If so and you've already done the FSTB and RSB mods, you NEED to make a rear strut tower brace. I've done the FSTB and RSB mods, out of all of them I noticed the RSTB the most. The turn in and response is alot quicker now with the RSTB. My sister's mx6 has FSTB and RSB also, once we put in a RSTB we noticed the difference real quick. Here are some pics .

My custom setup is below. I used 5/8 x 36" square rods with a 5/8" turnbuckle (couldn't find any left hand nuts), for the bracket I used some sheet metal.
bracket pic
bracket 2
brace pic
brace pic 2
brace pic 3

So far the rear brace has been the best suspension mod I've done. Keep in mind the car already had the front brace + complete ES suspension urethane bushings all around so YRMV.

 

Interesting idea, do you have a more detailed writeup? Also, I could not get the links to the pics to work.

Thanks,

 

wow.. I was wondering who was going to come up with a way for us to have a RSTB with the IRS. Can't see the pics yet, cause they are sponsored by Yahoo and not working right now.

 

cool idea.

for those that cant see the pics just hit go (by the address bar) after the new window pops up since its geocities I dont think it can be linked but after its in the address bar you can hit go. Thats what I did and can see the pics.

 

Good work. Can you feel the bar through the back seat?

 

didnt work for me mike, but ill try again later, seems like a cool idea

 

Cool. But how does the rear seat fit back in?

 

Nice project Ari. On the 3rd gen it should be possible to run a RSTB along the upper part of the rear deck (where the speaker wire now runs across), and the rear seat will fit in fine.

Just need someone to fab up some brackets and a bar.

 

Hmm I have a car to prototype it in.

 

There shouldn't be any problems with the seats, if it bulges out a bit, then just cut off some of the foam from the back.

here's a diagram of how to make an rstb without any clearance problems. (look at the long top line).

 

Yeah really?
Nice innovation though, real nice!!

 

Does the smiley add another 10HP???


I thought I read a couple times before that putting an RSTB in wouldn't really be worth it because of how solid the C pillar was. I guess this throws all that out the window. I'd like to see a more detailed write up (wish I had a welder to work with and the skills to use it ). About how long did this take? And why didn't you pass it through the rear instead?

 

i havent been in the back area of my car since i put my speakers in so i dont remember... how much stuff is there in the way? other than the seat? very nice looking.. and it doesnt seem very hard? you make the parts yourself or did you get someone to make it for? make a writeup im interested in doing it now.

 

There isn't anything in the way other that the rear seat cushion. If you find that the seat bulges out a bit with the bar in place, remember, the seat is made of foam. Simply trim some of the foam off the back to make a new home for the bar. I think his pictures explain everything pretty clearly.

 

Good stuff, I remember when you first did it. That bar in the pic looks pro. Someone please build these and sell them, so I can buy...cause I am too lazy to make one.

 

if you guys REALLY want some, I can probably make a trip to WSP's shop and have them fab something up in my car... all I did (which worked better than I thought it would) was bolt a piece of 3/4" MDF across the whole rear opening for my free-air subs. I noticed a few weeks after putting it in that the rear deck would pop and creak when I went over the huge bump at the end of my driveway. then I realized the screws were loosening on the wood. tightened them up and the noise went away.. (this means the rear end is flexing, because it's pulling the bolts loose and causing the noises).

I removed the wood panel and noticed a bit of difference in the ride on the car. mostly it just tracked a bit better over bumps in the rear.. similar to the difference when I added my SFCs, but not nearly to that extreme..

the good part is this project only cost me about $10 for wood and a handfull of machine screws. a REAL brace back there may or may not do the same thing, but will cost quite a bit more than the Maxima FSTB because the brackets will be quite a bit more intricate.

 

When my friend comes over tomorrow i'll have him test something out for me. I think it'll work..i'll let you guys know. i would do it now but my hand is not functional at the moment.

 

I see great things for the Maxima.

Picture this:

Coilovers.
SubFrame Connectors 1,2,3.
Front Strut Tower Bar.
Rear Strut Tower Bar.
Rear Sway Bar.
Front Sway Bar.

Can you say sick handling?

I think the 3rd gens take to handling mods better than the 4th gens. When I was the test monkey for the SFC's, I was with a 97 SE, he didnt notice much at all...but I noticed alot, I was stock with just SFC's at the time, he was lowered, FSTB, and all the goodies and he thought my car handled better

 

yes, crazy mad handling... someone wanna loan me their G-tech?

 

What are SFC's?

 

SubFrame Connectors.

 

What Don said.

They sell them here. www.warpspeedperformance.com

 

woah looky.. there's my car.

 

My car will look like that as soon as the other set I ordered gets here.

 

The back seat fits fine, also you can't even feel the bar through the seat. I had my family sit in the rear and asked if they noticed any change in the back seat. They all said no .

 

The hardest part of this is actually taking the measurements and making the mounts brackets. I got lucky as another se-r owner made a RSTB and posted a template for the rear brackets. All I did was drill the holes and I had a muffler shop weld it all up. I was searching through some old se-r mailing list messages on chassic stiffening and ran across some interesting info. Years ago Mike Kojima did a test involving a laser pointer located on a strut tower facing the other strut tower. With a FSTB it reduced the total movement from reference about 30-40%. Now with a triangulated front brace it reduced the total movement like 75-85%. Just alittle food for thought.

 

Hmmm... I wonder what it'd be like if the front was braced like Grand Ams:


Coupled with a triangular brace on the towers... just a thought.

 

I think that brace is more for the support of the radiator support than tower brace but I get what your talking about.

 

I believe this trianglated brace would tie the strut towers to the firewall.

 

yeah thats what I was thinking. I have seen the trianglated brace on some cars in magazines before...it has the fstb going from strut to strut and then from the strut it has another bar on each side going to the firewall making it look like a triangle. Its all one piece and I can definately see why that would improve over the regular fstb.

 

I have seen FSTB similar to that. Imagine the FSTB across, then two triangle bars like that, but they connect to the the firewall right under the windshield, smack dab in the center, know what i mean?

If not, I can search for some pics maybe.

 

didnt work

 

what?

 

my friend came over and we were trying to make our own using some extra strut bar materials i have laying around. didn't quite work, but i'll try again next week.

 

Yes, I do want one since I'm upgrading my suspension soon.

 

Here are the links so you can just click on them

bracket pic
bracket 2
brace pic
brace pic 2
brace pic 3

I wish Sudesh's picture worked. I missed this thread before.
I'll try to find a picture of my Mustang's engine, you can see the "export brace" (just what they call it. then the FSTB type bar is a "monte carlo bar" and it connects before the strut tower). Just food for thought.

 

well heres an old pic.



and this is just another angle.
http://mrgone.homeip.net/images/Mustang/P3210175.JPG

 

That engine bay is a mess.

 

Yes you are correct, you have seen post in the past stating this idea was a waste of time. Ari posted this back in 4/2003 and he's been pushing this idea probably longet than that, ever since he pick up his SER. Besides those links Ari posted he had also posted another link which I had copied info from (I dont have the link any more) because this is one of those mods I planed on trying, in the famous words of Aaron "It can't hurt"

 

I would be interested in one too. Though I don't like the idea of having it welded on. =/