Don't worry about it John, the install presented another opportunity to add to your tool box collection

 

More tools = win!

 

DJ, I think maybe the torque wrench you use for this is more accommodating than mine. Because I swear there's no way to get a straight-on socket with my wrench. The head is too big.

Or at least, that's what she said.

Whatever the reason, or lack of mechanical aptitude on my part, it's a done deal. The nuts are torqued back down to about 50 ft/lbs, and the RSTB is bolted in place. This will be my very last suspension mod on the car. And pretty much the last mod of any kind, for that matter.

 

It's a standard craftsman ratchet...no torque wrench needed

 

Yea Rochester, im pretty sure too those are there for structural help. I never took them off to install springs or the bar. I tried but it looked to involved so i just retightened everything. Like DJ said i useda six inch extension for the out bolt and a tall socket for the inside bolt. I just have to remove everything in there and yes the job is a PITA when you get older and arent 150 lbs.

Rochester, have you done the hiway or any other driving. The one thing that i did to mine that i def notice a diff in is the center support. I made up some brackets that bolt to the floor and the center of the bar.



This def added in the improvement. Not sure if you can do this to a stillen bar though

 

Just some ramping last night. And like I said, my impression is that the back end had less lift when plowing into the off-ramp. A small change, but a welcome one. Of course, I have a number of basic suspension mods: RSB, FSTB, Torque Link, HP Blues, MOOG parts everywhere, ES Bushings everywhere... so the RSTB was a complimentary mod, and not something you would expect to stand out on its own.


I like what you did there with your custom RSTB. By introducing the center bracket, you're transferring lateral stress throughout the frame instead of between the strut-tower. (blah blah blah, not-an-engineer ) From what you're saying, that seems to work for you, and it's pretty clever. But I won't be going that route. I'm done. (Or done in, LOL.)

Time to put the liner back in the trunk.

 

I think, again also not an engineer, that having the strut towers connected they can move in unison. The rear beam, sway bay and all the other parts under the car help keep everything boxed so to speak. My thinking was putting the center piece in if there was any movement that it would now tie directly to the body to limit that movement. I can attest to it working. Once that was on it felt much stiffer in the back.

No i need to replace the trailing arm bushings. I think that would stiffen the rear up to get rid of that marshmallow feel like when you swerve left right left right. I wonder if that Scott russell replacement part for the lowered vehicles helps at all as well.

 

SR link makes a small difference, but a nice one. Marginal, but able to be felt, like the addition of RSTB. Car feels more centered for sure.

 

does the link make the rear fell more connected to the car. What i mean is when the rubber bushings start to go, or just being rubber, the car feels soft i guess in the rear. WOuld putting the SRR link in eliminate some of that soft feeling

 

Yea, I suppose you could say it does that.

 

nice work jeff.

well see about that.

 

Thanks Proph, yea , thats like saying ill only eat one chip
or im getting to old for this


"It's always too early to quit."
Norman Vincent Peale

 

 

Sorry for the delay guys. With winter and family issues I have not been able to get with RacingLine to try to do fitting for the RSTB. We are still trying to get together, so hope it is not too late. Though for some it looks like it is.

 

Oh, right. Yeah man, sorry about that.

When Roy parted out his Sin City Max last December, I snagged his Stillen RSTB. God's honest truth is that I wasn't about to spend a lifetime waiting for Racingline to get their act together.

Nice guy and all, and great products... but I had an opportunity to get a proven RSTB in my hands for a reasonable price. So I took it. Been debating on whether or not to bump that Racingline thread with a "count me out" comment, particularly since I was the one pushing that along. Kind of awkward, you know?

 

No problem, I can completly understand. I have been running around all winter with my trunk gutted, waiting for a call. Looks as though he has been too busy with the 7th Gen stuff.

 

I am so sorry! Once he started taking measurements, I thought for sure he'd follow through. I mean, there were like 60 members who were actively interested.

It was entirely out of my hands. Again, sorry.

 

i may be in the same boat...but ill be 70 and still modify whatever i drive. Unless its like rocket powered like the Jetsons. Oh wait ill still mod it to get more thrust

 

Good on you! If you say that you still lay on your back under your car, I'll be truly impressed.

 

In full disclosure, getting the RSTB in was a real PITA for me, and I was seriously considering having my mechanic do it. But at the same time, I didn't want my mechanic thinking, "WTF? This guy can't install a simple RSTB?"

 

Ok Rochester, good on you too.
The joints do complain a lot more than they used to when climbing out from under the car or out of the trunk.
I still have to pull my rear struts in order to replace the crap Moog bellows that cracked after less than a year. I remember the feeling of getting out of the trunk. By the way, I don't use a swivel either. 3/8" torque wrench,(for final tighten only), and a 6" extension.

 

3/8" torque wrench... that makes sense in hindsight. My 1/2" was actually too big for the job, and was probably the reason why it was harder than it should have been. That, and using a deep socket for the front strut bolt. Two good pieces of advice if someone where doing this for the first time.

 

if I had the resources jeff had, I would definately do this. But I dont so I am leaving this alone. The center connection point seems awesome too.
This is the most positive thread on the RSTB.

Jeff I do wonder though if you removed your RSB and then got a feel for what this did without it. Because theres a new normal back there with that RSB prior to the RSTB install.

Kinda like me with the LTB Stage II and debating installing the subframe connectors after the fact. Personally I dont think they will do much additionally to what I allready achieved there. :blah:

 

I had the RSB first prior to making the RSTB. The RSB def helped. HOnestly i think it helped more than the RSTB. But i added the RSTB as well due to thinking if i can try to tie all areas of the body and frame together it would make it that much more stable and fun to drive.
Kinda look at it this way. YOu take a card board box and on the bottom you take all the flaps and fold them under to get that star like effect the box will hold items in it no problem. It will also be somewhat rigid. But now improve on that by putting that 2 inch wide tape to hold everything together and the box will hold much more, be more rigid and have less areas for the cardboard to be displaced due to the star effect and tape holding everything together.

Another area i think would help out is it we were able to cut off our existing trailing arms. The trailing arms we have i think def flex under load. Take some tubular or round steel bars and weld them to the rear axle, have the part of the bar (where the trailing arm bushings go) that is mounted to the body fabbed up to hold the bushings and be the proper length. Then you would have another rigid attachment point.

If you have ever looked under a fox body mustang or Chevelle or GTO or any type of 4 link system that has upper and lower trailing arms, the factory stuff is swapped out for more rigid, sturdy units
Comparison stock mustang trailing arms vs aftermarket


2010 camaro comparison of stock vs BMR trailing arms



If we could do something like this, although it would need to be cut off and welded to the rear end then bolted to the body, i think it would be a huge dif

 

Extension + deep socket for the inner nut, and just the deep socket for outer nut. I actually just used a flexi-head Gear Wrench for the outer one.

 

Nice work doing all this, Jeff. Glad to see that you're making some good improvements to the car still.

 

YEAH I was wondering what had happen with those ones from Racingline....

 

Until i can actually afford a built vehicle from Rousch, Hennessy, M3 or AMG the Max is focus on making a handling, accelerating king.

Now if i can figure a way to fab in an independent rear suspension and turnthe engine to make the max RWD........

 

I will see about getting together with him in the next few weeks and see if we can get this back on track.


Pick up a 300ZX or 350Z as a donor car, that would be a start

 

Also the money to do it. Honestly if i won the lottery i would keep the max and make that a project. Would be a worthy magazine vehicle

 

I just now re-installed my trunk liner, with little notches cut out to support the RSTB. That was really easy. Pictures tomorrow sometime. Not that they'd be any different from any other Stillen RSTB photos... but it's closure on my time with this mod.

On the upside, my spare tire has correct pressure now. Portable air-compressor FTW!

On the downside, the cardboard cover on my spare tire well is all warped like a cereal bowl.

 

You need one of these... they work great.

http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...ght=saggy+tire

 

Hey, I remember those! Wait... that's djfrestyl. Man, look at all that sound deadening material.

 

Lol you guys are freakin hilarious.

 

It's a strut tower brace.



It's in my trunk. And... I'm done.



Notice my custom window decal.

 

Dude, it worked great. It made lying in the trunk doing suspension work more comfortable, that's for sure, LOL.

 

I know my custom made one made a huge diffrence, But its built very heavy and solid too

 

Nice work. Your trunk lining looks to be in pristine condition too. Mine is all torn up from multiple suspension job and just hauling all kinds of random crap back there.

 

Mission accepted, Work on this starts as soon as I get the time

 

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