ugufru

OK, I've recently received one of these and am installing it this afternoon. I was looking for more information and/or instructions this morning about it's "adjustableness" and either this information is a big secret or using Google is not an effective way to find it. (ed: Does EVERYONE need to put Stillen RSB in their .sig??)

I did find one thread back from 2000 talking about how it could potentially damage brake lines and to make sure the brake lines are kept away from the ends of the top bolts. Some install those bolts backwards? Others put additional protection around the hose and/or install their own offset bracket. The current kit already comes with e-brake line offsets.

Can anyone point to more information about the Stillen Adjustable Rear Sway Bar? What "settings" worked for you? Do you autocross? How did it go for that?

I have an event tomorrow and will probably start with a "middle setting" though I'm not exactly sure what that really means at the moment. The fact that my Maxima tripods around really tight corners may be more of an asset than a hinderance, but there's only one way to find out.

Any comments with direct experience with this product? Thanks! -pc

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

The further back you put the clamp on the trailing area, the more stiff you'll make the rear end. By back, I'm actually referring to forward from the beam. Think of the rear beam setup as a U, the further you grab and support the U at the ends, the stiffer it becomes.

ugufru

Thanks njmaxseltd! That helps a lot! Going out there in just a few minutes! -pc

george__

iTrader: (1)

Don't set it to the stiffest setting if you are DD the car.

I was told too stiff = if you turn and hit bumpy road your rear end could go flying out of control

ugufru

Thanks george__...

I just finished up and took it for a drive a little while ago. Here are a few things I ran into along the way...

1. Putting the Maxima securely on jackstands is really important. I probably spent 45 minutes fabricating wood jackstand spacers that fit onto my side rails to ensure I had a solid lift. This is something I've meant to do for a long time, and in almost every other situation I just put the jack under one of the trailing arms anyways.

2. Stillen instructions say to put the top bolt with the end towards the tire. I presume this gets around the potential brake line closeness. The bottom bolt connected to the sway bar points inwards away from the tire.

3. Positioning the swaybar is not easy if you don't have a buddy to help you lift it into position. I didn't have a buddy, but I used a ramp and just put the bar on top of it. That allowed me to move the ramp back and forth to raise and lower its support while putting the bolts into their respective holes. Keep everything hand-tight loose until you are sure you have the brackets where you want them. Before you start tightening bolts make sure you don't have it upside down. It should not touch the lateral link. I made this mistake and had to flip it over.

4. Where to position the brackets? Hmmm... that one was tough for me, but once you have the sway bar bolted on (very loosely) you can wiggle it back and forth until you have it sitting where you want it. Mine currently sits about 1" aft of the lateral link. This is probably too far back, but I wanted to experiment with very soft settings before I move it forwards. Stillen pictures theirs right underneath the lateral link. My rear bracket is dangerously close to my exposed rubber brake line, so I'm going to move my brackets forward an inch or so before my event tomorrow.

5. Tightening everything down. I started with the end bolts first (closest to the front of the car) and took turns tightening the upper and lower bolts, right and left sides of the car, to ensure they remained perpendicular to the trailing arms and where fitting against them properly. After I checked to make sure the swaybar was parallel to the lateral link, I tightened them down, and then did the same for the rear bolts on both sides.

6. Stilled provides aluminum offsets for moving the parking brake line. The clip holding the one on my right side had rusted through, so I don't know how much that will help. It turns out my parking brake isn't working on the left side.

So I took a drive. Highway speeds, exit ramps, and some back roads with hills and curves. Nothing too fancy or high-speed. Overall I can definitely tell a difference in the composure of this car -- Something that I recognize in my Infiniti.

Keeping in mind that my setup is currently very soft (including stock springs and struts), and that I will be able to adjust it as much as I need to while figuring it out, I think the 308$ investment was well worth the difference in handling. The rear end has quieted down a little over rough roads, and turn-in seems a little more controlled.

I'll post pictures when I've got it all where I want it. -pc

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

A RSB is a great mod for our cars. After noticing how much of an improvement it made on my 96, I've installed them on my Maximas since.

george__

iTrader: (1)

^
Holy crap Maxima enthusiast

ugufru

Quick update. I've repositioned the rear sway bar to more closely match where I think the Stillen photos are showing. Basically the rear most bracket is in front of the pair of holes that support the ebrake offset. This puts the bar about 1/4" forward of the lateral link, allowing the brackets to completely miss the rear brake lines and allowing the ebrake offset to be installed without any drama.

For those wondering, once your Stillen RSB is installed, you do not really need to lift the car or remove the tires to adjust it. It's probably a 20-30 minute job to change the position, but it is reasonable to contemplate doing this at the track between heats. The brackets are visible just in front of the rear tire. Watch the hot exhaust pipe which goes right next to the brackets on the left side when making adjustments.

The stiffer settings are still very effective without being too intrusive. I'll post updates after the event tomorrow and fill you in on my thoughts and upload some of the photos from tonight... -pc

hornepirate

iTrader: (23)

Great mod, I have mine on my 95 set about 2" in front of the axle. I moved it forward a little at a time until I got used to it.

ugufru

Another quick update: Autocross with the RSB installed was a new experience!


Although I got my best (recorded) time of the day on my second run, it took about 6 more runs after that to start getting it figured out. The tail was definitely more willing to sweep around, albeit in a more controlled manner with less body movement. I had to get my tire pressures adjusted (higher in the front) to get the right amount of traction in the front, but eventually I got down to the times I had hoped. I'm considering softening it up slightly for the next event, but overall it was a worthwhile addition, if for no other reason than the interstate/turnpike drive up to Beaverun/Pittrace. For what its worth, it didn't affect my ability to tripod either. Photos and more details to come...

olivas

iTrader: (4)

Be careful with those brake lines man.. When I installed the sway i moved my line out of the way as much as possible, but a few years later I was going to school and all of a sudden I noticed my ABS light went on then at the stop light it wasn't till I was at school when I noticed the car didn't like to stop. Parked the car pumped the bake pedal o see whet was going on then I noticed steam coming from the rear. The sway bar bolts cut my stainless brake lines..

ugufru

Here is a photo of where I ended up installing mine:



The brake line looks a little close in this photo, but it's actually nicely out of the way. Although none of the photos that I've seen make this clear, I found it best to mount the brackets forward of the e-brake cable offset. This pulls it out of the way of the brake hose and keeps it from getting tangled up in the e-brake cable. As pictured, this puts the bar about 1/2" forward of the lateral link. I should be able to soften/stiffen it a little by using different holes on the bar, or by moving the brackets further towards the front of the car.