zuffy

any updates on this plenum?

r34 racer

iTrader: (1)

Personally, the stock engine cover reminds me of those which you find on lawn mowers.

peptidbond

iTrader: (2)

HA! I agree.

3rdpower

This looks great but I doubt it'll have the crawford gains...

Jason

Okay, all I ask for is Crawford gains while retaining my stock strut bar. :\

Also, I've been looking at the intake plenum on lots of race car applications and they are all ROUND.

PhoenixINX

Guys... seriously... what's the big deal with the stock bar?

If you want to have a strut tower we have a replacement. Try driving WITHOUT the bar, you might find the car doesn't push as badly. Did you notice the G35c DOES NOT have a bar?????

MY350Z.COM

iTrader: (2)

Yes you do but at greater costs.

PhoenixINX

Then if you want the bar, you have to look at the ENTIRE package as your performance upgrade. Not just the price of the plenum.

I personally do not run with this bar... No reason to.

the bluez33

The people who buy your product will be performance enthusiasts. We as a whole are not willing to comprimise performance for looks. Furthermore, as far as the front strut bar goes, most people do not want to replace stock parts unless there are true benefits. You're obviously more than a little biased as far as the concerns of some of the people on this thread go.

Buub

iTrader: (1)

Actually, I take what you said to the exact opposite conclusion you come to.

If I, as an enthusiest, am "not willing to comprimise performance for looks" as you state, then replacing the strut bar is trivial. I mean, what's the diff? The new bar looks a little different and functions the same, while also allowing you to put some proven extra efficiency back in your airflow.

The Crawford plenum was never about looks. It isn't even that attractive. It has always been about performance.

So what's the big deal?

xZlr8

This thing looks SWEEEEEET! If it makes good gains, put me down for one!

JZC

Ditto.

PhoenixINX

You won't be compromising ANY performance. Removal of the strutbar will assist the car from pushing as much. More so, unless you track this car... or drive EXTREMELY hard on the streets... you would NEVER know its gone.

From the day the plenum went on, my bar was gone... now I have LESS push entering the corners.

Once again, might I add... the G35 does not have this bar... Nissan has everyone sold on the "bling bling" effect.

little_rod

I think the problem that you are having here is that some or most think that the bar helps in structural rigidity. This car feels very tight, and from a layman's prospective (also as an engineer), the front and rear bars have to have a lot to do with it.

The replacement bars don't line up as good (of course), and seem to take some of the stress from the bar itself like the stock setup, and put that stress on the bolts and extensions on your replacement.

You keep on bringing up push and such, but generally you are not attacking the thing that most are worried about. We want a stiff car that won't be rattling along in 2-3 years. If you can prove that the front end is just as rigid as stock, and doesn't give up the natural rigidity of the car, then that will make me among others take notice.

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

I dunno, Nissan put the strut tower bars on the car's for a reason. If they were mear cosmetic appliance's, they wouldn't have the mount's they do. To trivialize them to spin the sales pitch doesn't make it past the type of people that but car's like these. You'll close the ear's and wallet's of the people you want to buy from you. You want us to believe you when it's really on the line don't you? I wouldn't go to the trouble of installing a strut tower bar on my G35 cause I had this silly notion that it would cure understeer, that's blowing what they do way, way over the top.

FiddlerG35c

as far as no bar on the G - my car pushes like craaaaazzzy so i'm more concerned with bracing the rear .. but i wouldnt call a factory strut bar simply eye candy either

the bluez33

Very well said.

I don't know if you are working on a new intake manifold that does not require the removal of the strut bar, but if not you really should be. And maybe satisfy the guys who for some reason like the stock engine cover at the same time.

Personally, I feel uncomfortable replacing the Nissan strut bar with the strut bar of a company who does not exactly have a reputation for suspension/handling experience. How much R&D was put into the development of it?

Lipps

yeah, everybody is right about the strut bar.

But, I just want to see some friggin dynos, and while you are at it, slap one on a G35 Coupe so I can see what I have to look forward to. I would be willing to buy one tomorrow if it has proven gains on the G35 Coupe.

Traffic

Have to agree with Chris here.

Doug Stewart has documented racing experience, so why would he design a less effective strut bar? Also, actual racers, like Raceboy, for example, have purchased the plenum and new strut bar. For me, even if I didn't trust Doug, that in itself would speak volumes about the quality of the product. Nevermind the dozens of people who have already purchased, installed and gave the Crawford plenum very positive reviews.

In any case, if you want to reduce understeer, you have to soften up the front of the car or firm up the rear of the car, either by installing softer front springs, stiffer rear springs, or a softer front strut bar, or harder rear strut. Removing the front strut increases oversteer. Adding a front strut to your G35c will increase steering response, not to be confused with under/oversteer. For what it's worth, you shouldn't be pushing your car at 10/10ths on the street anyway, so you wouldn't notice the understeer on the Z unless you were at the track.

In any case, if you're still uncomfortable exchanging the stock strut bar, wait on lsdunique's plenum by all means. Or stick with the stock one.

PhoenixINX

The reason they are on the car, is because they are TRYING to induce MORE understeer. You would be surprised how much influence goes into the design, by insurance companies. Nissan is trying to make a SAFE DAILY DRIVER.

A car that can rotate its rear end around, is NOT SAFE for the majority of all drivers. NOTE this is the reason VDC comes on initially and has to be disabled.

As for the stress being put on the screws of this design... have you even looked at it? The plating isn't long enough to create a leveraging effect, thus causing the stress to be moved off the frame and onto the screws. The entire plate is EXTREMELY thick, and VERY solid... thus allowing distribution of weight very simple.

Personally, I'm loving ALL the input on this entire design. Though seriously, I invite anyone to come to Nashville to drive my car. OR to contact ANY of the many many owners of the new equipment, and have them take you for a drive. You also will quickly become a believer.