strut tower bar ?'s

[BEISSEN]

Ok i know this ahs been asked a million times but i was wondering if a pdm bar would be ok it only cost 37.38 after taxes and being shipped to me here.Also how hard and what is the best way to installthe bar?It is only the front bar and are pdm products any good?

[HippoSleek]

Hey Josh-

I will vouch for the PDM bar.  IIRC, it is a knock-off of the Cusco design - so barring any differences in a standard grade aluminum, it will perform just as well.  

Best installation is to disassemble the three parts.  Mount the ends on the strut towers.  Jack up the car from a center point (e.g., cross member) and install the bar.  (this is "pre-loading").  

Don't expect a big difference though - especially on the street.  But for the $$, it is a decent addition to your suspension.

[BEISSEN]

Thanks mark.I guess it will ask for this  as a b-day gift from my mom.

[nrcooled]

I noticed a pretty signifigant difference when I installed my STB on the front. Before the front end felt unsure and didn't communicate what the tires were doing. After installation the front "talks" to me. Now the tendencies of the car are somewhat different; more of a understeer tendency and just add throttle to ballance and give a litte oversteer. Best bang for the buck. I got mine off e-bay for $19.99 buy it now. Nice quality and fit <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>
Edit: I feel like I need a Rear STB now because the ass end of the car feels unsure now. &nbsp;OBX has them for $60.00 but I am looking for a cheaper option

[Yoshi]

on the installation thing:
remember to pre-load your bar!
jack it up, unbolt the struts, place the bar, elongate it as much as possible, tighten it back down, lower the car back... keep in mind that you have to raise both sides at once, it dun work just one side at a time ;P

nrcooled: I think the pilot bars are cheaper than that, I got mine from www.phase2motortrend.com &nbsp;they were great... fast and cheap, I think someone on zilvia runs it, but I forget who... drop Wayne an e-mail.

[HippoSleek]

uh - Yoshi - if it is a 3-piece bar, you can attach the mount plates separately, then the bar. &nbsp;I have a bad feeling about what happens when you jack up the car, then remove the only functional thing holding up the suspension <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'> &nbsp;(other that the sway bar that you probably shouldn't use to support that much load &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> &nbsp

Wayne at Phase2 = tristarx on Zilv. &nbsp;As stated in my parts suppliers review, he gets an A+. &nbsp;Couldn't have done more.

[Yoshi]

hippo: you'd think they'd just fall right out, but if you think about it, the suspension (at least on my car) is at full decompression about .5 inches before the actual travel is capable of. &nbsp;I installed my front STB no only with the car off the ground, but with the added weight of the rims and tires as well, i had no probs, and no, nothing fell out/off <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

I never had to take bar apart (well... except to paint the ugly blue thing <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> hehee) to get it installed, once I jacked up the car, the whole thing took me less than 5 mins. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'>

[BEISSEN]

ok sorry got my info wrong it is a pilot motorsports strut tower bar for 37.38 with shipping and taxes.

[HippoSleek]

Josh - there's really no difference. &nbsp;Go for it.

Yosh - &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blush.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':blush:'> &nbsp; Still - it has to be bad for something! &nbsp;I never even considered doing in that way and didn't pay attention when my car was up like that. &nbsp;I guess lifting one side at a time the sway forces the raised side to fully de-compress (or my shocks are toast... oh yeah - they are). &nbsp;Either way, I guess.

Mark
-who's still suspicious... &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/whatsthat.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':whatthe:'>

[Kreator]

Ummm well you prolly would like to check this out before you buy yer stb.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot....2143027
This is the one i have. Perfect fit, cleared the hood... improved handling. Prolly cusco woulda done better, but for the price i think this would be the best...

[Yoshi]

holy crap... that's a serious deal... even at the "buy it now" price! &nbsp;Looks exactly like the PDM bar too (I personally find the PDM/Cusco design to "look" the strongest) &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Looks just like my bar <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[sykikchimp]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (HippoSleek @ July 08 2002,2:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hey Josh-

I will vouch for the PDM bar. IIRC, it is a knock-off of the Cusco design - so barring any differences in a standard grade aluminum, it will perform just as well. </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
they are quite different in fact.. &nbsp;I have had the PDM bar, and now own the cusco. &nbsp;The cusco requires no adjusting, &nbsp;and actually has no adjustability. &nbsp;The end plates are much beefier, and there is an actual coating on them, not just paint like the PDM bar. &nbsp;Looks, and fits, much nicer.. &nbsp;but for $200 (cf stb) vs. $40 the PDM bar I'm sure would have been just as functional, If I could get it to fit on my car. &nbsp;It wouldn't bolt all the way down without hitting the valve cover. &nbsp;so I sold it. &nbsp;I've heard of other people having the same problem. &nbsp;If you do have this problem you should be able to fix it by throwing some washers under it. &nbsp;(don't know why I didn't think of this at the time.. doh)

Overall I am VERY happy with my cusco bar b/c it fit perfect, and it looks so freakin badass...