dofu
Registered User
close
Nov 12, 2025
- Join DateSep 2005
- LocationSilicon Valley
- Posts:10,822
-
iTrader Positive Feedback100
-
iTrader Feedback Score(9)
-
Likes:146
-
Liked:242 Times in 197 Posts
Quote:
like others have said, this should be the last handling mod to do. a good set of coilovers or a set of sway bars will improve the handling 10x more than any strut bar
there is a reason infiniti didnt put one in the first place
Didn't they put one in the new Z?Originally Posted by escobar929
i dont think anyone really thinks that there is zero difference, but i think the point is you can buy other strut bars for less money, that have perfect fitment, that are also gonna slightly improve the handlinglike others have said, this should be the last handling mod to do. a good set of coilovers or a set of sway bars will improve the handling 10x more than any strut bar
there is a reason infiniti didnt put one in the first place
Registered User
Quote:
this is what i dont get bout his statementOriginally Posted by xx7sephiroth7xx
Scott called me earlier and told me what went wrong: the party that actually manufactured some of the bars messed up -- the bars for FI applications (such as Canadian's) were made first. The regular bars for non-FI cars were made afterwards. According to Scott, the manufacturer did not correctly set the jig for the normal cars for the brackets of the first few bars. I am one of the unlucky individuals who received such a bracket.
if what scott is saying is true, then do people w/ FI have a different hood?
technically the one made for people w/ FI should fit Gs w/out FI since the everything stays the same, except for you have a smaller charge pipe (also depends on w/ FI kit you have)
maybe i missed something but please explain further
as for the bashing, most will bash any overpriced product that doesnt fit/work
the fact that is made by scott only makes it that much worse, since he has been doing shady chit for too long but thats for another thread (there is a very nice one on my350z bout it)
Registered User
Quote:
The Circuit sports bar also rubs on the hood with no real method of correction.
Does that justify the problems with the RA STB? No.
Does it give an indication of the tight clearances in the g35 engine bay? Yes.
Nahhhh....dont agree...but good try on the saveOriginally Posted by redlude97
The arc/richie/nrg bars all have rubbing issues with the OEM hood and stock engine cover and require removal and/or dremeling of the brackets to clear the hood without rubbing.The Circuit sports bar also rubs on the hood with no real method of correction.
Does that justify the problems with the RA STB? No.
Does it give an indication of the tight clearances in the g35 engine bay? Yes.
http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X119&...0580_large.jpgI have the ARC...ZERO rubbing. The ARC has easy adjustments." Push down and lock"...
Saw tons of STB at ZdayZ last year on G's and I did not see any rubbing issuesSO let me repost the reason for this STB being a bad buy...and this is from a pro in this area.
Quote:
On a side note,mit is ridiculously over priced for mild steel. We just built a sick *** aluminum one from scratch for a super nice, old school 240Z and it was bad ***. We only charged the guy $250. I will post a picture when I get to the shop tomorrow.
Originally Posted by TurboTim
You could always use this to convince the noobs....... the guy who is making these obviously does not have a clue how to fabricate. They are doing huge MIG welds, with alot of heat, on the .90 mild steel tube and .120 plate. It is warping the crap out of the metal. I bet he cant even put these back into the jigs when they are done.If they dont change their method for producing these, there will always be issues with fiment. The only solution is to fix these (not easy) ,make new ones or give back money. At least that is what you do if you are a stand-up type of business.On a side note,mit is ridiculously over priced for mild steel. We just built a sick *** aluminum one from scratch for a super nice, old school 240Z and it was bad ***. We only charged the guy $250. I will post a picture when I get to the shop tomorrow.
Registered User
Quote:
Let me clarify this right now: I am not Scott's defender. This is solely my opinion.
All of you bashers, great job of cluttering up this thread.
Yes, you have the right to post since it is a public forum, but your posts help NO ONE.
Hopefully I can get an admin to clean up this thread by deleting all the posts that have nothing to do with this bar.
Scott called me earlier and told me what went wrong: the party that actually manufactured some of the bars messed up -- the bars for FI applications (such as Canadian's) were made first. The regular bars for non-FI cars were made afterwards. According to Scott, the manufacturer did not correctly set the jig for the normal cars for the brackets of the first few bars. I am one of the unlucky individuals who received such a bracket.
Sure, it sucks, now I have to send it back and wait for the correct one to be sent. However, this problem does not constitute a wave of bashing to ensue in this thread, especially since the bashing is directed towards a man who has no access to these forums anymore [for reasons unknown to me, but that is BESIDES THE POINT].
So please, I KINDLY ask that all the bashing stops here. I believe the only posts that should be here are those pertaining to the bar -- problems, reviews, etc.
Just a little advise....you do know that too much salt intake is not good for you..no matter where the salt comes from...may it be Sea Salt or Sack Salt Originally Posted by xx7sephiroth7xx
Wow. Just wow.Let me clarify this right now: I am not Scott's defender. This is solely my opinion.
All of you bashers, great job of cluttering up this thread.
Yes, you have the right to post since it is a public forum, but your posts help NO ONE.
Hopefully I can get an admin to clean up this thread by deleting all the posts that have nothing to do with this bar.
Scott called me earlier and told me what went wrong: the party that actually manufactured some of the bars messed up -- the bars for FI applications (such as Canadian's) were made first. The regular bars for non-FI cars were made afterwards. According to Scott, the manufacturer did not correctly set the jig for the normal cars for the brackets of the first few bars. I am one of the unlucky individuals who received such a bracket.
Sure, it sucks, now I have to send it back and wait for the correct one to be sent. However, this problem does not constitute a wave of bashing to ensue in this thread, especially since the bashing is directed towards a man who has no access to these forums anymore [for reasons unknown to me, but that is BESIDES THE POINT].
So please, I KINDLY ask that all the bashing stops here. I believe the only posts that should be here are those pertaining to the bar -- problems, reviews, etc.
It will cause your blood pressure to elevate to dangerous levels.BTW.....no one has posted OT..
I guess you are one of those who hate to hear the truth that bending over and holding your ankle is not the norm of going FI
Registered User
I feel I must apologize for my outburst last night. Not for the content, but how I represented myself. There seem to be so many members of the community who are intent on disrupting this thread for no constructive purpose. IMHO, they are still trolls, who are here only to cause trouble. Why they are doing this, I have no idea
But, whatever they feel their pitiful justification is, they have, IMO, ruined this thread as a place to glean worthwhile information
Scott appears to have accepted responsibility for the problem, again, and also has said that he will make it right. From my past experience, I believe he will. With all the negative posts by all the trolls to this thread, I'm sure this will be the last time this bar is ever manufactured again, and that's a shame.
My advice, close this thread, and all of you who are having problems, call Scott directly. You guys may also want to band together, and exchange email addresses to discuss your remedies and progress amongst yourselves. This thread is no longer a constructive place to be.
I will no longer post here.
Lou
But, whatever they feel their pitiful justification is, they have, IMO, ruined this thread as a place to glean worthwhile informationScott appears to have accepted responsibility for the problem, again, and also has said that he will make it right. From my past experience, I believe he will. With all the negative posts by all the trolls to this thread, I'm sure this will be the last time this bar is ever manufactured again, and that's a shame.
My advice, close this thread, and all of you who are having problems, call Scott directly. You guys may also want to band together, and exchange email addresses to discuss your remedies and progress amongst yourselves. This thread is no longer a constructive place to be.
I will no longer post here.
Lou
Registered User
Well don't I just feel like an idiot for getting this bar. Thanks for all advice three months later. So I guess you heard there was problem with RA strut bar and figured now would be a good time to kick people when their down. I'm not talking about Scott I could care less what you say about him. At this point I either want a new bracket made or I will be getting my money back.
Registered User
i am honestly questioning how people spent 500 on this when they could have got a ARC one. The reason that people like scott stay in business is because people are misinformed and dont know the truth.
-r0mey waits for his post to be deleted so I can contact IB about the selective moderating that is going on over here.
-r0mey waits for his post to be deleted so I can contact IB about the selective moderating that is going on over here.
Registered User
Yeah I'm starting to think that myself honestly. I guess I was reading all the hype and believed it. Wish I would have seen the 350z thread before. When I was looking up this bar didn't read one negative post about it. So I thought this bar was kosher. I just thought the high price was cause it rarely got made. Be interesting to see how this turns out. Hopefully Scott will make good on his mistakes.
Registered User
Quote:
-r0mey waits for his post to be deleted so I can contact IB about the selective moderating that is going on over here.
Tell me about it, just check out the tags on this thread Originally Posted by r0mey
i am honestly questioning how people spent 500 on this when they could have got a ARC one. The reason that people like scott stay in business is because people are misinformed and dont know the truth.-r0mey waits for his post to be deleted so I can contact IB about the selective moderating that is going on over here.
Quote:
best strut bar, relentless autosports, relentless strut bar, stb-check hoodgap-check?, strut bar
You would think mods would want to tag that this bar has fitment issues, poor build quality and many many many unhappy customers!best strut bar, relentless autosports, relentless strut bar, stb-check hoodgap-check?, strut bar
Registered User
Quote:
http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X119&...0580_large.jpg
I have the ARC...ZERO rubbing. The ARC has easy adjustments." Push down and lock"... Saw tons of STB at ZdayZ last year on G's and I did not see any rubbing issues
SO let me repost the reason for this STB being a bad buy...and this is from a pro in this area.
Good for you. If you had actually been active on these forums then you would know that you are one of the lucky few thenOriginally Posted by XKR
Nahhhh....dont agree...but good try on the save http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X119&...0580_large.jpgI have the ARC...ZERO rubbing. The ARC has easy adjustments." Push down and lock"...
Saw tons of STB at ZdayZ last year on G's and I did not see any rubbing issuesSO let me repost the reason for this STB being a bad buy...and this is from a pro in this area.
Pics are dead but here is one arc owner who had rubbing issues, and is a long time well respected member on here
Quote:
Mackin Industries. Package arrived 3 days late... but they
did a good job boxing up the ARC box. came in with no damage.
Here's a quick review:
1. Packaging: excellent
2. Craftmanship: excellent
3. Instructions: blahahaha!! but the pictures are good.
4. Fitment of side strut pieces: excellent
5. Fitment of bar overall: good
6. Function: excellent, immediately noticed flatter turns.
7. Overall satisfaction: very good.
8. Would I recommend?: Yes, but for those without plenum spacer.
9. Ease of installation: very easy, but requires some socket adapters
as it's a very tight fit.
Here's what came in the box:
For the passenger side, temporarily remove this bracket:
For the driver side, temporarily remove the bracket out of the way:
here's another shot of the driver side:
Here's the clearance... not much actually, you won't have any if you
don't want the hood bulging outward. read on...
Here's where the flouresent light reveals the high spot (where the
light squeezes together) on the hood. im a PDR tech so very
sensitive to such reflections...
Here's where the bar's rubbing on the inside deadner... i put some
flour (could't find any baby powder) on the bar and shut the hood.
then put masking tape to make it easier for you guys to see:
Here's the finished product:
The bar is adjustable vertically so i put the sponge pad that came with
the package on the bottom side of the bar and pushed down all the way
until it bottomed out on the engine cover. then torqued down the bar.
The bar still pushes the hood up slightly, but not detectable for most
people. im just too sensitive to high and low spots on the panel...
Here's some fun adapters i used to make the work a breeze:
Here's a little trick i always use using some masking tape to place nuts
onto areas where it's hard to reach the bolt.
The overall install is easy, but it will make your life a lot easier if you
have socket adapters including a universal adapter like in my pict.
I immediately noticed a great improvement in cornering flatness during
the first fast turn i took up an expressway entrance ramp. car feels
solid and much easier to control. Im very glad i got the bar.
my next step is to get the rear Stillen bar.
https://g35driver.com/forums/1465053-post44.htmlOriginally Posted by kenchan
I got mine from Ingested for $499 + shipping. It was drop shipped from Mackin Industries. Package arrived 3 days late...
but they did a good job boxing up the ARC box. came in with no damage.
Here's a quick review:
1. Packaging: excellent
2. Craftmanship: excellent
3. Instructions: blahahaha!! but the pictures are good.
4. Fitment of side strut pieces: excellent
5. Fitment of bar overall: good
6. Function: excellent, immediately noticed flatter turns.
7. Overall satisfaction: very good.
8. Would I recommend?: Yes, but for those without plenum spacer.
9. Ease of installation: very easy, but requires some socket adapters
as it's a very tight fit.
Here's what came in the box:
For the passenger side, temporarily remove this bracket:
For the driver side, temporarily remove the bracket out of the way:
here's another shot of the driver side:
Here's the clearance... not much actually, you won't have any if you
don't want the hood bulging outward. read on...
Here's where the flouresent light reveals the high spot (where the
light squeezes together) on the hood. im a PDR tech so very
sensitive to such reflections...
Here's where the bar's rubbing on the inside deadner... i put some
flour (could't find any baby powder) on the bar and shut the hood.
then put masking tape to make it easier for you guys to see:
Here's the finished product:
The bar is adjustable vertically so i put the sponge pad that came with
the package on the bottom side of the bar and pushed down all the way
until it bottomed out on the engine cover. then torqued down the bar.
The bar still pushes the hood up slightly, but not detectable for most
people. im just too sensitive to high and low spots on the panel...
Here's some fun adapters i used to make the work a breeze:
Here's a little trick i always use using some masking tape to place nuts
onto areas where it's hard to reach the bolt.
The overall install is easy, but it will make your life a lot easier if you
have socket adapters including a universal adapter like in my pict.
I immediately noticed a great improvement in cornering flatness during
the first fast turn i took up an expressway entrance ramp. car feels
solid and much easier to control. Im very glad i got the bar.
my next step is to get the rear Stillen bar.
Or the multiple people here who have rubbing issues with the ARC clone FSB
https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sed...strut-bar.html
https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...t-me-pics.html
Circuit sports SB rubbing
Quote:
As far as updated clearance issues... the hood heatshield does rub a little bit on the strut bar, since I have two very small black marks on each end. The clearance between the plenum and the strut bar is in fact VERY small, and has made contact... I'm just wondering if it's from hitting big pot holes or me revving my engine? lol
https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...t-me-pics.htmlOriginally Posted by DieselX
I think coilover ***** should be reacheable, but I can't guarantee that.As far as updated clearance issues... the hood heatshield does rub a little bit on the strut bar, since I have two very small black marks on each end. The clearance between the plenum and the strut bar is in fact VERY small, and has made contact... I'm just wondering if it's from hitting big pot holes or me revving my engine? lol
That is from a quick 5 min search. I know there are countless other threads on those topics
Former G35driver Vendor
ShanesG
Former G35driver Vendor
close
Nov 24, 2020
- Join DateSep 2007
- LocationPasadena
- Posts:23,550
-
iTrader Positive Feedback100
-
iTrader Feedback Score(84)
-
Likes:106
-
Liked:335 Times in 187 Posts
Honestly a $500 FSB should not have fitment issues end of story. I mean common on the pics it's not even just rubbing it is pushing the whole damn hood up at least 1/4".
There should be no difference in the way it fits with or with out a FI setup. FI cars don;t magically get a taller hood. That's a complete BS statement made by someone who is trying to cover his a$$. Dont be so gullible!!
As for other bars i can only speack for the Richie/NRG bar. It's a $200 bar far lees than this one costs. Yeah there are fitment issues with it, but nothing that cant be fixed in a few minutes. Mine BARELY rubbed the hood, and im only guessing it did be cause i got the CF version so it's a bit thicker.
There should be no difference in the way it fits with or with out a FI setup. FI cars don;t magically get a taller hood. That's a complete BS statement made by someone who is trying to cover his a$$. Dont be so gullible!!
As for other bars i can only speack for the Richie/NRG bar. It's a $200 bar far lees than this one costs. Yeah there are fitment issues with it, but nothing that cant be fixed in a few minutes. Mine BARELY rubbed the hood, and im only guessing it did be cause i got the CF version so it's a bit thicker.
Registered User
Quote:
thats cause the G is far superior Originally Posted by dofu
Didn't they put one in the new Z?
j/ki really dont know why but i still dont see any strut bar making more of a diff than a set of coilover or sway bars
Registered User
After looking at the pictures, this group buy set is flawed. it seems both brackets are flawed on many of the pictures, Especially when compared to the first batch ones. I went and grabbed mine to compare and theres about a 1/3 to half inch hieght difference on the passanger side. Further more on one of them it seems the top bracket that connects to the crossbar is at an angle. Also the wield quality is worse.
As for does the bar work? Yes it does. But then again i'm running coilovers, sways, lower tie braces, A arms, bushings and usually am on RA1's on track days . Does this bar work better than the richie bar? No. But unlike the richie bar this one has not bent on me.
As for does the bar work? Yes it does. But then again i'm running coilovers, sways, lower tie braces, A arms, bushings and usually am on RA1's on track days . Does this bar work better than the richie bar? No. But unlike the richie bar this one has not bent on me.
Registered User
Quote:
Suspecting a hidden motive to hate on Scott and putting that aside.
I feel the frustration of all those that paid good money, spend the time to do the install only to find it it doesn't fit. Hopefully you end up with a proper outcome where the seller fixes things for you.
Hoever, on the subject of the merit's of worth, I do not agree that this bar, or that ANY STB offered for the G35 to date leverages meaningfull level's of resistance. I do not own a STB for this reason.
As I've posted before
Not to be difficult or anything, but,.....
The VRT bar is a design compromise because of a difficult installation enviroment. Given that I don't see the bar as passing a critical anyasis by any engineer (see conversation below from a engineer in the motorsports field) that doesn't have a vested profit motive or get's parinoid that anyone is ignoring the degree hanging on the wall, I don't see any review holding much weight, however well intented or thought out and without any intention's of offending ANYONE, something I don't have a desire to do. I'll point out that pretty much every single coilover install tends to receive good reviews no matter the brand. How it "feels" doesn't carry any weight for me, only thing that would remotely get me interested is seeing the bars mounting legs on a test jig that measures how well it can resist force and not flex.
.
Thanks for posting and including Will's take on it. Interesting analysis. I have to admit with the stock soft shocks the STB made the ride firmer and cornering flatter. Now that I have stiff coilovers, perhaps it is superfluous...Originally Posted by Gsedan35
Not fitting issues aside.Suspecting a hidden motive to hate on Scott and putting that aside.
I feel the frustration of all those that paid good money, spend the time to do the install only to find it it doesn't fit. Hopefully you end up with a proper outcome where the seller fixes things for you.
Hoever, on the subject of the merit's of worth, I do not agree that this bar, or that ANY STB offered for the G35 to date leverages meaningfull level's of resistance. I do not own a STB for this reason.
As I've posted before
Not to be difficult or anything, but,.....
The VRT bar is a design compromise because of a difficult installation enviroment. Given that I don't see the bar as passing a critical anyasis by any engineer (see conversation below from a engineer in the motorsports field) that doesn't have a vested profit motive or get's parinoid that anyone is ignoring the degree hanging on the wall, I don't see any review holding much weight, however well intented or thought out and without any intention's of offending ANYONE, something I don't have a desire to do. I'll point out that pretty much every single coilover install tends to receive good reviews no matter the brand. How it "feels" doesn't carry any weight for me, only thing that would remotely get me interested is seeing the bars mounting legs on a test jig that measures how well it can resist force and not flex.
.
Former G35driver Vendor
Quote:
The Circuit sports bar also rubs on the hood with no real method of correction.
Does that justify the problems with the RA STB? No.
Does it give an indication of the tight clearances in the g35 engine bay? Yes.
You've only "proven" that 3 manufacturer's product also have fitment issues.Originally Posted by redlude97
The arc/richie/nrg bars all have rubbing issues with the OEM hood and stock engine cover and require removal and/or dremeling of the brackets to clear the hood without rubbing.The Circuit sports bar also rubs on the hood with no real method of correction.
Does that justify the problems with the RA STB? No.
Does it give an indication of the tight clearances in the g35 engine bay? Yes.
This doesn't prove that the engine bay has tight clearances. Please show that the same results are also true for GT Spec and Stillen. If ALL manufacturers products have equal "clearance or fitment" issues, then yes, you can then demonstrate that these problems are potentially due to clearance issues -- even then, you're only supposing that this is the issue, with no empirical data to back it up.
By the way, I wasn't able to find any company info for Richie. Can you provide me with their website/telephone number, etc? I've seen the user, Richie, on here, but it is incredibly difficult to locate any of their company info.
NRG, as you hopefully know, is a Taiwanese company. Are you really going to use them in your argument to support the idea that G35 coupe's have tight clearance issues?
Darren