Paradox Systems (http://www.paradox-systems.com/) gave me excellent service when I recently (August 2004) bought an Alutec lightweight all-aluminum front strut bar for my '96 Maxima. This item was offered at a 20% discount off the regular $100 price and with free shipping from New York arrived in California in three days via USPS Express Mail. Before buying, I emailed a couple of questions about the strut bar and whether there was any likelihood of interference with engine components etc. I received immediate replies from Harry Liu at Paradox Systems that completely and clearly addressed each of my questions. The strut bar (designed to fit the Cefiro) is exactly as shown on the Paradox Systems website. It was easy to bolt on and fit with amazing precision, requiring no nudging or adjustment. It has a clean, elegant shape with a textured anodized finish. No instructions are provided and none really needed except that it would have been helpful to have specific torque recommendations for re-tightening the strut nuts and for tightening the stainless steel bolt/nut assemblies that attach the crossbar to the brackets. This bar cost 3 times what a generic fsb goes for, but it was worth it to me to get such a trouble-free fit and installation.

Does the strut bar do its job as the only non-stock handling mod on my SE? I did not notice more than a very slight improvement in steering control while driving about 3 miles of a very narrow, twisty, poorly cambered road that winds through the hills near my house. I drove the same route within a few hours before and after installing the strut bar. Even taking posted 20 mph curves at nearly 40 mph seemed little different before or after. Perhaps the somewhat uneven pavement of the road (the ashpalt is a bit lumpy and sagging on the unstable soil of these hillslopes) made it harder to appreciate the more constant wheel camber which I suppose is the main benefit of a front strut bar. This is my first Maxima and the only thing I am disappointed about is the numbness of the steering. It's precise enough, but it feels like drive-by-wire with very little feedback. Polyurethane bushings up front is the next step, I guess.