DjHackStyle

car - 5.5th gen 2003 maxima 3.5L 6 speed manual

i just got a racingline strut bar,and i installed it, it was easy. the instructions said it would be very close to the AC line, my bar looked very high above the AC line and the bar is also very high above the intake manifold, it cleared everything, and i thought great!

when i tried to close the hood, it wouldnt close! the bar is in the way, so i thought about it and i loosened every bolt leaving everything attached and i retightened everything like the way you would tighten a wheel, left then right then up then down. and the hood now closes much better, but it is still hitting on the final push down to secure it. i figured no big deal, but i hear vibrations from the hood while driving and when i turn off the car the hood rattles. i thought maybe this is normal? i looked at my invoice and box and read everything carefully and my invoice says A33 maxima strut bar, and the box says A34 maxima strut bar..........could that be a problem?

is the 6th gen maxima strut bar different or the same as my 5.5 gen maxima?

i have tried to contact racingline through their website and it totally sucks! no phone numbers anywhere!!! they wont respond to my emails either!! im pretty sure they'll take another order but they wont answer my emails! anybody have a phone number for racingline?? if this is normal then i'll just leave it alone help plz !

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Its possible you got the wrong one. Racingline usually ships a good product so I would hunt for a number and try to get an exchange. THey will say you ordered the wrong one so be prepared to pay shipping

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

What he said. Racingline makes a good product, even if their customer service can be spotty. Good enough, just hard to get a hold of.

The only issue with the Racingline FSTB is on some cars it pinches the washer fluid. And earlier models were tight between the brackets. Other than that, it's a perfect fit. Sounds like you got the wrong model.

DjHackStyle

ok i actually went to paypal and filed a dispute with racingline, i dont want my money back, i just want them to respond to me and see if this can be resolved. maybe they will answer an email from paypal!

Ghost_54

iTrader: (13)

I have one of the original FSTB's from Racingline and as Rochester has stated the only issue I had was the pinching of the driver side washer fluid line, (was an easy fix by just reaching under the hood cover and removing the grommit that holds the fluid line in place as that is what was being pinched) ... The FSTB that I was testing for Racing line was originally designed for the 04 Altima's and although it is a tight fit I have had no vibration noises from the hood, so it may be possible you have the wrong one and as others have said best to reach out and contact them.

DjHackStyle

good info guys, my bar doesnt look like the installation instructions, those look tight and low and mine is way above all the referenced points.

03VQMAX

iTrader: (46)

This must be why I've been having issues with my nozzles, smh

03VQMAX

iTrader: (46)

I just realized the "A34" part of the OPs post. When I received mine last year it said A34 and I emailed them about it and they said it's okay. Can you take a picture of yours DjHackStyle???

DjHackStyle

ok ill take some pictures of it and post em up, my bar makes my hood rattle all time, and my ES mounts make that even worse !

Ghost_54

iTrader: (13)

When you say it makes your hood rattle it make me think you may have a broken stablizing strap weld or multiple and you would get a more noticible vibration at idle with the ES lower engine mounts but not a hood rattle unless one of the stablizer straps under the hood has broken free.

this is a pic of my Racingline FSTB

DjHackStyle

ok i looked at your pictures and my bar was off from yours take a look at these pictures
this is my entire bar



notice how this strut tower appears to be lifted up, its actually curved upwards i have no idea why it doesnt look bent and it is tight, it just came this way


look at this picture, notice how the SPACING between the AC line and the bar is very FAR ABOVE and in your pictures its very close together, and you also notice the brace is not sitting flush on the car.....seems wrong to me.



this is the right side brace, looks normal to me



a close up of it for you guys



this is the spacing between the intake manifold and the bar



here is my hood hinges i think this is what you mentioned, they look fine?




ok so guys talk to me, did i install this wrong somehow or did racingline mess up?? i am open to all suggestions

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

This here is the bracket for the Racingline FSTB on the 5th Gen Maxima.

If I recall, I also had issues with one or both brackets not sitting flush, because one of the welded pieces was rubbing on the lip of the strut tower. But I just got out the metal file and fixed it. No big deal.

AznRyan

iTrader: (1)

I want a bracket like that. The fleaBay fstb I got looks like the brackets were made in high school shop class -_-`

03VQMAX

iTrader: (46)

My strut bar is now rubbing on another end of the hood insulation and its stuck to the bar looks horrible! But on the drivers side, I'm not able to put that bolt there like the one in the pic, oh well.

Ghost_54

iTrader: (13)

Your mounting bracket for the passenger side is definately bent (they both should sit flush to the top of the towers) ... I wasn't speaking of the hood hindges as the sourse of your rattle ... the stablizing straps are welded right on the hood itself you would need to pull down the cover that is mounted right on the hood to inspect for any possible broken welds in the stablizing straps ... these straps are ment ro reduce hood flutter at high speed. My thoughts are you may have a broken weld spot which is allowing the stablizing strap to rattle against the hood, and with ES engine mounts you would have more vibration at idle and if a stablizing strap was broken free you would hear the rattle.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Agreed. That's not right. It should be flush and not at all bent.

DjHackStyle

i see, so im glad everyone agrees something is not right with my setup.
i will take off the hood insulation to check thanks.

if racingline would just respond to me, we could have come to an agreement, their support probably doesn't care about my fitment issues?

anybody recommend another brand strut bar after im done dealing with racingline?

03VQMAX

iTrader: (46)

Sorry to thread jack, but besides the center of the bar hitting the insulation mine is hitting on the passenger side!



This is the section rubbing on the bar pic above....

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

I suggest you take the bracket off the car, put it in a vise to straighten it back out. Then figure out why it's not fitting perfectly, whip out the metal file or grinder, and fix it yourself.

Racingline is more than nice enough when you actually connect, but for the most part, you're on your own. It is what it is, so get over it and fix it.

C'mon, you can do it. You've got "Hack" in your screen-name, for crying out loud.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Registrant:
*Racingline*Performance
*1609*Salal*cres
*coquitlam,*BC*V3E2Y3
*CA

*Domain*name:*RACINGLINEPERFORMANCE.COM

*Administrative*Contact:
****Scharfe,*Joe**
****1609*Salal*cres
****coquitlam,*BC*V3E2Y3
****CA
****6046296589
*Technical*Contact:
****Scharfe,*Joe**
****1609*Salal*cres
****coquitlam,*BC*V3E2Y3
****CA
****6046296589

*Registration*Service*Provider:
****Netfirms,*Inc.,*
****+1.866-317-4678
****+1.781-998-8586*(fax)
****http://netfirms.com
****This*company*may*be*contacted*for*domain*login/passwords,
****DNS/Nameserver*changes,*and*general*domain*support*que stions.

*Registrar*of*Record:*TUCOWS,*INC.
*Record*last*updated*on*17-Mar-2011.
*Record*expires*on*23-Jul-2015.
*Record*created*on*23-Jul-2006.

*Registrar*Domain*Name*Help*Center:
****http://tucowsdomains.com

*Domain*servers*in*listed*order:
****NS3.JUSTSERVERS.CA***
****NS4.JUSTSERVERS.CA***

*Domain*status:*clientDeleteProhibited
****************clientTransferProhibited
****************clientUpdateProhibited

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

OMG, CJ... you know how to run a whois on a domain name

It would be a lot more impressive if you found Joe's cell phone number and Junior Prom photo.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Joe who Mr smarty pants many people dont know you can get company info and contact numbers like that.sheeh so grumpy must be constipated today didnt eat your prune pudding today?

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

"Joe" is Racingline Performance. When/if you get through to Racingline, that's the guy. Nice guy, too.

I'm just saying, you could have simply posted the phone number instead of C&P the entire whois response. What is impressive to some is just being showy to others. And don't knock prune pudding until you try it.

No... scratch that. It's horrible.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Im working on a android tablet so (copy) is copy all and paste no selection ability also no editing on mobile edition of org

DjHackStyle

I know i can straighten it out thats not the problem, if its just bent then that'll solve my problem but what if its for a 6th gen and the brace is different even if i bend it, it still might be raised up or maybe the bar is longer than supposed to be. Bottom line is i paid $125 for it so i shouldnt have to custom fit my brackets i paid for it! megan racing has a $30 bar that im thinking about getting

DjHackStyle

Good info on the phone number, u guys are dangerous. How do i dial that phone number from the USA because i think thats canada, not fimilar with the dialing prefix

spock

iTrader: (5)

Do you think that we live in igloos too? Just dial the number.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

By all means, if they sent you the wrong bar, keep trying to get the right one.

Have you hit up the 6th gen forum for help identifying what you have there?

Do you think? British Columbia.

Clashez

iTrader: (5)

Yes this is also a big problem lol I can never fix my mistakes... they need to fix this bug

spock

iTrader: (5)

No kidding....You are trying, though.

wirelessdude04

iTrader: (24)

That was a good find lol