did i get ripped off? es250 strut brace...

[monito]

i just picked up an ES250 tower strut brace for $50 from All Japanese Auto Recyclers [down the road from TAP Recycling.]

of all the junkyards to have the es250, this was the only place to have one left ><

i can't help but feel that i got ripped off though

[Tommy]

$50 isnt bad. You can buy a generic on ebay for like $5, but they dont look OEM and cool like. is the es250 a 3 point mount or a 2? ie - does it attach a the firewall as well as the strut towers?

[monito]

Originally Posted by Tommy

$50 isnt bad. You can buy a generic on ebay for like $5, but they dont look OEM and cool like. is the es250 a 3 point mount or a 2? ie - does it attach a the firewall as well as the strut towers?

If i'm understanding your question correctly, it's a 2-point brace; strut tower to strut tower.

The es250 is a 2VZ-FE engine, so i assumed that brace was goin to 'bolt-on.' However, when i mounted it, the brace doesn't sit flat on the strut towers. It's being lifted by a cable anchor and the diagnostics connector.


http://www.djronaldod.com/pix/IMG_0495.jpg

http://www.djronaldod.com/pix/IMG_0496.jpg

http://www.djronaldod.com/pix/IMG_0499.jpg


did any of the other 2vz-fe drivers come across this problem? if so, how did you guys fix the problem?

A part of me wants to "just bang on it til it fits," but i wanna avoid doin that if i can :P

[Tommy]

Just remove, or bend the cable anchor out of the way.

[atobe]

hahaah hell yes.. i paid 8$ at my local junk yard for an es250 front tower brace

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Yeah, I'm getting the brace with the engine I just bought off an ES250...the guy is charging me $10 Canadian (what's that, like $0.50 USD?)

I could tell just looking at the brace on the yard Lexus that it wouldn't be a perfect fit right away, but the Camrys and ES250s are the same frame...the strut towers are identical, even if the engine bay is not.

Just bend the throttle cable clip out of the way. But not too far, or it'll start cracking at the cruise module.

[monito]

thanx guys ><
lol

TAP was goin to put one on hold for me for 35 as soon as they got an es250 in. but i got impatient. that and All Jap Auto was the only yard in the vicinity that had an es250 in stock >.<

[car_boy_16]

How much did the strut tower bar REALLY help steering and handling? Also consider the assumed mild placebo effect.

[white90dx]

Notice the two holes near each bend of the strut tower brace? Those are used to hole the throttle cable on the ES250 instead of the bracket on the motor.

Zip tie (or otherwise fasten) the throttle cable from the pedal to the cruise box to the strut tower brace and remove/bend the bracket out of the way.

I'm not quite sure why this is so hard to figure out?

-Charlie

[monito]

Originally Posted by car_boy_16

How much did the strut tower bar REALLY help steering and handling? Also consider the assumed mild placebo effect.

yeah, a friend told me about the "placebo" effect and told me to raise the front before putting the brace on.

Originally Posted by white90dx

I'm not quite sure why this is so hard to figure out?

-Charlie

cuz i are retawded

thanks charlie!! ^_^

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Originally Posted by white90dx

Notice the two holes near each bend of the strut tower brace? Those are used to hole the throttle cable on the ES250 instead of the bracket on the motor.
I'm not quite sure why this is so hard to figure out?

Heh heh, probably because the brace I am buying has no remnants of the bracket left on it...I probably would've noticed after I picked it up, tho. I hope.

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by TBayToyotaBoy

Heh heh, probably because the brace I am buying has no remnants of the bracket left on it...I probably would've noticed after I picked it up, tho. I hope.

When I had one on my old Camry, it had only a little bit of the bracket left on it - not enough to use, that's for sure. I installed it on my 4-cylinder car, so I had no clearance issues at all. After looking at the V6 engine bay with cruise control, its pretty clear how it was run on the ES250.

Remember that the motor rotates a fair amount while driving (up to an inch either way) so make sure there is clearance there to keep things from rubbing.

-Charlie

[monito]

i found a pic of a Lexus es250 engine bay and saw how the strut brace held the throttle cable; it's a plastic version of the anchor that's attached to the upper air intake chamber.



Another question for the 2VZ-FE camry guys: did you re-locate your ODB connector? or did u just leave it underneath the strut bar?