Stiffening plate question

What it all comes down to is that many people who have installed them THINK there has been an improvement while some who have installed them THINK there has been little or no improvement.

I THINK this car has been very well thought out as it came from the factory and am willing to bet that it will work out just fine the way it is as far as handling is concerned.

I would like to see some ojbective evaluation of the plate, but Brian, who is in the best position to do that, has made it very clear that he is not going to do that. So you do what feels right to you based on the available information.

My "take" on the situation is that Brian would jump at the objective evaluation if it would give his plate a clear boost in sales. The fact that he does not tells me that its improvement would show up as modest at the best in such an objective evaluation. The available information does not refute that "take".

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Allannde @ Sep 4 2006, 04:02 PM) [snapback]314201[/snapback]</div>

IIRC, Brian called it a more refined ride, which is fine for me. I just don't believe that everyone will get the same reaction from it. Nothing wrong with that, heck, we don't even get the same mileage.

Get it or don't. If you don't like the handling, give it a shot. If you have no problem, then don't.

 

Yikes. Is this my 15 minutes of fame? I do appreciate that folks are NOT taking me to task for my honest comments on my brace page. When I put the page up, I never advertised it, or used it to prove any point. I put it up like I did with every other mod I've documented - it is there for people to find if they look for it. If there weren't so much controversy surrounding this part, I may have made a bigger deal out of my "feelings" but I really didn't want to get embroiled in a mess like we see here! Life is too short, and there are too many mods yet to be installed!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Aug 31 2006, 11:07 AM) [snapback]312280[/snapback]</div>

I'll assume that there was an implied smiley on the end of that, and move along. To avoid confusion, let me explain that my comment was meant to offer the information that my wife doesn't take much stock in saying things just to please me.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Sep 1 2006, 11:20 PM) [snapback]312958[/snapback]</div>

Let's not type this too loud. Sometimes Mrs. Darelldd is reading over my shoulder.

Thanks for understanding what it is!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Green Speed @ Sep 1 2006, 02:20 PM) [snapback]312928[/snapback]</div>

You think that your wheels somehow made the suspension stiffer? Leans Less in turns. How does that work? Oh, I forgot where I am. I'm not supposed to ask how it works. Just accept that it does.

 

Bob you clearly have "issues" at hand and I have no idea where all of this hostility is coming from nor do I really care.

Your comments below are absolutely false. It takes more than a "simple" twist of your wrist to snap 30,000 PSI bolts. The facts are that if you over-torque any bolt you will snap it. In the hundreds of plates that we have sold we have had maybe 5 people ask for a replacement bolt due to them over tightening them. NEVER did they break the attachment point or anything on the car as again you allude to.

I am finished replying to your idiotic posts of you trying to convince the world that you are right and the rest of us are not. You have been a member of PC for less than 3 months and I am afraid to say that it shows.

 

BoBZ,

Contrary to what you believe, the stiffening plate is a suspension piece. Tom's performance aftermarket manufacturer even makes a piece that uses the same two points as the siffening plate and then some. At a cost of $450 vs $160, it would seem that the plate is still a good buy.

It isn't hard to over-torque a bolt. I used my torque wrench and could easily have gone well beyond spec if I just kept tightening, but fortunately, I stopped at the right amount.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pogo @ Sep 4 2006, 10:04 PM) [snapback]314297[/snapback]</div>

Don't try to spin this. The floor is the week link not the screw. The proof in in what I've already posted there is no denying your very own picture. The only thing idiotic is for you or anyone else to still try an maintain that this part is for suspension when TOYOTA calls a floor brace

 

^^^

Tom's rear suspension member strengthening brace touts mid and rear chassis stiffening. The mid-chassis stiffening that it talks about are the same points that the stiffening plate connects to. Do you think Tom's would know what they are doing or do you think you know more than a recognized, respected aftermarket parts manufacturer?

 

I've never noticed any wandering or imprecise driving on my car. I wonder if, being a European '06, it's got better suspension than previous models?

I'm gonna look under the car tonight

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Sep 5 2006, 03:59 AM) [snapback]314459[/snapback]</div>

Presto

An interesting set of mods you list. You seem to need the Prius to be more sporty to drive than the team of engineers at Toyota created. Do you think you know more than this respected auto manufacturer about the indirect effects of strenthening some parts while leaviing other connected parts as stock? I would not own your car when you are done with it. These things invite abusive driving. Hard on cars.

By the way, the diagram you attached does not look anything like the BT plate to me. It looks like it may indeed attach to the suspension.

 

I have no doubt that the engineers could've created a sporty drive to begin with. I'm sure their primary mission was to cut costs where ever possible, and since the target consumer is not into performance they could omit the perfomance components. The parts I've added are no different than when I got the sport version of my Sentra. It was the same as the base, but had upgraded shocks/springs, a strut bar and a rear suspension member, and no other upgrades to the chassis. Don't forget that Toyota is releasing the Touring Edition which I doubt has any upgraded parts to where they are connecting the Touring suspension piecces. No one would own my car once I'm done with it. I plan on keeping this baby until it dies.

The picture that you see for the rear suspension has the same connecting points as the stiffening plate, ALONG WITH connecting to the rear part of the car. If you look at the pic, the points at the top of the setup is where it connects to the same place as the plate.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Sep 5 2006, 08:59 AM) [snapback]314459[/snapback]</div>

Has nothing to do with nothing. That is not a toyota part. The PDF file is. That is not the part in question the BT floor brace is. The numbers next to the Toyota pictures represent torque specs. The 22 is the Ft. Lbs. Toyota reccomends so you know what you can do with your 30000 psi..! 22 foot pounds is nothing. Why? Because it shows in the BT pic it's bolted to sheet metal. By the way has anyone (besides ScottY) thought about a possible stress crack down the road from removing the flex?You can say what you want but the TOYOTA catalog confirms it cut and dry it's a floor brace. Nothing more nothing less. It won't cure the common cold. It won't regrow hair. It won't get W out of office (hehehe)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BobZ @ Sep 5 2006, 01:08 PM) [snapback]314605[/snapback]</div>

Bob, nobody else bought up the concern I had about this issue. I thought I was on people's ignore list or something!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY @ Sep 5 2006, 01:14 PM) [snapback]314611[/snapback]</div>

Scott are you meet up with the rest of us on Sunday?

 

Hi All, and those watching,

I cannot deny there is a possiblity of a stress crack from removing the flex. There is also the possibilty of driving off the road, because of the flex. Take your pick.

The BT Tech plate is not a suspension part, its a chasis part. And its the chasis flex and vibrational ringing that makes the Prius difficult to drive on-line in variable cross winds and around dry paved corners. These situations put high loads on the suspension, and through the suspension into the chasis. The mechanical forces transmitted to the chasis from the suspension flex the chasis and change the position of the suspension components mounting points. This mechanism can change the carefully adjusted orientation of the tires to the pavement. So, any stiffening of the chasis can improve linearity of the response of the car, when under these side forces. And thus make the same steering wheel movement under load, change the direction of the car the same amount as when the car is not under side load.

When you steer in a turn, or to counter a sudden side wind gust, it can be disconcerting to require a different amount of steering wheel rotation for what is needed to change the car's direction by the same amount than when the car is driving closer to straight, or when there is no wind. It can be disconcerting after the side wind gust has passed, to have to steer the car back and forth, to keep the car in the lane on the highway. Van drivers might be used to this, but car drivers typically are not.

My experience is that with the BT Tech plate, a single steering input during a side-wind gust is all that is required to keep the car on track, and that the car does not oscillate its direction back and forth as it previously did well after the gust has subsided. This was at 65 to 70 mph, with cross wind gusts up to 30 mph, or in other words, your typical midwestern spring drive home weather.

If you drive by your sense of balance and the seat of your pants, you will want the BT Tech plate. If you drive by eyesight, and can completely ignore your inner ear, and rear end, maybe its not going to be so important for you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Sep 5 2006, 06:32 PM) [snapback]314894[/snapback]</div>

This is the second time I've seen you post a bunch of technical sounding garbage about the BT Plate. Didn't call you the first time. Got to this time. What a steaming pile of BS.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pogo @ Sep 5 2006, 10:09 PM) [snapback]314920[/snapback]</div>

I second that............

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Aug 4 2006, 09:18 AM) [snapback]297602[/snapback]</div>

I don't think the stiffening plate or any modification would help you much in that situation. What you are experiencing is turbulence from the tractor trailer disturbing the air as it passes through. This can cause all sorts of weird sensations in your Prius(and a lot of other cars, too). The steering in the Prius is very sensitive and takes a gentle touch, especially in situations like you described.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prev93 @ Sep 6 2006, 10:32 AM) [snapback]315133[/snapback]</div>

That's correct