Matt's Stage II LTB
 

all i can say is WOW!!! Matt did an awesome job on this one. once installed that thing handles like a new car. put it this way since i work for BMW you guys know that those cars at high speeds they don't tilt to one side right? well, thats pretty much how it felt in my car but now i just have to finish up the rear with more goodies for better handling. i will post pics when i have a chance.

What spring strut combo do you have with this?

lol u finally installed it eh?

I have the stage 1 and love it as well, I can only imagine what stage II is like!

Can not wait to see pictures. :happyface

Mine still sits in the garage. :D

What would you guys recommend? Matt's Stage II LTB, F&R Sway Bars, or SFC's first? I'm putting Koni/Eibachs on within the month and want to know what should be my next step.

F&R Sways, then the LTB. I'm not sure I'm down with the SFC idea.

as much as I like the Stage II LTB I think I have to say Sways :hs:

LTB? SFC?
It's all greek to me =\

ltb= lowering t*** b**? lol

I only know this is about suspension, just curious cause I want to do my suspension someday. I hate how my car tilts when i corner!

IMO

F&R sways
SFC's
LTB

I have Addco rear & ST front
WSP Stage 1 + 2 SFC
BlehmCo stage 1 LTB

i have arosh!ts lowering springs and kyb's. i already have the intrax lowering springs but need to buy the koni red's to finish up the front suspension. then i have to do the rear.

LTB= Lower Tie Bar.
http://www.blehmco.com/suspension.htm

SFC= Sub Frame Connectors.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=524475

Todamax, why aren't you sure about the SFC's? Do you think they are redundant or add to much weight or take off too much ground clearance? What are the pros and cons?

Lordrandall, why do you recommend the SFC's before the LTB? You have the LTB I, would the LTB II be overkill with the SFC's already installed?

Also, I forgot to include the RSTB bar in there. Should that be added before any of the others? I already have a FSTB. Basically, I want to get the car to handle as well as possible.

Thanks.

thanks buddy :)
bookmarks now.. well, the lower tie bar, im interested in that along with some new suspension.
Dont think im interested in SFC..
Im a machinist and i work with alot of metal fabricators/welders.. i could probably get my own made up if im ever interested..
i could just buy a blueprint off of them, if they would.. but it looks like it makes the car to rigid/stiff for my liking anyways.. im not driving a racecar. lol

Hmm.. so if you could fab up your own SFC's why couldnt you fab up your own LTB?

I've got Matt's Stage II LTB sitting in my garage.. traded for it a few years ago.. havent ever gotten around to putting it on though :( I'll do it as soon as I get the SFC's on

hm, idk.. the LTB stage one looks easy to make yourself, but its to specific.. if i knew the exact dimensions and angles of the bends, i prolly could. But I still wouldnt want to, since its a steering component basically.. if its off just a lil bit.. im screwed.

the SFC looks alot easier, just framework.. im probably underestimating the SFC though on that note. But maybe not, to me it just looks like some tubing 4x2 maybe, steel probably.. cut on some angles, welded together, then welded to the frame.

Anybody have a Matty Stage II bar they are selling>?

I don't think they are necessary for a street car. By the time you get a good spring/strut combo installed, the FSTB/RSTB's and everything else, you will have a very very stiff suspension (remember this consists of more than struts and springs) that is harsh for an every day driver. Women don't like it, it will be noisy and unsuitable for road trips. But dammit, you will already be able to take the on/off ramp at 50mph without breaking a sweat!

I'm all for the FSTB and RSTB, inexpensive, easy to install, great upgrades.

I think SFC's would be a great upgrade for a 3rd gen not even interested in 'hardcore' suspension mods. From what I read in the 5th gen forum, the SFC's by themselves made for a much smoother, less noisy, compliant ride.

I can't imagine how. Any force not absorbed by the suspension is sent to the body, where the body 'flex' takes up the rest.

The added road noise from a modded suspension is from the suspension and the increased force on the body, not chassis flex. How would that decrease the noise?

By making the chassis stiffer, it seems one would be at the mercy of the installed suspension. The bottom line is that I don't believe it for a second. Maybe someone with Eibach and SFC's could chime in.

+1 for subframes, I have SLP weld-on subframes on my camaro and it drives like a slot car. The subframes alone just stiffen the chassis but any kind of harder suspension in the way of springs/struts will contribute to body noise/rattles

Of course it helps with a F-body. The torque from the engine alone will twist the chassis. We don't have that problem for multiple reasons... :D

Honesty, from a scale 1 to 10 in performance from suspension/handeling mods what would it be

IMO a FSTB would be a 3

def planning for the stage II LTB

It would be nice to hear from someone with experience. Basically, I am installing the Koni/Eibach strut/spring combo and then adding Sway bars and such. I do want the car to handle as well as possible but don't want it to be too uncomfortable or loud. Would setting my springs to a more comfortable rate be helpful (like a 3 or 4, instead of 5)? If I get the LTB II and the SFCs I could probably ride with them to see how I like it, but if I don't like the feel of the SFCs it would probably be next to impossible to remove them since they're welded on, right?

I mean decreasing interior noises (squeaks, rattles, etc). It would also decrease the 'shudder' a car experiences when hitting bumps and whatnot. I'm not sure why you think SFC's wouldnt make a car more compliant, rattle free, less noisy, etc. The body flex you speak of is IMO exactly what would make a car 'shudder' over bumps and lead to squeaking and rattles.

Auto manufacturers boast all the time about how much more 'stiff' their chassis' or frames are and tout that it cuts down on noise, the car handles better over bumps, the 'shudder' is gone, car is more compliant, etc.

I'm too lazy to search the posts out, but everything I've read from Maxima owners who installed SFC's reported everything I've said.

*Edit* Quote from irish44:

2. Ride quality: Previously, when hitting any bump, big or small, the car would have a tendacy to "shudder" and feel a bit uncomposed - and it would be worse the bigger the bump. With the SFCs on, bumps basically just come off as a "thud" and the car no longer vibrates or shudders as it did. This was the most noticeable improvement in the SFCs, hands down. Also, interior rattles on rough roads are almost entirely eliminated, which is very nice.

Only things that will reduce the 'tilting' is stiffer springs and/or sway bars. The LTB, SFC, FSTB or RSTB will not reduce body roll, but will help keep your wheels flatter on the road and pointing the right direction when cornering, thus improving handling and 'feel' during cornering, this sometimes gives the impression that body roll has reduced.

So where are these pics?

can anyone who isntalled this give a rating
and to see where im going with this i would consider a spring/strut combo 9

i will upload the pics tomorrow. i would rate this mod a 10 but if i were to intall my intrax and koni's the i guess it would be a whole lot better. i actually took the on/off ramp at 55+ mph without stepping on the brakes. the car handles way better than before. all i need now is the RSTB and rear sway bar. i already have a FSTB, ST front sway bar with bushings and end links, and rear ES parallel link bushings. just a little more mods and i will be finally done with my suspension and that will be it. next a paint job and probably different rims and then retire from modding and just get a new car as a daily driver. pics will be up tomorrow afternoon. sorry if i have kept you guys waiting for them but don't have internet so the only time i can come on is on the weekends at my g/f's house.

In for pics.

here you go guys. apparently i was unable to jack it up to take better pictures of the LTB but i will take better ones at work tomorrow since i will have access to a lift and post the pictures later on this week.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...7_223_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...7_224_full.jpg

I was hoping they weren't too low. Da*n it!

just a quick little question. i have searched but i cant find anything, but what does LTB mean? :hs:

Wow... That looks a little too low for me :(


How much lower does it drop compared to the swap bar?

wait, is LTB lower tie bar?

:wtf: your answer is in this thread.

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...7&postcount=13

ha, sorry, i didnt read the whole thing.

dude thats CRAZY low to the ground. I get 3" with my stage one, and just the other day I slammed into some asphalt on an uneven road and bent it. I had to straighten it using a car jack wedged between the LTB and the sway bar...not fun. I still can't get the bar to a point that a socket will fit into those tubes. Your bar looks like it gets only like an inch of clearance from the ground! I've been to Indy and the roads are NOT good at all.

Realize he's parked on grass. the grass is sticking up 2-3" past where concrete would be.
The stage I is just as low as the stage II. the lowest point is the same on both bars.

That said, I've scraped mine on occasion, but only when I'm doing something stupid. only about twice have I scraped it on unseen dips in the highway. the rest of the time, it's been on times where I knew I should have slowed down but didn't. It still did nothing more than scratch the powdercoating off the bar. it's stronger than you think, but it's still not strong enough to cause suspension damage if you hit the bar on something nasty.