Fender Brace Installation
By: Jamie "SubieGal" Thomas
For: 1997 - 2007 Impreza
 - Medium Difficulty
Where do I get
them?
Turn In Concepts - Ohio Based
performance company
What do the
braces do? Stiffen the chassis, aids suspension, creates a
better handling Impreza
Where do they
install? Tucked just behind your fender, tie the front
clip of the chassis to the main body
How do I install
them? Right! Let's get started!
First off, you do not need to remove
the fender to install these. (at least I did not)
You DO NEED to take your time,
and be patient with the removal of the old braces,
and installation of the new braces -
rush through this,
and you could risk damage to your very
fragile, very thin... fender.
My thoughts on performance gains:
My car setup:
Whiteline Group 4 coilover kit, STi
Group N Strut tops,
19mm front sway bar, IPD 21mm rear
sway bar & endlinks
Pretty impressive results! The car
seems much more stable under load
Hard cornering is no longer 'loopy'
loose or sloppy under full load in any way.
Car responds well - tighter than
previous, corners like it's on rails.
Will this be the same result for
everyone? Hard to say.
But I did note a significant
improvement in handling.
I find it similar to adding a roll
bar/roll cage in that area.
It has changed the handling
characteristics of the car - stiffer, more controlled, better
feedback
I would recommend this modification to
anyone looking to better their chassis,
better their suspension, better the
overall handling of the car.
Good components to add along with this
modification?
STi Group N top mounts, "aftermarket"
(beefier) struts and springs, larger sway bars.
Tools I recommend:
Flathead screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
10mm socket w/extension
14mm open end wrench
14mm ratcheting wrench
1/4 " drive air ratchet (if using air
tools)
1. Get the car up in the air.
Be it a jack WITH JACKSTANDS or on a car lift
(never work on the ground without
using Jackstands, it's simply not safe!)
2. Remove front wheels
3. Remove the fender liners.
On this car (the 1998 to 2001
Impreza), the fender/wheel liners are broken in to 2 pieces.
We only need to remove the Rear/back
section of the Fender liner.
Study the trail of fender liner clips,
begin removing (see photos below)
Remove these using your screwdrivers.
Be careful not to break the clips!
 
4. Remove 10mm bolt at the top
center of the fender liner arch
5. Once the fender liner has
been freed, set it aside
Now you can plainly see the OEM cowl
panel (photo below)
comparison photo
6. Next, remove the screws
holding the Airbag wiring harness in place (see photos below)
Swinging the airbag wiring harness' to
the side will allow for a lot more working room.
The fender brace bolts are very hard
to get at as it is. You need all the room you can get!
 
Continuing along....
I did not need to open the door or
remove the fender in order to get these bolts loosened.
I merely reached inside the fender
edge with my 14mm and broke the bolts loose.
I also did not need to use any PB
Blast, or even a breaker bar.
But, these are things you may need if
you live in a "salty" climate.
7. It is easiest to remove the
"bottom" bolts first.
Crack them loose, give them a few
turns with the ratcheting wrench and then remove.
(see photo below)
I was actually able to get my 1/4" air
drive ratchet w/14mm short socket on the lower bolts.
8. Top bolts are much tougher. Open
end wrench, a few swear words, and a lot of patience.
9. Once removed, install the new braces
in reverse order.
10. First thing you want to do with the
new brace, is line them up with the bolt holes.
Install the bolts FINGER TIGHT.
FINAL: Only once you are certain the brace is
lined up properly, should you tighten the bolts down.
Then you can reinstall your fender
liners, and you're done!
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