Just had Dave install the new Extreme Backbone and ProBeam, and all I just drove home 4 hours on the highway with it... and damn does it make a difference. Since I got both installed at the same time, I can't really speak for them individually. But for the price, just do it!
I can't imagine anyone installing any these parts and saying it does not help. I swear that even when you close the doors on the car, the sound is more solid. If you hit a bump with only one tire, you can hear the sound of the shock compressing instead of the entire car shaking. Feels like a car that costs about 10 thousand more in build quality.
Now on to the important part, the handling. Someone on one of the other forums mentioned that it is like putting the car on slots. That is the best way to put it. The car wants to go straight so much I could fall asleep and still get down the interstate safely. With the GMPP Tune/Sensors when I would lay into it, the car would clearly pull to one side or the other, it was pretty scary. This is completely gone! The car feels completely different (in a good way) and it goes where you tell it. I dunno if this is actually possible, but the steering wheel feels tighter, locked into center and more precise.
Last item, is the ride more harsh? Honestly it's hard to tell. It may be a little but it's so barely noticeable that I would not worry one bit. The most important thing is that the car feels a lot SAFER when going over bumps, I feel like I have more control over the car and that it is not jumping all over the place. I will have to drive a little more to see if it turns better when going over rough patches of road, but I feel that it would. The car doesn't make as much noise when going over horrible sections of road with many small craters (plenty in NJ) so it just feels better and more solid.
This is a no brainer mod for ANYONE regardless of your performance desires. I have not driven on the street or race versions of the backbone, but I'm sure that any of these will have a similar effect. It just makes the car feel like a more expensive more solid car. I was in my friend's Porsche 911 Carrera 4 a few days ago, and after getting this in, my car feels a lot more like that. I feel like I'm really driving the car instead of just suggesting to it where to go.
Also if you are pushing more power than stock, you're nuts if you don't get this stuff. The car can handle A LOT more power with it. So buy this, then add more power than you originally were planning because you'll definitely be able to handle it.
