Yesterday, I installed my Ebay FSTB onto my 1999 SE-L Maxima. I had a Biatch of a time getting it on there. I don't have too much time right now to tell everything about it, but I will do a full write up later. Definitely fitment issues...

 

Who/where did you get it from?

 

damn, i purchased one for my 95 a few weeks back but i hvnet had the time to put it on, who did you get it from, i dont want to run into any trouble while installing it in the freezing cold weather

 

I had the same problem. The whole were slightly misaligned, so it took me a rubber hammer to get it on! But it worked and is now snuggly on :-)

 

i heard that the SE-L's do have a fitment problem with the ftsb.

 

Brudaddy,
You are not alone. I also had fitment issues with my recently purchased Ebay FSTB as well. The right bracket/brace holes do not line up and the left bracket/brace is hitting the pipe. I ended up ordering a Otto Racing FSTB from Southwest Autoworks and will return my other FSTB back for a refund. Steve says there should be no fitmit issues with the Otto Racing FSTB on my 99 SE but I will find out later this week when it arrives. Glad you got yours on your car...I just did feel that I should not have to cut/drill/hammer something that is supposed to be a direct fit. I did read that 5th gens have some fitmit issues as well but are resolved by only putting washers on the strut bolts for clearence. Oh well, to each his own.

 

there is no fitment issues with the Otto, I love mine.

 

i had fitment issues too.. i took a metal filer and filed one hole a bit and got the bracket in. but another problem was the ac line was blocking part of the bracket.. so i coulnt get the passenger side bracket all the way down..so im waiting on advice of wut to do.....

 

You need to cut the thing on the right tower. It's near imposible to install without cutting that

 

wut do you mean by "thing" maxtank?

 

yeah same here. the holes on my ebay FSTB didnt line up correctly so i sent it back about a month ago and still havent gotten a replacement. if you get one on ebay id say stay away from the ones sold by evovector. i havent been pleased with them at all!

 

The best thing to do if the holes are misalligned, is to open them up a little bit with a dremel.

 

...okay, to continue...

...so, I bought a FSTB from Revotec off of ebay. They were very prompt in sending it to me once I won the auction. (plus, it was only like $16.50, and the other fellow orgers told me to pick it up.). Well, yesterday was finally a good day to put it on, but I had not heard about any fitment problems with them onto the 1999 SE-L's. It was not so much from the Revotec FSTB though, but just my car.

Here is my theory...in 1999, they started making Cali and Fed spec cars, right? Well, mine is Fed Spec...and there is a flange that sticks up on the driver's side strut tower where the three lugs are. I think this flange serves some kind of purpose on the Cali specs, but doesn't on the Fed specs. Anyway, it is just sitting there, blocking the bracket of the FSTB to sit down on the strut tower. I thought I would have to drimmel it off, but after drimmelling and making a mess on the newly cleaned engine, realized that a coal chisel and a light tap tap tap of the happer, would pop loose the spot weld. (It comes off really pretty easily).

The Revotec FSTB (once assembled) proved to not fit over the three bolts in the strut tower exactly. the one that is closest to the bar on the Driver's side needed to be drimmelled or filed a little bit (not much though.). Other than that, it fit great and seems to do just fine.

After you chisel the flange off, you might have to just touch up a little paint on the metal, so that it does not rust. I did. *(by the way, the ac tube that you all were talking about...I just unbolted it with a socket (maybe like 10mm) right beside the stock airbox. Then you can move it out of the way a little bit so as not to damage it. Not too bad to do that, and very ease to put back...just one screw.)

I posted this thread for those 1999 SE-L folks that didn't know about this. I have never heard of having to take off that flange (prob only on the Fed spec) to get the brace to fit right. Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know. It is much easier when doing this to not mess with the drimmel. Just use the chisel like I told you. If you have any other questions, just ask.

Overall, I am pleased with the Revotec (for the price). It does everything that I understand a FSTB is supposed to do. There is much more structural rigidity, and much less sideways travel of the struts.

Hope this helps...

 

I doubt seriously that you would have any problems. I don't think that you have that flange that I was talking about on my car, and at most, you would have to file down one of the holes on the FSTB. You should be okay though.

 

I think only the 1999's have that problem. I could be wrong though.
Years before that, I don't think they had that little flange thing on the driver's side strut tower.

 

That's weird...I didn't have any kind of problem installing on my '99 SE-L.

*shrug*

(Of course, the bracket on the driver's side tower...that doesn't serve any purpose...needed to be cut off but that was VERY easy)

 

not too hard, but I was just trying to tell others how I did it so that they didn't have to waste the time I did figuring out the best way to do it. The drimmel takes way too long. Just use the coal chisel method as I stated above.

*Also, in the "How-to" section, they say on the instruction for the FSTB to use a 19mm socket to get the nuts off the strut tower....Well, they don't fit 1999 SE-L, or at least not mine. I had to use a crescent wrench, because it is hard to find a socket larter than 19mm just laying around...and I have a lot of tools.*---FYI

 

Do you guys have any experience with the custommaxima.com fstb fitment? and is the otto bar cheaper than the custommaxima one?

 

Got a Stillen, fits perfectly, looks sexxxxxxxxy under the hood.

 

My 99 didn't have anything. My ebay FSTB was the best $10 I've ever spent. Then again, my car is missing power...heh.

 

oh crap. i just bought one from evovector. it should be here in a couple more days. i better not have any fitment issues

 

Even if you do, I don't think they will be any big deal. Just do a little filing or drimmeling on the hole that needs it and it should be all right.