Spreader bar Install
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,853
Likes: 81
From: Hamilton Virginia
Spreader bar Install
I am installing my spreader bar this weekend and I was searching posts about the best way for the vehicle to be sitting. Should it be raised any,
or just install as it sits ?
Also when I go to loosen the two bolt on each side to attach the mounts, I am supposed to put a jack under the spring cup and raise the vehicle on that side I am installing the mount on first to relieve the pressure on the a arm bolts correct ?
Thanks,
Mike
or just install as it sits ?
Also when I go to loosen the two bolt on each side to attach the mounts, I am supposed to put a jack under the spring cup and raise the vehicle on that side I am installing the mount on first to relieve the pressure on the a arm bolts correct ?
Thanks,
Mike
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
i put the jack under the frame so the a arms would hang down keeping the adjustment shims tight and in place while i loosened/removed the 2 nuts to install the brackets. then installed bar and put a slight amount of tension on it then lowered the car.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,853
Likes: 81
From: Hamilton Virginia
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
Question, does anyone feel a difference in handling with the spreader bar??? I've asked others and they said barely and I think its because they spent money! So they felt compelled to say that 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Think about what they're trying to do. Keeping the frame from flexing under hard loading. The upper control arm mounts try to flex toward the center. Installing a spreader bar is attempting to limit, (or stop), that flex. If you load the bar while the wheels are off the ground, they will be slightly farther apart than they would be if there was a load on the suspension.
I know of several cars that have had the mounts crack after a bar was installed. Keep an eye on the frame welds.
I know of several cars that have had the mounts crack after a bar was installed. Keep an eye on the frame welds.
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,009
Likes: 240
From: Toronto Ontario
Toronto Events Coordinator
The bar needs to be installed with the car on the ground; you adjust it so it is snug, but not tight. You should be able to move the bar with relative ease when finished. If you tighten the bar too much, you will be changing the static alignment numbers of the car.
Drive around with it for a few weeks to get used to it, then remove the bar....you will notice the difference!!
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Yes, you can install the bar that way without any issues. Just make sure to put the proper shims back into place if any fall out.
The bar needs to be installed with the car on the ground; you adjust it so it is snug, but not tight. You should be able to move the bar with relative ease when finished. If you tighten the bar too much, you will be changing the static alignment numbers of the car.
The bar makes a HUGE difference! Best suspension bang-for-the-buck product. After it is installed, lift the front end up just a tiny amount, not enough to really lift the car, just enough to take some weight off of the suspension, and then see how tight that bar is....you won't be able to move it!!! The frame is really surprisingly flexible.
Drive around with it for a few weeks to get used to it, then remove the bar....you will notice the difference!!
The bar needs to be installed with the car on the ground; you adjust it so it is snug, but not tight. You should be able to move the bar with relative ease when finished. If you tighten the bar too much, you will be changing the static alignment numbers of the car.
The bar makes a HUGE difference! Best suspension bang-for-the-buck product. After it is installed, lift the front end up just a tiny amount, not enough to really lift the car, just enough to take some weight off of the suspension, and then see how tight that bar is....you won't be able to move it!!! The frame is really surprisingly flexible.
Drive around with it for a few weeks to get used to it, then remove the bar....you will notice the difference!!
