I just installed this on my hybrid. They have spacers in the kit which help raise it over some of the hybrid engine components. There was one clip that was a bit tricky to undo, but without moving it the brace won’t fit.
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Hey guys
I installed my brace last evening. I didnt go with the rerouting of the hoses as Evil2ltr did, which certainly does make a cleaner look, but I just slid the strut bar between the different hoses as well as bending the bracket forward some-- the bracket that the "pod" is attached to. It allowed the brace to be installed easier but the "pod" does lay against the Steeda part of the bracket. I didnt notice any vibration noise from that area when I started up the engine, so until I do I will leave the "pod" where it is. I also used a small amount of Anti-Seize on the new bolt supplied by Steeda. Hopefully that will prevent any removal issues down the road. I took some pics of the brace from the side so you can see how the removal of any fluid cap and battery cable is not compromised. I also believe that battery removal would not be an issue as you can remove the air intake housing and lift and bring the battery forward. Hope these views answer any more questions and Thanks to Evil2ltr for the thread start.
Hey guys I installed mine today and just as mentioned above, I did not move the tubing out of the way. Anyways, here is a weird thing that happened right after and I don't know if it is related or a big coincidence...right after the install I drove it and there was no sound coming from the turn signals or the seat belt signal...both were fully functioning but no sound at all! It is about 35 degrees here in Lowell,MA but weird anyways. Did anyone have that happened? I did move the tubing around a bit to fit the Steeda but that's it no connector was undone. So then I turned the car off and on and the sounds came back on...
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With a Unibody frame you can get some flexing when cornering hard, this is suppose to stiffen up the frame to reduce this flex. I personally think there would be a better design from Steeda, that would grab two strut bolts and not a circular tube, that can flex and use a square tube that would not flex., just me
I installed my Steeda Strut Tower Brace on my XL AWD yesterday - installation went relatively smoothly. The most difficult part for me was moving the hoses out of the way. I tried to put the brace on without re-locating as others mentioned here but it wasn't even close to happening.
For those who want to install the strut tower brace; re-locate the hoses; AND have the foam engine cover...you have to modify the engine cover for it to sit close enough to the bolt/studs due to the placement of the re-located hoses. I did this by using a fine tooth saw and cutting away the foam until it sat into place.
If you take it one step further and have an oil catch-can on the clean side, I don't really see anyway to install the engine cover without it being completely butchered.
Any others experience these scenarios and have tips?
For those who want to install the strut tower brace; re-locate the hoses; AND have the foam engine cover...you have to modify the engine cover for it to sit close enough to the bolt/studs due to the placement of the re-located hoses. I did this by using a fine tooth saw and cutting away the foam until it sat into place.
If you take it one step further and have an oil catch-can on the clean side, I don't really see anyway to install the engine cover without it being completely butchered.
Any others experience these scenarios and have tips?
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I've installed mine yesterday with minimal effort and re-routing hoses, it took around 30 minutes:
Did installing the brace improve handling of the truck? Yes, the front end feels stiffer and somewhat improved steering as well. The change isn't huge, but in my view, it is worth of the 130 bucks. Since my Chachky will be on the road 99% of the time, like the majority of the Mavericks, there's no reason to worry about the impact of the brace for off-road driving.
Did installing the brace improve handling of the truck? Yes, the front end feels stiffer and somewhat improved steering as well. The change isn't huge, but in my view, it is worth of the 130 bucks. Since my Chachky will be on the road 99% of the time, like the majority of the Mavericks, there's no reason to worry about the impact of the brace for off-road driving.
As they say, "Each of its own..."
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Did you need to torque it & what was it? Thanks.Just a FYI.. The Steeda STB for the 2020+ Escape and 2021 Bronco Sport will work for the Mav. I test fit ours last night. Only issues are some routing of the bar around the hoses and sensors on top of the intake tube.
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The brace 100% fits and works. As you can see in the pics, I rerouted the hoses and lowered that ugly apparatus near the intake tube and it looks much cleaner. You can feel the difference in the steering wheel. It just feels tied together tighter.
When I installed one on on my 66' Mustang (about 2005) I had to use a bottle jack to get the towers far enough apart to install. Major pain.
A lot of sagging going on over 40 years. I wonder how the Mavs will do in that time frame.
A lot of sagging going on over 40 years. I wonder how the Mavs will do in that time frame.
The Steeda strut tower bracket installed without needing a jack, or anything else, just some socket wrenches...
You made me laugh, the Maverick won't last for 40 years. I'm not worrying about sagging anyway, more worried about being around, period...
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