Often overlooked, especially on vehicles that are reaching higher levels of modification, is the importance of reinforcing the chassis. All vehicles experience flexing of the unibody under various handling loads. Twisting of the chassis is also very common on higher horsepower vehicles.

This guide will cover the installation of an aftermarket under brace, specifically the Tanabe Sustec, on a Nissan Cube.

Tools:
-Jack
-Jack Stands
-17mm Socket
-Torque Wrench
-Ratchet
-Crescent Wrench

Here are a few pictures of the Tanabe Sustec:

First, you will need to lift your Cube up and put it on the jack stands. You will not need to remove your tires or the protective plastic engine undercovering for this installation, simply lift the Cube enough just so you can safely fit underneath.

Once you have made it underneath the Cube, look at the Tanabe illustration, which will designate the the installation point of the under brace. After located the installation points from the illustration, you will need to remove several screws.

You may find yourself breaking off several bolts in order to remove them, however don’t worry — they are torqued extremely tight from factory and are near impossible to remove without breaking them off.

After the bolts start to move, put the 17mm socket on your ratchet and locate the top nut holding the bolt. Use the crescent wrench and unscrew the bolt at the same time. The follow image shows what it should look like with most of the bolts removed:

Once all the bolts are removed, you may start to install the under brace with the included bolts. Twist them enough so they’ll stay on place along with the under brace, then place your socket under each bolt and hit it slightly with the ratchet. By doing this, you are allowing the bolts to be pushed completely through and make them ready for reinstalling the top nut.

From there, you will need to hold the nut with your crescent wrench and bolt it back in. Once you feel it becoming secure, use the torque wrench and ensure that it is secured.

Done!

Ready to learn more about your Nissan Cube? Here’s the spot! Nissan Cube Forum