Hey guys...a few weeks back I was reading a thread dealing with RSBs and someone mentioned a drawback of installing a RSB. I can't remember what is was though, but I remember it made me think twice about wanting to buy one. Well, like I said it's been a few weeks and again I'm thinking of buying a FSTB and a RSB...I hate the way this car takes corners! Does anyone remember reading the thread I'm talking about or can you think of any drawbacks to installing a RSB? Thanks.

 

They say it causes the back end to be less stable when going over bumps. I've yet to experience this with mine.

 

I can only think of one drawback to having an RSB... not having it sooner!

I have a Stillen... easy to install, and great results afterwards.

-R

 

I read that it makes the rear of the car "hop" when it hits a bump on one side of the car only.. This doesn't seem to be a problem with the RSB as much as the single axle... *shrug*

I also read it doesn't do a whole lot more above and beyond lowering the car. Due to the maxima's obese weight, it sticks real well to the ground if lowered properly.

G'Luck!
Kevin

 

I know what you mean.

So you did the install yourself? You had to cut the trunk right? I wasn't sure if this was a DIY job or not.


Do you mean this isn't even worth doing if I'm not lowering the car?

 

Cut the trunk? Are you confusing the RSTB with the RSB?

Yes, you need a RSB if you are or not lowering the car.

 

RSB (Rear Sway Bar) is under the car. I think you'r thinking of RSTB (Rear Strut Tower Bar).

 

Think the thread was, as noted above, about wheel hop over bumps in corners. Think it was actually raised by jjs, and we met up for a ride last week in the twisties with my 2k3 (RSB-equipped) - since he has the initial concern, he may have good input on it now that he's experienced the ride. Long story short, bumps in a corner that are large enough to actually move the suspension (don't know how to describe this - but NOT ripples that basically just make the wheel hop) do not cause any additional problems with an RSB. It's the small, repetitive ripples that can make the back-end move, because each wheel has less freedom to react.

Anyway, I haven't encountered ANY problems that have made me reconsider the RSB - it's been great.

 

I used to have Stillen RSB on my 2000 SE and didn't really like it.
If you take a corner and hit the bump it will make the rear of the car jump out a little bit. Very sucki feeling. It is already doing it even without RSB because of stupid rear beam, but when you add RSB, you make it even more not independent, which it is already not. And that makes the rear of the car so unstable on bumps.
I installed H&Rs on my 2002 SE and sold my Stillen RSB, I like the way car handles now much better.

Alot of people here will say that RSB makes the car handle so much better.
I had it for more than a year on my 2000 SE and while I thought it was making difference, the car still rolled in corners. When I took it of before selling my 2000 SE and drove without it for a week, I could not notice any differences. So pretty much RSB did little to no effect at all there.
Maybe if you AutoX or something it might be helpfull at those limits, but on regular street driving I don't think you will notice it that much.
If I were you I would save money and got H&Rs and you will be happy.

This is just my opinon, so you can get RSB if you want. It won't hurt the handling of the car it just won't help as much either.

 

I haven't had any problems with my Cattman/Progress RSB, but I have noticed a good amount of oversteer when doing hard turns. If you tend to corner with a lot of power and have never experienced oversteer, it'll come as a surprise. To me, it reminds me that the RSB is working, but I don't neccessarily like the effect myself.

You should get the FSTB and RSB combo if you aren't planning on doing anything else to your suspension. If you aren't Stillen-minded, you can get both for under $200.00 total which is a pretty good value. The two together tighten everything up nicely. At worst, you'd just have to adjust your driving to the new effects.

If you plan on going the whole springs-shocks-struts-etc. mod route, you probably don't need the RSB.

 

Yes, I probably am confusing the two. I was actually talking to a friend who (supposedly) knows about cars and he was saying that I'd need to cut the trunk. So the one I want to get is the RSB and it goes underneath. Do you need a lift or jack stands to install it? Thanks for your help.

 

Forget about the RSTB that goes in the trunk area. For that, you'd have to cut some of the trunk lining to get access to the rear strut towers. This is really a cosmetic mod more than anything else, so it's not worth the money.

The RSB goes under the car across the rear beam. For the easiest install, you will need a jack, jackstands, and socket wrench with the appropriate sockets. Some people have been able to install it without taking off their wheels, but it's much easier to do with the wheels off.

No matter what, get jackstands for your own protection! Never work under your car without them.

Peace.

 

The only problem I can see with the RSB is if you put it too far up you stiffen the back up and you might fishtail.

 

Really I am installing my maxspeeds/gr-2's as soon as my struts come in. I was also going to complete my suspension mod by getting a RSB, but you recommend that RSB is not need after springs/shocks?

I really want a stable/sturdy feeling when i take corners. I test drove a s2000 and want it like that. I know it's impossible, but close as I can get to it...

s2000 drives and handles like a beaut!!!!

 

95% of the 4gen-5th gen problems w/ bumps if from the rear beam. If you like your car to understeer then fine, don't get one. But for me, the plowing understeering feature that Nissan designs into the maxima is irritating. I guess they don't want grandma to EVER turn the car around. The RSB is the only way to get the car to even GET CLOSE to some type neutral handling. W/O it, it's impossible to get the car to handle as well as it can. "Maybe" if you use some super stiff rear springs or something but the degradation in the ride quality would really suffer. One other benefit that the RSB had on my 3-gen is that since the rears didn't swat nearly as much w/ the Addco RSB, the fron't end didn't dip as much on the intial turn it. The car rotated though the corners much flater. The RSB made the rears to more work so the fronts didn't bear the load so much.

Note: I had my RSB off/on w/ Eibachs. It handled "better" with the Eibachs/Tokicos but it didn't change the car's understeer/oversteer characteristics.

 

Do any one of you people hear the RSB clunking when there are people in the back seat?

i went back to the shop that did it, he told me that he cleared the bracket and there is nothing below it, so the thing that is clunking is the actual bar.

anything info on this?

 

The only way you'd get no improvement on a 2000 SE with a RSB is if it was installed incorrectly, or adjusted to give the least amount of benefit.

I've got the same car, and it's changed completely since I put the Addco bar on. Body roll is down significantly, but the rear 'hop' has definitely gotten worse - a tradeoff I'm very willing to accept. I don't AutoX the car, but street handling is greatly improved.

 

My rear makes noise on a few specific bumps that max out suspension travel, and it's MUCH worse with passengers in the rear. I originally guessed it to be a bad stock shock, but it also does it with the GR2's installed. I hadn't considered it might be the RSB...hmmm....

Anyone?

 

Based on what you've said, it's EXTREMELY likely that it's the Panhard bar hitting the RSB clamp. Suggest you squirm under the car and move the bracket inward yourself - it's easy to do (at least on Progress bar - just loosen the nuts and slide the clamp towards the middle of the car). Don't really see how the shop could check that he cleared the clamp for the entire range of motion without actually compressing the suspension (which he didn't do...).

 

Over the last few years there have been some RSB owners that found themselves off the road from hitting a bump in a turn, like a ramp. Bottom line is your car will be less forgiving and you need know where the limit is because it wont warn you quite as much. Then there's the unforseeable, but you always have that. Hard to say if it was the RSB, people overdrive and find themselves in grass and guardrails all the time. Drive mindful of that, keep some good tires on the car and you probably wont see any downside.