I received word that Cattman will have available a rear sway bar thats fits BOTH 04 and 05 models. I have a prototype on my 05 and it is really good. Clearly feel a huge difference in handling as it is much flatter in the turns, especially freeway entrance ramps and tight mountain turns.

Cattman will have it available about 2-3 weeks for about $150, which includes the bar and urethane bushings. Its a "must have" for any 6th Gen Maxima. Its the only one I know of for both the 04 AND the 05 Maxima.

 

Nice!!!! How exactly does it work??? Not familiar with sway bars.

And how easy is it to install???

-MO-

 

Do they or anyone else make a strut bar for the front? When going over road imperfections on faster tighter turns, I notice a little sway from the front sometimes but nothing from the back.

 

Sway bars, or the anti-sway bars as is the "proper" term, attach from the control arms on each side to the chassis in the middle. Anti-sway bars resist the cars urge to lean in turns. The larger or stiffer the bar, the greater the resistance to leaning. Typically, in front wheel drive cars, the car will have a tendency to "push" or understeer due to the greater mass of the car located in front and the fact that the front wheels are the drive wheels. To compensate for understeer, stiffness is added to the rear to allow the car to handle more neutrally. The BEST way to do this is a larger rear anti-sway bar with urethane bushings, instead of rubber bushings. An alternative is to increase the stiffness of the rear springs and shocks.

The anti-sway is not hard to install. The effect of a larger rear bar in our cars is dramatic, believe me. Even my kids noticed the difference.

The front strut brace has a more minor effect of handling, but is still good to have. This is going to create more understeer and should only be used when the rear is stiffened. Stillen sells one for about $148. It is a very easy install, although it may rub a little on the intake. Also, a small piece of the plastic cover on the driver's side has to be cut out to allow for fitment.

 

hmmmm this could be my next upgrade for my baby....though waiting 2-3 weeks is going to be hard to do. The fact that they are offering the urethane bushings over the rubber is what's going to get me to wait.....Deus if you hear any other info on it, please let us know...or even pm me thanks

 

good point. This is the first FWD car I have ever owned after many years of RWD only. I should of realized the effects would be different between the 2, if not almost backwards in some cases.

 

My Stillen RSB was one of the best mods I made to the Max. I've had it in over a year and half and it still handles really well Huge difference from stock...

JJT

 

how do you installed yours dues? Did you have to take anything off? are the holes made or did you drilled and tapped holes on the chassis?

 

you remove the existing bar and it bolts onto the same mounts.

 

You could "almost" say there is not such thing as an aftermarket front sway bar for a front wheel drive car. Very useful for rear wheel drive cars, but not on ours - it will make the car understeer (plow forward when you're trying to make it turn) worse than ever.

When autocrossing SE-Rs and other fwd cars, its not unusual to disconnect the FSB end links on the track.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

This is true, I've seen one put in - very simple installation and it uses all the factory hardware except for the bushings.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

An FSTB and bushings (when available) will tighten up what you're referring to here. Putting on a stiffer front sway bar would not address this, and would cause other issues in a fwd car (see my preceding post).

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

Brian. I realize this is the 6th gen section. But for my 3-gen, the ST performance front sway bar did wonders for handling. Especially with my Addco rear bar. It made the front end corner MUCH flatter. Didn't increase understeer at all. (Despite the theory). My car still handles much more neutral than w/o the front bar. Just alot less front end dive on each corner.

 

I'll assume that the Cattman RSB will be in black? Also what's the link for the site? Just wondering now so I have it. Thanks

 

Surprisingly, the link is www.cattman.com

 

thanks

 

I want a FSTB that is engineered to fit perfectly

 

Probably a dumb question but does this product give you a stiffer ride? Almost more like a sports car performance? Feeling every bump in the road, etc?

 

It dosent effect the ride stiffness, it decreases body roll in turns

 

From what I understand, there are some already out there for the 05 Max right?? What brands?? What is the main difference between sway bars?? Strength?

Which ones have you guys bought that are happy with??

-MO-

 

There is no bar to fit an 05 Max that I am aware of. I think Stillen is the only company to make a bar to fit an 04. Cattman is the only company that I am aware of that will not only produce a bar that fits an 05, but also an 04.

The aftermarket bars are typically thicker than OEM bars, which resists leaning in turns. Anti-sway bars only take effect when a car changes direction, as in a turn.

 

Awesome groupbuy anyone

 

Just goes to show, conventional wisdom and truth in application do not always agree! You know your stuff, so I don't doubt a word of it. That said, I don't know of any FSBs for post-94 Maximas - does anyone know of an example?

I recall it being said that the FSB on the 4th and 5th gens was a bear to remove and replace - don't know if that's true and, if so, I don't know if that would apply to the 6th gen as well.

Brian

 

This will sound rediculous, but don't go there... You won't find the parts that we make for 02/03, much less 04+.

Its hideously out of date while our new site is in a rather extended period of preparation and until the new site is up, its an embarassment.

The new site - with everything you'd expect a site like this to include - should be up within the next month or so.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

These will come in a gunmetal gray powdercoat finish. Bushings are bright green. No, just kidding, they're black.

Brian

 

Often thicker, but in this case, the difference in stiffness results primarily from changing the bar's composition. As has probably been discussed previously on the 6th gen forum, the diameters of the stock rear anti-sway bars are slightly different on the 04 and 05 Maximas but both are hollow. The Progress-Cattman bar is 24mm - not that different from the stock diameters - but it is solid steel. [FWIW, you couldn't make a stiff enough bar with hollow tubing, design constraints prevent a significantly larger diameter bar.] Probably adds 4-5 more pounds to the weight of the car, but since its attached to the frame, its not suspended weight either - more than worth it.

The prototype that Deus has on his car is 22mm - I think he's going to like the 24mm version even better. I've always been a strong RSB proponent for Maximas, but even I was caught off guard by the different this makes on the 6th gen.

Brian

 

We'll kick things off with a promotional price.

Brian

 

I'm in for it.....

 

Brian is right. The 22mm with urethane bushings handles much much better. Trust me!! The RSB changes the handling characteristics for the better with no detriment to ride quality. Very confident-inspiring, especially on freeway on-ramps when you blow past everyone!!

 

I hear that, I had all the suspention mods on my 02.. in corners you couldn't catch me.... its unreal how these mods make a hell of a diffrence...

 

Wait, I'm alittle confused. Whats the difference between a "anti-sway" bar and a strut bar?? I thought that the front sway bar that you guys were refering to is that bar underneath the hood that connects to both of the wheel wells.

Am I way off???

-MO-

 

no, they are refering to the one under the rear suspention (sway bar) strut bar is the one under the hood.....

 

if i get this for my SL..,would i notice the difference in handling??alot??

 

05MAX - A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE. An anti-sway bar, or sway bar as people erroneously call it, is UNDER the car and attaches to the suspension underneath. A strut brace attaches ON TOP of the strut and connects from one side to the other, to provide rigidity. More serious strut braces also attach to the firewall to provide more rigidity.

 

thanks man..BTW nice maxi..i want a onyx..for my WHT..DAM..

 

I don't have an sl, but the sway bar makes a big diffrence and you notice it right away... I dunno how it will feel with the sl set up, I had it on a 02 se with struts, eibachs, strut bar front and back and the sway bar, and it was like riding on rails..

 

just sold me eibachs cuz heard issues for the SL..and i dont like to scratch my front bbumpers on high bumps and parking driveways!!!..but i will definitly get the sway bar..

 

im curious, how does this cattman rsb compare to the stillen. correct me if im wrong isn't the stillen rsb still hollow.

 

For one, it is the only bar to fit an 05.

 

just about to ask this. and you're saying the cattman is a different shape?

how soon will these be available?