MAC strut tower brace install, help!

[PonyBoy90]

I recently bought a chrome MAC STB for my 1990 LX 5.0 to compliment my subframes and to tighten up my front end. I do not have a supercharger on my engine.

I gently laid it down in my engine bay last night to get somewhat of a picture of what it will look like once installed to check on the engine clearances, especially around the oil cap. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything looks like it will clear fine as when I first openned the box and took a look at the STB, I had doubts it would even clear the upper manifold. I hadn't yet managed to do an "absolute" fitment as that would require more time to move some of the wires around on the back firewall as well as some of the thick wiring that goes up and over each strut tower.

My question is, has anyone here been UNABLE to install a MAC chrome STB into their foxbody ride besides the fact they were running an aftermarket upper intake manifold, supercharger, or anyother such thing?????????????????

Mine is a stock 5.0 302 and the car's never been in an accident so everything up front seems to be square. I'll be getting a professional to install my STB.

Thanks to all who answer and calm my anxiety

 

[ss93cobra]

I installed a chrome one on my wife's t-top gt with NO problems. Now, her car is mostly stock save for the typical bolt ons, but I did set it in place on mine before I put in on hers, and I can tell you that the discharge tube would be a tight fit but I think it would clear. So, let 'er rip, my answer is that everything will be fine. The only issue I can think of at all is that I had to trim a piece off of the corner of the coil cover, but that only took a minute or so to do.

 

[PonyBoy90]

The CC plate, that's the plate through which the strut bolts hold through right on top of the tower? Did you have to disassemble the CC plate before you trimmed it, or did you just grind it down while it was still attached? By disassembling, does that mean the struts had to be removed to get at the plates??????????

I've heard about this particular inconvenience with the CC plates and the tight fit with the discharge tube also. I guess I'm ok then. Thanks

 

[L8 MUSL]

Don't pay someone to do this.
This has got to be one of the easiest bolt on mods you can do!
Just some bolts and drill some holes.
Remove your windshield wipers.
Remove the black cowl vent.
Unplug the windshield washer tube.
Lay the thing in place.
Mark the holes
Drill the holes
Bolt it on.
It helps to jack the front of the car up so that the wheels hang down to give you more room to reach up into the fenderwell and put the bolt/nut through the hole in the strut tower. And you can turn the wheels to one side and then the other to give you more room (or take the wheels off).
Come on, you can do this.

 

[ss93cobra]

Ponyboy90-You don't need to do anything with the camber/caster plates. The strut tower brace doesn't bolt to that, you drill new holes in the shock towers and firewall for the bolts. Don't mess with the cc plates or you'll throw your alignment out of whack.

 

[MavericK5L]

I've done exactly like L8 Musl said but I didnt jack the car .. you dont want to tightened the STB like that .. I agree you get more room but what if the car bent just a little by jacking it . .that's a no no

You will see the diference from the STB,, I didi that and the subframe .. car is strong now !

You can installe it yourself ...

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

I've installed both a Mac and the MM STB on my car.
It's as easy as L8 MUSL says it is. The only difference between L8 MUSL method and the method I used to install the Mac STB was I remove the wheels and put jack stands under the A arms to support the front end, giving me better access to the bolts on the Strut Towers.
I had no problem at all with the Mac STB and the stock strut mounting plates, it's when I installed the aftermarket C/C plates that the STB hit just one bolt on the Passenger side, which I cut and shortened and that solved all my problems.

 

[N8Miller]

I have no real problems except that mine touches the big AC tube coming out of the compressor. I didnt put the stb on yet, but that just gives me a reason to get an AC delete kit

 

[MavericK5L]

ANd I had to drill another hole for the windshield fluid tubing !

I was looking at Almost stock picture and looks like he didn't had to move it ..
so I dont know if it is required

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

ANd I had to drill another hole for the windshield fluid tubing !

I was looking at Almost stock picture and looks like he didn't had to move it ..
so I dont know if it is required

Mine came with a cutout (1/2 circle) at the bottom of the brace so I didn't need to drill a hole for the tubing to the windshield washers.

 

[L8 MUSL]

I've installed both a Mac and the MM STB on my car.
It's as easy as L8 MUSL says it is. The only difference between L8 MUSL method and the method I used to install the Mac STB was I remove the wheels and put jack stands under the A arms to support the front end, giving me better access to the bolts on the Strut Towers.

Well, actually what I do is put the jack stands under the K member so that the car is NOT being tweaked at all, the wheels are hanging, AND there is no pressure on the strut towers (especially when you have coilovers like I do).
But, I've done it before without jacking the car up at all.