TRD Vs Tanabe Sustec Strut Brace
03-24-2010, 08:42 PM
#21
OK, here's the installed photo. Still have to put the cowling and wipers back of course.
Final photo with everything back together. If you want flash, stay with the red, but for me -- this is perfect
!
Final photo with everything back together. If you want flash, stay with the red, but for me -- this is perfect
!
Last edited by TrevorS; 03-24-2010 at 09:40 PM.
03-24-2010, 11:30 PM
#22
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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So do you notice any benefit with the bar installed now? ^^ The black does look good! Hope you installed it while the front end was up in the air to set the pre-load?
My Tanabe strut bar arrives tomorrow... First car mod I bought in a long time, and excited!
Will be installing it after work, along with putting my summer wheels back on. Yay!
I like the Tanabe design over the TRD due to pre-loading possibility. If I don't notice anything, at least it was just $100
My Tanabe strut bar arrives tomorrow... First car mod I bought in a long time, and excited!
Will be installing it after work, along with putting my summer wheels back on. Yay!
I like the Tanabe design over the TRD due to pre-loading possibility. If I don't notice anything, at least it was just $100
03-25-2010, 01:38 AM
#23
Haven't driven it yet, but I installed it with the vehicle raised from the front center. I torqued the tower bolts lifting the tires off the ground. I then tightened the bar almost a full turn for preload, locked it, and then tightened the end bolts with both metric caps facing forward (had to reverse the driver's side). Looking forward to hearing your results !
!
03-25-2010, 06:31 AM
#25
also how much it cost to spray paint n black? and tools for the install? im hoping to do this myself soon as well. i assume the instructiosn say all about the pre loading n such.
03-25-2010, 05:22 PM
#26
Yep
The cost of a can of paint of your choice? Just remember to prep the bar first -- otherwise the paint won't stay.
To do it properly, you should remove the wipers and cowling -- the TRD Tower Brace install instructions include that procedure, as well as the strut nut torque (37 lb-ft), but they don't cover the Tanabe bar install so don't try to use them for that.
Tanabe provides a "MANUAL INSTRUCTION" sheet which is distinctive only for its uselessness. It told me nothing. My above description covers the adjusting. Just make sure the tires are touching the ground when you remove the strut nuts, otherwise the strut bolts will drop out of their holes. For jacking, I suggest level ground and a floor jack with the cup under the "ball" near the center of the front chassis cross member -- that portion is exposed and seems intended for jacking. (Don't jack any higher than necessary.)
Tower nuts require 14mm socket, bar lock nuts require 17mm open end wrench, and bracket bolts require 14mm socket or wrench and either a 6 or 7mm hex key (think it was 6mm). You'll also need an appropriate ratchet wrench and a torque wrench for the strut bolts. (You'll also need tools for the wiper and cowl assemblies removal -- they're in the TRD instructions.)
To do it properly, you should remove the wipers and cowling -- the TRD Tower Brace install instructions include that procedure, as well as the strut nut torque (37 lb-ft), but they don't cover the Tanabe bar install so don't try to use them for that.
Tanabe provides a "MANUAL INSTRUCTION" sheet which is distinctive only for its uselessness. It told me nothing. My above description covers the adjusting. Just make sure the tires are touching the ground when you remove the strut nuts, otherwise the strut bolts will drop out of their holes. For jacking, I suggest level ground and a floor jack with the cup under the "ball" near the center of the front chassis cross member -- that portion is exposed and seems intended for jacking. (Don't jack any higher than necessary.)
Tower nuts require 14mm socket, bar lock nuts require 17mm open end wrench, and bracket bolts require 14mm socket or wrench and either a 6 or 7mm hex key (think it was 6mm). You'll also need an appropriate ratchet wrench and a torque wrench for the strut bolts. (You'll also need tools for the wiper and cowl assemblies removal -- they're in the TRD instructions.)
03-25-2010, 10:57 PM
#27
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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I just got done installing my Tanabe bar!
Install was fairly easy using TRD instructions. Only hang-up was with that larger, metal cowl under the plastic one which during reinstall was getting hung up on the little bracket hanging there, but once I removed that though it went right in. I used loctite on the strut nuts during reinstall (which as state above, will drop if the car is too high off the ground when you remove stock nuts to place bar bracket on!). The tanabe bar uses all three bolt positions versus TRD's two (so its free to move around). Just be careful of that and you will be fine. My bolts only wiggled though and didn't really drop at all.
I must say, I really like the cosmetic look as well after install. The tanabe is a nice red which looks great with the internals and my AEM CAI
I will get some pics up once I detail my engine bay, which it is due for!
Can't wait to test it out!
Install was fairly easy using TRD instructions. Only hang-up was with that larger, metal cowl under the plastic one which during reinstall was getting hung up on the little bracket hanging there, but once I removed that though it went right in. I used loctite on the strut nuts during reinstall (which as state above, will drop if the car is too high off the ground when you remove stock nuts to place bar bracket on!). The tanabe bar uses all three bolt positions versus TRD's two (so its free to move around). Just be careful of that and you will be fine. My bolts only wiggled though and didn't really drop at all.
I must say, I really like the cosmetic look as well after install. The tanabe is a nice red which looks great with the internals and my AEM CAI
I will get some pics up once I detail my engine bay, which it is due for!
Can't wait to test it out!
03-25-2010, 11:48 PM
#28
Cool dude !
I'm not meaning to knock the Tanabe red, it's purely a question of personal choice. I tend to like mods that are low key in appearance and thereby help preserve the stock flavor. The only thing I've got that's red is the TRD sway bar and that isn't normally visible. I've taken the same approach with my Eclipse -- there're a few modest mods under the hood, but it still retains the OE flavor.
!I'm not meaning to knock the Tanabe red, it's purely a question of personal choice. I tend to like mods that are low key in appearance and thereby help preserve the stock flavor. The only thing I've got that's red is the TRD sway bar and that isn't normally visible. I've taken the same approach with my Eclipse -- there're a few modest mods under the hood, but it still retains the OE flavor.
04-02-2010, 12:03 AM
#35
Finally got to take it out today! (Needed a battery charge and the ECU was disconnected a lot the last few days, so I wanted to get the relearning done -- a longish drive at various speeds ).
I'm no slalom driver so I'm not the one to give the brace a serious evaluation, but my impression is the steering is noticeably more stable than before. I've read that it improves steering wander and my impression is that's true. I was attributing that to the non-analog electric steering, but now I'm not so sure -- feels about right now, didn't before. Not a huge difference, but a welcome one -- I'd say the bar is worthwhile.
).I'm no slalom driver so I'm not the one to give the brace a serious evaluation, but my impression is the steering is noticeably more stable than before. I've read that it improves steering wander and my impression is that's true. I was attributing that to the non-analog electric steering, but now I'm not so sure -- feels about right now, didn't before. Not a huge difference, but a welcome one -- I'd say the bar is worthwhile.
04-27-2010, 06:31 AM
#36
The TRD strut bar has the Toyota name, but costs a lot more, and offers no pre-load for the towers. Toyota sells it to people who don't know any better... they love people like you. It will hold it's value for people who want TRD stuff, but it's NOT the better bar for cost or performance.
End of discussion, you can stop your internal dialog now, you're wrong, get over it.
End of discussion, you can stop your internal dialog now, you're wrong, get over it.
05-12-2010, 11:14 PM
#37
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 108
Just for the heck of it I'll throw this out there. DC Carbon Strut Bar. I had one of these on my 06 xA a few years ago and liked it. Looked real clean. I can't really comment on its performance though. Unless you have supporting suspension mods, it probably won't make a ton of difference. I had Eibach pro-kit and it handled well.
http://thmotorsports.com/dc_sports/d...SB1405-03-2010
http://thmotorsports.com/dc_sports/d...SB1405-03-2010
05-13-2010, 11:35 PM
#38
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MA
Posts: 70
The TRD strut bar has the Toyota name, but costs a lot more, and offers no pre-load for the towers. Toyota sells it to people who don't know any better... they love people like you. It will hold it's value for people who want TRD stuff, but it's NOT the better bar for cost or performance.
End of discussion, you can stop your internal dialog now, you're wrong, get over it.
End of discussion, you can stop your internal dialog now, you're wrong, get over it.
05-14-2010, 01:05 AM
#39
Just for the heck of it I'll throw this out there. DC Carbon Strut Bar. I had one of these on my 06 xA a few years ago and liked it. Looked real clean. I can't really comment on its performance though. Unless you have supporting suspension mods, it probably won't make a ton of difference. I had Eibach pro-kit and it handled well.
http://thmotorsports.com/dc_sports/dc_sport_carbon_steel_strut_tower_bar/csb1405/i-290288.aspx?googlebase=CSB1405-03-2010
http://thmotorsports.com/dc_sports/dc_sport_carbon_steel_strut_tower_bar/csb1405/i-290288.aspx?googlebase=CSB1405-03-2010
!. No question, the enveloping Toyota warranty for TRD has to be attractive to many -- as always, a tough call! Still, for me, TRD is just another supplier and despite warranty considerations, there are others and warranty isn't necessarily everything -- clearly, it depends on the buyer !
