i know all strut bars are the same performance wise, and i will probably order one off of ebay as most of us do! BUT, the paradox-system ones look so cool... id like to see some installed...

anybody have one? doesn't matter which one...

 

do you have a pic of what it looks like?

 

A32 Heavy Duty - http://www.paradox-systems.com/Products/product_29.html
A32 Lightweight - http://www.paradox-systems.com/Products/product_36.html

 

damn that heavy duty is bad

 

Its an old thread but I have one if anyone is intrested???? Ill install it soon, just got it in, the light weight....

 

I have the lightweight. Its huge!!

 

Just received my heavy-duty yesterday, installing it with my new Tokico springs/Illuminas tomorrow. Can't wait.

 

I currently own the "heavy duty" bar. I've owned the ebay bar and the Stillen one. W/ the Stillen and Ebay there is essentially no difference. They did about the same. However w/ the "heavy duty" bar there is a noticeable difference over the Stillen/eBay. The front end feels more rigid and the steering effort increased slightly. This is back to back driving on the same roads/highway with the same curves etc at similar speeds.

They are NOT all the same. A strut tower bar is designed to resist pulling and torsional movement. For single bar FSTB you'd probably want a straight hollow oval bar with welded brackets for the most rigidity. Since those types aren't even available for Maximas you'll want a FSTB that has the widest bar available with the beefiest bar mounting brackets (not to be confused with the strut tower bracket itself, since they are all in one-piece).

Just look at the ends of the HD bar and how it attaches to the bar mounting bracket. First off, its a straight, hollow rectangular bar (despite what you may think, hollow bars are more rigid than solid ones). Second, what you cant see in the bar mounting bracket is that it is 3-sided. When you install the bar it is resting on the bracket, not suspended like the ebay/stillen/ custom maxima bar. There is much more surface area than the dinky ends of the stillen/ebay/custom maxima bars. When you tighen down the bolts on the HD it clamps down the bar, not just pinches them like the ebay/stillen/ custom maxima bar. The straight and hollow rectangle bar and the much larger surface area of the bar mounting bracket helps in giving it more rigidity than the other bars.


Now look at the Stillen bar:

Notice how skinny the raised bar brackets are on the Stillen FSTB?

 

I bet this thread is serious on heavy-duty ones but I just wanted to know if anyone bought the generic strut tower bar from PS ...

http://www.paradox-systems.com/Products/product_44.html

 

Generic is generic. Doesn't matter who it comes from, they're all the same.

 

Im having problems taking off the bolts??? Anyone have advice? I have the Light weight bar and would love to post pics but i ned help installing? Damn bolts are tight...

 

spray em with WD-40 and put some muscle into it....

 

wow that hd is beastly. oh well i couldnt afford it so tonight i just bought the best looking ebay one. it looks even better then stillen imo.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...940934529&rd=1

 

I was shaking the car trying to turn them... i used some penitrating spray but It didnt do too much at all.... I think I need an extension for that socket wrench, It might be too short??? Ill use the WD-40 tomorrow. im just afraid to snap the threads off???

thanks

 

Damnit, I was almost done... I had all but one bolt off... Then all of a sudden... SNAP The socket broke and striped the bolt. Now I cant get a good grip... Now I have to tighten all the bolt back on... I might just bring It to a mechanic... This "EASY" mod is a pain...

 

Time to get a smaller socket and hammer it in and try to get it off with a LONG breaker bar

 

get one of those speed wrenches, that you use to take off wheels, thats what i used....maybe you just weak....jk

 

yea one of my bolts stripped on me.... ended up dremeling it off.

 

Yeah... Im accually gona get a breaker socket and butane torch to heat it up... I tryed vice-grips now its really chewed-up.... Penetrating oil and WD-40... I'll be busy all weekend so Tuesday I'll get at it again... unless I feel the itch, Ill be back outside soon.... Im gonna ask Santa for some Craftsman Tools...

And that dremel is a last resort, but its always an option.