New Prius Handling Components to be available soon!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(popoff\";p=\"115736)</div>

To quote Ronald Reagan, "there you go again."

Perhaps your car is stable at 70 mph. Mine is not. If I were to let go of the steering wheel on my car for 1/4 mile< I'd be off in the woods with a badly bent BT Tech stiffening plate.

[/b][/quote]

Wow. Really? You MUST have a lemon? I'm not kidding nor trying to make trouble. That is NOT normal! Are your roads heavily crowned? You say you're in the hills, perhaps that's part of it? Front end alignment?

Also, a stiffening plate won't change that. If you think it did, I'd sure like to know how.

 

There are just too many elements involved in a suspension to think that changing one element will have significant impact.

You are correct, but with each step/each improvement is a step in the right direction for a tighter more predictable handling car. Look and drive a base Corvette and a Corvette with a Z51 pkg. Sure a base Corvette is pretty damn good and world class in the area of handling and braking. So why improve? Because you can thats why. My 1985 Corvette (with 30,000 miles) is my toy and has the Z51 pkg. With a few additional changes I have made it a 1+ G car and would just blow your mind what the car can do.

With the Prius I have upgraded my tires and added the plate - is it a complete pkg? No but like I said it is a step in the right direction to improving a base car to one which is tighter and more predictable in it's behavior and day to day handling characteristics.

 

>>So why improve? Because you can thats why<<

I have absolutly no problem with this. At all. I also agree that it can make a difference. I would argue you are stiffening what is already the stiffest part. Strut tower braces would help much more.

I just will not buy that a subframe connector will A: help in a cross wind. B make the car go down the road straighter.

Personally I have no desire to mod a prius. C5, that's another story!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikepaul\";p=\"115732)</div>

Perhaps by your standards it is. I don't know what you have driven in the past and thus what your base of reference is.

I am not saying that the Prius is unsafe. However, it does not measure up to my expectations in the handling department, based upon my experience of driving high performance German sports sedans for the past twenty years. Those cars tracked at high speeds as if they were on rails. The Prius wanders in comparison. It is all a matter of perspective.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius\";p=\"115746)</div>

And a stiffer subframe connector will not change this.
Man, I've got some land in florida for you guys.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(popsrcr\";p=\"115752)</div>

As far as I am concerned, you are entitled to believe that the Earth is flat.

I haven't a clue what your credentials in the subject matter are. I prefer to follow the advice of the posters with automotive engineering background and experience.

 

I don't remember anywhere it being stated the plate would take care of the crosswind issue. I believe that is the new aerodynamic thingie in the works.

The plate was for better handling for curves, bumps, etc. I know it's a long thread, but perhaps a few should go back and re-read.

The crosswind, aerodynamic thingie is another thread.

Aero spoiler

And yes, I'm buying that too.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(popoff\";p=\"115736)</div>

To quote Ronald Reagan, "there you go again."[/b][/quote]Umm, bad reference due to my opinion of how Reagan was acting when he said that, but let's move on...

Already covered by another poster...

I've been doing that...

Why, exactly, do I need to do this? I am not incorrect because you disagree. Really. I would be incorrect if you can prove that my car doesn't do what I say it does, or that the majority of Prii don't do what I say they will do.

Another poster claimed subjective results were enough. Now you want only objective ones you agree with.

Geeze...

 

Seriously, I want someone to explain it to me! I hate the blind trust people put in opinions on a board.
Wandering can come from many things. This bracket will obviously make the chassis stiffer. No question. Stiffer means sharper turn in. Stiffer means less body roll. Stiffer does not affect drift. Stiffer does not affect buffeting by the wind.
It will change "handling" in general, though by how much is anyones guess.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius\";p=\"115659)</div>

If you are happy with the way your Prius handles, why all the fuss?

No one is forcing you to purchase and install this modification.

Some of us are accustomed to driving well handling European and Japanese sports sedans. Our standard for comparison is not the Ford Tempo, but Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Acura and their likes.

It is all a matter of perspective.
[/b][/quote]
It seems to me like you are the one making the fuss over some simple questions about the BT Tech plate. You may not mean it, but you come off as saying this stiffening plate is for a group of drivers who are above and beyond mikepaul and myself. That seems awfully elitest to me.

Of course no one is forcing me to buy and install this mod. No one is forcing anyone to anything, except it seems some are trying to force a minority of posters in this thread to hush up and go away.

So I've not had a certain perspective before. I want to know about other perspectives, what is wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with both being satisfied and still wanting to improve.

I'll be happy without this mod. But I maybe I want to step to the other side and see what higher performance driving is all about. I want to learn more about it. Why do you have a problem with that?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"popsrcr\";p=\"115740\"[/quote)</div>

I had several phone conversations with Brian prior to purchasing the plate. He was very forthcoming in stating what it would and would not do. I'm not expecting any miracles, but I hope it will provide some help on our curvy, sometimes incorrectly crowned and poor condition roads.

I will follow your good suggestion and have the alignment checked. The car has wandered since day one. It's especially evident on the interstate or highways above 50 mph or so.

 

>>You are making comments that you believe are absolute however the fact that you put it in writing does not make it so. <<

hmm

>>A strut tower brace will help the car during while driving at its limits. During normal everyday driving, one would be hard pressed to notice it was even there due to the placement/high CG.<<

Right, no such thing as cowl shake.

>>Our stiffening plate does in fact make the structure stiffer and DOES help with tracking. You do NOT have to drive the card hard or put the car into a high G load to feel it. I have never said that it is the cure all but having a stiffer structure makes the car handle and feel like a much more "solid" car and is much more enjoyable to drive. <<

I agree stiffer, no issue. But people here keep saying its going to do things its not.
How, pray tell, does it help with tracking? That's more a function of the tires (unless we are perhaps using the term differently).

 

[
I will follow your suggestion and have the alignment checked. The car has wandered since day one. It's especially evident on the interstate or highways above 50 mph or so.
[/quote]

Seriously, I think you should. Ours has never done that, but we also do not drive in the mountains much.

 

Ok, seriously I'm going to stop. I've gotten so darn confused with the different conversations, and I really don't want to make anyone mad. That isn't my point. I just like to question, but I will stand by my opinions until proven wrong.

Brian, I wish you luck with your products, but I just don't get the point. If I were near you and could talk to you, maybe I'd get it. As it is, I'll shut up and behave for awhile again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva\";p=\"115760)</div>

Dave said

And if the aerodynamic correction thingie seem to work, I'll take one also...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikepaul\";p=\"115762)</div>

To quote Ronald Reagan, "there you go again."[/b][/quote]Umm, bad reference due to my opinion of how Reagan was acting when he said that, but let's move on...

Already covered by another poster...

I've been doing that...

Why, exactly, do I need to do this? I am not incorrect because you disagree. Really. I would be incorrect if you can prove that my car doesn't do what I say it does, or that the majority of Prii don't do what I say they will do.

Another poster claimed subjective results were enough. Now you want only objective ones you agree with.

Geeze...
[/b][/quote]Over and out! :roll:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ryogajyc\";p=\"115764)</div>

Not at all. This is a free country. That permits some to have higher standards than others.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(blkc5\";p=\"115759)</div>

This is like school, where if I don't get something, I ask.

This plate seems to be there to flex, but flex less than the stock plate. Neither plate seems to flex a lot.

How much is it supposed to be flexing on a regular basis, moment to moment, if it is helping (more than the OEM plate) with the tracking going straight down the road? Most people seem to put more stock in the lateral-movement stuff improving...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius\";p=\"115781)</div>

Not at all. This is a free country. That permits some to have higher standards than others.[/b][/quote]His last sentence either blew right by you, or fit like a glove so you didn't care.

You'll let us know which one, I hope...