BT Stiffening Plate Review

Thanks bfguilford for your report!! I used to frequent your area quite a bit before moving to South Florida. I used to go to Madison and the beach over there all the time. I still have a bunch of friends that live near Clinton and BPR. Its simply gorgeous over there especially in October but you can keep the winters!!


Thanks!!

Brian
BT Tech
305-652-3115

 

Easy install. I have not yet been able to try it out. My wife has the car for the next couple of days.

 

I just installed it this morning. It took me a while to find the right tools to take the old bolts out. My brother has the tools and now they are a huge rusty pile of... well... about half the tools.

I used my borrowed 6mm hex and my new torque wrench to install the new plate.

Simply put? AWESOME!

you no longer get tossed from side to side. The car handles much better. The steering is more responsive.

If i could sum it up in one sentence: It's as if you used liposuction to pull an extra 1000 lbs out of the rear of the car.

So far i've done minimal testing. I tested it on Hicks Rd in San Jose, Ca. I went up to the top reaching 70mph. You could toss the car around corners you could never do before. Usually the car would twist and put too much pressure on the outer side of the car causing traction control to kick in. Now... you get VSC, but track doesn't but me unless it actually "needs" to.

The low end ride is a huge improvement too.....

I'll write more later. I have to head out to work

btw, i'm driving an 04. I've been in an 06 and it's even better with the stiffening plate. My car with the plate does compare though. Right now it's almost as smooth as my parents 400h.

 

Installed BT plate on 2006 Prius. Had 1600 miles with OE plate and now have about 200 miles with BT. My commute totals about 35 miles on back country roads. Lots of sharp curves and hilly. The difference is very noticable. In addition to a more "solid" feel, the car tracks into the curves much better with less lean and greater stability than before and holds the line better than it had previously.

 

Ok. i'm back from work. I fully agree with stan, and everyone else here. You can actually turn into a corner now.

The first thing i noticed. You don't take the impact on your upper body anymore. usually you bounce back and forth when you hit a bump. Now you bounce.. but that's it.. just the one initial hit. No twisting of the car and bouncing around.

Overall, the car is stiff. Someone mentioned a sports car effect. That's exactly it. Not that everyone wants a sports car. My prius is now solid though. At times when you go over bumps or tracks it used to feel as if the car just might rattle apart. I don't have that problem anymore.

Tell ya what. If you live in the bay area, i'll take you for a drive

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: When I first read your post, I envisioned straddling the railroad tracks... Now that would be a good test!

Of course.. it could make for an exciting ride....

 

I put my plate in today. Didn't have the require metric allen wrench so I went to the local garage and borrowed one on a torque wrench. Did the swap in 10 minutes on the garage's lot and gave the kid $5 for the kind loan of the tool.

Our terrain is the same, lots of hilly, undulating rural roads. The difference was immediately apparent. The car tracked better and was much more solid over the uneven road. Later I took it through a set of wicked downhill quadruple S curves. The car went through them easily at 10 mph over my normal comfort zone with none of the usual vagueness and wobble. This is a great improvement. When I got home I took the old plate and clamped it in a vice. I was going to get a pipe wrench to clamp on it to see how much resistance it gave to twisting. But before I did that, I said what the heck and tried it by hand. My expression was "holy sh*t"! The stock plate is easy to twist by hand!

Now I'm wondering - what's up Toyota? In mass quantities this would maybe add $25 to the price of the car. But the difference is so definite that one has to wonder why they haven't done it yet, at least on the high-end packages. This has just become my favorite upgrade.

I have to put a plug in for Bruce. My order wasn't showing up on the PC store accnt. and I was getting nervous that it didn't go through. I called Bruce at 9 at night and he was right there, straightened the order out and shipped the plate right away. Great product, great service.

 

I agree.... I feel mine makes such a difference I'm almost afraid to brag to folks "on the streets" about how awesome my car handles for fear they will buy one or just take a test drive and disagree.

I do remember I liked my ride before I put on the plate, but now afterwards... I now see that before was lacking terribly from what I can be.

 

I did another test today. the prius passed with flying colors. I was following a Volkswagon Jetta TDI hatchback over Hicks Rd ... now.. hicks rd starts at camden.. goes over to alamitos rd. it goes over half a mountain and has a lot more bends than you can see on that map. If you have google earch, you'll get a better view. It's probably a 700 ft climb to the top.

Anyways, i was able to keep up with him no problem. I had body roll, but i seemed to handle better than him. I"m sure i know the road better tough. it's my testing ground for all cars. While he was cutting corners, iw as staying in my lane. I still had no problem keeping up around corners, and i was taking it easy.

It's a huge improvment over the stock brace. It's soo solid now and i can anticipate the turns. I can actually drive it comfortably with 1 hand. I don't recommend this to any person driving over hicks though.

I tested out some high speed driving and low. Man.. what a difference. High speed just soaks up every little bump now. At low speed you can feel every slope of the road.. when it's flat you are.. a little bump.. a little bump.. no more little bump then a twist.. and bob side to side.. then another bump.. but.. wait.. the car never stopped bouncing.. oh no... another bump.. I remember that well. It got old quick. Now though.. it's a joy we need more mods.. anything for body roll? hehe

 

Thanks V8Cobra for your review and impressions of our stiffening plate!!



Thanks!!

Brian
BT Tech
305-652-3115

 

The ride and handling we're ok, but a bit disapponting at times until adding the BT plate. Before the plate it just wasn't as predictable and solid when the car was driven hard. This is particularly noticeable on curvy, rural roads and uneven road surfaces. Now, it's much better mannered. Makes sense, when I saw how easily the stock plate twisted by hand, I couldn't believe it. Still can't.

 

I know you've all been wanting to say this so I'll say it for you.

WHY SO MUCH MONEY for a peice of metal? While I value its advantages its still a peice of metal. $160 is a large chunk of change. Anyone know where you can get it for less?

ClearBra goin on this week. My feedback on it in two weeks.

Thanks all
Happy Trails
Roger

 

It is great to hear all the feedbacks from those who installed it. I remember Toyota announcing European Prius with stiffer body for 2006 models. Has anyone confirm it is this plate that they changed or somewhere else?

If anyone on this board with 2006 European Prius, can you check the plate? Maybe take a pic and compare it with US model.

Dennis

 

Well put. I don't begrudge Bruce's price. He is doing us a service. It's Toyota that seems to be the issue. For all the safety + VSC + ABS etc on the car that I paid for, I would have expected better than a $5 stamped, twisty steel brace.

Could this plate be cast aluminum instead of machined and still have the same integrity? Would that help cost?

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. Begreen, you refer to me as "Bruce" but its Brian.

Guys, let me stress something. I am NOT getting rich selling this part!! The machine shop that does the work for me and makes them exactly to my specifications charges upwards of 125 dollars an hour using their cnc machine plus setup and programming charges. The quality is superb and each and every plate has been within .003" of my design specs!! I have shopped around at different machine shops and have gotten lower quotes but the quality of their work was not impresive.


Thanks!!

Brian
BT Tech
305-652-3115

[/quote]

 

D'oh! Sorry Brian. Thanks again for a great product and service. My wife drove the car today and she even noticed the improvement!

 

She prob drove it like a woman too!.....

It takes a little testosterone to enjoy the smooth feel of twisting around corners!

There are things my wife notice I am oblivious to because its not my bag and vice versa... its all about what you notice and what you focus your attention on.

Another test would be to lower the air pressure to 15 per tire and take the brace off.. I bet she still won't notice a change.......

 

FY Im I've read all the comments made on Brian's behave and now understand.
I am more than willing to pay the price for what hopes to be an improved ride.

Thanks all for your input and thank you Brian. Expect my order in the AM

Roger3125

 

Accurately reported Cobra! With our high winds of late in the SJU area, I have noticed mine to be much more stable than before installation of the BT. Road irregularities and the rain grooves CalTrans cuts in our freeways don't seem to cause nearly the tracking as before either.

Hadn't hought of trying Hicks to test the cornering, but a trip to Santa Cruz gave me a comfortable drive with lean, but not the twisting feeling the chasis had before the installation - giving a much more stable platform and consistent ride.