Products: Tanabe Front/Rear Sustec Strut BarsOrdered From: Performance Nissan Parts, http://www.performancenissanparts.com Total Price Shipped: $196Overall Score: 8.5 / 10 I finally received the strut bars yesterday after UPS took their sweet time delivery it. When I was deciding between either the Tanabe or GReedy the deciding factor was that GReedy sucks at delivery times to it's vendors. I had waited over two weeks before canceling {different shop} and ordering the Tanabe which were shipped three days after {from Performance Nissan Parts}. Another problem at that time was that I could not find ANY pictures of the Tanabe strut bars. The provided factor picture only showed what seems to be the rear but I was not able to tell that at that current time. Well I have tons of pictures for you people thinking about buying along with a short review. Product: Is overall well done and extremely clean. The strut bar itself looks slick with a dark red bar and Tanabe printed upon it and overall shows quality. Both strut bars feel light. A weak point I found on the strut, along with most of the lower priced strut bars is the connection bolts which allow the bar to move. You could weld this but I decided that currently that was not needed. Install: Front -------------The front was very easy to install as you could imagine. Instruction were printed neatly describing cautions of the product. However step by step install directions were not included for those who might need them. There is also a good amount of room between the strut bar and the engine block. Rear-------------The rear instructions are all in Japanese and thus I could not read anything. This sucks since there are three pages of instructions and cautions I could not read. The install itself was a challenge. Having already taken out the rear speakers and the rear dash from when I installed the Tanabe GF210 springs two weeks earlier the process was quicker though. I first started by taking apart the strut bar and bolting down the strut plates. This was the first challenge since one of the bolts which is closest to the seats is near impossible to reach because the strut plates blocks it. To solve this I removed the "rubber liner" around the entrance to the trunk (all doing this from the inside of the car), and loosed the trunk carpet so I could stick a hand in from the side and with my other hand and a long extension slowing lower the bolt into the hole and with the hand through the side slowly screw on the bolt. It took me a couple times but I eventually got it. I then used a ruler to measure the length from the speaker holes and carefully proceeded to cut a hole in the rear dash using a knife. Once the holes were good, overall cutting them to fit was a middle difficult experience, I installed the rear dash back. Put back the speakers back on and proceeded to install the bar. This was the easy part and once this was done it was complete. Overall the thing looks very sick. Space wise there is also a good gap between the bar and the speakers as you can see in Picture # 4. The holes themselves are by far not cut perfect however I plan on going to Home Depot and picking something to cover them up.
==============================UPDATE: I went today and they did not have anything so I stopped by Auto Zone and picked up what appears to be some thick rubber gasket liner.
{ O } { O } < looks like that. I just cut it in half and cut out the center circles and it fits perfect. The holes are now NOT visible.============================== Does it make a difference: To be honest I only noticed a small difference but still a difference! Appearance wise it does look good but performance wise I still can't decide. Perhaps getting adjustable tension rods is a better choice for the cash for some. Turning ability is much improved and losing traction (burnout) in the rear is also much easier.
Overall the strut bars are good and recommened. A score of 8 / 10 is awarded.
Modified by Bosrudorfer at 9:17 PM 1/6/2006
Tanabe Front/Rear Strut Bar Reviews ** Pics Too!**
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Bosrudorfer
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Bosrudorfer
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:48 pm
- Car: S14
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Bosrudorfer
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:48 pm
- Car: S14
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Bosrudorfer
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:48 pm
- Car: S14
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Bosrudorfer
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:48 pm
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Re: Tanabe Front/Rear Strut Bar Reviews ** Pics Too!** (Bosrudorfer)
Looks nice. Yeah I personally hate the hinged bars but whatever. I think its in your mind that burnout ability is greater. How is a strut bar gonna help you loose traction? Strut bars are supposed to keep your frame rigid, and thus your suspension aligned all nice and perty and so better handling, and more traction should result.
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McRussellPants
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McRussellPants
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Bosrudorfer
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Re: (eddiec)
I disagree with you. My motto is you get what you pay for. I didn't spend $200 bucks each on the bars but more $100. Ebay bars are plain crap. Not only are the strut plate connections on them bad but the oval shaft (bar) is weak too. I will say the Tanabe are good size and beefy. I can post a picture later if you guys want.eddiec wrote:they look like the cheap ebay bars. glad i saved all that money.
Your not going to get a good turbo kit from ebay compared to spending the real money and buying name brand. Other than going custom from a shop.
Re: (McRussellPants)
So Ive heard. One of these?McRussellPants wrote:P.S.
Kuah showed me a Carbing bar a few days ago at SPL... All else is inferior. those things are the best looking tower bars evar.
What is the bracket looking thing on the lower bar? Ive been wondering about that. For a manifold brace maybe?
Re: (naed240sx)
thoes are probably not 240sx application. just a random stock photo. some of the strut bars are available with an integrated master cylinder brace, its possible that thats what the extension in the picture is. just a guess.
the okuyama bars are nice, but they are also like 250, which is ****ing retarded to pay for a piece of pipe. for 250 you could get some spiderweb brace made that mounted to like 30 points in the engine bay at a fab shop.
if i was going to buy a pre fab strut bar, id get dcsports. **** is beefy as hell.
thats not going to bend ever. i bet you could crash your car on the left side and you would probably screw up your strut tower on the right side with a piece like that. strong.
the okuyama bars are nice, but they are also like 250, which is ****ing retarded to pay for a piece of pipe. for 250 you could get some spiderweb brace made that mounted to like 30 points in the engine bay at a fab shop.
if i was going to buy a pre fab strut bar, id get dcsports. **** is beefy as hell.
thats not going to bend ever. i bet you could crash your car on the left side and you would probably screw up your strut tower on the right side with a piece like that. strong.
Re: (chmercer)
Hell yeah. DC bars FTW. Ive got the front and will probably be buing a rear one. It is really well designed and strong as hell. None of those gay-*** flex joints either.
pics
pics
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skydragoness
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92' 240sx 60k survivor :) - Location: North DFW, TEJAS
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Re: (eddiec)
The DC units definitely look like they are worth buying over anything else on the market for the sheer fact that they eliminate that nut/joint. Otherwise, I'm hard pressed to say a Apexi/Tanabe/etc is better than something you can make yourself or get a cheaper no-name brand and modify w/ some strategic welds.
believe it or not i think those nut/joint thing comes in handy. i know me personally whenever i forget to take off the strut bar when the car is jacked up or on jack stands i can easily remove the bar from those nut/joint thing so it has its pros and cons. the dc bar is nice tho. how much is the dc bar again? id probably get either that or the tanabe.
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AmoebAssassin
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Re:
The DC bar are definitley nice, I only wish they made them for the S14 because I would definitley pick one up. Almost all the other strut bars look the same I doubt there is a insanely huge difference between the $2 Ebay one and a $150 bar that have the same design, your only paying for a "name"
Re: Re: (240sxjeff)
Unless I'm mis-reading it, they do make 'em for the S14.
Nissan 240SX 95-98 240SX CSB1206 $165.00
http://www.dcsports.com/product_suspension_app.asp
Nissan 240SX 95-98 240SX CSB1206 $165.00
http://www.dcsports.com/product_suspension_app.asp
Re: (AmoebAssassin)
Um, either the 3rd or 4th is blocked. No biggie. Taking off the strut tower bolts takes 2 minutes. its really not that big of a deal. One piece is the only way to go.
the DC bars are 100 each on ebay.
the DC bars are 100 each on ebay.
Re: (naed240sx)
hmmm now I see that they do make them for S14's. I guess they must have came out not too long ago because I was checking for it some months back
Re: (240sxjeff)
yeah, it says it's a recent release. It's a good looking bar.
100!?!? Time to hit ebay!
100!?!? Time to hit ebay!
the carbing bar is amazing in quality, I have one on my project. $220 just for a bar is really pushing it, unless it had diamonds and naked chicks on it. My friend has an okuyama no hinge triangle bar http://www.gangstarrdrift.com/joe_mollicae.jpg i would definately pay $220 for that if they made that style for the s13. All in all I think my route is the way to go performance wise: hingeless bar up front and 1-3/4 .095wall DOM tube welded onto plates between the rear struts. $190 for 2 hinged bars is not a bad price though
Re: (SPIRONIUM)
cp racing makes a triangulated bar for the s13. Not too terribly good quality though.