Are there any REAL differences between various FSTB's? I know that Stillen is solid, while Courtesy is hollow, but that does not seem to make any difference performance-wise, at least according to the FAQ. There are also several on eBay now (among other places) that range in a $30-40 range (one is by Matrix, the other is from Lighspeed Auto (is it a make?) as well as a no name one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...796061&r=0&t=0
Since I am not looking for the looks and I don't race, but enjoy driving, I was wondering what would be the most practical one for me?

PS if you have some personal experience that it did/didn't change your car's performance, please share, though it seems that they do improve it.

 

as far as i know it doesnt make a difference. but from previous physics knowledge, i guess the material the fstb is made of may make a difference. now since most of them are made similarly except for the finish, i dont think it should matter. i got mine from cattman for like 65 bux, which isnt too bad, but i guess it depends on how much ur willing to spend. as for performance, i know that i take corners faster than without the brace... funny y nissan didnt think of adding them stock in the first place! its quite a difference when u got one.

 

The fstb worked fine for me, i got a matrix one and it does do a number for your handling, if looks are top priority you may go stillen b/c it looks the fanciest, but i dont think the extra money for gives any extra performance

 

hey, where did you get your matrix one? street-beat.com? if so, how long did it take to arrive? i plan on ordering mine from there.. thanks

 

No actually i got it off ebay and got a good deal on it, arrival time is based on the seller in that case, or if you pay for faster shipping

 

I got mines from street-beat. It took about 4 days for me to get it. Works great, no complaints.

K

 

My Matrix bar came from Street-Beat in about a week. Honestly, no real noticeable difference until turning and taking corners at higher than normal speeds... (love taking them circular off-ramps at like 50+mph now )

I'd like to see what that extra $100 for the Stillen bar would do in terms of better handling.....

 

It will do absolutely NOTHING more for your handling...the guys who have it will say it does...but that's just so they can justify their own stupidy in spending all that extra cash....

 

has anyone had any problems with bargain FSTBs? cracking, fitment, etc.?

 

Heh, that's exactly what I was thinking. Someone mentioned how the Max would never twist with enough force that would cause the lower-priced one not to hold. So solid or hollow, the bars work fine. The extra $ is really for a name on it ($tillen).
If anyone's Max twists with that much force as to rip the bars/bolts off, I'd say they have much bigger probs then worrying which FTSB to buy...

 

that's pretrty much what I was thinking...but just wanted to hear other people's opinions..

thanks all

 

funny what u learn everyday...

 

I haven't had any problems with my at all. Still loving it. Since I pay to much attention to my car, I noticed a huge difference the first time I put it on. Will be getting that RSB, when I get the time.

K

 

I don't know if it's better or worse than any other one but what I do know is that it makes the car handle great! Also, I like the looks of it. Nice red ends, chrome finish, just looks good when you pop the hood. Being hollow also makes it lighter. Seems that we need to keep the weight down as much as possible.

Addition of the Addco RSB makes my max corner like you wouldn't believe! I can take 90 degree turns at high speeds without even hitting the brakes!

If you wanna see what it looks like in a larger pic, click on the link below the pics. Enjoy!

 

i just ordered mine from street-beat.com... hehehe, cant wait till i get it!! next step, im looking into a pacesetter STS now, looks like a b1tch to install though, anyone know any good isntall sites? thanks

 

its a phat mod, def helps out a lot, i had a lot of problems with streetbeat, just make sure u call and ask if they have in stock before u order, first order with them had a two month wait till i ended up cancelling...i got the matrix bar from them though finally... how much does rsb run? is it that much of a benefit?

 

funny you mention that. i just ordered mine today and i get their confirmation e-mail, i read though it a little and it said that if it is not in stock, they will ship it to you in 2-3 weeks after they have recieved some in stock(whenever that will be). hopefully they do have it in stock for me...

 

I have the $tealin FSTB and only bought it because of the name. I dont think it will do anything more than any other STB out there. I plan on making my car into a show car and want to go with the highest quality parts with matching names(look in my sig for an example). If you are just looking for a brace and dont care what it looks like go to ebay or somewhere like that and buy a $30-40 one, they will work fine.

K

 

The Rear Sway Bar (I have an Addco) makes another huge difference. Between the FSTB and the RSB, the car cuts corners like you wouldn't believe. You can get the Addco for as low as $140.00. It's easy to bolt on. Take you about 30 minutes and when you're done.. whooo! Corners like on rails!

Stabilizes the rear and reduces body roll substantially. I'd highly recommend the FSTB and RSB to anybody interested in improving their handling SUBSTANTIALLY. Both together kick the llamas ***.

 

sounds like I'm the only one but I did have some fitment problems with an FSTB from StreetBeat. problem was a wrenching noise at starts. I tightened & retightened at all points but the noise persisted...I removed the bar but left on the strut mount braces and the noise went away. wonder if some self-tightenting washers might do the trick. any ideas?

 

I am going to get an fstb and rsb for my 96 max.. which ones would you guys reccomend.. i like the whole "cost-effective" angle you guys have going here.. please tell me what you guys think would be the best for me to do and how much of a difference it would make.. thanks a lot

 

well...i think that this thread has basically sorted all issues out...let me put my input in (redundant?)...anyway...i just put on a streetbeat.com/matrix FSTB just 3 HOURS ago...it took a week to ship...it was a freaking cake to install...it looks great cause i don't care about the name...it cost me 46 bucks total...ok so figuere everyone raving about it so i guess i should notice some change...the last week i've been driving trying to memorize how my car handles to notice any subtle changes...well let me tell you something...i pulled out of my driveway and my mind went "uh oh...this is strange"...i took the turn at the bottom of my street at grandma speed and little bells started going off...i said screw it and took some crazy-a$$ turns and after i picked my jaw up off my lap i had a perpetual grin on my face...its a totally different amazing car...anyway...to sum it up...shell out 46 bucks...get the matrix one...its looks great with the chrome and black handles and once you get it on you'll love it forever...that's all i have to say about that...later

 

hey hey hey, i just ordered mine from street-beat yesterday. did you recieve a confirmation e-mail or did you just recieve the FSTB one week later without prior notice? i read over the e-mail they sent me right after i submitted my CC info and it said they may not have it in stock.. hopeuflly they do and i wont have to wait forever.. any comments to reassure me? thanks

 

they sent me 2 emails when i ordered it tell me that they will ship it in a couple days along with the order number...then a couple days later i got an email from them saying it was shipped and a email from UPS giving me the tracking #...then about 6 days after that i came

 

you were so excited over the email? then why did it take you 6 days? lol


Later

 

HAHAHAHAHA...oops...my bad...but good catch on your part...touche...hehehe

 

I got the Stillen FSTB for $100 used. I figured why not. It's just incredible looking. I now have the Stillen RSTB as well. Next I will get the RSB. I just ordered Sprint springs to round it all out. I can't wait to take the twisties!

I'm sure that they do the same job. If you don't care what it looks like then get the cheap one. I'm just really into making my car look it's best and if having that Stillen name across my brace then so be it! I like to have consistency in what I do.

 

what's the difference between an rstb and a rsb?? and witch should i get?

 

did you post this question in a new thread? bc i us answered the same question, go look at the thread called fstb, rtb, rsb for the answer

 

The RSTB takes up some of the trunk room and also runs through the trunk connecting one side to the other(actually it is just like the FSTB but for the rear). The RSB goes under the car and is not really visable when the car is just sitting there. Which one you should get depends on what you want. I know that you will feel the RSB more than you will feel the RSTB unless you plan on road racing. I suggest just going with the RSB for now and maybe later adding the RSTB.

K

 

Pot calling the kettle black...

I can't say there's a difference bc I've never tried a cheap one. I went with the stealin bc it just looks stronger/better to me. I'm not a stealin fan either. I have the courtesy one for the back to install now.

There's probably not a noticeable difference with any of them.

 

I've got them all (fstb, rstb, rsb). The strut towers are from Courtesy and the rsb is Addco. Honestly, I didn't feel a night and day difference with the fstb (first mod). The car is more stable in sharp turns and more solid across uneven surfaces, but that's about it. I have hard time believing it takes a normal family sedan into Corvette territory like some are saying. The Maximas unibody doesn't flex horribly and is quite a bit more rigid than the 3rd gen.

The rstb did little if anything.

The rsb was the best mod out of the 3. It took out a ton of roll in the turns and made the car more predictable. The downside is suspension binding and the addition of weight to the beam (12lbs) causes creaks and general harshness over big bumps.


Dave