Ty's Review of Du-Luck Rear Cross Bar
Name: T.Y. Yap
Email: [email protected]
Product: Du-Luck RXB (Rear Cross Bar)
Model: S14 RXB
Store: Avanche
Price: $285
Car: 1997 Nissan S14 240SX SE
Worth_it: Yes
Difficulty_Rating: 5
Date: 22 Oct 1999
Problems
No real installation problem. Besure to be comfortable in taking apart the car's interior.
Tips
Take your time. Especially when triming the carpet to fit around the RXB
Okay,
After 3 hours of leisurely installing the Du-Luck RXB (Rear Cross Bar), I'm am finally done.
First of all, I need someone who will take the pics and put it up on the web page.
Second, The Du-Luck RXB I received is for the S14. Just like Avanche said, they have S14 RXB instock. My bar came in 3 business day. However, they forgot to send me a catalogue.
Cost:
$285 + $15s/h from Avanche. (Jspec is selling for $280)
First Impressions:
Holy Sh*t, look at the size of the box that it came in. Apprx 5' long. Big red letters saying Rear Cross Bar printed accross the side of the box.
The bar itself is pretty huge. The picture on www.speedlab.com does not do it justice. I took pictures of the bar next to a six pack of soda for comparison.
A 8" wrench is included for turning the center buckle. Two short sheet metal screw is included for securing the RXB
The instruction sheets (2) is in Japanese. One is actually a warning sheet, and the other the instruction in a numbered text sequence. That means, barely any diagrams.
A curved Du-Luck alumium badge is included for mounting onto the RXB.
Installation:
Skills needed: Anyone who is not afraid to take their car's interior apart.
Tools needed: Brain, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm socket (typical Nissan size), utility knife, screwdriver (small old), and large philipse, hammer, good knee pads.
NOTE: Following steps are those similar to those of the author of this FAQ. The writer is not responsible for mistakes or injury as a result of following these steps. The following are not exact instruction on the instruction sheet. The writer took the liberty of installing it per best engineering judgement.
1. Prep the RXB by turning the center buckle so that both sides are evenly screwed in.
2. Prep the vehicle by removing all unnecessary items.
3. Move both driver and passerger sear in the forward most position.
4. Remove door sill kick panel. It is snap into placed so it can just be pulled out.
5. Remove rear seat bottom cushion by unbolting the two 12mm bolt that is under the plastic trim piece on both side. To remove trip piece, grab it near the bottom on both side and squeeze. You should be able then to pull off the trim piece.6. Remove rear seat back by lowering the seat back such that the back is facing up. Along the bottom side the trim is velcroed in place. Pull back trim and remove two 10mm bolts on each side. Remove seat back.
7. Remove the seatback hindge by using 14mm socket. Careful to keep the bolt and paper retainer as one unit. Makes life easier... both sides.
8. Remove rear deck trim. Pop it off
9. Unbolt driver & passenger seat belt bottom bolt. 14mm Carefull to keep bolt washer and retainer as one unit. Makes life easier.
10. Grab the backseat side trim by the bottom edge and gently pull out while also grabbing by the top edge near the B-pillar. Panel should snap out w/ out problem. If some of the plastic snaps decides to stay on the metal, gently remove them and install them back onto the backseat side trim. Both side. Remove rear seat seatbelt finisher plate where the belt goes into the side panels. This will allow you to take the panel out completely.
11. grab the carpet where it goes up to the backseat and unhook it from the plastic retainer. Also unhook the plastic retainer under the door sill kick plate.
12. Push carpet down in area where the RXB will go. Place the RXB into position and manipulate the carpet to let the side plate contact the side rail of hte car. On the Driver side, manipulate the remote gas cap release cable such that the RXB side place will go below it and rest firmly against the side rail.
13. Eye the opening on the side plate where the stock seatbelt bolt will go and align it with the stock belt hole. You may have to take a screw driver and gently ply back the plastic wire harness holder that goes directly beneath the RXB side plates to allow the hole to align. Do it to both side. Temporary install the seatbelt bolt into the hole to hold the position. During this while trying to get both side in, you may have to adjust the RXB center buckle for more slack.
14. Once the seatbelt bolt is temporary back in, slightly put some tension into the RXB by turning the buckle such that it widens out and push against the side rail of hte car.. While doing so, push or step down on the RXB to get it to rest closer to the floor of the car. Once this is done put a little more tension so it will stay.
15. Install the two short sheetmetal screw by either predrilling a pilot hole or by taking a small punch and put a hole in the side rail through the RXB side plate. I took a screw driver, old phillips, and hammered it through the metal. This allowed me to hand tighten the sheetmetal screw. This screw is use for holding the RXB into position and won't see too much stress. (drilling is almost impossible due to lack of room).
16. Trim carpet such that a cut out is provided for the big fat round bar. Be careful doing this to prevent over cutting. I took several interation of small cuts to get the opening to some what usable size. Be sure to pull and tuck the carpet properly for a better fit.
17. Remount the carpet on the carpet hook on the rear seat, and install everthing in reverse order of removal.18. Put more tension/compression into the RXB by turning more of the center buckle. Lock the center buckle inplace by the two other nuts that is on the center buckle.
Installation time:
>From 1hr to days depending on the nerves and skillsets of the installer. I took my time and took 3 hours. I'm sure I can do this again in only 1 hour. Note: I'm fairly mechanically minded and comfortable taking my car apart and reinstalling it back together.
This was done by myself. If helper is available, removing and installing the body trims will be much faster.
Effectiveness:
Well, it's late at night and I finally finished it, that means I didn't go for a test drive. I will post a driving impression later.Thoughts
The back end of the car is defintely stiffer. The BIGGEST difference is the twist... When jerking into a corner, the entire car will roll and shift as a single unit where as previously the front end would twist in relation to the backend. Car feels like it is made of granite. It is that tight... In drifting corners, the car is easier to control since the chassis twist is take out and make things relatively same.
Other
Can get better price from APEX motorsport in Tempe, Az.