Suspension Upgrades and Mileage

I can't quote you with empirical data, but it makes sense that there would be some loss due to more tire contact due to a stiffer and more responsive suspension. How much is debatable. Has no effect if you just go straight.
You could run a little more air in the tires. That would give more resistance to the compression you might see with stiffening.
I'm a little surprised that people want to modify the suspension. My 2013 v and our '10 Prius handle quite well, IMHO.

 

Usually lt it doesn't make much difference, but it would, if it helps the car to maintain contact with the road. Any time the tires slip on the road; there is a loss in mileage.

If you are happy with the way that a car rides as you got it from the factory, that's fine. There are drivers who have full"situational awareness" of the driving experience, and there are those who jost go through the motion.

When I can feel the difference between having and not having an improve chassis brace, just by feeling how the car goes over the drainage trough at the end of my driveway, the benefit is readily evident.

 

my last fill up was 50.7 mpg calculated. front brace/mid brace/ rearsway/ springs

 

What is that benefit for someone who may not have situational awareness? How does it feel? The benefit?

 

They know what has happened 1/10 of a second before the car switches ends when they go much too fast into a turn.

 

I hated how the Prius handled when I got mine. Felt like driving a mini van how it leans and sways. Toyota makes some soft sloppy suspension. I put some Eibach springs on it and a Tanabe strut tower bar and it was like a new car. Virtually eliminated the sway and the ride quality is the same. Haven't gone the extra mile and done a rear sway yet. I added some chassis braces but they made a small difference in comparison with the springs/ STB. I put the Tanabe under brace in the front and the Cusco power brace behind it. Gas mileage has stayed the same if not improved since the mods.

 

Funny you mentioned a mini van. I drove a 1998 Mazda MPV for 12 years, before I got my 2012 Prius"v."

The Mazda MPV was not your usual mini van. It used the taught suspension from the Mazda 929. It had front and rear sway bars and road a lot better than any Dodge or Plymouth mini van.

I was very disappointed with the Prius"v's" ride for the first month. I looked for inexpensive ride upgrades and came upon and reserched the long history of the BT Tech Generation II stiffener plate.

Over the next 3 months of owning the Prius"v," I decided to explore the "stiffener plate" option. Like many skeptics, I was NOT convinced, bu I had an open mind.

I was surprisingly amazed on how much difference it made in the ride and feel on the "v."

Because I have a full machine shop, I decided to offer the "box beam" brace to a few Priuschat users. I was again pleasantly surprised on how they got the same results.

Yes, I bought the Tanabe from brace. It was good, but I knew that I could do better. Again, a sizeable number of Priuschat users expressed interest in my improved design. First its "hang down" was nearly an inch less than the Tanabe. The Tanabe's lightweight construction weighed only three ounces less than my "hardened" billet aluminum model. The Tanabe's welds mean that the area of the welds were less strong than the rest of the structure.

Sure, you can send thousands of dollars for coils, upgraded struts and other modifications that have greater improvement. But for less than $85 and no more than 10-15 minutes to install and without even jacking up any part of the ca, the mid and front chassis is the best upgrade out there.

 

I have reported you to the administrators. As I see it, you are promoting and selling your "elixer of handling" parts on this forum. I have serious doubts of your claims and, at a minimum, you should not be promoting your parts here as a cure-all for handling issues that I don't think exist.

 

Mike is a trusted vendor on Prius Chat..Dont go causing trouble for others Scargod.

Many owners have bought his brace and others and its a definate improvement.

 

Where do you get that he is a vendor, let alone a trusted one? He is posting here and under "private sales". I thought private sales was for personal, one-off items. Show me I'm wrong. Perhaps Danny, the admin can tell me I'm wrong?
I don't see where Rude person's is listed anywhere on the site as a vendor. It is not normal that people can hawk their wares on a forum without paying a commission to the site and become an "approved vendor".

I am not going to accept your word or Rude person's's word or anyone's word that is subjective in nature and based on emotions and instinct rather than fact. Butt instinct doesn't mean anything to me. Placebos abound. I might listen to a professional driver...
A case in point is that there are more strut braces for Subarus than you can shake a stick at. Particularly on GR versions, braces are recognized "show" until you have a full-blown road racer. Then, some are worthless and don't provide real stiffening.
So when these aftermarket gizmos promise improvements I am very skeptical. I have years of road racing experience and have driven and owned all kinds of high performance sports cars. Still, my opinion is subjective, too. Yet, I frankly don't believe it when a dilettante driver of a Prius (no less), tells me it improves handling. I think the Prii I've driven and owned handle remarkably well. Have you drifted a Prius? Had the "OMG, you're about to crash" alarm go off?
I wouldn't start improving Prius handling with frame stiffening!

 

scargod - Rude person's's products have positive reviews from many pc users including me. There are some members with racing experience that have commented on his designs. his posts have thorough and detailed info and explanations. check out his other threads if you want more information. i guess since he didn't list all his analysis here that he came off as hawking his wares.

To my knowledge, he's not a vendor. There are not much stuff you can buy here from vendors. Mike makes stuff out of his shop in his spare time for us pc users. if you're looking for technical data, then you're not going to get it because its a one man shop.

 

These young newcomers think that their degrees and "figures" tell it all.

Throughout my entire career, the two persons, who I met, admired and knew had "situational awareness" and "natural talent" were Guiseppe Bellanca and Caroll Shelby. Neither had the formal technological education that I was afforded, yet they were brillant and rose to the epitome of their endeavors. All they had to do was to "look" at an aircraft or an automobile. They knew how it worked and want to do to make it work better.

A military commander with "natural talent" and "situational awareness" almost always wins over a "dim bulb," who with all of the book learning and training in the world, can't compete.

Many colleges and universities graduate engineers and computer experts. But, Bill Gates, who didn't complete his degree, evidently had both "natural talent" and "situational awareness."

 

[quote="wotcher, post: 1756999, member: 88411"
To my knowledge, he's not a vendor. There are not much stuff you can buy here from vendors. Mike makes stuff out of his shop in his spare time for us pc users. if you're looking for technical data, then you're not going to get it because its a one man shop.[/quote]

Correct!

I did years of research on test stands and fixtures. My experience provides me wth an ability or "predict" the likely outcome, without testing each individual design.

I make this stuff to keep my mind busy and to share it with those who don't have the experience or facilities to do so. If I was a vendor, I'd have to charge regular mashine shop and engineering consultant fees for my time. The end cost for all would be about 10 times what the vendors charge for each item. Basically, I have become a hobbyist in my retirement and like to help others at the same time.

 

Toyota changed the Gen III mid-brace from the original 2010 design to a stronger one. I think it's safe to conclude that there was a reason they would spend more money on a more robust brace.

 

While your efforts and workmanship is much appreciated, your crap isn't !

And THIS is coming from a person who worked with Carroll Shelby and has spent a lot of time in the cockpit
of an F16 in actual combat.

 

People, I am not out to crucify anyone and I am not claiming that Rude person's has a bad product. His claims are unfounded and sometimes, probably inaccurate. I don't think he is an engineer.
The site has rules. Most do. It's improper to be all over a sight hijacking other people's threads to recommend your product and influence people for your monetary gain. Selling parts on this forum, as an individual, is supposed to be a personal, one-off sale of something you own. If you say, "I am a vendor", then you should stay off the forums (except perhaps to say "thank you" or talk about things not related to promoting your product). I refer to the rules of auto forum sites like IWSTI, NASIOC and others.
Other s have called into question the benefit of aftermarket bracing: "I'm not so sure about those as the rear is on a twist beam that connects both wheels and is designed to flex anyway."

Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/i-installed-a-toyota-prius-plus-rear-anti-sway-bar-on-my-2012-pipa.122553/#ixzz2NBAdPTVU

 

The rear anti-sway bar for the Gen III is made for Toyota (TRD) and comes standard on some 2012/2013 Liftbacks. So it's clear Toyota designed the standard Prius "twist beam" for a softer ride and then markets a product to correct this.

It's true that Rude person's should not have hijacked the thread and he is a little overboard with his claims.

 

Crap, HA! I met Caroll Shelby in 1984, when he was working with Chrysler. I met Guiseppe Bellanca when I worked at Grumman in Bethpage, NY 1n 1972.

I've NEVER spent any time in any cockpit. I designed and manufactured aircraft components. Shelby and I consulted on aluminum alloy component manuafuring processes and techniques, nothing else.

I don't need to prove anything to anyone, including you...............................What makes you the expert?

You will NOT hear any more form me.... There is NO need to say more.