Temporary Strut Tower Bar Removal

[Mike Sessei]

How bad of an idea would it be to drive around for a few days without the front upper strut tie-bar?
I'm not getting anything in the way of a break enough in the weather to do me spark plugs, though I think I can get it all done if I partition out the work into a few different sessions between storms.
Bloody rear spark plug bank accessibility!
I understand the function and certainly the importance of this piece, but will my chassis shudder and fall to bits if I drive around for a week or so without it in place?
Thanks.

[sonoma_zr2]

with the little amount of time to remove and install, just put it back on. the bar isn't a optional piece, so it is integrital to the structure.

as to the question will your car fall apart without it....no

[willwren]

Could you risk your front end alignment? Yes. Why take the bar off to do plugs?

[harofreak00]

Why take the bar off to do plugs?

Doesn't everyone?

For the 4 nuts - 2 minutes it takes to remove and replace it, just leave it in place while driving.

Bill, can you explain how it would mess with a front end alignment? The top of the strut is still being held in position. As long as you don't go autoxing...

[Mike Sessei]

with the little amount of time to remove and install, just put it back on. the bar isn't a optional piece, so it is integrital to the structure.

I figured it might be more important as it came with it in stock trim - especially with all of that weight in the front end. I was also thinking that there might be some concern about aligning the bar properly between the towers when reinstalling to prevent pre-loading it.

Why take the bar off to do plugs?

Doesn't everyone?

It just continues to start raining every time I get into the process. Living in the mountains where I can't just ride my bike to work when the car is down is a concern and it makes me tread lightly about the engine bay now. I take my time and then some.
Last time I got the wires off in pieces, so I know that the rear bank will be an all or nothing bit. I figured that if I could just do it all in little bits, it might come to fruition faster.

[willwren]

I never take the bar off on either Series to do the rear plugs. I just work around it. As far as driving with the bar off, it's a 'best practice' issue not to. IIRC, the FSM says not to operate the car without it. I'd have to look that up to verify it though.

[repinS]

I leave my bar on too, and climb into the engine bay - one foot on the trans, one on the rad support.

[gonzo4191]

i just put a big foam pad right on top the UIM, climp up on a stool and lay across the top

[wjcollier07]

I just take the maxifuse relay cover off, and everything becomes perfectly easy to reach.

Don't see the issue? Never removed it on any I've done, even the relay cover doesn't come off unless i'm spending a while back there.

[xX3800Xx]

Some H-Bodies dont come from the factory with an STB :( Mine have them now though. You can take if off if you like. But id put it on before you start driving. They really stiffen up the front end.

[willwren]

All H bodies from 92-99 have them.

[xX3800Xx]

85-91 H-Bodys didnt come with them and its the same setup as the 92-99. But thanks I didnt know that. Ive never owned a car newer than 91 lol

[Mike Sessei]

Thanks everybody for the input and suggestions.
There are a couple of things I hadn't thought of trying that sound like good ways to make more room & make up for the unusual position my body will be in.
Cheers.

by-the-by.. know where I can get another three spark plug wire boot heat shields for the front bank of my motor like the ones that are on the rear bank? I didn't see anything like that at Napa. Boneyard? Dealer?

[willwren]

With a good quality wire, you don't even need them in the rear. They have them from the factory on the rear because the rear manifold area is much hotter than the front.

[Jrs3800]

You can remove the bar to do rear plugs... For the cars that did not have the bar from the factory( 87-91 Bonnies ) There was a special spacer that went under the nuts..

On the newer cars the Bar replaced the spacers.. Do not just run the nuts down to the body without the Bar.. If you need to drive it reinstall the bar...

[agrazela]

Let me pile-on here...

Yeah, as you say, removing the STB does make getting to the rear bank of plugs easier, especially if your arms have more "padding" than they should (like mine do )

But, as was also said, it only takes 3 to 5 minutes to put the STB back on, so why wouldn't you?

As for the plug boot heat shields; you can get those at the dealer or at rockauto.com. I don't recall on the rockauto site if they were listed under the "ignition parts" like plugs and wires would be, or if I had to enter them by p/n. I don't have the p/n offhand, but I may still have one in the bag with the p/n at home, I can check for you tonight.

[Mike Sessei]

So I said, "Rain be *dang*!" today and just did it. I pulled the maxi-fuse cover and found that the STB was still in the way - so I pulled it off.
No worries.
Now I'm done with the rear bank and try to put it back on only to find that the two bolts closest to the cabin have moved a bit.
No I have no operated (or even moved) the vehicle since the STB removal.
There seems to be nearly 1/4" less distance between the two bolts, and I cannot even muse with the idea of "massaging" the STB back on.
Any ideas?
Is this an indicator or worn front struts?
My only other guess would be to take the load off of the front suspension by jacking it up.

Oh, but the forward most two bolts fit back in the STB slots perfectly.
Thanks.

[Mike Sessei]

Solved thanks to my friend, Archimedes.