kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

I was thinking of adding a strut bar to my maxima.

I remember sometime back eBay was flooded with ones for like $30 shipped.

I have been searching online since last evening but cant seem to find any under $50.

Any pointers?

Lontar1

iTrader: (5)

Ebay, classifieds... wont do anything on your car just the looks.....

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

I was reading it would be good if added the strut bar alongwith the RSB I am thinking of installing.

Will just the RSB work?

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Absolutely. Much more so than a front strut tower brace.

Here we go again...

kukx30de, if you're very sensitive to your ride, you'll appreciate a good FSTB all by itself, with no RSB. But its application is limited to accelerating hard into the turn. Stillen and Racingline make quality braces... Ebay is a wildcard.

Between the two, the RSB will provide the most significant overall handling improvement on your 5th gen. Hands down. No comparison.

Do them both. Start with the FSTB, because it's inexpensive and easy to install. Play with it for a while, then get the RSB and enjoy.

Lontar1

iTrader: (5)

I have both and the front is only for the looks of the engine.. that's all, it is like changing your 00-01 engine cover for the AE edition one, but the RSB that's a must regardless of what you do.

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

ebay fstb is well worth the $30 its makes a difference you can feel in freeway ramps and other hard corners. Anybody who says fstb does nothing obviously has never had one or just drives like a geezer

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

OP, he's spot on about the RSB with our live axle. As to Lontar's opinion about the FSTB... it's possible his feel for it has been overshadowed by other mods. It doesn't take much to make the tower brace irrelevant. If you're only going to spend money on one of these things, get the RSB.

You know, all this stuff... it's just opinions and advice. Ultimately you make your own decisions, and form your own impressions.

Exactly right.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

Get 1 off eBay. You'll feel a slight difference, but don't expect much.

I feel the difference in both my 4th and 5.5 gen.

20Max03

iTrader: (1)

i got mine off of ebay for really cheap 30$ about 2 weeks ago it looks beautiful under the hood, and i def. agree that it works. i hate when people say it does nothing because i have one and i can feel it at high way speeds and on-off ramps. feels like the front wheels are planted to the ground.. if you really want handling get a RSB worth every penny my buddy has one on his maxima and its a night and day difference

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

WRONG...

do you really have one installed or you just saying that? or do you just listen to what other people say on here...

not looking to argue,.. its nothing like changing engine covers.. I agree it is not like adding springs or coilovers,..but its more like adding a suspension component when combined among others, the true car enthusiast can tell the difference in.

i know i can,.. if you gave me my car on 10 different occasions with it on and off half of the time i would know when it was on there...

not to start another arguement.. but a RSTB makes a difference too,..ask me how i know..

(FWIW i sold my rstb cause it made the car feel too stiff on quick turns)

hot_wax_tree

Get the Ebay one no sense waisting money on something so little. I mean come on they are all the same two brakets on either end with a bolt holding a bar in place how could one be better? a bigger bar?...really nothing

6spd

True....My only concern with this is how much flex the smaller bars would allow for. The thicker bars are more rigid depending on design. I'm new from g20.net and just bought a 01 i30t. The 4th gen maxima bar can be modded to fit the p11 and it def made a difference. I noticed a slightly firmer feel under strong acceleration, like a lil less torque steer....The best way to describe it is your car being more unified and thus better defined handling.

MoncefA33

iTrader: (6)

Wrong. AE cover adds horsepower.

Theoretically speaking an FSTB improves torsional rigidity. You can debate at length whether or not you can feel it, but it does do it.

Getting an RSB is def more effective, since it effectively increases spring rate when you're going into a turn and keeps the rear planted more.

M1RAG3

+1

I feel a noticable difference with my custommaxima.com FSTB during turn-in and while cornering at high speed. It just seems to me that the front end of the car corners flatter and crisper -and this was before I got the RSB.

ridinwitha35

iTrader: (1)

The question the OP asked was where to buy the cheap ones...

kukx30de, like you I was searching for a cheap FSTB but all the ones I could find were for 4th gens. You just have to keep scoping out eBay & the classifieds on a weekly basis. One week I just happened to check & found one on eBay for 20 bucks shipped.

Lontar1

iTrader: (5)

I have a Custom Maxima one, Stillen RSB, Illuminas, Maxspeeds, been around here for a long long time.. and if you guys feel something.. GOOD, I didn't, but it is my opinion and I respect all others opinions.
Please ignore my comment on what I said about the FSTB and listen to all the other members... good luck on your hunt for a new FSTB.

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

guys... to start with I appreciate the input on this thread.

I'm not completely into performance for the max due to her age now but driving my 330 half the time.. I feel a little off driving the max sometimes.

Last night I was able to find a friend with a 3rd gen and just for fun he actually let me drive his car with the fstb on and fstb off. For our FL on ramps and almost circular freeway entries.. I felt it did make a difference.

I am going to get a chance to drive a 4th gen this evening with a RSB installed and he too has an fstb which I asked if I could remove just to test the effectiveness.

I think I'm close to deciding but my general reading on this topic has told me the RSB will make the "OMG" difference compared to the FSTB, granted the fstb is the cheaper mod of the two.

The max has been good this year so part of the maintenance fund is going towards suspension mods.

I already saw there is a Progress RSB for 168 shipped which seems to have good reviews so I was thinking if I could get both for the 200 mark it would be awesome!

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

That's a nice, methodical approach you're taking. Good for you. And you're fortunate to have friends like you mentioned to help you out. That 4th Gen test drive will be a fair comparison.

I'm not sure "OMG" is a reasonable expectation for the RSB, but you will like it. Worth every penny.

tunafish51

Id get the progress rsb and racingline fstb. both are a good value

bigpopaj369

iTrader: (2)

they DO make a difference. yea its not like a huge difference but u WILL notice some difference, it will be a bit firmer. honestly if u can do both then do both id start with the FTSB then get the RSB like mentioned above. im my last car i had both F+R tower braces and lowered on eibachs. the drop was before the braces and i drove around for a good 2 months before the braces. after i got them i noticed a decent change in handling, well worth doing. if ur driving miss daisy obv ur not guna notice much but if u drive fairly spirited like i do u will. when u get them if u do post pics for us picwhores.

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

Personally I did feel a very slight difference with the FSTB, but I didnt really like it. I agree that it "stiffens" it up, but I felt in increases the under steer bias that our cars come with. Also, I had some fitment issues with the racingline FSTB. I had to grind down a corner of the bracket to get it to sit flush around the strut mount area, and the bar itself was touching the underside of the hood. I am not sure if they have modified their design since then, but just wanted to throw the warning out there. Due to these things the FSTB is no longer on my car.

My progress RSB is still on the car and it will never come off. The difference it makes is subtle at first until you get a chance to do some higher speed cornering. Check with Cattman, the $168 shipped sounds a little steep. I think I got mine for $130 shipped.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

I had the same fitment issue, but a few minutes with a metal file and some black paint... problem solved. My Racingline doesn't hit the underside of the hood, though, and I've still got about a 1/4" clearance between the FSTB and the Upper IM, even after installing phenolic spacers. I believe the engine sits a little lower if you use ES bushings.

Yeah, baby. Ditto.

spock

iTrader: (5)

I've got an ebay one new in the box that I'd sell for like..25 bucks.

Rhyno02

iTrader: (12)

I can't say anything about the quality of the eBay ones but it seems alot of people here are happy with them. I bought my Otto FSTB off of a fellow orger and have no fitment issues with the hood or the UIM and I felt a difference. I have GLE though and the suspension is geared for comfort, not performance so perhaps that's why it was noticable. It does dress up the engine bay rather nicely too...

ebadai98

iTrader: (2)

the front strut bar and rear sway bar are both a must in my opinion the car takes turns so much better

Custom Maxima

iTrader: (1)

We just developed some FSTB's for the 3rd-5th gens for only $49.99 shipped. We've been receiving good feedback from all orders so far. Check 'em out, and feel free to call us with any questions. GL on the buy

spock

iTrader: (5)

The most prominent improvement that I noticed was more stability on corners with bumps. Going around 55-60 mph through a corner on a highway that has a frost raised culvert for example. Without my Racingline strut bar, the car would feel unstable, (felt like it wanted to skate sideways-never did, just felt like it). With the bar, the car feels more planted to the ground and does not give the feeling that it wants to skate into the turn nearly as much when the bump is hit. This one particular spot is on the way to and from the beer store, so I get to test it fairly frequently.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Nice. It's fun starting a Sunday morning with a good laugh, (before I start watching the decidedly un-fun news shows.)

Beer Store... classic.

On topic to your observations, Spock: whatever added stability you're feeling at speed will be overshadowed (in a good way) by introducing a rear sway bar. Although the FSTB will still be noticeable when accelerating hard into a turn from a roll or dead stop.

spock

iTrader: (5)

I've certainly been thinking about a RSB. Maybe this summer.