Cars: A3 Golf, 8V & VR6 1992-up
Time Required: 1 - 1-1/2 Hours
Tools Needed: Drill w/ 7/16" & 3/8" bits, 7/16" & 3/4" sockets & torque wrench, grease, 9/16" & 3/4" wrenches, Sharp X-Acto Knife or Razor knife, Sharpie marker & grease or lead pencil
I did this mod just about a year ago and had I realized just how much of a difference it would make in my GTi's handling, I would have done it much sooner than I did. Like the front strut tire bar the rear stress bar ties the two rear shock towers and floor together. You will loose a bout 5" of trunk space with this mod but the end result will compensate for that. You may be unwilling to loose such space but I can assure you, the loss in minimal. I lost more trunk space with the 8" bass cannon I had until I built it into the left side trunk. (But that's another story.) I chose the Neuspeed rear stress bar for the fact that it is one of the few if not the only rear stress bar that triangulates both the rear shock towers and floor for maximum body stiffness again making the suspension do the work it's designed to do without body flex.
Procedure:
- Fold down rear seats flat, lift up trunk floor carpeting and fold back over folded rear seats. Loosen the caps holding the shock tower carpeting in place and fold the carpeting back towards the tail lights exposing the bare shock towers. (You may also want to remove the spare tire and tool kit since you'll have to keep climbing over it during the install.)
- Click here for Technical Drawing. Mark holes for brackets 'B' on each shock tower by centering bracket with vertical tab as shown in technical drawing. Use a grease or lead pencil to mark the center line of the vertical tab on the shock tower on down the side of the shock tower about 4-5". Measure 2-3/4" from top edge of shock tower down and mark the front hole location first. Drill a pilot hole with the 7/16" bit and finish with the 3/8" bit. Use touch paint to touch up the holes to prevent rust.
- Using the tool supplied with the Neuspeed Rear Stress bar (I greased each nutsert to get more accurate torque) use the 9/16" open end wrench to hold the tool and using the 7/16" socket and torque wrench tighten each nutsert in each mounting hole to 10-12 foot pounds. Hold the 9/16" wrench firm, do not let the tool turn while installing or removing of the nutsert setting bolt or nutsert will be loose and so will the stress bar. Do not over tighten nutserts, you will strip them. When properly installed, it will take a force of over 800 foot pounds of pressure to rip each nutsert loose from it's mounting hole.
- Once the front hole is ready, hold the bracket 'B' in position and temporarily install Nutsert bolt hand tight. Level bracket and mark the second hole for rear bolt location. Drill and install Nutsert as before. Now bolt 'B' brackets firmly in place on shock towers. Replace carpeting over brackets and cut a slot at each bracket mounting tab so the carpet fits over the bracket exposing the ball-joint mounting tabs. You may have to massage the carpet to get it fit back in it's place properly.
- Thread ball-joints with jam nuts. Grease the threads lightly to prevent squeaks later. Install the ball-joints into the main cross bar 'C' and space them evenly on each side. Fit cross bar in between brackets and check distances and clearances. Ball-joints should fit perfectly in bracket openings. Grease bolts and install through brackets and ball-joints, holding cross bar in place. Thread on lock nuts hand tight. Leave lock nuts and jam nuts loose at this time.
- Grease threads on bracket 'A' and swing main bar up and thread on bracket 'A' with jam nut installed. Swing bar down until bracket 'A' is pointing towards the front and back of car. PHOTO NOTE: (Bracket 'A' in photo should point front-to-back not side-to-side, this is NOT my car but the only picture I had showing the rear stress bar installed). NOTE: You may need to remove some of the asphalt factory floor insulation for the bracket 'A' to sit flat on floor. Draw line from center-to-center of spot welds beside spare tire well. Unscrew bracket 'A' until it firmly touches the floor and align straight from front-to-back. NOTE: Rear mounting hole must line up with spot weld line. Mark holes, drill and install Nutserts. Use masking tape on the drill bits so the bits do not penetrate more than 1/2" deep to avoid hitting gas tank. Install bracket 'A' Nutsert bolts and tighten. Tighten all jam nuts and lock nuts now. Re-install floor carpet and cut a slot with small diameter hole at floor bracket.
- Carefully double check installation and test drive carefully.
Impressions: You will notice even faster steering and quicker turn in. The rear tub has even less rigidity than the front, and so the addition of a rear stress bar tightens the entire car. If your car is equipped with an aftermarket suspension, this mod will enhance the suspension even more helping it do it's job more efficiently. You will be amazed how much stiffer and more responsive your car will feel after this install. This mod is irrelevant to Jettas since they have a rear deck which acts as a factory rear stress bar. This mod should be placed high on your To-Do list. Safe driving!
Michael Bigus
'97 GTI VR6
