[SOLVED] My AEM Strut Tower Bar is STUCK ON!

[Tenament05]

UPDATE: Solved by warming the entire engine bay up and pounding on it with a mallet. FFS.

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Begin original post

Like the title says.. the TL;DR is that I mocked up (didn't bolt down) an AEM strut tower bar to check for fitment, noticed firewall bolt holes did not line up, and went to take off the strut bar and have now found it seemingly IMPOSSIBLE to remove. It's stuck on. I've tried jacking up the car to remove load from the suspension, beat on it with a mallet, punches, breaker bar.. open to any suggestions

Details below:


Got one off ebay for $190 (yes, I know, moron of the year).. noticed the piss poor shape/looked like it was used right out the box.





I said whatever though, not going to cry over some blemishes and a coat of dirt on a seemingly straight looking piece so I washed it up and went about putting it on the car.

I put the bar on to test fit (ignore the now-torqued nuts) and noticed that the two bolt holes did not line up like they should, leaned over the engine bay to get a closer look (hand on bar), and then determined I should remove the bar and inspect what was going on when..



it wouldn't budge. It just doesn't budge at all, I have no clue how, but in between me putting it on and leaning over to get a look at the bolt holes, the bar wedged itself into my strut towers.

I tried hitting the thing with mallets, leverage a breaker bar, tapped with specialty punches.. I'm not an auto wizard but I HAVE overhauled many things in my life, including a rusted out EJ205. I should be able to tackle this, yet, for fucks sake it just does. not. come off.

I really need to contact the seller but I'm afraid he's going to pull some shit like "you installed it wrong, therefore you messed it up". I am fearing that I may have to get a shop testify for me that it is indeed stuck on and will require professional removal. I've never paid a shop for anything non-bodywork related in my life..



Anyone have a similar occurance? Suggestions? Thoughts?

[Dezoris]

Jack up the car release load from front end and try again.

[De-bounce]

Jack up the car to release the tension. If that doesn't work lower it slowly and try to remove it when the suspension is semi loaded. It will pop out.

[Tenament05]

Originally Posted by Dezoris

Jack up the car release load from front end and try again.

I should add that I've tried that as well.. same result. I will try again tonight to play around with it. Regardless it looks to not fit right at all.. is this normal that the firewall bolts don't align right away and to that extent? It's a pretty significant difference

Thanks for the advice so far guys

[Hot Lava]

Skillsaw


Glad I found this. Was considering AEM but with your alignment problems and those absolutely nasty welds forget it. That thing is junk.

[Racer-X]

Is it stuck because it is too short or too long? If it's too short, try heating it up.

[NWFRS]

[Tenament05]

Originally Posted by Racer-X

Is it stuck because it is too short or too long? If it's too short, try heating it up.

too short, the bar's strut tower points are pushing into the bolts/studs. Will try heating the whole thing up

[Tromatic]

The car that came off of was in an accident.

[Tenament05]

Originally Posted by Tromatic

The car that came off of was in an accident.

The seller had a shit ton of them.. it wouldn't surprise me, but it showed 12 available. I'm having a hard time believing he'll sell it at near new price, advertise as new, and have that many defective ones. Confidence in Ebay parts are plummeting lately, damn.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Tenament05

The seller had a shit ton of them.. it wouldn't surprise me, but it showed 12 available. I'm having a hard time believing he'll sell it at near new price, advertise as new, and have that many defective ones. Confidence in Ebay parts are plummeting lately, damn.

The bolt holes in the pics look way to pristine to have been used/damaged in an accident so my guess is just crappy workmanship from the start.

[Tenament05]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The bolt holes in the pics look way to pristine to have been used/damaged in an accident so my guess is just crappy workmanship from the start.

So depressed over this AEM. It's such a sexy bar, too. And I love the brake brace.

[Tenament05]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I meant making it not installing it!

yep I gotcha! As soon as I get this thing off I'm sending it back. If I can get it off..

[mav1178]

I'm assuming you've contacted AEM to start, right?

Used or not, they should be made aware of these things. A braced and triangulated 1-piece strut bar like this should not have that much deflection or be that far off.

-alex