I bought it from Streetbeat customs and it is made by Matrix. It looks very straightforward, but when you put it on, is the logo on the bar itself usually facing backwards? I could care less about the logo, but I was wondering if it was backwards or not. Also, nothing else in the strut comes loose when you take the nuts off right?

Thanks.

 

1. your bar should only fit in one direction... if you do have one that fits either way, then install it to your liking.

2. nothing will come off as long as the car has all 4 wheels on the ground.

Enjoy!

justin

 

Yea, mine when installed ends up "upside-down" (you can't read the word Matrix when you're looking from the front of the car). If it bothers you, you can simply switch the brackets.

Since we're on the subject, does anyone else have like this black foam sleeve around the AC line (metal pipe attached to pasenger side strut housing that runs just under FTSB bracket) that seems to be "free" along that bend just after the FTSB bracket? I noticed it today when I was adding some fluids. Is it supposed to be used to protect something else along the pipe? I'm asking only because I decided to slide it in the small gap between the FTSB and the AC pipe (paraniod about stories I've heard where FTSB rubs against and damages AC pipe..) Thanks.

 

I couldn't care less about the logo itself. Seeing it backwards just led me to believe that I was doing something wrong.

I would also like to know about that foam sleeve because I noticed that the FSTB is a really tight fit over some components in the engine(couldn't tell what they were cause it was pitch black outside).

 

I also just read at maximadriver.com that you want to torque the bolts to 30 lbs +/- 2. I dont have a torque wrench, how will I know if it is too tight?

 

Agreed that you just switch the brackets to make "Matrix" appear upside down or vice versa.

I had the same deal with the black foam sleeve on the AC pipe, I pushed mine down a little bit and it looks okay. Guess you could put something between them if there's alot of friction between the two.

Torque wrench...probably a good idea to use one, I don't know how you can tell how tight it is without one but I've hear stories of people stripping those bolts if they're too tight and they take a hard corner

 

I got the matrix FSTB from streetbeat as well. I got it last night. However, I noticed it only came with just the strut bar. No nuts came with it. Am I supposed to buy this separately from a local hardware store? If so, which ones? Can you tell me where you got it, etc..

 

No, just use the bolts that you unscrew off the car...those will work just fine.

 

man install fstb is one of the easiest mod you can do by yourself...

take of the bolts from the stuts slap on the sturt bar tighten the bolts and have a beer and enjoy tighter front end in turns....

 

Couldn't have said it better, except for maybe replace the beer with a rum runner or Long Island Iced Tea...

This is a no-brainer, if you can't figure it out you really shouldn't be working on a car.

 

IMO, it's there to insulate the pipe. Whenever liquid flows through a pipe there is turbulence, I think it's just a precaution that if that pipe jumps around in there a little bit, it won't make a "banging" noise.
I agree with you though, pretty convenient to just slide it underneath the FSTB. That's what I did.

 

Of course it can be easy, but if you want it done right, it takes time. Like finding a torque wrench for instance.

 

Does anyone have a picyure of FSTB installed?

Thanks

 

I got an 99 model, do I have to cut the piece of metal that sticks out from the tower thats over on the drivers side? or can I leave it there when I get my FSTB?

 

I have that exact same piece of metal on my car too in the same location. I had to cut it off or the FSTB bracket wont sit flush on the surface. I used a dremel for this.

 

See http://www.chrislehr.com/maxima/fstb.html

 

I installed a Courtesy FSTB on Plain Jane (my '99 GXE) and the end plates had a notch which cleared that annoying bracket. It was an easy install, no cutting was required. However, I did have to scrounge up two standard hex nuts which Courtesy should have supplied, but didn't.