Poll: BT Tech Stiffening Plate

My wifes car = 05 Prius without BT plate. My car = 07 Prius with BT plate. We always drive my car. The wind in the 05 or a bumpy road makes the car flex and it feels squishy. (is that a technical definition?) No matter it's definition, I don't like it. After installing the BT plate on my 07, I conducted a test. I parked the car with one rear tire on the curb all other 3 on the asphalt and opened the rear passenger door. No problems at all. All the clearances around the door were fine. Then, I drive the 05 to the exact same spot. Guess what? I couldn't open the rear door without it binding. I guess it works fine stopping body flex. That is exactly what I wanted it to do. Whats not to like about that?

In my opinion there should be absolutely 0 body flex in a car. It should be as rigid as possible considering weight. Anyone can make a car rigid by adding 500 LBS of steel. the real trick is to make it rigid and not add any weight. The BT plate solves the body flex inherent in the Prius by adding perhaps 6 OZ of weight over the original stiffeners supplied. To me, that is a gift of stability/weight and at a fair price. I am very satisfied.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jun 13 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]461185[/snapback]</div>

If it sinks, it's a legitimate addition to the Prius...but if it floats...it's WITCHCRAFT!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Paul R. Haller @ Jun 15 2007, 12:19 PM) [snapback]462532[/snapback]</div>

How is your test a test of the BT brace?

How about trying the BT brace in the 05, or the '07 double-blind with/out the plate? Or, as a real and fair test, '06, and post, shocks/springs in your '05.

Your watermelons to apples comparison only validates how crappy the pre '06s's suspension was to current models (in relation to the wind and bumpy road comments).

nottesttag

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NuShrike @ Jun 15 2007, 03:31 PM) [snapback]462541[/snapback]</div>

Forget the double blind test.. that still leaves room for placebo, imagination and all kinds of speculation....better yet, switch the plates on the cars and see if the opposite happens... if so... no one can blame suspension or otherwise!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jun 15 2007, 01:30 PM) [snapback]462539[/snapback]</div>

So, duct taping my broom handle under the car doesn't work? :huh:
Hmm, maybe I'll consider a BT plate, then.

 

< BT PLATE WORKS >

Before installing the BT-plate I tried to set up a few reference points so I could check before & after behavior.
1- Street handling, on a tight turn at about 25 MPH
2- Freeway handling, sudden lane change at 55, 65, 75 & 85 MPH
3- Freeway handling, trailer rig passing me at 65 MPH
4- Freeway handling, uneven pavement (a.k.a potholes) at 65 MPH
5- Relative movements of the speedometer display due to road vibrations.
(since the actual display is way under the dash and projects through a mirror, it is quite sensitive to uneven road conditions)

Since I do not particularly care to get all greasy and dirty under the car, I took it to the dealer that does my regular service and asked the service manager to install it for me.
(We had already discussed the merits of the BT plate…yada yada etc)

The car disappears in the dealership bays for half an hour and returns with the original plate and screws in a plastic bag and a service invoice for $20 stating that a non standard plate was installed and the screws torgued to 17 ft/lbs.
A note was attached to the invoice saying “ to inform the service department on any car behavior changesâ€.

I drove off and, for a day or so, checked against my reference points. Nada, Nothing, No Change. I was quite upset and drove back to the dealership. :angry:

Car disappears one more time for half an hour and returns with a note that all appeared OK and to test drive it for a couple of days more.

Again drove off and WHAT A DIFFERENCE, there was a significant change in street and freeway handling and a noticeable reduction of the speedometer movements.

Back to the dealership where the truth was revealed. :blink:
Since both the manager and the technician had their doubts about the effectiveness of the plate they decided NOT TO INSTALL the plate, wait for my reaction and then do the actual replacement.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(The Annoying One @ Jun 16 2007, 12:46 PM) [snapback]463020[/snapback]</div>

Hmm...that's interesting. You mean, they kept your new plate? I wonder what would have happened if you didn't bother to go back. I mean, they only told you to report a change in behavior, not if there was no difference.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusRos @ Jun 16 2007, 08:40 PM) [snapback]463210[/snapback]</div>

What difference are you looking for if its not behavior of the car?

But I agree, this sounds highly unusual and irregular that dealer would take the risk of offending or a lawsuit to play with a customer unless they had personal ties and could easily get ahold of the person if he never called back..... after all... surely they had his BT Plate.

Simply looking under the car and discovering the old plate was still on would be enough to make heads roll if they didn't play thier cards right.

Surely there's more to the story we're missing here?

 

I have quite a good relation with the service manager at the dealership, have serviced my 2004 and 2006 Prii and have helped them a couple of times with Prius related issues.

Since they were not convinced that the BT plate would make a difference they decided to “test it†by not installing it the first time.

Of course they would have called me if I did not return in a day or so.

In any case this “prank†establishes that there is no “placebo†effect in the behavior of the plate.

 

Nice.. I figured you had a good explanation.. but by voicing my own thoughts of inconsistency, it clears the air and reaffirms your testimony now that you've countered with your explanation!......

Its nice to hear you had an excellent blind test as you thought the plate was on and would have certainly been happy if placebo were in effect, but since you noticed the behavior of the car was as if there were no BT plate installed, it certainly shows the BT plate does something and its not all our "hundreds" of imaginations...

Unfortunately some have whats called in the Bible as "an unbelieving heart".
I've witnessed folks with such hearts don't have the "ability" to believe virtually anything of any certainty.
They mistrust anything and everything no matter how solid the proof... then the proof they do rely on is fragile and unstable.

It has nothing to do with issues of religion, its simply a fear which dominates all faith, trust, love, and those who suffer with its grip have no ability to taste or realize anything that is not written on paper as supposed infallible proof.
There all kinds of reasons... some stem from deep seated wounds of the past.

What they don't realize is that what written on paper is often much much easier to skew and miss important facts and elements of the equation which determines the truthful outcome than whats "discerned" from wisdom and gut feeling.

Thats why I keep saying.. some cannot believe fat meat's greasy!

Reality is perceived so many different ways from different angles of viewpoints and perspective from past experiences and we wear many different colored glasses to ease our pain.....

But "perception" of truth has nothing to do with the actual truth... its only our perception.

Many cannot see the difference between truth and deception and so use the feeble tool of "the mind" to perceive what is really deception.

Its well known to marketing geniuses, majicians, and all those who take advantage and sell snake oil that the mind simply processes information its given... some do it better without mistakes than others... but its an excellent avenue to decieve and taint perception of truth.
Truth is often too big to fit in the limits of the mind, but truth is only perceived with the heart...... an organ thats grossly darkened and asleep in so many.

When those who are darkened become fathers, its hard for their offspring to learn any better than they as they are taught by those who view the world through colored sunglasses because the full light is too painful to view, and so the curse continues.

Hence the difficulty to know the difference between right and wrong.

That was your Sunday morning Fathers day sermon from the Church of the BT Plate...... I hope you enjoyed it!

The intent "as always" was to expose and bring revelation "as light does" and not to impute wrong to anyone but simply to reveal certain modes of unhealthy "inaccurate" thinking and rationalization.

Its quite facinating to watch the interaction of the BT Plate phenominon as its effects are so elusive to some, yet so obvious to others....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Jun 17 2007, 09:53 AM) [snapback]463464[/snapback]</div>

Amen [attachmentid=8975]

 

This has to be one of the most detailed "blind" tests that I have seen a customer do to date. Actually, the dealership actually did it for you!! Just curious, what did the dealership say to you when you came back the first time???

Thank you for posting your experiences for everyone here to read.




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(The Annoying One @ Jun 16 2007, 12:46 PM) [snapback]463020[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BT Tech @ Jun 17 2007, 06:27 PM) [snapback]463689[/snapback]</div>

The service manager played it “dumb†and said that “the technician might have installed it wrong since it was not something that he did regularlyâ€.

Have to admit that I got a bit upset about it but, after all, it WAS somehow irregular what I’ve asked them to do and I never had a complain with either the regular maintenance (oil level, tire rotation & pressure etc) or the few other non standard things they had installed for me (side moldings, mud flaps, weathertech strips, EV wire).

The “prank†was more or less fail-safe because the manager knew my unwillingness to kneel and look under the car (on principal and also due to arthritis :angry: ).

Anyhow, all is well that end well.

Cheers TAO

 

my car would be a little uneasy when taking a turn, such as a left hand turn into traffic, especially if I got on the throttle, it just did not feel connected to the road... but with the bt plate it works great, feel stiff, no complaints. even feels more firm in the wind. best mod ever IMO

 

Too late now, but it would have been interesting to have a "fourth" selection in this poll asking what YEAR Prius and if it was an '07 Touring model.

After three weeks of "testing" during daily driving on windy and calm highways, tight on-off ramps, twisty backroads, etc. my Wife definitely felt the improvement with this BT Plate and is very pleased with it's purchase.

Now if we could just "improve" our NAV.... :lol:
{Do you sell a BT NAV DVD ?? - just kidding, ya' know !!}

 

05 prius: upgraded to 16x7 wheels and 205/55 Comfortred tires; noticed a dramatic improvement in handling, stability, overall feel of the ride. 2 weeks later, added BT Tech plate; had alignment checked at the same time and they reduced front toe-in. I *think* I notice a difference -- well, I know I do, but I also know I did not do the kind of double-blind or stress testing that some here have done (thanks guys!).

The big deal for us it not that we drive like racers every day, but that it's there when we need it. My wife wants as cushy a drive as she can get without bouncing and wandering on the road; the BT plate seems modest enough to give her just the improvement she wants. I'm also interested in the TRD suspension set -- she rejected it due to the stiffer ride.

 

Hello Wen,

I am happy to hear that you wife is pleased with your addition of our BT Tech plate. Thank you for taking the time to post your impressions.




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ Jun 30 2007, 08:49 AM) [snapback]470557[/snapback]</div>

 

I have not tried this plate but i have been under my car when it was up in the air (im in the car biz) and the stock plate does appear pretty whimpy. But for 145 + dollars for the new BT plate? Sorry ill pass.

 

I drove my 2007 Prius for 2 weeks without the Stiffening Plate and hated it. To be honest, if I knew it would drive like that on the highway, i probably would not have bought it. (I do a lot of high way driving and we have a windy bridge that i go over at least 4 times a day). The wind would make me feel like the car is being pushed to one side. the other issuse was when large tucks passed by, i would feel the wave of air rocking the car. I did some asking around and someone mentioned the stiffening plate. For the cost, what is the worst that could happen? I put it in with my neighbors help(he has all the cool jacks) in about 10 min. I drove on the same bridge and noticed a huge difference. Yes, the wind effect did not go away, but it is now a tap and not a push to the floor feeling.

 

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