BT Tech Stiffening plate

Sunday my grandson and I installed our new BT stiffing plate. Nothing to it, 15 minutes tops. The new plate is well machined and fits like a glove.

The school is still out as far as to if it really makes a difference on our 2007 Prius. We drove home fom NC yesterday, around 480 miles, and I could not really feel a difference on the interstates. It was a beautiful day for a drive, no wind and very little truck traffic.

I bought it during the last sale for $145.00 including shipping. It will stay on the car and I will give an update in the future on how I feel about it after various types of driving.

I am sure that others who installed it feel that it made a huge diffrence but I can't make that same comment now.

One other thing, if you install the plate it is better to put he rear tires on ramps instead of the front.

I would still put in on as it can't do any harm, being much stiffer I hope to see some improvement.

 

It's good to hear all the honest comments here either for the good or the bad or the neutral.

 

It's my turn to keep this thread alive.

I received my BT Tech plate yesterday. The installation is pretty straight forward. Take about 15 mins. Till now, I have added about 40+ miles including local winding road and highway travel. I can confirmed that my car did show some improvement after installing BT Tech Plate.

Body roll minimized during cornering. I can turned sharp corner more aggressively.

I can't conclude my highway driving experience as I'm too focus on my newly learn P&G technique. B) Also I'm paying too much attention to the SGII reading. I will followed up with some update in a few days.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ May 8 2007, 06:24 AM) [snapback]437384[/snapback]</div>

I concur with the same sentiments when I first tried mine.. I took a leisurely drive to work in crowded traffic so I couldn't really act up and drive it aggressively, but a few days later when I took it to the mountains and on a long trip, I was more than convinced.
It also took a few days before the East winds kicked up to test sideways shear forces.

 

Remember post your comments on the BT Tech plate here Since you just got it installed

 

This report is my impression and opinion on the BT Tech stiffing plate, which I installed on my 2007 hatch back model Toyota Prius.

Background: I am, a privet pilot and aircraft mechanic, I have also sailed and raced small sailboats. As such, the sense of feel I have for how a vehicle handles is somewhat refined. However this report is still at best subjective.

INSTALLING:
Garage with level floor, two floor jacks, and large block. I used both jacks on the left side, jacking at the front and rear jack points, large block placed just forward of rear jack for safety. Removed factory plate with socket and ratchet wrench. (Factory bolts installed with very little torque)

Held new plate in place by hand and started each bolt by hand, used the 6-MM socket by hand to run the all 4 bolts down to finger tight. Torque wrench used in step torque and crisscross pattern, at 15 FTLB, right front, left rear, left front, right rear. 20 FTLB, left front, right rear, right front, left rear. 24 FTLB, right rear, left front, left rear, right front.

NOTE: Phone call to BT Tech, 24 FTLB is within approved torque ranged, torque wrench used to make sure bolts were tight, torque wrench used to avoid over torque of the bolts. Use of power tools (air impact or battery powered) may result in damage.

HANDLING REPORT:
The Prius feels solid, more of a feel of a one-piece rear axel then before.

Body roll is reduced when entering or exiting a freeway on a cloverleaf ramp, appox: 10% decreased.

Cross wind handling has a mark improvement:

Light to medium gusts: (Wind speeds 5 to 10 mph) Slight body roll with the Prius tracking straight, minor or no steering correction needed.

Heavier gusts: The Prius no longer swerves to the side rapidly, the speed of this action has been reduced by 40 to 50 percent. The need for corrective steering is reduced from aggressive to medium or even mild in reaction speed and the amount of input needed.

With the plate installed, the Prius has shown no negatives effects. Subjective impressions is, minor improvements in other areas of handling with major gains in the ability of the Prius to handle cross wind conditions

 

^^^
Thanks for the informative review, DFW. Enjoy the plate

 

Installed a BT plate today. Took about 15 minutes. Didn't use any ramps;got enough clearance by putting two wheels on my driveway and two on street. Got a 6mm hex socket at True Value Hardware for $3.50 (Sorry BT Tech). The hardest part for me was to convert foot-lbs to inch-lbs, to suit my old torque wrench. The stock plate looks like a part from an old Gilbert Erector set. Can't wait to try it out on a windy day.

Update 5/19/07:
Completed first road trip. I'm completely happy with plate. Seems stable on highway. Little (if no) effect from passing semis. Only felt strongest of 20-30 mph cross winds. Also tried it out on windy mountain roads-good control as far as I'm concerned. My wife likes it too; I don't wander and hit the lane rumble strip as much as I used to.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusincc @ May 10 2007, 09:41 PM) [snapback]439724[/snapback]</div>

I hadn't thought of it, but how right you are.

Dave M.

 

I received my BT Tech plate last week. The installation is pretty straight forward. Took me about 15 mins. After driving it for a week, I notice the car did show some improvement after installing the BT Tech Plate. The car feels tighter in cornering as well as in handling and body roll is reduced. Great product, if you don't have one get one its worth every penny. I got mind when it was on Sale!


Wayne

 

I can hardly wait for one of "Usual Suspects" who hasn't bought a BT Plate, but knows, absolutely, that everyone who mounted the plate on his car has got to be delusional.

As I've said before, some people will not feel a difference, mostly because they drive too conservatively to feel when the rear end of the car misbehaves.

Now that this controversy is settled let's find something else to obsess over.

 

Doesn't this prove how pervasive the placebo effect can be? - just more sad, deluded people caught up in the BT plate myth. :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syclone @ May 11 2007, 03:06 PM) [snapback]440163[/snapback]</div>

 

Its not a myth. I know the before and after installation differences. I've own many sports car and it is not a pervasive placebo effect! I think your the deluded one here.

 

wayne60014, I'm joking. Sorry if I didn't make that clearer.
I'm a proud and very satisfied owner of the BT Plate. See my signature.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wayne60014 @ May 11 2007, 03:58 PM) [snapback]440195[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dancekat59 @ May 11 2007, 02:05 PM) [snapback]440202[/snapback]</div>

Just put my plate on yesterday, I've got to tell you, I don't think this thing does a damned thing. I did about 150mi today all over LA's highways including the 710 with heavy truck traffic, and this plate doesn't make any difference at all. I'm not mad, its only $140 or whatever, but for anyone to advertise this as doing absolutely anything is fooling themselves. My vote is to just leave it stock, you're not going to get $140 worth of handling out of this thing...period...you'd be better served getting tires that are a little wider.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rvancil @ May 11 2007, 03:02 PM) [snapback]440234[/snapback]</div>

What issues did you notice while driving before the plate? Highway driving and the plate may be more subtle for some than others. It seems to have a more obvious effects on turns. It may just be your driving style.

I don't think anyone is fooling themselves when they feel the plate working. If you can't feel it, and you dont think it's effective, then that's your opinion. You could always return the plate and recoup your money to put towards a good set of tires too.

 

I finally got my plate installed last weekend (after it was sitting in the box for a few months). was a very easy install. Used ramps on the back wheels and it gave me lots of clearance (just wish I had my own garage to do this kind of work). Got the old brace off very easily. Bolted in the new plate. One of the bolts was giving me some trouble, wouldn't screw in as easy as the others. Tried removing all the bolts and then screwing them back in again (by hand first, then with the torque wrench). That one bolt was still harder to get in than the other 3 (I don't think I was cross threading it, but maybe?) but I torqued it down to specs and all is well.

Been driving it for a few days and haven't noticed much difference. Maybe a little tighter. I really want to see how it handles the next time I'm on a gusty freeway... that's what I really got it for.

If anyone doesn't have a torque wrench I would recommend getting a newer style wrench. I have one with the needle and just felt like it wasn't as accurate as I would like. But the plate is on and I probably won't have to worry about it again.

Overall a good purchase and an easy upgrade. Thanks BT & Priuschat.

-Peter B

 

I've been driving with the BT plate on for a week.
It's better when semis blow past me on the interstate, less or no correction to make now.
Wind gusts don't affect it as much, particularly on the high span bridge I use everyday, which always seems to be windy.
As far as cornering, I don't drive aggressively enough with the Prius to judge it. It corners fine for me, I'm assuming most people are talking about cornering at a higher speed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rvancil @ May 11 2007, 03:02 PM) [snapback]440234[/snapback]</div>

You know, I am starting to wonder about this as well. I have had 205mm wide tires on my car from day one and I have not experienced any wandering as a result of some fairly robust (~40 mph) cross winds. There is a slight body roll, so I know the car is getting the wind, but no wandering that others have posted about.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BethlehemPrius @ Feb 4 2007, 08:37 PM) [snapback]385336[/snapback]</div>

QUESTIONS from my boyfriend :
1) Does installation of stiffening plate void the warranty ?
2) Why didn't they make the stiffening plate even broader to engage the third bolt-hole, ...that way they could have made it thinner and stiffer and avoided the bottoming out problem described below.
3) Does the stiffening plate prolong the life of the chasis ?