks

Kyle Harty

iTrader: (17)

Sorry I can't help you, but if you remember who you got it from, please let us know so we can avoid them.

NYC ES3

iTrader: (7)

I heard from a few people on here that the bar from eBay is garbage...first off its cheap as hell only like $25....REAL strut braces are not that cheap.....DONt buy ebay bars for the ES....it was made for the Camry and doesn't fit right in the ES 300. If i were you I would take it off B4 you mess sumthin up... I also hear that its hard getting your money back from that guy in Ebay also.....

Lexpusher96

I'm still trying to figure out how the SWAY BAR is sitting on the engine. I'm assuming like NYC that you mean the strut tower bar.

epuffy

my bad, thats what I meant. the strut tower bar. anyone know anyone with a Camry who wants this thing then? Anyone know anything about the ones that NOPI online sells?

kreativ

I read in a post somewhere else in this forum that you just need a couple washers to gain enough clearance.

EGainer

Yeah, I heard about the thing with the washers. I don't remember in which thread though. I want to get a strut bar too, But didn't want to get one off e-bay. Did anyone here get theirs from a store? If so, where at?

meZoom!

when i put in my strut bar, i had to add washers to a few ( i forget which) of the 3 bolts that you mount them on. this was cuz the mounting surface was not completely flat. ask flipside909 on where you could get the spacers for your strut bar mounts, i think he would know.

L_Sport

Thais funny because our engine bay is identical to a Camry so it shouldn’t matter if its a Solara Camry or ES check your specs bro. If you have a 94 and older I would check your motor mount by the radiator before you go dissing strut bars, and the second you put washers under it you defeated the purpose of having a strut bar at that moment it simply becomes a decoration which in fact still at least looks cool. I had the same problem and once replacing the much needed engine mount I regained my lost torque since the engine had less play and I got rid of the strut bar rubbing all together, I can slide a ruler under it. Those times your engine is hiting the bar during braking and stuff is when the mount is suposed to hold it in place, I took my freind for a ride in my car for lunch from the lexus dealer ships he is a techinition there and withing two stop lights he said bro we need to relace your front motor mount. I'm so glad I did! Other then the added torque and quick rsponse i couldn't get my strut bar to rub again if i wanted too.

L_Sport

Here is a picture of the same bar that used to rub on my intake manifold which is the same manifold as the Camry and the strut bar form the Camry after I had my motor mount fixed.

L_Sport

Here is my new shiny lexus motor mount.

epuffy

Thanks for the info L_Sport. I think I have the same bar as you do. How much did it cost you to replace the motor mounts and did you do both the top and bottom? Did you do them yourself? Or can they be done by yourself?

L_Sport

I don't know how to do it my self, but the part i used is an OEM Lexus part, you might be able to find a used one for cheaper, but I just had my homie at Bob Baker Lexus hook me up, he just charged me the part, it was a couple hundred, I know you didn’t want to hear the but parts are expensive, and they just replaced the bushing on the other mounts, the front one is the fancy one I think its like a hydraulic motor mount. Any way that is the one that goes out and give your engine to much play. It is common to replace them when you’re approaching the 90 - 100 thousand range. Some times sooner according to your driving and acceleration habits, and no problem for the info just trying to keep it real.

92lex

I got one of the cheap strutbars on ebay. It went on fine but I could not close the hood after I was done. I have a 92 es. the bar I got was sopposed to be for a solara.