BT Stiffening Plate Review

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Nov 5 2006, 02:38 AM) [snapback]344040[/snapback]</div>

Rest... barring an occasional givaway as some prize, this is the cheapest I think I've seen it.
I missed any sale when I bought my two.. I paid 160.00 for mine plus shipping last Jan/06.

Think of this "as a group buy" that your getting in on. True GB's are usually reduced even more, but thats to get the ball rolling on new products that have not been proven yet with little reviews and word of mouth to fall back on... so its more of a risky venture buying what no one else can really vouch for yet so the market cannot bear the higher price.

But like any good product, the more people vouch for it and it builds its reputation as a good product and the more in demand it is, the price usually only goes up.

Little deals like this are to throw a little starter fluid on the fire when things temporarily slow or a surplus of product happens to be on hand. "which seems to be pretty rare" since I'm always seeing backorders on these plates. If a few dollars are important to you.... this may be the time to make a decision one way or the other.

 

Then I guess I will pass on it as I think it is over priced for what you get. If it gets cheaper then let me know and I will be in but not at the current price.

 

Hey windstrings - I've noticed the timings of your posts - When do you sleep ?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Windstings is a machine not a person! :lol: I really do love reading his posts.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pinball @ Nov 6 2006, 03:53 PM) [snapback]344660[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pinball @ Nov 6 2006, 02:53 PM) [snapback]344660[/snapback]</div>

I figured someone would notice that!... I had a narly Thunderstorn and lightening roll through early this morning.. so I didn't go to bed till near 2:30, then I had to get up at 4:00 and it was even crazier, so I sat up and watched it as my power was fllickering!

 

Being in South Florida we know all too well about bad thunderstorms!!

We just received a large amount of orders from the Prius Chat store due to the 20 dollar off sale that Danny is running. Hopefully as soon as these people install their new BT stiffening plate we will hear their impressions as well.




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Nov 6 2006, 06:57 PM) [snapback]344701[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BT Tech @ Nov 6 2006, 03:49 PM) [snapback]344759[/snapback]</div>

Well Brian,

I've had my plate for over a week, but haven't gotten around to installing it yet. I was hoping to have some conditions to drive in that challenged the suspension a bit, so I could do a before and after, but will probably just give up and install the plate this Friday. In the past, the only problem I've had driving was on wet roads with a cross wind, or when driving on pavement with tire ruts in the asphalt. In the Spokane area, it seems they're always taking low bid, and the ruts occur within a year or two of a new paving job.

Dave M.

 

Hello Dave.. I can assure you that cities taking the "low bid" are not limited to Spokake!!

Some of the cities on the coast here do a terrible job of laying down new asphalt. Within a month or so, the once billiard smooth roads are wavy and full of ruts..

Please let us know when you had a chance to evaluate your stiffening plate.







<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 6 2006, 09:44 PM) [snapback]344773[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 6 2006, 06:44 PM) [snapback]344773[/snapback]</div>

I had some of the same problem the fist couple of days mine was installed... maybe if you go to work early or can find a remote area, you can do some abrupt jerky lane changes back and forth "with no traffic around" may give you a feel... just be ready to do your sobriety test when you get pulled over!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ynono @ Nov 6 2006, 02:17 AM) [snapback]344391[/snapback]</div>

Whoa.

I did alright in physics and statics and dynamics. Not all A's mind you, so perhaps I slept through that lecture that contained the "principle of crossed lines multiplying force at the point of crossing". From your example, I guess your describing the use of a longer moment arm to amplify the force on the shorter moment arm of a beam, a conservation of moment. Not sure how using this principle leads to the determination that Brian's plate offers no advantage over the OEM plate which is all Brian claims, but I won't press you on it. Or perhaps I still have it wrong.

As to Tom's testing, you said in post #380 of this thread:

Well actually Tom's part's our tested and have the backing of Toyota themselves Tom's builds race cars for Toyota and other parts for Toyota vehicles and these parts are sold directly from Tom's or through Toyota dealerships.

I interpreted this to mean there might be some test reports available and thought they might make some interesting reading - something technical, not just the usual C&D stuff. I confess to spending less than 1/2 hour searching for them on Tom's web site and generally googling around, but you seemed to be aware of these tests and perhaps knew of their whereabouts. If not, I apologize for bugging you.

And I thought your tests described in post #433 were quite good, but these weren't the testing you were referring to in the earlier post, was it? I had thought of doing some spin out tests when I bought my plate, but chickened out. Didn't want to have to go home and tell the wife I rolled the new car testing a $150 part!

 

I installed mine on Saturday - I think I spent more time jacking the car up and positioning the stands than I did taking off the stock plate and installing Brian's one.

I'd suggest a little caution when you are analysing the difference though.
For the sake of objectivity, to compare before and after, you would need to drive in the same manner, otherwise you're not really going to be able to compare like for like.
After you've reached your conclusions however, then by all means stress test it if you wish.
Personally, I don't think you'll need to.

In my case the jury's still out.

 

Right, pinball. I also suggest not relying on a short drive, but see the average over many miles.

 

for anyone putting on the plate, i think specific routes are required and should be traveled multiple times before and after the plate.

i have a very good twisty windy downhill a few blocks from my nephews house that works well. drove it dozens of times on my 04 both before and after the BT plate install. a lot of difference was noticed. not very subtle.

now that i have my 06 (BT plate should be here tomorrow) and its wet a lot, i have basically chickened out in the half dozen opportunities to coast the hill mentioned above. just does not feel safe. one curve is not banked enough and without the plate, it seems like the top of car just seems to tip too far. this is not unique to the Prius in anyway whatsoever. the recommended speed is 30 mph and the average coasting speed at this point is around 45 mph. it is a narrow road with about 3" of shoulder before hitting a deep drainage ditch, so no room for error.

being a mileage nut, i cant tell you how much i hate to tap the brakes knowing that its a huge loss of kinetic energy, but not gonna do it and wreck my car either!~~!

**DISCLAIMER**

this is in no way a testimonial or statement of any claimed fact regarding the performance of the BT plate. all statements expressed herein are those of the poster and are only opinions based on personal impressions, experiences, and previous actions performed in said vehicles on road conditions that have not been certified to be consistent or applicable to any controlled testing situation.

**DISCLAIMER**

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pinball @ Nov 7 2006, 09:25 AM) [snapback]344957[/snapback]</div>

PInball.... the jury was out with me too until I challenged it a bit.
Its really subliminal if your just driving normal.. it could be easy to trick yourself into thinking it made a difference over enough time of just normal driving because when you occasionally find a small challenge like a sharp exit ramp or such and it performs perfect, you would have forgotten how poorly it may have done before without the plate.

You can do as you wish, but unless your going to pop the plate on and off, I think a test is best while its fresh on your memory.

Yes, it would be very nice not to reley on memory and have some graphs of how many actual mph the car can go around a corner with and without the plate, but few people really want the risk and sacrificing of tires to do such a test.
And once the test is done, there are many factors that could throw it off and make it inaccurate, "how many feet from the turn did you start coasting or braking?, what was the exact speed 30 feet prior to the turn?, at what exact point on the road did you start turning the wheel?" How many exact degrees?..unless you did it like 15 times so you could rule out inconsistencies.

It gets nuts!... now if you want to make the test show what you want, then maybe someone will be willing to pay your for that like the professionals do! :lol:

Your just going to have to go by feel and go for it!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BT Tech @ Nov 6 2006, 05:01 PM) [snapback]344777[/snapback]</div>

I will, but right now my Prius is in the body shop having a bumper replaced. It was about a year ago that it was driven over a curb and into a large rock. It's amazing how flimsy the lower part of the bumper is.

I've put off the repair until I knew my finances could cover it. I didn't want to change my insurance rates based on a parking lot accident. $1200 for replacing/painting, etc. a bumper seems high, but the other estimate was over $2000. After I get the car back later this week, I'll try to do some testing.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 7 2006, 11:55 AM) [snapback]345079[/snapback]</div>

Better check out allstate with the platinum plan you have accident forgiveness forever.. the gold is only one time!

 

I might be inclined to pay $120 including shipping for this product. If it were $100 I would purchase 2.

 

Hey windstrings - (I know you're still up !)
Guess what ?
Another thread on the BT plate has started !!
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=26239
How could you have missed it ??

Either way, you haven't posted on it - therefore it is incomplete ! :lol: :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pinball @ Nov 8 2006, 02:53 AM) [snapback]345352[/snapback]</div>

Yea.. I"m falling down on the job... I hope Brian doesn't fire me!!!! :lol:

All the skeptics just don't want to go there... here is a little taste:

I can't imagine!

 

Brian I have stated twice that you have probably made over $75,000 on these plates. I have said omission is a form of lying. None of these statements were challenged. I even suggested doing a simple slalom test. Isn't it time to find out if this mod really works..

I am no scientest and I don't know how to make test that are believable, effective and cheap but here goes my attempt. Any input would be apprciated.

Since we have a shop here in Houston I will be happy to conduct this test.

Conduct a slalom test, Say a Study that would simulate 1 speed around 40mph. we could do it like this.

a.) have 4 test. 1-Plate on. 2-Plate off. 3-Plate on. 4-Plate off. By doing this we will average all kind of variables such as tire temperature, road temperature, gas weight loss, and other things that I am not thinking of.
In each test we should have, say, 5 runs so that the driver can get used to potentially different car and road characteristics.
b.) have the mechanic change the plates without letting the driver know at all what we are doing.
c.) This scenario is, if I am involved but open to discussion(remember cheap is the operative word). Have Brian provide a local proponent of his plate as a judge, with a thousand sales there is bound to be somone in Houston. Since I am more of an agnostic I will make up the other member of the two judge panel.
d.) Pick the driver. This is the tricky part. one ideal I have was to have the judges put the plate "installation order" for the study in a hat and let the mechanic draw out the order but don't tell the judges until after all the test are in.(this way neither one of the judges can tell the driver with a hand signal or wink). Suggestions are welcome here. Another thought is to have the plate proponent pick the driver and I pick the mechanic. The reason I am saying me pick the mechanic is because I can use one of our guys who will do it for free. Just a thought but this method also has problems.
e.) If there are say 10 cones measure the time through the last 5 cones with a stop watch to learn times. Also before each run measure road temperature at cone 5 and cone 10. There may be some other important parameters to measure and input is welcome. I do have a scanner that measures some of the car engine parameters.
f.) When test are completed have both judges publish the results in an excel spread sheet so that anyone can draw there on conclusions. Also have the judges state their conclusion.

Brian I will be glad to pay for your plate to get it and after the test you have to agree to refund my money. Also since this is your product and your getting free testing you have to pay shipping. Seems like a cheap price to pay for proving once and for all this product works. Brian I also need to know if removing and reinstalling this plate 4 times will have any detrimental effect on the test.

This test is for this thread and can be designed by anybody and If I am appointed to participate or it's done in Houston I will be glad to offer the shop and the place for the test.

I know an argument can be made that one study won't prove a lot but if we find there is a measureable difference then that's good enough for me. An earlier poster said that with Toms modification he could do a corner at different speeds and he stated the speeds but he did the test on separate days. This was the closest thing that someone could use to make an informed decision but unfortunately it was on someone else's product and maybe under different conditions.

Windstorm as the biggest proponent of the plate your suggestions would be appreciated. If your in the Houston area or will be in the Houston area I would love to have you as the other judge. Bring your plate with you.

Let there be light

Ray