BT Tech Stiffening Plate does not improve ride

I haven't noticed any difference either (in my 08 pkg 5).

 

I have been a customer of Prius Chat since I bought my 07 Touring about six months ago. At that time I did a search for ways to improve the handling and found out about the BT plate. I had my dealer install it for me as I did not have the tools to do it myself. While I was there the tech that installed it said that he did a few others and was very impressed with the quality of the part. After he installed it I went for a ride on a few roads that I am very fimiliar with. Right away I could feel that the plate provided more stability to my car. I have the 07 touring and I always thought that it was a little squirly on the highway. Now with the BT plate on, it tracks straight and true.

Overall I could not be happier with my purchase and with the prius chat store.

My .02 worth

 

i really dont believe that the plate does anything much.

i had a couple of cars with a retrofitted strut tower brace up front, and i noticed that helped greatly with the handling aspect.

i would also want one for my prius, but im low on cash

 

It doesn't make sense to me that someone who's had a positive experience with one type of brace wouldn't have an open mind about another type.

 

The strut brace I'm sure will very much help improve things. That's a very critical point when cornering and all performance cars are tied in there. The chassis stiffener plate can also potentially help... particularly with a convertible car (which of course the Prius is not). At the end of the day though the chassis stiffener is unlikely to provide anywhere near the improvement that a strut bar can.

I purchased the BT chassis stiffener when my car was about 2 weeks old so I don't have much seat time without it (and within those 2 weeks I was driving very carefully because of break-in). I don't think it much if anything at all. I thought it did, but it was probably just in my head. Doesn't matter... it's still a quality piece and it didn't negatively affect handling so I'd probably buy it again just in case it is contributing in some way to better handling that I'm not aware of. It's not a very costly item... heck, with fuel prices what they are the stiffener plate only costs about $20 less than what a full tank of diesel fuel costs in my 1-ton pickup. So if it somehow (un-measurably) makes driving the prius more fun... even *if* it's due to the placebo affect then so be it.

Oh yeah, I have a '08 package 6

Mike