Rob_DESCENDANT

Hey xB2 owners! I just wanted to post a little review on the new Tanabe Sustec Pro underbody brace. IMO...best under $99.oo part available for the xB2!!

The brace is made in Japan and is super high quality. Inside the box you'll find all the necessary hardware to install the component & a really detailed instruction sheet.



Not only did it fit perfect but the powder coating & name plate are flawless!



This thing installs in minutes by simply using one 19mm socket & ratchet.



Tons of clearance for lowered vehicles!!

We have these in new Tanabe Sustec Pro Under Body Braces in stock and ready to ship! If you call & order one now make sure to mention this SCIONLIFE thread to receive a free UPS SHIPPING promo!!

DJ_FroZone

iTrader: (2)

So what does it do

jnaval

x2. Won't that get hot real quick?

TrevorS

iTrader: (1)

It shouldn't even be considered unless you already have a front tower brace. If you do, then it adds a smidgen to the rigidity of an already pretty rigid structure. Most have trouble identifying a handling improvement from adding a front tower brace, this next step add is even harder to discern.

Also, don't consider it if you have a deep drop, chances are it will be damaged from scraping the road.

pyroman131

I don't know if it's just me, but judging from the angle in this pic, it doesn't look like this Under Brace hangs lower than the rocker panels.

I can imagine scraping on speed bumps if people are riding really low, but I can't see anything worse than that.

TrevorS

iTrader: (1)

Can't say from personal experience, but at least one early adopter reported scraping several times and later reported it actually being torn off the car. The problem was that it hung significantly lower than the rest of the chassis.

As I said, it's only an issue if the car has "a deep drop". But since road surfaces include low curbs, bumps, holes, driveways, etc, the amount of remaining clearance varies.

Mister_D

Did you guys really identified an improvement on handling ? because even with a Strut bar you won't have much of a difference unless the car have a ____ load of body roll and might found some improvement with more than a brace...

I'm a little worried about the brace and rolling with a deep drop too..

my opinion...

FromTheOld

Some guy said he already scratched up/scraped up/whatever his Underbrace awhile ago, which is why I decided not to buy that part.

Rob_DESCENDANT

This suspension brace is designed to work hand & hand with an upper strut tower bar and together these braces will help stiffen up the chassis and help eliminate body roll.

Not a crucial component but a great buy for someone who might already have the TRD bars and is looking for a little more performance for under $100.

TrevorS

iTrader: (1)

How can it help body roll if it's designed to help prevent chassis twist? Body roll comes from chassis/suspension/tire interplay, not from the chassis itself (unless the chassis is significantly more flexible than a stock xB2, but that would be a different car.)

I don't mean to dis' the underbrace, but I just think the buyer should understand exactly what they're getting.

Rob_DESCENDANT

I totally understand where your coming from so instead of us speculating I decided to post a link directly from Tanabe's website that better describes the benefits customers will see when using this brace in conjugations with other suspension components I mentioned.

http://www.tanabe-usa.com/chassis.asp

Either way it's a super EZ part to install & goes great with all the TRD parts most xB2 owners already have.

Rob_DESCENDANT

Chassis & suspension yes but no so much the tires.

Please read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_roll

After reading that it actually add's more value to what's said on the Tanabe site.

TrevorS

iTrader: (1)

The reason I included the tires is because the more they flex vertically, the less stable a platform the suspension has to work against during direction changes, (thereby affecting body roll), but to be sure, it's a secondary factor.

========================================================

Regarding your second item, the Wikipedia entry says:
"On wheeled or tracked vehicles, body roll is a reference to the load transfer of a vehicle towards the outside of a turn. When a vehicle is fitted with a suspension package, it works to keep the wheels or tracks in contact with the road, providing grip for the driver of vehicle to control its direction. This suspension is compliant to some degree, allowing the vehicle body, which sits upon the suspension, to lean in the direction of the perceived centrifugal force acting upon the car. Anti-roll bars are a part of the suspension specifically designed to address body roll.

When a vehicle is fitted with a suspension there is compliance between the mass of the vehicle and the vehicle's contact with the ground. Body roll is the noticeable (either perceived or measureable) deflection produced when load transfer acts on the compliant elements of the suspension. Anti-roll bars directly impact body roll but their design intent is actually as a tool to adjust roll couple percentage or roll moment distribution."

I don't know to what degree the final sentence is correct regarding the intent of "anti-roll bars", but I agree they directly impact body roll. However, I see nothing to support the idea that increasing chassis rigidity has a significant affect on body roll.

In any case, I've no question the brace is well designed for its intended purpose, but I think the potential buyer should consider carefully whether it will, in fact, benefit their vehicle/driving style (definitely install a tower brace first), and that if they are running a deep drop, they should recognize there could be clearance issues.

PS. It should be noted by all readers of all Wikipedia entries, there is no guarantee the author/s have provided accurate information. Unlike a traditional encyclopedia, the articles in Wikipedia are exactly that -- articles, not necessarily vetted for accuracy. Wikipedia is indeed a useful reference, but information presented is not in the remotest guaranteed. (Not saying this article contains inaccuracies, just that it's appropriate to be careful when skiing off Wikipedia ).

peeweezio

Even after reading the thread I decided to purchase one of the bars and test it out. Since it is under $100, figured that I would check it out. I consider myself a serious enthusiast and I drive my xB on the edge every single day. With that said, I was definitely excited to see if this would help me at all.

After jacking up the xB it took me about 10-15 minutes to install the part using a standard ratchet/socket setup. The part did hang down, but not too much lower than the lowest hanging part on the under-body of my xB and since it is closer to the center of the car I don't think I will run into any issues in low driveways. (hopefully, lol.)

I put the xB back on the ground and was happy to see that the bar had plenty of clearance despite my xB being dumped like it is. There is an awesome on-ramp near my house that I typically could take at 55-60 before the chassis felt unhappy, and after installing the bar I pushed it to almost 66mph!

-This obviously could have been due to many variables (road temp, air temp, tire temps..etc) so I don't now for sure that it was due 100% to the bar, but let's face it my car felt stiffer and more rigid, not to mention...I've blown $100 on plenty of sub-par dinners in my life so this was a no brainer.

In conclusion, this part may not be perfect for the stock xB driver looking to turn it into a full blown race chassis for under $100, but perfect for guys like me who already have every suspension component on the market installed and continue to search for added performance.

Installation pictures to follow.

XD40tC

For anyone that has df210's and carries passengers, I would NOT recommend this part. Even without passengers I could see this scraping on certain speed bumps I drive over on an almost daily basis.

peeweezio

2+ weeks installed and still not a single scrape on my under brace. The speed bumps leaving my complex measured at about 2.3 inches, and with a slight angle and a bit of care my slammed xB cleared it just fine.

@xd40tC, I wouldn't deter people away from a part based on your hypothesis...Instead you might consider doing what I did and buy the part, install the part, do your research, prove your point, then post your results online.

IMO, until you have done any of the above it's simply a waste of time and disservice to the community for you to post negative statements about a part that you have absolutely NO experience with.

TrevorS

iTrader: (1)

Not a question of negative, just a question of caution regarding whether or not it makes sense in light of one's driving style and car configuration. If it makes sense to go for it, then go for it, if it doesn't, then don't! Chances are, I would never scrape given my configuration, but I'm still not entirely clear my strut brace bought me anything either -- no doubt, a question of driving style. As I said earlier, I don't mean to 'dis the underbrace, but it's very appropriate that purchasers understand what they are buying and what it will and will not contribute to their driving experience. As I said earlier, definitely install a strut brace and verify its value to you before moving to an underbrace. However, to some, money is no object, and so for them, by all means, install whatever you wish and who really cares whether you actually benefit from it -- it's "cool" right ! Well, whatever, I personally don't have that kind of money. If I make a mod, it's got to have real value to me -- the strut brace is borderline.

XD40tC

Thanks Trevor! Im not bashing the product whatsoever... I would LOVE to have it but I know for sure that it would be damaged on my car over the speed bumps I encounter often. Speed bumps are most definitely not consistent in size... And I carry people too so its just not practical for me.

Gutling

iTrader: (1)

I have one, bought it used from off here. No scrapes, though im just a inch or two lower. My driving I don't notice it doing anything, but I am not autocrossing on the way to work lol. It does look nice, and match the trd susp parts. Its pretty beefy.

XD40tC

Im gonna have a buddy of mine make me one lol.