I have a Tanabe Sustec Strut Tower Brace. Does anyone know what a fair install price would be? Firestone quoted me $125, and another local shop wanted $150. Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems a little steep. I could try to figure out how to do it myself, but I'm extremely short on time these days. Thanks in advance for any input! Scott
It shouldn't take more than an hour, so $50 is pretty fair. It's best to find some shady shop in a cheap city. That's where you'll find the best deal.
Scott, If no special modifications have to be made to fit the Japanese Tanabe brace onto your USA Prius, it should take an hour. If you haven't seen it before, attached below are Gadgetdad's pictures and BT Tech's instructions for installing the BT Tech Strut Tower Brace, which I've put into a Microsoft Word file. These pictures and instructions should be 100% applicable to installing the Tanabe brace (except for any special modifications needed to fit the Japanese Tanabe brace onto your USA). "Lee, Thanks again for your flickr set BT Tech Strut Tower Brace Install Pictures and Text. Great stuff. Because I won't have internet access on the NYC street where I'll be doing my install, I've put your flickr set of 41 photos and text (plus efusco's post and your response thereto) into the attached Word file. That way I (and others similarly situated) could access it while doing the install. Attached Files: BT Tech Strut Tower Brace Install - By GadgetDad (Lee) v2.doc "
WOW - thanks! I did confirm that the Tanabe would fit - but the Tanabe just bolts on at two points per strut brace (it looks like the BT wraps around the entire strut brace and secures at three points). This definitely looks doable - I just need a torque wrench.
With GadgetDad's pictorial, you can get it done in an hour even if you took your time. It's all very straight forward. Think of it as a Saturday morning project. Thumbs up! You'll love the handling improvements with the brace!
Save the money and install it yourself... it's very simple. If you can open a bottle of soda then you can install this thing. EDIT... AAh... sorry OP. Forgot you have to remove something in order to install... I got used to other cars. But too bad if you were in socal i'd help you install it =/ Good luck... I know dealers charges like $230+
yup, the install is pretty straightforward. Strutbars, swy bars, exhausts and intakes are all things that are easily done and most people can do them with simple tools and a little patience. The strut car is probably one of the easier parts to install. I google imaged "prius stur bar" and came across this. Taking that plastic at thebase of the windshield should be easy. Tanabe USA R&D Blog | 2010 Toyota Prius Front Strut Tower Bar That was from 2009 for a 2010 model that had to go back to R&D but the install should be just about the same
I'm going to attempt it right now - thanks again guys for the info. I'll post a review after I give it a spin.
The strut tower brace is great! The instructions were awesome, and I can definitely feel the results. Handling was my main complaint with the Gen II, but this mod really tightens the car up. I used to dread going on those circular freeway onramps, but the car tracks much better now. I also have the G7 brace. My cost for the strut bar and brace was around $140, and I'm very content with the returns of this small investment. Prius Happy - thanks for offering to help. I actually did install it in Socal - Newport Beach to be exact. I also grabbed an aftermarket leather kit from an ebay seller called "designsbylawrence". It's 100% real leather and only cost $199!! I'll post install pics later. Thanks again for the guidance
My feelings exactly. When I drove my new Gen II Standard Prius home from the dealer, I almost felt like crying. Its handling reminded me of the first minivans (1984 Dodge Caravan & Plymouth Voyager). The Prius seemed to have the same amount of turn-in lean and body roll that I had noticed in those first minivans. So I put on slightly wider tires and the BT Tech Stiffening Plate, and I felt these changes improved the Prius' handling from "below average" to "average". Then I subsequently put on the BT Tech Strut Tower Brace, which I think improved the Prius' handling even more -- the car now felt fun to drive.
Nice! My car really used to wander as well at freeway speeds. The stiffening plate and strut brace really cut down on this. I've been considering 17" rims (gloss black Enkei), but I'm confident enough in the handling now that I don't want to take the MPG hit. I'm going to keep the gen II for another three years and then sell it for a ridiculous profit when gas is 7 dollars a gallon
