Hi all. Just finished Stillen's adjustable tension rod installation last night! Here we
go.
* Install
Very simple. Lift one wheel at a time and unbolt 3 17mm bolts. I used pair of ratchets
with regular 17mm socket and deep 17mm socket to get the lower arm bolts. Medium socket
would also do.
The painful part is unpressing the studs out of old tension rod. I contacted the
local Nissan to see if they sold the studs separately to make the job easier, but they
only come pre-pressed in the tension rod. I ended up hammering it out using a block of
wood for support. The studs have about 3mm end without the thread, so you will not
destroy the threads by hammering them. Nissan recommended grade 8 or better studs if
I were to replace them.
Once the stud is pressed in to the new rod, adjust the length to whatever desired. For
now, I kept it stock length (370mm from farthest stud to the end of bushing center.
hard to describe...:-)) I will gradually play with the length of the rod. Tighten the 3
bolts to 75ft-lbs and done! (factory spec 65-80ft-lb).
* Impression
Lot's of feedback! It's amazing how much information is lost in that bushing. Most
notable is during breaking and cornering. The break feels much more responsive, you might
say why?, because there are no more "big" bushing to absorb the weight transfer.
Everything I feel through the steering wheel is almost, yes almost, all response of
strut/spring and tire. One step closer to Kart, so to speak.
During cornering, you can feel what the front tires are doing. This was especially amazing
when I pushed into power understeer. You can feel the front tires trying to bite rather
than just mushy slipping.
Now into somewhat negative side... Since you can feel the road so much, it gets harsh so to speak. Every little bump the front tires go over, you can feel it on your hand and butt. Even the small ones too. I could imagine the chasis taking quite a abuse now... So if comfort is important to you, it may not be a good idea. I cannot picture myself driving across north america with this.
Only Time will tell how good/strong the Stillen rods are. I think it will help me improve my driving skills by gaining more information.
Note however, purely a plus in "feel", no HP gains or stopping power.
Takao