Racingline FSTB Install
07-01-2007, 06:25 AM
#1
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Racingline FSTB Install
Well guys this time all is good!! I finally was able to meet with my test cars yesterday and it fits!!!! There were minor issues but nothing that we need a new sample for. So first thing tuesday morning ( monday is a holiday up here) I'll be on the phone firming things up and getting the orders rolling.
I'll be sending everybody out emails by mid week confirming order information.
Thanks for the trust and patience guys. You've all been great
I'll be sending everybody out emails by mid week confirming order information.
Thanks for the trust and patience guys. You've all been great
10-05-2007, 07:13 PM
#2
fastmax05-for sure, I definitely understand that
chern-I did your method and
taz-
For those thinking of whether they should put the sticker on or not, I say DO IT...it looks a holly **** amount cooler! I am also about to go on an hour drive and an hour drive back + probably more driving for the night, so I should get a good feel for it.
I may be paranoid as usual, but can the bar cause "noise" to come from the front, or not? I think my front struts are about to blow soon, and I'm not sure if the FSTB may have added to the noise.
Here are some pictures.
The thing bent really easily with some pliers and no zip-ties needed IMO because it will stay where ever you bend it to.
chern-I did your method and
taz-
For those thinking of whether they should put the sticker on or not, I say DO IT...it looks a holly **** amount cooler! I am also about to go on an hour drive and an hour drive back + probably more driving for the night, so I should get a good feel for it. I may be paranoid as usual, but can the bar cause "noise" to come from the front, or not? I think my front struts are about to blow soon, and I'm not sure if the FSTB may have added to the noise.
Here are some pictures.
The thing bent really easily with some pliers and no zip-ties needed IMO because it will stay where ever you bend it to.
10-05-2007, 07:16 PM
#3
__________________________________________________ ___________________
Now for the plastic pieces...
The left one turned out super because it needed minimal cutting and it looks "OEM"
Just compare my cut piece to your "stock" piece and go from there
Itsa naice!
10-05-2007, 07:19 PM
#4
The right one was a little ***** and it kind of looks like **** because I cut too much off on the top part, but oh well.
That's what you want to do on the side part and it turned out very well.
That is what you have to do on the top part, but instead of making the cut so thick, you can almost cut it in half because it doesn't have to be so ****ty looking!
That's how it looks, but oh well
Maybe taz has better tips on the right one, so maybe I can get another one and re-do the cuts!
k, time for the road-test!
That's what you want to do on the side part and it turned out very well.
That is what you have to do on the top part, but instead of making the cut so thick, you can almost cut it in half because it doesn't have to be so ****ty looking!
That's how it looks, but oh well
Maybe taz has better tips on the right one, so maybe I can get another one and re-do the cuts!
k, time for the road-test!
10-07-2007, 05:08 AM
#5
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in terms of the AC line........ like i said in the previous post of 6 cars tested on the line was in a lightly differnt spot each time. But not of the test car required bending the line, 1 we removed the rubber bushing under the line and hard mounted the bracket to the body, just like on the 07's and the altimas. the other was on a 07, for that we just bent the bracket ever so slightly, and that was only for ease of mind as it was really close to touching but was still clear. Nobody will have warranty issues.
10-07-2007, 03:14 PM
#6
alright guys.
all the ones that have supported taz, great job because support is what's needed in projects/home-based businesses.
be happy he's working so hard to get everything together, yes it's taking time and i understand it could get frustrating but let me tell you something - when you workout, do you see results right away? no cause it takes time, when you see sony has announced their new launch of playstation 3 and offers a pre-introductory price, how many of u jump the gun and put ur money down? but when does it come out? in TIME. so that's what i'm talking about, he might not be sony but every business has it's start and nothing happens overnight.
i can vouch for him and say that he's very nice, extremely knowledgeable, hardworking guy to being do business with. those people that are getting mad for not getting their strut bars yet, just wait a little bit. he's a family man and it takes some time. he really does try his best for us to enjoy the benefits.
just sit back, relax and you'll see that he's going to be launching more products in the future but if we don't support him, who will? if he's willing to put out his time and money for us, shouldn't we cut him some slack and let the man do his thing.
with all respect taz, take your time - just make sure whatever you come out with is a quality product like the strut bars, they might have taken time but they did come out with perfection.
the teaser production piece you see of the strut bar is on my 07. yesterday, i spent all day with taz and he's putting something else together that will be coming in a few months but let me tell you one thing, you'll love it. for the amount of hard work he put in, it's definitely worth it. just wait on and you'll see what i mean, i'm not sure if he wants me to tell you guys yet so i'll let him takecare of that.
now to the people with ' clearance issues ' - just do as taz said, we took a hammer and slightly hit the a/c line so it bends down a little bit to give us more clearance, it wasn't touching the strut bar but it was close. so now i have no clearance issues whatsoever.
personal strut bar review - ok, first of all, the company that manufactured it didn't install it properly but i wasn't aware of this so yesterday when i went to taz's house, he checked it out and installed it properly as two bolts weren't tight and quite loose. anyway, now that all's fixed up - i can tell you that i could feel a difference RIGHT AWAY - trust me, my car felt 10x more stable when turning/cornering, i absolutely love it, it's so much more stable now, IT WORKS GUYS ! it's my first car where i'm experiencing a strut bar, no noise issues, no rubbing none whatsoever and for the price compared to stillen it's unbeatable, it looks sick too.
so if you guys haven't ordered it yet, do so now, it's one hell of a product, trust me - i felt the difference - i took some pretty hard turns to test it out yesterday and omg, it feels amazing - let's leave it at that for now :P
Good Luck !
P.S: i haven't put on the sticker yet but yes it does come with a Racing Line sticker, with that on - you have one hell of a product.
all the ones that have supported taz, great job because support is what's needed in projects/home-based businesses.
be happy he's working so hard to get everything together, yes it's taking time and i understand it could get frustrating but let me tell you something - when you workout, do you see results right away? no cause it takes time, when you see sony has announced their new launch of playstation 3 and offers a pre-introductory price, how many of u jump the gun and put ur money down? but when does it come out? in TIME. so that's what i'm talking about, he might not be sony but every business has it's start and nothing happens overnight.
i can vouch for him and say that he's very nice, extremely knowledgeable, hardworking guy to being do business with. those people that are getting mad for not getting their strut bars yet, just wait a little bit. he's a family man and it takes some time. he really does try his best for us to enjoy the benefits.
just sit back, relax and you'll see that he's going to be launching more products in the future but if we don't support him, who will? if he's willing to put out his time and money for us, shouldn't we cut him some slack and let the man do his thing.
with all respect taz, take your time - just make sure whatever you come out with is a quality product like the strut bars, they might have taken time but they did come out with perfection.
the teaser production piece you see of the strut bar is on my 07. yesterday, i spent all day with taz and he's putting something else together that will be coming in a few months but let me tell you one thing, you'll love it. for the amount of hard work he put in, it's definitely worth it. just wait on and you'll see what i mean, i'm not sure if he wants me to tell you guys yet so i'll let him takecare of that.
now to the people with ' clearance issues ' - just do as taz said, we took a hammer and slightly hit the a/c line so it bends down a little bit to give us more clearance, it wasn't touching the strut bar but it was close. so now i have no clearance issues whatsoever.
personal strut bar review - ok, first of all, the company that manufactured it didn't install it properly but i wasn't aware of this so yesterday when i went to taz's house, he checked it out and installed it properly as two bolts weren't tight and quite loose. anyway, now that all's fixed up - i can tell you that i could feel a difference RIGHT AWAY - trust me, my car felt 10x more stable when turning/cornering, i absolutely love it, it's so much more stable now, IT WORKS GUYS ! it's my first car where i'm experiencing a strut bar, no noise issues, no rubbing none whatsoever and for the price compared to stillen it's unbeatable, it looks sick too.
so if you guys haven't ordered it yet, do so now, it's one hell of a product, trust me - i felt the difference - i took some pretty hard turns to test it out yesterday and omg, it feels amazing - let's leave it at that for now :P
Good Luck !
P.S: i haven't put on the sticker yet but yes it does come with a Racing Line sticker, with that on - you have one hell of a product.
10-14-2007, 05:24 PM
#7
Just got this email:
To add more drama to the racingline strut bar the shipments were flagged at customs. They went out in 3 waves, 10 were sent direct to customers ( recieved), then 2 loads of approx 42 each were sent as a consolidation order through ups ( meaning they went on skids to buffalo to be redispersed by ups USA) the first skid apparently had something wrong with the paper work and customs would not clear it, this caused a delay for the second skid. But the second skid has cleared and has been processed and dispersed to all of you, most of them set to arrive on tuesday! For orders that were hled up on the first skid, I have processed replacement bars to be shipped direct to you. It was easier then going through all the individual waybills on the consolidation order. The first skid is now being returned to me and will simply replace the stock I used to resend the bars to you. EVERYBODY with a few exceptions ( HI, PR, Alaska people, and perhaps the odd CA resident) will be recieving them This week 100%. Custom color people should start to recieve their bars late this week and early next.
Thank you again to all who participated in this project. It took alot longer then expected and it really means alot to me that the large majority of you were nothing but respectful, patient, and supportive. For that I will allow you the choice of either 20% off your next order ( sale items included), OR a free battery tie down once they are ready ( shipping extra). They are not ready yet and will be a little while as the project was shelved in favour of getting the front endlnks ready first, but they are now in sampling. To take advantage of these offers simply complete your online purchase at any time and include a note or seperate email indicating your wish. I will cross reference your name from the preorder list and issue the appropriate refund. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks,
Joe
www.racinglineperformance.com
Thank you again to all who participated in this project. It took alot longer then expected and it really means alot to me that the large majority of you were nothing but respectful, patient, and supportive. For that I will allow you the choice of either 20% off your next order ( sale items included), OR a free battery tie down once they are ready ( shipping extra). They are not ready yet and will be a little while as the project was shelved in favour of getting the front endlnks ready first, but they are now in sampling. To take advantage of these offers simply complete your online purchase at any time and include a note or seperate email indicating your wish. I will cross reference your name from the preorder list and issue the appropriate refund. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks,
Joe
www.racinglineperformance.com
10-16-2007, 02:17 PM
#8
Mine is now installed. The 9/16 socket fit a lot more snug on the bolts than the 14 metric socket. I used that and a 2 foot steel pipe slipped over my ratchet to get the 3 stubborn bolts off. I used a 9/16 wrench to tighten the bolts closest to the engine, since the FSTB ended up getting in the way of tightening those 2 bolts. I ended up removing the rubber bushing around the A/C bracket, bending the bracket lower, twisting the A/C cap a tad, and finally taking out the white clip and replacing it with a zip tie. Everything now has plenty of clearance. Using a zip tie instead of the white plastic wasn't really necessary for clearing the FTSB, but it gave it so much extra clearance that I feel more comfortable with my install. Now I just got to hope that the plastic zip tie doesn't melt or snap...
10-16-2007, 05:05 PM
#9
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Posts: 293
10-16-2007, 06:45 PM
#10
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10-16-2007, 06:49 PM
#11
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 634
Unbelievable.
Trekked to the 'rents house and installed it. I could tell immediately upon driving down the road the immense difference. Seriously. I have complete stock suspension and this is the first modification to the suspension I've done. It is 900% better than before. I was taking turns with confidence and the car was handling like a sports car (finally). The bar is so good that I can feel the back end's weakness (which, when my v2 endlinks come in a couple days, will be rectified.
I even let Onilee (my wife) drive the car when we got home and she could tell immediately. In her words "I'm not scared to drive it now" (in reference to the floating around corners).
All I have to say is PHENOMENAL. Thank you Mr. Taz!
Sincerely,
Joshua
A Happy Customer
Trekked to the 'rents house and installed it. I could tell immediately upon driving down the road the immense difference. Seriously. I have complete stock suspension and this is the first modification to the suspension I've done. It is 900% better than before. I was taking turns with confidence and the car was handling like a sports car (finally). The bar is so good that I can feel the back end's weakness (which, when my v2 endlinks come in a couple days, will be rectified.
I even let Onilee (my wife) drive the car when we got home and she could tell immediately. In her words "I'm not scared to drive it now" (in reference to the floating around corners).
All I have to say is PHENOMENAL. Thank you Mr. Taz!
Sincerely,
Joshua
A Happy Customer
10-16-2007, 08:54 PM
#12
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how the hell did the right strut cover go back on without having to be cut like mine? 
10-16-2007, 09:35 PM
#13
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I think you could stop the vertical cuts about 3/16" to 1/4" before the top edge for a better looking install on that side [look at my photo again]
10-17-2007, 08:54 AM
#14
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10-17-2007, 03:06 PM
#16
One thing I noticed today after my wife drove it home was the FSTB seems to be absorbing a lot of heat. Sucker was hot as heck after her driving it. I was going to shake it to make sure it was still on solid...changed my mind quickly 
10-17-2007, 05:10 PM
#18
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 634
It performs amazingly.
Joshua
10-17-2007, 08:46 PM
#19
That is the sweetest FSTB install I've seen yet man. Project I jacked up my right cover a bit like yours. I plan to get a new one then cut it patiently like Machinest did. Great stuff guys, keep the pics coming!
10-18-2007, 05:35 AM
#22
And......... unlike the STEALIN ONE, this one doesnt rub the hood.
Deuski and RHmax can confirm this as they both have rub marks on the hood from the Stillen version.
Plus if you have a manual, there is a bracket for this one to re-locate the clutch reservoir.
Kamski
Deuski and RHmax can confirm this as they both have rub marks on the hood from the Stillen version.
Plus if you have a manual, there is a bracket for this one to re-locate the clutch reservoir.
Kamski
10-18-2007, 05:43 AM
#24
And......... unlike the STEALIN ONE, this one doesnt rub the hood.
Deuski and RHmax can confirm this as they both have rub marks on the hood from the Stillen version.
Plus if you have a manual, there is a bracket for this one to re-locate the clutch reservoir.
Kamski
Deuski and RHmax can confirm this as they both have rub marks on the hood from the Stillen version.
Plus if you have a manual, there is a bracket for this one to re-locate the clutch reservoir.
Kamski
10-18-2007, 05:46 AM
#25
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yes once everything is in place tighten everything down nice and snug. Hand tools are fine. Given how simple it is, it would probably take longer with air tools cause of the set up/ clean up involved.
10-18-2007, 06:21 AM
#26
Scroll up a few posts on this thread. I posted the tools I used to do mine. I did mine completely by hand. The metal pipe was required to get my bolts off though...
10-18-2007, 08:05 AM
#27
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The AC lines & bracket are very easy to bend, they really don't have to be bent much, less than a 1/2", go ahead order [are you in NY? see post #29]
Last edited by Machinist; 10-18-2007 at 08:18 AM.
10-18-2007, 08:10 AM
#28
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Yes REGULAR hand tools -a 3/8" drive ratchet, 14mm socket, a short extension if you have one, a 8mm Allen wrench [can use a vise grips or channelock pliers to hold the Allen bolt while tightening the nut] the last step is to tighten the bolts that connect the bar to the bracket
Last edited by Machinist; 10-18-2007 at 08:47 AM.
10-18-2007, 06:24 PM
#36
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What were you thinking. I have done like 8 of these, you should of asked me young butcher...
Machinist is an excellent example for all to follow!!!
The right one was a little ***** and it kind of looks like **** because I cut too much off on the top part, but oh well.
That's what you want to do on the side part and it turned out very well.
That is what you have to do on the top part, but instead of making the cut so thick, you can almost cut it in half because it doesn't have to be so ****ty looking!
That's how it looks, but oh well
Maybe taz has better tips on the right one, so maybe I can get another one and re-do the cuts!
k, time for the road-test!
That's what you want to do on the side part and it turned out very well.
That is what you have to do on the top part, but instead of making the cut so thick, you can almost cut it in half because it doesn't have to be so ****ty looking!
That's how it looks, but oh well
Maybe taz has better tips on the right one, so maybe I can get another one and re-do the cuts!
k, time for the road-test!
Last edited by chernmax; 10-18-2007 at 06:27 PM.
10-18-2007, 08:37 PM
#37
lol
10-19-2007, 07:08 AM
#40
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 634
But your right. I need to give her a wipe down.
Joshua