M1RAG3

lol +1 this is so true

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Do you already have a Rear Sway Bar, GH?

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

speed means nothing when we are talking about body roll its how hard you're hittin the corners, and i can almost gurantee you dont take corners as hard as i do, you must not know about the DCmaxers................... Anyways, all the sway bar took was thought before you buy it, like really think, in worst case scenario what would ever need to be cut for a damn strut bar to go on a car??? its only contact point is the three bolts by your strut bay... there wouldnt need to be cuttin of a whole entire stud.... thats the reason ppl talk so much crap when you say ebay, the just want you to have some doubt...

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

No but i've driven a 2K1 with one, something thats definately on my list

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Well, you're right to the point about the RSB making much more of a difference in handling on the Maxima than the FSTB. Between the two, the RSB is by far the better contributor. You will seriously enjoy having a RSB on the Maxima. By all means, get one.

However, without a RSB, the FSTB all by itself makes a very noticeable difference in particular situations. (Cutting hard into a turn from a standing start; quick steering adjustments at low speeds; etc.) It's not dramatic, but it certainly makes the experience more confident and controllable. (Now, I will say as disclaimer that I'm also running ES motor mount bushings, which is another contributing factor in this area.)

Anyway, I don't know how else to say that about the FSTB. It makes a difference. It just does.

Perhaps your expectations were too high?

Mr. Blue Sky

iTrader: (1)

thanks in part to my fstb, I was able to have 100+ MPH fun on twisty portions of a local freeway near pasadena. Higher patrols in the area( and dumb *** drivers who would cut me off when noone else was on the freeway) caused me to end those fun times

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Although there's no mechanical relationship to the FSTB and triple digit speeds on public roads, certainly the FSTB gave you the confidence to drive irresponsibly.

So yeah, I suppose it could do that.

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

i probably would have tried it if i had more funds but i just started school and books are EXPENSIVE! so don't really have money to waste if it wasn't a direct fit.. but i will probably end up ordering one after school today.. hope everything turns out well with your mother.. (read ur other thread)

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

well I can only hope my fstb will give me that kind of confidence when I install it. Irrresponsibility here I come!

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Calgary, huh? I heard traffic laws are rather strict up North for that kind of, um, spirited driving.

maxima dude

mine off ebay hits my intake manifold...hadda dent it in to clear my manifold....and if i get spacers well their goes the strut bar lol...guess ill get sumtin else 2 clear the spacer down the road

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

you heard that?? uh... well I mean our speed limits are comparable to anywhere else... AND we are allowed to turn right on a red light.

I've had worse traffic violations in the USA than up here... Im not even allowed to drive in washington, Im not sure if that goes on to other states or if its only the one state.

Anyways, our laws may be stricter but I doubt it. The thing is I haven't had a ticket for 2+ yrs and I cant even recall the last time I had to slow down for a cop... I just cruise freely and dont even really worry about limits, unless its a playground zone...

I think we have less cops around to enforce our stricter laws....

Back to the main topic- I really hope the bar clears my IM after I get the spacers on... if not oh well for $30 shipped I can afford to give it away or something... I dont really want to blow $100+ for the stillen so I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

kc10fish

iTrader: (1)

you get what you pay for. ever take a corner, a serious corner , with that pos off e bay. I lived up in the mountains and had one break on me (right at the pivot point). so taking that experience with me I got the stillen. have fun with your 30 buck e bay junk cause I will not put my life on the line for 30 bucks again. The stillen is way better than anything I have seen on e bay let alone I can go there and ring some necks if and only if it ever happened again. And btw it hasn’t

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

If the brackets are weak, get them professionally re-welded.

"put my life on the line.." Wow, that's a lot of drama. You're not jumping out of an airplane... it's just a tower brace.

kc10fish

iTrader: (1)

ever drive up hwy 18 at 80mph on a good night and have the front end jerk on you going into a tight rt turn. guess not. but then again have fun with your 30 bucks. lol. and any person putting down a good product that they cant afford is drama to me

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

There are people on this forum who've have tried out a number of different model tower braces, and the general consensus is that they all pretty much perform the same. The ebay ones sometimes need re-welding, is all.

Don't freak the kid out. It's just a tower brace.

kc10fish

iTrader: (1)

i hear you. i just got tired of getting junk off of e bay. tried it and wont do it again. look at all the fitment issues with stuff people have gotten off e bay. please note that when you deal with a brand name you can deal with someone on the other end. doing a every day drive with alot of curves i guess was my fault that i put some trust into something i should of known would be cheep. thats just my 2 cents.......thanks

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

well its too late now, ebay one should arrive tomorrow and I will install after work. I'll keep you posted on the quality/results

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

Thanks very much, i really appreciate it... but about the FSTB, someone stated about 100MPH, i guess the confidence in it is good, i've also done 80mph on a ramp with a limit of 35mph without a FSTB and couldve gone faster but cars was coming along fast, Honestly after installing my FSTB i gained not even .01% more confidence in my suspension, like i said i bought mines to make my mod list look good, i guess we do have different perceptions of things but its just looks for me, better yet, if someone has one on order pay kean attention to your stock suspension and you may be able to tell me whats so different???

Mr. Blue Sky

iTrader: (1)

I don't drive like that anymore(it was stupid and reckless I admit), because with the crappy drivers we have in socal, the danger was just too high. It was definitely fun while it lasted. I know that it was a combination of pure luck, tires that held their grip, my stiffer springs, rear illuminas, the FSTB, oh and did I mention LUCK(or guardian angel, whatever you want to call it) that i didn't lose control.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Good for you, BlueSky! Sometimes when I think back on stunts that I pulled decades ago, I get downright scared with the hindsight. The sooner you learn to drive fun and responsibly, you'll feel better and live longer.

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

Alright, I just recieve my ebay ftsb thanks to UPS.

It looks really nice actually, seems very sturdy. The bar is pretty beefy and it kinda curved upward so Im hoping it has decent clearance. The joints on it look pretty sturdy too I can't imagine this thing breaking too easily.

Im installing tonight so I'll keep you posted and we will see if there is any noticable difference.

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

is anyone using this strut bar and has spacers installed?

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Nice. Looking forward to your opinion.

The nuts need to be torqued down to 50 ft lbs, or thereabouts.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

Although I don't have one, I think the vibrant is the better choice of all the FSTB's because there is a slight adjustment if you know what you are doing. You can make it a little more stiff or a little softer. AKA the custommaxima FSTB no longer available (i have the stillen on mine) If you can find a used vibrant I would go for that.

M1RAG3

I did and it PWNED my Veyron uppet:

honestly I do believe in the whole "you get what you pay for" axiom but honestly come on if you are driving SO hard in your 4-door, family sedan maxima that you can BREAK an FSTB then I dont think its the only thing that is going to get broken....all I'm trying to say is that even the most technologically advanced cars costing in excess of 1.0M euros are susceptible to wrecking so I think it all depends on the driver above any kind of "performance/handling enhancing product"....sometimes ppl just gotta slow down and enjoy the ride and arrive alive...you catch my drift?

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

So the bar went on pretty easy... It definitley makes a difference, but its not huge. I only felt anything different when I took a ramp that I know usually give me some serious body roll, it felt much stiffer and held the corner nicer.

The bend in the bar leaves lots of room for the IM it should even be fine with spacers I have 1" or more to spare between the IM and the bar.

Slight problem which I am going to have to try and fix tonight- Since the bar bends upward and has all that clearance, it pushes on the heat shield of the hood. Not a big deal the hood still closes fine, BUT it has cut off the washer fluid line on the driver side and it is not spraying now.... I think if I reposition the bar by adjusting it to angle forward a little bit I should be able to fix it. If not its coming off because seeing through the windshield is more important than flying through ramps...

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

datdude20... cleared very easily, i dont understood how the IM would hit it??? unless it was installed upside down

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

That's about expected. Nice change for an easy $30 DIY, eh? Wait until you get the RSB... handling will be vastly improved.

I've read where that's a common problem. Research the org on that for a solution. It could be as simple as re-routing longer wiper fluid tubing. If not... well there's always Stillen ($$$) or Racingline.

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

Ya Im going to reroute the line. I dont think I need a write up for that, just buy some silicone tubing and route it around the contact point.

On a side not I screwed up pretty bad trying to install the rear side markers. I didnt realize the best way was popping with a screwdriver, I figured that was the lazy way and went to work to get it from behind... needless to say two of the bolts holding my rear bumper cover are now sheared off and I have to go back in with some self threading screws to fix it.... and I only have 1 smoked side marker on, the other is going on during my lunch break right away here.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

Get someone to push down on it before you tighten the bolts to the hold downs

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

push down on the bar? what bolts to hold downs are you talking about? I already installed it everything is tight and its holding strong, what would I do differently?

scottygill

iTrader: (8)

I got my Ebay FSTB the other day and just installed it. It was a perfect fit on my 03 AT w/o header spacers. It was easy to install in about 15 mins. I have the same one that Maximo18 was showing pictures of. Im not counting on a very noticeable change in my suspension as im not a get-away driver squeaking tires at every turn. However for $28 ill appreciate it when i pop the hood and since Im riding on dubs, it might help with the roll/higher center of gravity for myself more so than for others.

Mr. Brett

iTrader: (7)

It's too bad that they don't have the CustomMaxima FSTB anymore. I bought one off of eBay last January for $45 when CustomMaxima had just went under new management and they were trying to clear out the stock. From the pics Hustle put up, mine looks a lot more solid than the "JDM" eBay ones that are on there now.

ridinwitha35

iTrader: (1)

Anyone else get the out-of-stock message? They say there's a manufacturing ETA of 5 weeks. Funny how they gave me a tracking number & all and then all of a sudden canceled the order.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Since I'm so pleased with my Racingline, I figure I'll plug their FSTB for anyone who's reading this and thinking about Ebay alternatives.

The bar is very strong, and designed to fit our cars perfectly, rather than the threaded end-points on the Ebay models. The bracket welds are thick, and the connecting ends are wide and solid. I've got 3/4 inch clearance... enough to account for phenolic spacers (which I've got on backorder at the moment), but not so much gap as to compromise the washer fluid.

By their advertisement, there was supposed to be a "Racingline" logo laser edged into their products, but mine is perfectly clean and smooth, no text. I don't know if that was a fluke, but I couldn't be happier about it. Looks far cleaner this way.

Their customer service was good, and they're even using a picture of my engine bay on their website, which is very cool while it lasts. (Mine is the first image.)

Here's their link:

http://racinglineperformance.com/sho...&idcategory=12

Grand_hustle17

iTrader: (22)

^^^ if somebody was to use my engine bay i would definately be advertising the exact same way LMAO!!!

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

I just fixed the washer fluid lines today... took 15 mins easy fix with some electrical tape. Just had to move the line out of the way and its all good now. For $30 you cant go wrong. For a difference you can feel you cant find a cheaper mod. ebay ftw

maximo018

iTrader: (6)

Hp difference? No its not going to make the car go faster. I'm just saying btw needing a tie rod end, replacement ctrl arm bushing and carrier bearing its makes up for it a BIT when I take that 35mph loop on the freeway at 80mph. I noticed my tires stop squealing and I don't have to fight her as much to stay in the curve. It helps out with the way I take corners (throttle). Its just there to keep my coilovers from making excessive movement in maneuvering. Thats all.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

There are three pieces correct? the mounts and the bar. The bar is bolted to the mounts. Before you tighten those bolts get someone to put a little weight on the bar while you tighten them. I'm not saying get a 400 pound guy to sit on it, but just get someone to push down on it then tighten it.