I don't know if this is a problem with the product, or my car. I'm thinking the mount on the right side is tweeked, probably from a previous owner spinning out and hitting a curb ?


Check out the attached pictures.

-- Joe

 

Have you tried doing the three bolts to the body first. Keep them loose and then try the passenger side?

 

Yep. not possible. The hole in the other side is 1/2" away.

-- Joe

 

If your factory mount was installed and not visibly damaged, than the founders piece is off.

 

I've had 2 of these parts from UMI on two different cars, one of which had some damage to the driver side rear mount from a curbing incident, and both fit with no problems

 

I measured and the bar is the right length. Something is goofy with the car.

I guess we'll fix it with the porta power.

-- Joe

 

That looks like the brace that goes across the chassis above the panhard bar?

If so, it's essentially the rear "frame", to the limited extent these cars have such a thing.

When you unbolt it, the whole car body sags. Imagine setting a cardboard box on the floor and filling it with sand, with a brace across the top to hold the sides together, then suddenly taking that brace away: that's what happens to the car body. The whole thing slumps without its support. The sides flex in and out as the floor pan sags up and down. SFCs help somewhat but since there's nothing similar bracing it from side to side, they don't cure it.

Looks like in your case, the car bent so much when that support was removed, that you can't put it back without straightening the car back out. Might be as simple as jacking it up from underneath somewhere (inside the trans tunnel would prolly be the best place) with a piece of 2x12 or something to spread out the load, to flex it back where it belongs. As if, that brace is REALLY doing something to hold the car straight, and isn't just useless dead weight.

 

I think I'm gonna use a pull back ram (5 ton) to get it back to where it needs to be.

I'm considering an adjustable panhard to re-center the rear end if I'm not successful.

-- Joe

 

Even some hard cornering over and over can move parts on these cars a little bit over time. Pull it back and it'll be good to go. Also a adjustable PHB is pretty much mandatory on these cars.