Hey guys - found this on Ebay for $30. Its designed for a Maxima, but I'm assuming the fit for my I35 wouldn't be any different. The price also makes me question it's quality, but really, all tower braces are is a steel/titanium rod, so $30 sounds reasonable (although the last time I looked at these, they were in the $100-$150 range.)

Anyone know about this brand? And should I go for it?

Ebay Tower Brace

 

im sorry to have to be the A$$ but the search would be your best help as there is a very informative thread about these... im sure if i answer the question it will most likely be followed by another which was discussed in the thread for this

 

It's a piece o'****...

...don't waste your money on such a crappy item. It's a complete waste of money...

 

I did. The only info I found was for the more expensive braces. No one has ever asked about el cheapos.

 

It gets the job done. I have a similar one myself. There's a slight difference from the stock handling. A FTSB is not something, IMO, that $50+ should be spent on...The gains aren't worth that price point.

 

Thats what I was thinking. Its either going to work, or it wont, and for $30, if it doesn't, I won't be too upset. (When it comes to suspension/engine products, name and price make all the difference, but something as simple as a metal rod shouldn't have too many variations.)

 

I purchased this a couple weeks ago but haven't installed it yet.
1) The weld quality sucks.
2) Quality of metal that goes on the strut is very thin.

A lot of people have complained that the actual metal piece breaks after a while, but that's a chance I'm willing to take for $30.

 

Its good enough.

 

o.k so before the guys who think the more you pay the better things are come on here, lemme just say the minimal difference in handling that a FSTB offers for a maxima its not even worth the $30 IMO, but i also have the ebay FSTB and its fine... people will come here saying the material is thiner which it is, but its nothing where you can do any corner and bend it... i30driver IIRC is using the ebay FSTB and unlike most these guys i believe he actually tracks his car and nothing has gone bad yet, like i said in the thread about these, if you can drive and actually bend one of these then the FSTB wouldnt be you concern moreso the car itself as you would probeblu have to flip the car with no hood on to break it... people come on saying they feel a difference, but i think that is mental, if you really want to increase your suspension feeling then a RSB is more useful than a FSTB, i did my FSTB just to add to the mod list, not what its "suppose" to do... makes no difference, they are good and fit good

 

care to post pics of the one you got, cause the one i got i dont even remember any welds, but if there was it was so profeesional that i didnt see any problems.. maybe we got different ones...

EDIT: if anybody with a maxima broke a FSTB then i will come on here and tell you that its a bold face LIE

 

I had of these on my 4th gen and i loved it, best 30 bucks i spent even if it's just for the looks...Do it...

 

I see. Both positive and negative is a good thing, so at least the product has some merit to it. I think I'll go for it. My car seems very loose in cornering, so I know it needs a little suspension care, but in my case I think the FSTB will at least help a little, even if it is all mental. The RSB also sounds like a great idea, but I like the idea of the front brace because it's probably one of the easiest installs on the planet. I'll look into the RSBs, too.

EDIT: Just did a search on the RSBs. Its my understanding that this is not a "plug/play" type install? Slightly more involved than simply removing some bolts just to rebolt them down?

 

yeah this is the thread i was looking for cuz i'm seeing some cheap ones on ebay and want to get one. quality is my concern too.

 

this

 

Seems to be that the cheap ones are all Ebay has to offer for our 5th gens - although I do like that the mount ring on them is a complete circle vs the halfass half circle. There's Stillen bars for the 4th gens for $150. Not only will they not fit an 02, but in my cheap-a$$ world, that's not even an option.

 

In this case, considerations like price, function, quality and aesthetics are really easy to qualify. Since a FSTB is a simple suspension mod, function becomes the baseline, while quality & aesthetics run together. In other words, they all work the same with relatively equal function. Price and Quality are the opposing metrics.

Get it? They all work the same. Spend more, get better quality and looks.

That said, I love my Racingline FSTB.

 

I have done my research too and ended up with the $30 FSTB on fleabay. I will go for it, just for the looks, I am getting one myself. For $30 shipped, that's only a dinner's tab.

 

The RSB install is not that difficult. I did it myself in about 2 hours.(I typically only to very basic stuff myself like oil changes and brakes). But the results are so worth it.

GET AN RSB BEFORE A FSTB!!!!

 

I'm only prepared to spend $30 for 10 minutes of work at this particular time. (I also don't like working on my car in my apartment complex parking lot if I can help it, so for now less is more.)

 

i dont think it'll do anything besides looks

 

No, man, that's backwards. If you get the RSB first, it will be that much more difficult to recognize what the FSTB does for the car.

Get the FSTB first.

 

ok John.....I will rephrase......

GET A RSB INSTEAD OF THE FSTB!!!

My thought was that the FSTB does just about nothing......why waste the $30 on something that is pretty much for looks under the hood (which is very rarely seen). Spend the $100-130 the RSB where you will notice the improved handling of your car on just about every turn you make.

Not to mention, quite a few people have fitment issues with the FSTB, whether it be touching the intake manifold, or the hood, or pinching the windshield washer fluid lines.
My Racingline FSTB is sitting in the corner of the garage right now because it pressed up on the bottom of the hood and pinched the wwf line.

But as the OP said, he only has about $30 to spend and no place to really install it.....so the decision is his.

 

i bought mine and enjoy it immensely, i can take those 270 degree turn on ramps at about 5-10 miles faster, i can almost catch my gfs TT sometimes..

posting in this thread because i have a 01 strut bar because of my 01vi swap.

 

1. If you're budgeting, then yes, the RSB is more bang for your buck and a better mod, hands down.
2. The FSTB does what it does. I would not own a Maxima without one.
3. Reposition your wiper fluid line, or run a new one. I've heard of that happening to people, guess I got lucky. Either way, that Racingline isn't doing anything for you propped up in the corner of your garage.

 

i am glad i read this post

 

The Racingline wasn't doing anything for me when it was under the hood either except keeping me from washing my windshield!

I actually prefer the way the car handles better without the FSTB. With the FSTB on it seemed to promote more understeer, which the car naturally has more than enough. Without the bar, it seems to go through turns a bit easier. That was the only difference that I felt.

 

FSTB discussions are like popcorn.

 

As for the FSTB pinching the windshield washer fluid line to the drive side it is actual a small black plastic grommet hanger that the fluid line passes through, this grommet is in direct line of the FSTB ... gently pull back the engine liner on the hood in the middle from in front of the windshield and you will see the plastic hanger grommet release it from the hood or simply cut it off and allow the fluid line to lay against the liner ... there is more than enough room for the fluid line,

 

I am so ready to get one!

 

soooo you are talking about a FSTB right??? this is the mental thing that im talking about, the car couldve most likely went around the corner 5mph faster anyways but your confidence in the suspension wasnt there, the FSTB just made you feel a tad more confident to do it, trust me when you were cornering around those turns your front end wasnt going to be the issue, its the rear of the car that was going to lose it first as maxima's with the rear beam suspension suffers from oversteer or understeer (i always forget which one) as the **** of the car will lose control, so this is why a RSB does more than the FSTB, if you want to improve the front end suspension the a LTB (Lower tie bar) is way more useful

 

I have an i35. I got the el cheap $30 ebay maxima strut bar (brand was "saberport I believe lulz).

Pros:
Cheap price
Did its job on stock suspension (for the 2 weeks prior to coilovers being put on)
All hardware included
Its been over a year and hasnt cracked yet nor is showing signs of wear.
Fits perfectly (this on a car w/o spacers however)

Cons:
Very cheap material (the bar itself flexes if you press on it directly above the intake manifold post install lol)
Minimal difference after I went on coilovers
Hardware gets loose after sometime..just spend 3 mins and tighten it and its fine.

IMO get it if you plan to stay stock. Its a noticeable handling upgrade..

 

you need no modification with the ebay FSTB... just put in on n go

 

Correct, if I get a chance tonight I'll post pics of clearance on my car (since the OP drives the same car) with the Strut bar on.

 

Great, waiting on that pic!

 

if my photobucket would open up then id post pics of the clearance also... its enough to get spacers on there n leave room

 

just putting in my 2 cents, i have one that looks somewhat like that one which i also got off of eBay for i think $25 or $30. me being in college and not having much cash flow, this was perfect for me. ive tested it out and it makes the car more parallel to the ground around turns but....its still not as good as if i fixed up the entire suspension (such as a rear sway bar and all that jazz) but it gets the job done. i say go for it.

by the way ive taken turns/off ramps very hard to test it out cause im a dumbass like that but no metal has bent or broke or anything. like people have been saying, ur paying $30, ur getting your $30 worth.

here is mine, not the same seller. but looks similar



I say go for it, dont listen to all the haters, its just a piece a metal. and sorry for the dirty engine and bay.

 

thats it lol..... damn the onlything clean is the intake n FSTB lls

 

what intake are u running? it kinda looks like a bomz.

 

Thanks for the pic.

Your engine cover is not the same as mine. Yours a 2001? Mine is an 00 and have a different cover. I will post mine.

 

ha i know the pic is a little old ive cleaned it up some since then. soon im cleaning everything as i just found the perfect procedure