PRHT Hardbar install

Here is my latest project. The Harddog Hardbar with diag cross braces for the 2011 PRHT.
First remove the plastic covers from the OEM roll bar and remove the door guard and seat belt covers
and set aside. The small rivets are easy to remove and reuse.
Next remove other small associated plastic panels that let you remove the rear panel again small plastic
rivets hold most of the pieces in place. The exception will be hidden white connectors that will and or
can break when removing them. There are enough left over to reattach the panels.
You will see behind the rear seat cover the speakers if you have them, attachment points and window
controls and a box labeled ECU behind the brown cover above left.
Once the speaker is removed with its harness and the ECU box is released from its mounting the OEM
roll bar setup is easily unbolted and removed from the car.
Here the whole setup is removed leaving what looks like a car wreck.
Don’t let it freak you out.
You can see here the roof release mechanism (center low)that attaches to the rear plastic roll bar cover.
It just slides in place, no fasteners.
Here is the OEM rollbar out of the car with the rear plastic cover attached.
Notice the white connectors, be careful they break and you will need about half of them to reinstall.
Here the cross bar that will be retained is marked up for cutting, notice the center tower just outside the
cut zone, it needs to be removed and the very top cut off with about an 1/8 inch of the sides attached so
we can refit the rubber bumpers that help with the top when in use. There is no provision in the
instructions for this so I modified the piece so I can use it to secure the bumpers, you will see that later.
Here are the cuts on one side of the rollbar, the same cuts are made to the other side.
Here the whole setup is cut up releasing the crossbar that we will reuse.
Here is the liberated crossbar, painted black to match, not really necessary.
This is the new Hardbar for the PRHT.
This is the now modified crossbar installed in the Harddog. Self tapers are included and you will notice
that you will be losing locations to mount stuff because of this mod. It can be overcome though.
Here is the setup with the rear panel attached. The panels need bits trimmed off to fit properly as per
instructions and elsewhere.
Here you will notice how I reattached the rubber bumpers on top of the rear plastic cover
Using the cut off small tower pieces and when they are attached I used silicone to help stabilize them.
The new bar bolts in very easily, the ECU box needed some cutting down and creating new attachment
points on the new crossbar, that was a pain. Also not shown here you will need to really trim the crap
out of the front panel to get it close to fitting so everything stays closed.
Notice the gaps in the diagonal as it passes through both front and rear plastic covers.
Notice too that all the plastic covers outside of the rear and front panels basically fly into place
as they are simple to reattach. You can see here the little self adhesive parts they give you so you can
hide the holes. Also they mad e no provision to cover where the wind screen reattaches. The cover
cannot be reinstalled and it leaves a 12 inch area that needs to be filled. I will create a fancy wooden
insert to cover it, should look really cool when done. Also you can see the seam between the front and
back panels in not tight where diagonal is. If the whole bar were made to reflect about a 3/8 inch
rearward tilt the panels would fit without as much trimming.
Installed and ready for action.
Bill Ratigan