Here's our sale, no funky group deal, no minimum # of orders. 1995-2003 Cattman-Progress RSB for $110 shipped anywhere in the continental US. Good for the entire month of February (unless we have to go lower) -- we will not be undersold!

This is the superior RSB that we had Progress develop to improve on the ADDCO. In the Cattman tradition, we make things happen and we'll bring a better design to market if we're not satisfied with what else is out there. That's why we dropped the ADDCO and came back with something far better, we were sick of the headaches.

Better design, stronger hardware, beautiful durable powdercoat finish, instructions with parts lists and schematic diagrams (versus the cryptic install directions that ADDCO wouldn't fix), lubricant for the urethane bushings, tie-ups for the displaced cables and MOST IMPORTANTLY no more of the miserable quality control issues that finally forced me to give up on the ADDCO bar after selling them for three years and complaining to them a hundred times with no result.

ADDCO issues included thin and scratched powdercoat, parts that didn't fit, missing parts, repackaging returned bars as new, the list goes on and on -- anyone who's followed this forum has read about these issues again and again. I finally was forced to do what I had to do, the problems never got better. Nothing to do with making money, I actually pay more for the Progress, but its worth it not to spend hours every month trying to satisfy very unhappy customers.

We're expecting our next shipment of these next generation RSBs before the end of next week, bring 'em on!

Brian C Catts

 

Sweet Deal Mr. Catts. Do you accept money orders as a form of payment??? Sorry to get "OFF TOPIC" but how much do you sell your Titanium FSTB for??? This RSB is for 5TH Gens (2000-2003) right???

 

Sure, we're happy to accept money orders. Call to place the order first, get the address for sending the check, then we have something to tie the check to when it arrives.

Our exclusive Titanium FSTB sells for $195. We have separate part numbers, each specifically made to fit the 1995-1999, 2000-2001, 2002-2003. The new 1989-1994 design (fits over both VG and VE engines) will be available as soon as some new titanium stock comes in.

Brian C Catts

 

when will your 02 y-pipes be avaiable and how much ??

 

We've completed the design, but our mandrel bender is backed up a bit so I expect them to be ready before the end of February. The new 02-03 pipes will be intro priced at $325, regular price will be in line with our new price on all Cattman S/S pipes of $350.

Brian C Catts

 

Thanks for the quick response along with required info. I'll be placing an order in the coming weeks. Sorry to get "OFF TOPIC" again Mr. Catts but I just wanted to know if or when the Cattman-Progress coilovers will be available for 2K2's-2K3's??? "BUMP" for the morning crew.(At least for me it is) BTW,Let us know when the 2K2-2K3 SS Y-pipes are available.

 

Our Cattman Coilovers, another joint project with Progress Performance (see their unique coilover features at www.performanceauto.com) are at the stage of final adjustments to the prototype set (on Cheston's car). Production follows and I'm hoping they'll be ready within the next month or so.Our Cattman Coilovers, another joint project with Progress Performance (see their unique coilover features at www.performanceauto.com) are at the stage of final adjustments to the prototype set (on Cheston's car). Production follows and I'm hoping they'll be ready within the next month or so.

Note that these will probably be the only set of coilovers that are engineered from the ground up for the MaximaI30 -- yes, that includes the jic and Tien. I very eagerly look forward to putting them up against all Japanese competitors for their quality of handling, ride quality and lack of clunks, clicks and squeaks!

FWIW, I know its not of interest to most of you, but we just finished developing our first Camry/Solara Y-pipe (in fact, the only one out there). Still in testing, but seems to make good power.

Brian C Catts

 

This seems to be the question asking thread. First of all thanks for providing clear detailed answers to peoples questions. Customer service is very important.

Ok, like a typical customer I have a problem.

I'm in the market for a y an b pipe for an 03 Maxima but I'm also very interested in those headers. I understand the headers incorporate the Y pipe. I don't want to lay out the money for a y pipe and find out the headers work well on a 3.5VQ. I think other 02-03 guys may be thinking the same thing.
What would you recommend for me?

My recommendation for you is get those headers (assuming the performance gains are there) in production ASAP!!!

Thanks

Joe

 

is there an estimated price on the coilovers?? i want to know how much i need to save up..

 

Well, I can't say with precision at this point. There will definitely be an intro price, and that will probably not be over $1250. Save that much and perhaps you'll have some change left over.

Brian

 

Some might say I'm talking out of my butt since I don't have either product ready for sale, but there are some uncertainties that prevent a clear answer.

We know that we can make a Y-pipe that will function fine on the car, i.e. places for all the sensors, no warning lights, etc. I'll be a little surprised (and disappointed, I suppose) if the headers do not physically fit the VQ35 engine, but the questions of having the right # and position for the O2 sensors, and the almost certain need to either do some radical re-positioning of the O2s or to integrate false signal senders to get the engine to run right (since there will be no pre-cats, hence none of the before and after precat difference in O2 content that the sensors are looking for) suggests that some rather advanced experimentation will be required. And I won't be back in the States till May, so that's difficult to manage.

No answer to your question, except to say that the Y-pipe will be ready in a few weeks and will certainly work on the car -- on the other hand, I can't say with certainty that the headers will work on the VQ35 at all.

Not what you wanted to hear, but the best I can do under the circumstances.

Brian C Catts

 

Hey Catts! What's the diameter of the new Progress RSB? Addco was 7/8", and Stillen's was 1-1/8". Is your's the same stiffness as Addco? (except for the connectors of course)

P.S. my private e-mail from the 11th still holds

 

Hi Brian,

I have a buddy that will be getting one of your new rsb's, very good price BTW. I had a Stealen on my 99 that I put on my 02 otherwise I'd get one of these for sure.

I have a few questions for you.
If the headers do end up fitting the VQ35, and you can get around any potential O2/ECU problems, will your current y-pipe be used or will a Y be integrated into the header package? Also what do you think of the design of the Y on 02&03's from Nissan. To me it appears to fix most of the problems with the previous pipe. How is your pipe going to improve power over this stock pipe?

WarpSpeed has a Y but there has yet to be a good dyno comparison with just this pipe being changed. Another org member has had the pipe installed but his dyno's were done with several other mods, intake & exhaust, done at the same time.

I, as most here, would like to increase the power of the car. I would however be more inclined to spend my money on one of your other offerings with proven, or at least higher potential, than by a Y that has little (>10hp) to no gains.

Thank you for continuing to support the Maxima community and taking the time to answer our questions.

Regards,
Adam

P.S. What part of the world are you in, and is it all business or pleasure

 

Brian,

I am the guy that MaximaMan777 was speaking of there. I would like to purchase one of these RSBs. Do you accept PayPal, and if so, what address?

Thanks,
Lloyd

 

No, I won't work with PayPal. Too many horror stories from the merchant's end. We accept all major credit cards and of course money orders. All orders begin with a phone call to our order line, 800.759.9920 and they'll provide the information for mailing a money order if that's your preference.

Brian C Catts

 

Brian!!

Long time no talk or see. It's Eugene from Toronto.

Will these new coilovers allow for camber adjustment? How are these and different to your Gen 1 & Gen 2 coilovers?

Ciao!

 

I just placed my order!

By the way is this solid or hollow?
Is it round or square like the STEALIN?
It comes with Polyurethane bushings?
Does it fit a 2k3?

I know that I should have asked these questions earlier, but I was excited when i saw the price!!

 

Brian,

On this better design, is there an issue concerning the ABS/brake line? Will it have to be moved or modified from its original position? Will you offer rubber bushings? Other than the material itself, what is the difference b/t rubber and urethane bushings? Thanks for the info and the great deal.

 

Well, best to look before you leap, but in this case you're lucky as you'll land well. ;-)

The bar is made from solid, round stock and it not only includes polyurethan bushings, but the lubricant you need to prevent them from squeaking; Progress is really good about thinking about that sort of thing. These were designed from the ground up to fit all 1995-2003 Maximas and I30s.

I'll also add that although the instructions were quite good in the first batch, we've taken a variety of customer input into account and rewritten them to be even better on the batch I'm expecting by the middle of next week.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance

 

With some great input from our customers, we've revised the instructions to thoroughly explain and provide pictures indicating the best solution for E-brake and ABS line placement. Our solution is very satisfactory, so I would say there is no issue at all. There are very few sets of our first batch left (the changes are reflected in the batch coming early next week) but I have the new instruction set and can email it to anyone who has an uninstalled previous version.

The bushings are all polyurethane and even come with a tube of the lubricant needed to make sure they don't squeak (only needs to be used once, at installation). Polyurethane bushings are far more durable under use, and imprevious to petrochemicals and weather, which will really degrade a rubber bushing quickly.

Brian C Catts

 

Good to hear from you, Eugene! It seems like a long time since I visited Toronto, but I still remember your generous hospitality.

Let’s have a discussion about camber plates and coilovers. Get ready for another long Cattman explanation. And get ready for what will sound like heresy: camber plates are a worse-than-worthless pain in the butt, and anyone who insists they are a better solution for the Maxima than the approach I'll explain here is simply incorrect. Bear with me and I will explain why my experience and the wisdom of others have led to that conclusion...

Progress coil overs include unique and innovative soft, quiet and very rigid top mounts for all four corners, rather than going the camber plate route. They easily could, but despite popular perceptions, that is a lousy choice and I can back that up after going through two generations of camber plate-based coilover designs. My associaton with Progress, and what I've learned from their engineers, has exploded several commonly held myths that I used to embrace as gospel.

Many of the classic issues associated with coilovers in general, lots of rattling, squeaking, frequent cleaning/maintenance/parts replacement, vibration, some aspects of ride harshness, and (with the Maxima) lack of adequate camber adjustment, are due to the camberplates. Camber plates are responsible for several absolutely non-avoidable issues, and to varying extents these affect every camber plate made, and certainly every camber plate available for the Maxima.

They are a source of rattling noise, squeaks and extra vibration, because they loosen up quickly, the rotation binds due to road grime in the monoball, much of this due to metal to metal contact that never occurs in a stock suspension.

They are a source of wear and require frequent maintenance because the entire weight of the car's front end rests on two very small, metal on metal bearing surfaces. Tolerances loosen up quickly, grime gets into them and keeps them from rotating freely when you turn. Monoballs have to be replaced regularly.

They severely limit the camber adjustability and this is unavoidable because of the small opening at the top of the strut tower. You cannot get more than about 1.3 degrees of negative camber adjustment even if the adjustment slot goes edge to edge in the hole. Sort of defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it? This is not adequate for any kind of track racing. Most serious track tires are designed for a minimum of 1.8-2.0 degrees of negative camber.

They can actually be dangerous because the bolts that hold the slider in place are notorious for slipping or loosening up, or due to failure of a monoball or other part. When the top of the strut lets go at speed you've got very serious problems.

Easy adjustability is a red herring, because few drivers adjust camber after getting it where they like it for the street. For the weekend racer, camber plates have no advantage over camber bolts (more to follow on those) because you still have to pop the front end off the ground to do that properly, and both types can be indexed for going back from street to track settings.

What do camber plates do well? Hmmm, I guess to some they look cool. Looking cool is great, but the operating philosophies of both Cattman Performance and Progress Technologies will always favor performance and dependability over style, and we cannot accept the trade-offs between the problems I've listed in return to having some slotted metal plates in the strut towers. The Progress top mounts that are visible in the strut towers are pretty neat looking in their own way -- quite different than the stock mounts -- and will certainly generate comments.

Bottom line is, avoiding camber plates prevents every problem I've listed here.

But it is useful for some to be able to adjust camber without going to the alignment shop (keeping in mind that every coilover installation -- no matter what brand and with or without camber plates -- mandates going straight to an alignment shop, but for most owners that's the last time they'll change the setting). Instead of camber plates and all the crap that goes with them, including significant expense that you either have to pay for or requires cheapens some other aspect of the coilover set, the customer has to pay for, Progress has designed a unique set of camber bolts for those who need them. To destroy another myth, you don't need camber plates or bolts to align Maxima coilovers within factor specs, it can be done with stock adjustments.

The Progress camber bolt set is the only design I know of that uses two bolts per front wheel, and because of this they are good for over 2.25 degrees of negative camber adjustment, far more than the Maxima's strut towers will allow with camber plates (unless you want to cut off the top of the strut towers and weld in special racing plates, like we do on old racing Zs, a very tricky process that I know most wouldn't and shouldn't consider -- its like getting laser surgery on your eyes, if the job botched, you're permanently screwed).

You run across commonly accepted truths that are fundamentally bogus pretty regularly in the performance world, and the supposed superiority of camber plates is definitely one of those. Heck, I believed it myself -- even while enduring all of these problems during the development, sale and agonizing customer service issues we experienced with the coilovers we sold in the late 90s, so I guess that doesn't say much for my intelligence. Hey, I thought we were doing the right thing, but I eventually learned better and I have guys like Jeff Cheechov at Progress to thank for enlightening me.

So, how do the new Cattman-Progress coilovers differ otherwise from the old Cattman coilovers, and by extension, other brands available for the Maxima (although incomplete assortments of coilover parts like Ground Control's don't even belong in the same discussion)? I'll save the other features -- like their Maxima-specific engineering with advanced suspension dyno R&D used to determine the optimal spring rates, strut valving and shortened strut bodies -- for another discussion. But in summation, they are quieter, handle better, ride better, don't vibrate and do not subject the car to unreasonable stresses. Meaning that you will enjoy them more every moment that you drive the car and, unlike the overly stiff, off-the-shelf coilover "systems" made by the Japanese competition but not truly designed for the Maxima, they will not eventually turn your chassis into a rattle trap like my old test mule.

I can see people lining up for the group deals on the Tiens and JICs, but apart from the sales I obviously want to make, I wish I could get the word out thoroughly enough so that before spending that kind of money they would give thorough consideration to how the Progress suspension -- overall, not just the camber adjustment -- will offer more enjoyment, performance and durability. Although we can get reasonably close, I'm not sure that we can match the prices because of the much higher development investment in ours, but being the cheapest is not our objective -- our goal is to be the best.

If it gets much attention, the points I raise here could stir up a hornets nest, but I hope that I have credibly answered your question.

Cheers,

Brian

 

Brian,

In the kit that I got last week, I have the old instructions. Can you e-mail me the new instructions? kronnman@hotmail.com

Thanks,
Kevin

 

Thanks Brian for the coilover detail. Are the bolts similar to SpecProd's smaller diam bolts where you replace the OEM with smaller & larger units? Doesn't sound like the ecentric adjustment type from your post.

My Stillen plates haven't had rattles or considerable harshness but I completely agree on the spring binding issue on the tighest turns. -2 deg camber with the new bolts is plenty for street rubber.

I like what I hear about the valving & shortened struts. Any chance of these being custom valved for applications (if needed)? Also, any clues to the new spring rates?

 

They are on the way!

BCC

 

I don't have a set of camber bolts on hand here in NZ, so I'm not answering in full confidence, but I think it is an eccentric design (cam style), but using two instead of one bolt as typically is the case. If they weren't eccentric I'm not sure how they would actually be adjustable. If I'd watched an installation (I don't claim to be a wrench) I'd know but haven't installed any yet. One advantage of the camber bolts is that they can be used very effectively with a regular strut/lowering spring combination and camber plates often won't work with that sort of setup at all.

To be clear, its not the plates themselves that would rattle (until the monoball gets too worn), its that the nature of the hardware that connects the strut and spring hat with a camber plate -- the monoball and various loose, metal-on-metal parts -- inevitably makes more noise and transmits far more vibration than the cast urethane approach that Progress uses. The Progress design absorbs more vibration than even the stock top mounts, yet provide greater control stability. You also avoid the rotational binding you're referring to.

Vibration is an issue with camber plates, but the harshness of ride that the Progress design lacks is pointed out in reference to the the Japanese coilovers that I've ridden on. Its just a function of doing the R&D necessary to come up with the ideal valve and spring rate for this specific car. There is not a direct corellation between harshness of the ride (and for that matter, rigidity of chassis) and quality of performance. The idea is to be supple, not rigid, and if you do it right, you can get great handling without shaking the teeth out of your head.

Custom valving? For those who are really serious about handling performance, this is where Progress excels. Try to get personalized re-valving service from Tien or JIC, where you can actually speak with the people doing the work on the phone. Progress specializes in custom work, its what sets them apart, and they're right in California.

To find out more, go to www.progressauto.com, click on "competition series" at the left hand menu, and then "race services".

Progress has their own shock dynomometer to develop damping characteristics appropriate for specific coil over applications.

Putting a coilover through tests on the shock dyno allows Progress to read the shock's damping characteristics on both compression and extension over an unlimited range of conditions. They can simulate any environment you can imagine, and adjust the load settings applied to the shock in order to determine the optimum shock valving for YOUR vehicle and YOUR intended use.

In their words:

"If our shock rebuild area reminds you of a racing shop, its because it is! Precision products such as these require an attentiveness and dedication to detail that pays off in winning races. Our success in autocross, road racing, and our new land speed records are proof of our ability to tune winning suspension setups."

"Many racers don't have the resources to have their own shock dyno facility, so we have opened up ours to our customers! Even if you're seriously into street performance, call our tech line (800-905-6687)to see how YOUR ride can benefit from a professional's fine tuning of your suspension controls."

All of this said, few will find this necessary, but its great to know they're there to back you up. The settings that they have optimized for the car are great for street and for moderately serious track work. Its foolproof, you can't goof them up.

I don't know if final decisions have been made on spring rates, but of course that information will be available. With their shock dyno, they can determine the optimal spring frequency rate (getting into some pretty involved physics here) to match a perferred driving style with the car's weight, suspension travel, the valving of the struts, etc. without randomly trying out different spring rates by trial and error (and being very unlikely to ever come across the optimal combination).

Hope this is useful,

Brian C Catts

 

Great deal on the RSB, wish I had the benjamins to buy it now. Hopefully you'll have it in the summer too (when I have money). I was just wondering about your header. Quick question, when do you plan on it coming out and what kind of power gains do you expect to recieve over say a after-market Y-Pipe? I've read the performance gains over stock y-pipe, but I am in the market for either a Y-Pipe, or wait for your header, and I just wanted to know if I should wait

 

Very very interesting points about coilovers! You need to copy/paste this into the General forum, but be prepared to argue. Hehe.

My quick question(I'll ask more later) is IF the Progress allow height adjustability withOUT losing suspension travel like the JICs(Tiens do not)?

Full suspension travel is my biggest concern when lowering a car ESPECIALLY on the Maxima with its limited travel. I know your Gen I/II coilovers helped retain some of the suspension travel by using OVERtower mounts.

It sounds like the Cattman/Progress coilovers will be priced around the TEINS vs. the $1500-1850 for the JICs, so I'd understand if they didn't. However, if at all possible, I'd STRONGLY suggest you take JICs approach on height adjustability while retaining full suspension travel.

Thanks!

 

This gets back to my point about designing the system from the ground up for the specific car it goes on. The lack of the height adjutability on some, the use of overly complicated and potentially stress-critical height adjustment mechanisms (at the lower mount, which allow for very limited height adjustment) on others, and the overtower mounts we used on our genII design are all due to one thing -- the strut bodies are too long and not designed for a lowered Maxima.

What people will hopefully come to realize is that the Tien and JIC coilovers use off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all struts that require these work arounds, and our old design used AGXs that were not designed for a lot of lowering. This is the problem with any Ground Control application too, since they require the use of struts that are made to replace stock struts, not function properly in a lowered coilover system.

Since Progress had designed these specifically for the Maxima, the struts themselves were made at the optimal length to not only allow proper suspension travel when lowered, but to center the piston stroke within the strut body. If the strut is too long on a lowered car, the piston is perpetually jammed into the lower reach of the strut body and its travel occurs there rather than the middle, which is not how they're designed to operate. Which means that they don't work as well and wear out more quickly.

As far as putting this out on the main board, I'm sure that many would argue, but the logic is irrefutable, and I just don't have the time or patience right now to defend it. I'll give that a go when I'm closer to releasing them.

Brian C Catts

"The future does not belong to the faint-hearted, but to the brave... and brave these seven were."

God bless the Columbia crew. 01 February 2003

 

Sounds great!

I guess the deciding factor for me will be the amount of suspension travel compared to stock at approximately 2-2.5" reduced height.

 

Is this thread for Cattman coil-overs or the RSB? It's getting wayyyyyyy out of topic.
I have been wanting the RSB since last year, but couldnt since I was out of the country. I'll jump on this deal once I transfer some money to my account.


~limsandy

 

Brian,
I've spoke with you b4 about KYB's. Still researching those, but this is the best deal I've found on RSB. I'm currently deployed and have no phone access aside from a secure line and my intranet (Can't connect phone, tried!). Saw pay-pal isn't an option - Is there any other way I could pay?

thanx - Tucker
matthew.tucker@miab.aorcentaf.af.mil

 

Sure, we accept money orders. That would typically involve calling on the phone to initiate the order and determine the shipping cost, but we can do a work-around on that. I'll email you direct, but if I won't be able to reach you that way come back on the forum and let me know and we'll go over it in "public".

Brian

 

That's a great deal. I'll be ordering this month.

 

i know this is another off topic post, so you will have available headers for 4th gens? I also had to jump on the rsb band wagon when i saw the awesome price of 110 shipped, i called today and ordered, your service rep said your back ordered and should get them in by midweek, was she correct?? Thanks for keeping us posted

 

I do plan on carrying a header set for the VQ30DE engine, and I expect the Progress RSBs closer to the end of the week.

Brian C Catts

 

Brian!

the Coilovers Rule! they're done. and feel GREAT!

did you contact Jeff yet?

--Cheston

 

Cheston are you ever going to update the pictures on your site? Just curious, cause if your not ill stop checking ever week

 

This great to hear, Cheston!!! Have you gotten my last couple of email messages? I was asking for your input, but maybe I don't have the best address. Jeff and I have been in touch, but I was waiting to hear from you. I'll write you through the forum email contact and you can let me know if your email has changed.

Brian

 

Will Progress make them for 3rd gens?

 

yes, but since the minimum number is fairly substantial and I would not want to carry a lot in inventory, it would require a commitment (with a large $ deposit) from at least 18 buyers. Would also need a test car to be available in Southern California, though that arrangement only involves leaving the car there for a few days total.

It would be really cool to do this on the gen3, it would absolutely transform the car.

Brian C Catts
Cattman Performance