Hi guys, the tuners who made the New Zealand SMX Maximas say that they cannot fabricate an aftermarket RSB for my A32 4th Gen SMX because it the solid rear beam axle doesn't allow for one.

Is this true?

BTW - I'm a father now...gosh, is it tiring! Anyone else on here have children?

 

they must be on crack cause even stillen sells our rear sway bars.

http://maxmods.dyndns.org/index.php?MaximaSwayBars

 

www.cattman.com

I bought a RSB from them a few months ago. It went on easy and works well. Best mod for my money so far.

 

Yup.. I got a Cattman/Progress one from RedlineMax.com.. I had a good experience with them, but beware it looks like some people have not been so lucky in their dealings with them.. it was about $130 shipped, and like Kormax said.. worth every penny!
DJ

 

They might say they can't make a rear sway bar because it wouldn't help handling as much on a rear beam car as a car with independent rear. The rear beam acts to keep the tires parallel to the road no matter how much the body rolls. So a rear sway bar would help some but not a lot.

Good website about Nissan's rear beam
http://www.se-r.net/about/g20/scc/oct98/tb.html

 

yea, i just installed a rear stillen sway bar on my car and it fits perfectly.

 

Thanks for the heads up guys. So, is there a big difference between the Stillen and Cattmann RSB's or is it brand preference.

BTW - does it require modification to the existing shock / damper setup (KONI coilovers) to install an RSB?

 

personally and from what I've heard its Progress FTW, although a sway bar's a sway bar; Stillen are also known for great products.. as for the 2nd question dunno.

 

Nissan says the beam acts as a sway bar...it does but the addition of aftermarket RSB is a great help in handling if u know how to drive

 

i dont like how the cattman/progress rsb set up in that you have to use a zip tie something to the brake line? i dont remember what part but yea.. i never installed mine yet and have that thing in my garage for a whole year already.

 

gonna sell it?

 

I have the Progress RSB and it works great. However, I think the Stillen RSB looks better.

 

Its because the brackts get in the way of where the parking brake cable mounts to the trailing arm to keep it tight....the zip-tie just acts as teh bracket that keeps the cable out of the way...no biggy

 

The primary difference in the Cattman/Progress RSB and the Stillen RSB is in the design of the brackets that bolt to the trailing arms. The Stillen one is an anodized billet aluminum bracket that has a very quality and machined appearance. The Cattman/Progress brackets are not billet aluminium, but function the same. The key in the RSB is position of the bar and regidity of the bar under load. I can say from experience that the Progress bar is well worth the investment, especially if you can find it for around $130. If you like to drive your Maxima fast in corners, I would highly recommend the RSB in addition to a FSTB.

As far as the zip tie, I tossed mine and used the factory clips that screw to the trailing arm and drilled them into the RSB bracket to secure the Emergency brake cable. All you need is a self tapping screw and a drill.

 

Two days ago I just installed my Cattman/Progress RSB and with my coilovers this car handles like a dream now. RSB is worth every penny, car feels totally different!

 

There has been a ton of debate on this subject. Either way it is clear that the sway bars are available. Whether or not installing one is worth it is up to you.

 

Sweet - thanks for the info guys. Stillen RSB it is - have sourced a 2nd hand one in good condition. Already have FTSB and KONI coilovers so I'm hoping I won't suffer the terrible 'bump-steer' in rough corners at speed as much (or at all?) anymore.

BTW - me and another couple of 4th gen Maxes here in Auckland, NZ are thinking of entering a Motorkhana track race. REPRESENT VQ POWER!

 

I got a progress brand new from an org member for $75 bucks, it is by far the best suspension mod I have done. The difference is night and day, I love it, the body roll w/o one is pathetic. It really seems like a new car with one well worth the money. Stillen is adjutable unlike the progress, almost twice the price for it compared to others. I have seen them for as cheap as $50 bucks brand new on fleabay, generic no name one. Almost bought that one but was scared of the quality for $50 bucks.

 

I have tein coilovers on the max. would that rsb even help? or just makes everything in the rear too stiff.

 

I have JIC coilovers and the RSB helped a lot!!

My car would basically push in the corners with no body roll. Now its basically neutral it feels awesome.

A ton of twisty roads down here in TN to test it out. Believe me I tested it out like crazy. It feels totally different.

 

I have a Progress and love it. I don't know how I did with out it now that I have one.

 

i guess i will keep and see how it goes. thanks for the imput.

 

i took mine out to see the difference and put it back right away(was a while driving with it and forgot it was there). The car should have come with it stock in my opinion

 

I'll try to answer a few posts at once.

The point of a sway bar is not to keep the tires parallel to the road. The point is:

1. To spread cornering loads across both tires instead of forcing the outside tire to do all the work.
2. To resist body roll.
3. To give you some of the benefit of higher spring rates when you're in a corner, but without making your ride too uncomfortable over bumpy roads.

Adding a rear sway bar (or stepping up to a stiffer one) will sharpen turn-in response and decrease understeer (a.k.a. increasing oversteer). It may or may not give you more total grip, depending on your suspension setup and tires. Downsides are a lot of added stiffness when only one wheel hits a bump (no difference from without the RSB if both wheels hit at the same time), and a higher chance of having your rear end slip out if you hit a bump in the middle of a corner.

The Maxima is front-heavy, has front-wheel drive, and has a ton of rear grip thanks to that rear beam suspension. Each of those things promotes understeer; put them all together and you're practically drowning in it. That's why a rear sway bar (RSB) is such an effective mod on a 4th or 5th gen Maxima.

Aftermarket spring sets change things a little. Most are made specifically to dial out understeer, which they do by having stiffer springs in the rear than in front. Some people LOVE adding a RSB to that mix because it pretty much comes as close to eradicating understeer as you can get without custom suspension parts. Many people don't like it, though, because the combination of stiffer rear springs and a RSB can make the car twitchy and tail-happy in some cases.

Coilovers are a different story entirely. The coilover kits for our cars have stiffer springs in front -- they're designed to work with super-low drops, and since the car is front-heavy, you need stiffer front springs to keep the nose off the ground. But stiffer front springs tend to add understeer. Most people don't really ever see that understeer because the handling limits are so much higher, but it's there (and it's MASSIVE if you ever do hit the limit). The upside to having all that understeer is that adding a RSB won't make your car all tail-happy -- it may kick out on you sometimes, but it will fall back into line quickly and easily. You'll get your sharper turn-in response, but the car will still be nice and forgiving.

 

So is it worth it for Ksports riding w/ RSB?

 

THAT'S BULL ****!!!! http://www.cattman.com/

 

Most likely. It will make things a bit rougher, but it should be good.


...What?

 

The Stillen item is adjustable, is the Progress? As far as I can remember it wasnt but i dont own one so I cant say for sure. I have an Addco and it is not adjustable, but performs just fine.

 

The Progress bar is NOT adjustable.

Everything d00d stated in post #24 is very accurate. Good description of everything d00d!

I would like to add to the quote about the coilovers. Down here in TN we have a road called The Dragon (Rt. 129). It is a 11 miles, with 318 curves. I have been up this road with my JIC coilovers on the car. Now granted I didn't have the best of tires on. 215/45/17 Kumho ASX tires that were becoming bald. But at the limits you can definetly feel the understeer like d00d states. And there is a definete amount.

Now that I have 235/45/17 Falken Azenis ST115s on, I went up the parkway which is definetly not as winding, but still has some very nice corners and sweepers. And it was a lot easier keeping up with my buddy in his TA through the corners with the fresh rubber, but the car still understeered massively.

The other night when I installed my Progress RSB I took a quick blast up the mountain to test it out. Quite a few switchbacks along the way. And with the RSB the Max is a total blast to drive now. It feels completely balanced. I was very pleased to feel how neutral the car was. With the more neutral feeling it gives you a lot more confidence to take a corner at higher speeds.

I should have bought a RSB a long time ago. Even if you have quality coilovers, not Ground Controls, you should still invest money into a RSB. It is worth every penny. I paid $156 shipped for mine. And I don't regret a single thing.

If you plan to AutoX, like I do, do yourself a favor and get one!!

 

Rear sway bar, best mod, should have been a factory option on SE and t models atleast.

 

come on, a stock 4th gen handles like a bowl of mashed potatoes! Even with a RSB, my old civic handled better (ok, it waw nowhere near as fast). But the RSB makes a HUGE difference in the handling! Anyone who says otherwise has either never tried on first-hand, or has made the upgrade so long ago that they forgot. just my 3 cents.

 

Well, we'll never handle as well as a GTR V-Spec but my SMX already handles well enough (especially) on wet roads to keep with performance sedans and coupes that cost way more than me. Love to see their faces when they can't pull away from me - their eyes wide and their hands swapping gears furiously.

RSB (next week) / FTSB / KONI Coilovers

 

I have Progress Springs and Tokico Blues, and the Progress RSB. The handling difference is very noticeable, especially during cornering. The post d00d made is spot-on. <inmyexperience> If I push a smooth off/on ramp or switchback hard enough, I can actually feel the rear end wanting to slide out, but It doesnt feel like I could actually get it to go out unless I had nice tires. This is with WOT, mind you. Much less than WOT and tires making little squealy noises and I'm understeering. </inmyexperience> I'd bet a CF hood, lightweight rims, low profile tires, and some other weight off the front wheels would make the car really fun in the twisties.

 

Koni does not make coilovers for 4th gens, or even Nissans. According to their website they're developing a set for the Z33 though. You probably just have struts--there's a significant difference there.

 

The handling difference should only be noticeable when cornering.

 

I've noticed that the entire rear end reacts to bumps and potholes, instead of just one wheel when I had a stock suspension. Its more of a jolt, no matter which side the bump or pothole is on. But yes, 98-100% of the handling difference is seen when cornering.

 

If you have abs the bracket needs to be moved on the trailing arms but is very easy to do. People saying it makes bumps worse I have not noticed at all. I think it makes the rear end better in bumps, same as the FSTB making the suspension work together instead of against one another.

 

Ahh I see...I have adjustable KONI Sport Yellow front and rear shocks not coilovers...I got it wrong. But they're still fully adjustable front and rear so I'm not sure I'll miss the coils. FTSB makes a massive difference, so I'm hoping I'll get the same 'Post-Modification' smile (and 'cigarette feeling' ) from the RSB when it's on.

Wonder if I'll wipe out on the first hard corner?

 

They're not "fully adjustable". All you can adjust is the rebound damping.

They are definitely the best shocks you can get for the Maxima, though...