gtspec rear strut cross brace - help with bolt
 

Hey guys, I heed some feedback from people who have installed the gtspec 4 point rear strut brace/harness bar. It comes with 2 new bolts to replace the seat belt bolts where it connects to the brace mount, however when I attempted to thread the bolt in I noticed it went in maybe 2-3 turns and then got tight so I checked the thread sizes, here is the oe bolt:

http://i.imgur.com/IpCAaw5.jpg

and here is the new bolt:

http://i.imgur.com/ZUxbXWC.jpg

This is very clearly NOT the same thread pitch. How the hell is everyone installing these?

Can you not use the OEM bolts?

no, its a longer bolt to accommodate the bracket.

so far the response from gtspec has been "these are the bolts we gave to everyone". looks like I'm on my own to source a new bolt here

I was in the market for the GT Spec bar. Maybe I should rethink this and try to source a Robispec harness bar instead.

Keep us updated on what you do about the bolt.

i just got another reply after asking them to review the images I sent, they said they'll get back to me tomorrow. Worst case I'll go track down some M12x1.25 bolts of the desired length (need to measure).

I have a solution to the wrong bolt that gtspec supplies with their kit. I also contacted them about the problem and I am getting the same runaround you got. The original bolt is a M11x1.25mm. The bolt supplied is machined wrong. It is a M11 x about 1.15mm. It will start in the hole but will only go in about 2 turns until it tightens up. I am guessing it was made in China.

Get 2 each of the following:
7/16 x 20 TPI Grade 8 bolt 2.5 inches long.
7/16 flat washer with OD about .9 inch.
1/2 x 7/16 reducer 5/8 inch long.


I got the reducers on Ebay. Here is the link of what I bought.
1 2 to 7 16 Reducer Insert Spacer Heims Heim Joints | eBay

You can thread the bolt in by hand and it does not damage anything. I would also think it is stronger than the supplied bolt. I hope this helps anyone wanting to install this kit in their car. Other than the bolts, it is a nice kit.