Isobar removal?

[dom =]]

Right... Meant to be having a flat sub installed tomorrow on the rear seats of my clio.

The isobar (which, after my research is the black bar at the bottom of the boot), is in the way.

Is it possible for me to remove this bar without affecting anything else in the car, including structural support?

Cheers

 

[Gally]

Yeah mate, I think they are a 45/50 Torq but they are solid and you need a very very good torq bit of it'll just snap.

Advice, hammer the torq piece into the bolt make sure it fits snug and perfect because if your round the bolt you're proper fucked.

The reason they are crap to remove is the bolt goes into the underside of the car which is clearly full of crap so it might be pretty tight but if it gets really tight work it back and forth.

It's nothing structural just for the isofix iirc.

 

[MarcB]

Mine was a total nightmare to get out when swapping my rear seats over.

As gally has said just watch as there is a good chance of rounding the bolts and f**king them.

 

[dom =]]

Yeah, don't want that to happen... Then I'd have to do some major surgery, which will just cost more and well... just ruin that part of the car, even if it isn't visible.

Cheers mate, that's reassured me.

EDIT

Would using some sort of powertool work? (I can rent one from a local store)

 

[Rob]

Hi.

Get yourself a decent ratchet/breaker bar with the correct size torx bit on it.

If the torx head does round off (not very likely in my experience as long as you apply a lot of downwards pressure) then you can actually just bend/snap the bar off leaving the screws.

Then, if you want rid of the screws too, get a hack saw and make two flat sides on the rounded edge of the torx screw, you can then wang a spanner/mole grips on that and get it out.

Were in London are you from? It's not a hard job if you're local I'll sort it for you.

 

[dom =]]

Hmmm... yeah, I mean as long as most of the bar goes, then it's all good.

Well I'm going to do the work at my local car audio specialist, but when I get round to that, I'm sure I can get someone to help me out. Cheers for the offer though matey, much appreciated!

I'm towards Croydon mate, yourself?

 

[James28]

Just use a 17mm socket iirc. Their bolts with a head + Torx centre iirc , so just use a socket and ratchet/breaker bar
Never had any issues removing either of mine on my two Clio's

 

[Rob]

I'm from Sidcup mate, if you want a hand just give me a shout.

Just use a 17mm socket iirc. Their bolts with a head + Torx centre iirc , so just use a socket and ratchet/breaker bar
Never had any issues removing either of mine on my two Clio's

Incorrect. They're round headed.

 

[dom =]]

I guess it depends on how tightly they were done during the manufacture then?
And also how much muck has got within the threads

 

[dom =]]

Ahh I know...
The other side of Bromley

 

[Rob]

It's not the tightness, they're nothing major, it's that they go through to the under body, so they can rust on the underside/get covered in s**t.

A lot of people whine about it on here, but TBH I've always thought they're the sort of people that should just stick to mechano. I've never not got one out.

 

[dom =]]

I've never not got one out.

Until you met mine! :O
I know what you mean... logical thinking, a lot of downward force and a tight fit to get the bar out nicely

 

[Gally]

It's not the tightness, they're nothing major, it's that they go through to the under body, so they can rust on the underside/get covered in s**t.

A lot of people whine about it on here, but TBH I've always thought they're the sort of people that should just stick to mechano. I've never not got one out.

Agreed. You have to allow for the unintellegent though.

 

[john182rs]

Incorrect, just been to look at my car an they are 2 17mm bolts with a torx bit in the centre for the isofix bar. The one for removing the seatbelts is round headed with a torx bit.

I'm from Sidcup mate, if you want a hand just give me a shout.



Incorrect. They're round headed.

Unless mines the only one with 2 bolts?

 

[Rob]

I'd say yours has been out before, probably decided that as the existing bolts were rounding off like a madman, to replace them with head headed ones.

 

[Gally]

Ah they may have change the design as a just incase mate. Yours is much newer than Rob's was.

 

[markkram]

Ah they may have change the design as a just incase mate. Yours is much newer than Rob's was.

This.
Mine is an 05 and has bolt/torx combo.

 

[john182rs]

I can not remember if mine was on 54 or an 05 reg, been on a private plate since i got it.

 

[clancy]

I've never not got one out.

same, my old car i got it out with a 6inch grinder.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Penetrating fluid the night before (and maybe the night before that too ). Apply liberally, and if you can, find the bolts on the underside and apply liberally there too !

 

[john182rs]

If you have time, to make it easier aswell.

i just stuck a jet wash on the underside where the bolts poked out, this was only to get all the grit and grub out of the threads then waited for it to all dry off and put grease around the threads. I wound the bolt out by half a turn, then put a stick back foam ring around the nut with penetrating oil over night. A few hours later (after dinner) socket on it, an it came out as if it was brand new.

 

[Emma.]

Incorrect, just been to look at my car an they are 2 17mm bolts with a torx bit in the centre for the isofix bar. The one for removing the seatbelts is round headed with a torx bit.



Unless mines the only one with 2 bolts?

My 53 plate has this ^^^

 

[Struggler]

sorry rob but all of my isofix bars on ph1s have been a 17mm head with a torx centre too!!

never struggled at getting one out, just use a nice long bar!! bit of WD might help too!!
and enjoy the bone tingling screaches as the bolts turn!!

 

[Rob]

I've undone about 5 and not one has been hex head! FFS!

Just my luck.

 

[dom =]]

Lads... I'll take a picture in a sec, on my lunch break, then we can all decide

 

[dom =]]

That's from my 2005 Clio - MK2

 

[Ben..]

WD40 the night before, then once its half undone, cover it in WD,screw it all the way back in again to help get rid of the shite. then undo it fully

 

[Gally]

I've undone about 5 and not one has been hex head! FFS!

Just my luck.

I worked on them for 5 years and can only remember 1 at the most having a nut head.

 

[Rob]

That's from my 2005 Clio - MK2

You won't struggle then.

17mm socket, breaker bar, done.

 

[dom =]]

Soon find out

 

[Chris_786]

Mine snapped several bits, in the end I got Fred to blast it with his buzz gun.

 

[Djw John]

I've done more than I can think of and all have been 17mm as pictured!

 

[James28]

Weird how some are and some aren't.

 

[kpowell911]

Just use a 17mm socket iirc. Their bolts with a head + Torx centre iirc , so just use a socket and ratchet/breaker bar
Never had any issues removing either of mine on my two Clio's

This, 17mm and a f**k off ratch. No Torx bit milarky!

 

[dom =]]

Removed the isobar, used a small break bar at first for both, one bolt came out no problem, the other one just decided that it's not coming out without a fight and got harder to do after it had come out by about 8mm. I got myself a heavy duty break bar and gave it another crack, and finally got it out

Along with that, did a good bit of house work on the car giving it a full inside and out clean and hover definitely looking the part now

 

[dom =]]

This, 17mm and a f**k off ratch. No Torx bit milarky!

Yeah, used a good strong 17mm, did use a torx to screw the bolts back through to seal the hole in car just to see how it felt, to be honest, it's not as strong to use.

 

[DannyR]

17mm and an impact gun =D

 

[dom =]]

17mm and an impact gun =D

If it's got the word gun in it, I'm happy ;D

 

[Martin_172]

my W, 51, 02, 03, 53 & 54 plate were all 17mm hex with a torx centre lol!

bit of penetrating fluid on the bolts from the underside of the car, leave for 5 minutes and remove, either that or impact gun!

once removed, refit the bolts or you will have a leaking car lol!

 

[mark smith87]

You should take it easy if the bolts have gone really tight to remove. Use penetrating oil on the threads and work the bolts in and out a bit at a time. Once you get the bolts out clean the threads up and put a bit of copper grease on them before putting them back. I always put the bar back in the car after taking the seats out as it adds a bit of strength to the rear floor. I think without it the back of the car would flex more unless a roll cage was fitted. I also fit the rear strut brace if I'm doing a trackday.