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View Full Version : Tanabe front under brace: installation and review


kimGT
01-23-2007, 09:34 PM
I'd like to start of with the description of the bar. it very light, all aluminum, very well made. its hollow with a double i-beams, and the welds are fantastic. the bar goes right behind the control arms under the catalytic converter, that said i'm not too sure how much more rigid it makes the car.

http://www.newcelica.org/photopost/data/500/DSC00972.JPG

Tools need for installation:
-19 mm socket
-2 jacks
-2 jackstands

start by jacking up the car and locating the bolts, its this one closest to the camera
http://www.newcelica.org/photopost/data/500/medium/DSC00973.JPG

place the two jack stands underneath the engine cradle close enough so that it does not move, but allow enough room for placment of the bar. I used air tools so it was very easy to remove these two 19mm bolts, i didn't want to risk it moving to i quickly put the bar in place and put the bolt back into place. you'll have to do this progressively, going back and forth to each side screwing it in evenly.
http://www.newcelica.org/photopost/data/500/medium/DSC00974.JPG

http://www.newcelica.org/photopost/data/500/medium/DSC00976.JPG

well after everything was done, i checked ground clearance and i'm pretty sure going over speed bumps will be risky. my initial impressions of the bar was that it did not affect steering at all, i was hoping it would be something like the cusco one (which is placed at the front of the control arms) but it did make the ride slightly stiffer. i took it to a local road i like to tear on once in a while, it has some decreasing radius sweeper turns that can be tricky at higher speeds. i didn't notice much of a difference during normal driving or cornering but once i reached this sweeper turn it felt more stable at 80 mph than it normally did. i was able to keep on the throttle the whole way, which is pretty neat.

so if you have about $80-$100 dollars laying around that you wouldn't mind giving away for a slightly more rigid body, i'd say go for it.

mrluilou
01-23-2007, 10:00 PM
those air tools work miracles! without the air tools it must be a pain to do.

kimGT
01-24-2007, 11:21 AM
well yeah, if i had to do it with a breaker bar it'd probably would have shook the cradle misaligning the holes, making the install a pain. but it took all in all about 30 min working at my own pace.

Any moderators want to put this in the install section?

ironracer4130
01-24-2007, 11:54 AM
looks good kim! i wonder if people still carry the blue one.......

CID
01-24-2007, 07:35 PM
Damn kim your car is dirty under there :gap:

kimGT
01-25-2007, 05:43 PM
anyone else with this bar want to add anything they noticed?

RevHard
07-31-2007, 05:14 AM
I can't tell you if only the underbrace makes it stiffier than before, because I've installed the 3 Tanabe bars on the same time ;) I noticed cornering is now improved on uneven surfaces and as you said the whole body feel more rigid than before, especially on speed bumpers. Also more precise front drivetrain, but for rear I didn't notice great gains... Just for the look I think.

neological
07-31-2007, 07:40 AM
Those bars all reinforce VERY stiff parts of the car. Although I don't know from personal experience it looks like there would be very little performance gain.

I took the tie bars off of the bottom of my Evo (bent by deer carcass) and I never noticed any difference and they're in a much less reinforced location.

vegeta4ss
07-31-2007, 12:59 PM
I bought the cusco b/c I was always told it was the only front lower other than c-one that would make a diff. Glad to hear that you found some small areas of improvement.