Modernization - Improving the Handling - Okuyama Front Tower Bar

So even though the Nismo S-tune shock absorbers I had added has lead to a massive improvement in the handling and stability of the Elgrand, since I cannot tweak the engine power due to the limitations of the CVT, I figured what I COULD do next to improve performance would be to improve body rigidity.  In fact Nissan Prince Fukushima had already added body braces from CUSCO and the Spoon Rigid Collars (which surprised Midorikawa-san on how they made the car feel brand new), but given how large this car is, I figured more could still be done.

For that, the easiest DIY step is to add a front tower bar. There are only 2 companies out there that make front tower bars for the E52, this is one - Carbing, also known as Okuyama.

As you can see I selected the aluminum type, although given how heavy this car is, the steel version would probably be ok too.

Extreme car as it is so long I didn't want to accidentally scratch something...

To install - first, to access the area underneath the front cowl where the tower bar will be installed, you have to remove the wipers.

I found thses online - instructions for the 2016 Nissan Quest I found on Nico Club, thank you guys!

After the wipers are removed, then just remove the numerous snaps for the front cowl.

Then the next challenge is to unbolt the motorized wiper arm assembly, and put it off to the side. But first, I noticed how dirty it was there, so...

Some all purpose cleaner and elbow grease later...

Then I remembered my continuing quest to make this car as quiet as possible. So...I rolled up some 3M Thinsulate and installed in the space between the cabin and the firewall - there is actually lots of space, you can see the 3 rectangular openings right under the windshield

And then sealed it up with this heat resistant aluminum sheet I used for under the hood earlier.

After which I simply bolted on the tower bolts using the bolts already on the body.

Here you can see the aluminum layer behind the tower bar.

After this, I re-installed the wiper assembly, cowl and windshield wipers. 

On the road - I feel like there is just a bit less of a delay when steering left and right, so hopefully that is a result of this.