Front Suspension mod

[stevepudney]

Here's a thought to chuck about for a bit

In the pic below (ignore the engine, this was lifted from the GTR site, it's a scooby being prepared by Prodrive) look at the top front suspension turrets and lack of "bolt on" adjustable top mounts and strut brace. No bolt on bits here, the strut bracing is taken care of by welded the bracing permenantly into position and the adjustable top mounts are actually part of the top of the turret.

Now obviously on the N14 shell the strut bracing can't be welded into position in the same way but if the exposed part of the front suspension turrets were renforced then steel bacing could be welded into postion in a similar position to the bolt on alloy ones available for the N14.

Then if the turret tops were reenforced anyway, could we not encorperate a similar adjustable/slotted plate so that some camber/caster adjustment could be made to a standard type strut top.

Thoughts ?

Heres an attachment for you phil

 

[youngsyp]

Would be a lot of work.

To get the adjustable top plate alone, you'd have to cut out the original strut top mounting, and weld in the new slotted strut top mounting. I guess this would then need to be reinforced.
Bracing up the the strut top mounts would probably need an engine drop to do properly and then, where would you route the cross bracing ?

Realistically, there would be no benefit for a road going GTiR, over using a decent regular strut brace and adjustable top mounts. The old fashioned way would be much more cost effective too.

That set up does look nice though !

 

[bracpan]

I cant see the pics?
Cheers
Phil

 

[stevepudney]

Would be a lot of work.

To get the adjustable top plate alone, you'd have to cut out the original strut top mounting, and weld in the new slotted strut top mounting. I guess this would then need to be reinforced.
Bracing up the the strut top mounts would probably need an engine drop to do properly and then, where would you route the cross bracing ?

Realistically, there would be no benefit for a road going GTiR, over using a decent regular strut brace and adjustable top mounts. The old fashioned way would be much more cost effective too.

That set up does look nice though !

Of course it would, if I was going to do it, I'd do it on a stripped shell along with a weld in cage.

My point is, cusco/tein adjustable top mounts are all well and good if used with coilovers (been there and done that and don't like coilovers) but if the cusco/tein adjustable top mounts are used with standard style struts you end up having the ride height problem because the adjustable top mounts are sandwiched between the underside of the turret and the top of the strut (you gain about ¾” – 1” ride height).

So this leads to, if you do convert the turret tops and make them adjustable for a standard style strut top you wouldn’t be able to use a bolt on style strut brace.

So, if the top of the turret was modified as above and reinforced you could replace the alloy bolt on strut brace with a steel one, still adjustable but welded into position which follows the same route as the bolt on version.

 

[youngsyp]

Of course it would, if I was going to do it, I'd do it on a stripped shell along with a weld in cage.

My point is, cusco/tein adjustable top mounts are all well and good if used with coilovers (been there and done that and don't like coilovers) but if the cusco/tein adjustable top mounts are used with standard style struts you end up having the ride height problem because the adjustable top mounts are sandwiched between the underside of the turret and the top of the strut (you gain about ¾” – 1” ride height).

I have Cusco top mounts on standard struts with Chassis Dynamics springs and my ride height at the front didn't change noticably. I'd say at most about 5mm. Plus, if you go for the Whiteline springs, I believe that these are slightly lower than most of the others on the market ?!

So this leads to, if you do convert the turret tops and make them adjustable for a standard style strut top you wouldn’t be able to use a bolt on style strut brace.

So, if the top of the turret was modified as above and reinforced you could replace the alloy bolt on strut brace with a steel one, still adjustable but welded into position which follows the same route as the bolt on version.

As an individual idea, it would be very nice but, I thought you were aiming this at the general GTiR population.

While you're at it, you may as well seam weld the shell, add some small box sections to the front and rear strut housings and weld in a non adjustable strut brace front and rear for maximum rigidity. The only issue with the latter is that you can't remove it should you need acccess to the plenum or anything behind it. However, looking at that Impreza engine bay, youo wouldn't need to have the strut brace go from one side to the other. You'd just need to weld a bar from the tower, diagonally to the firewall on each side ?!

 

[OZ-Racing]

I also have Cusco adjustable topmounts on my standard struts with Spax lowering springs, which give a nice hefty drop at the front and sensible at the rear, leaving the car perched nicely.
A friend who lives locally ditched his Tein coilovers :roll: in preference to my setup and now has the same as me. The Teins were a bit harsh on our bumpy fenland roads :lol:

 

[Odin]

I fitted the tein top mounts with my old gab shocks and springs, And it was like a tractor at the front, I'm sure shorter springs would of been the answer though.


Rob

 

[OZ-Racing]

it was like a tractor at the front

It sat nicely once the driver was seated though ;-) :lol: :lol:

 

[stumo]

I had talked with Jim about doing a similar thing but this would involve moving the hole rearwards to gain more caster (still using the Tein topmounts) but this is a very good idea.

 

[Lionel]

I think steve's right (shit did i just say that) it could be done and with a bare shell it wouldnt take much.

I have seen some roll cages on R`s and on rallycars that come through the firewall and mount up to the strut tops which would help with making the shell more stiff.

steve if your going to do it i think you can buy those strut tops like the scooby has off the shelf.

 

[Odin]

It sat nicely once the driver was seated though ;-) :lol: :lol:

:shock: :shock: cheeky b@stard . But funny all the same :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: .





Rob

 

[Lionel]

also sins im building my car (yes its very slow going at the mo) but iv also thort about trying to build his as it use a lot in drifting and adding it to the R to stiffan up the front end.

 

[stevepudney]

As an individual idea, it would be very nice but, I thought you were aiming this at the general GTiR population

Obviously not aimed at the 1 bar "what oil do I use" (mongs) general GTiR population now is it :lol:

While you're at it, you may as well seam weld the shell, add some small box sections to the front and rear strut housings and weld in a non adjustable strut brace front and rear for maximum rigidity

That was the idea ;-)

 

[stevepudney]

also sins im building my car (yes its very slow going at the mo) but iv also thort about trying to build his as it use a lot in drifting and adding it to the R to stiffan up the front end.

Lionel, I've been looking for those braces for ages now, do you know who sells them or where to get them.

 

[campbellju]

There is no Castor adjustment shown in the picture but I guess they will put a bolt on plate that moves in the opposite direction.

Steve, if you were going to do it then these might be a good starting point :

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=146/CA=97

They're well used on the SR20forum and give around a 12mm drop at the front IIRC. To get them to work, the Sentra boys fit a particular strut brace that is flat all over the op mount and only connected on side, a bit like your welded example.

I had looked at these but I'm a tight wad and for the sake of drilling 2 addiotnal holes on the sturt mount and elongated the 2 holes at on the strut I've achieved 90% of them anyway.

Like Stu said, we'd talked about hacking around with the tower mounting point to give an equivalent to what's at the top of the page but with the top mount sperate rather than incorporated. If ever we did do something though its unlikely to be a kit as it will involve cutting and welding.

 

[Lionel]

steve to get one for the R will be like finding rocking houres shit as i dont think there made.

Now i no of a number of drift tuners in japan that sell these for 180sx etc i dont think it would be hard to make one for the R there not really a lot of R&D in it .

 

[campbellju]

There's information on those in the midst of this lot. Its a handy reference thread from all their experience.

http://www.sr20forum.com/showthread.php?t=170794&highlight=fender+braces

Lionel, do you know what the drifters use to achieve such large castor on their 200SX's? Is it bolt on bits or cut and shut?

 

[Lionel]

Most the fender braces are bolt on. some drifter`s move the the strut top and move then back closer to the wirewall to help with this.

 

[youngsyp]

Lionel, I've been looking for those braces for ages now, do you know who sells them or where to get them.

They seem fairly straight forward to fabricate ?!
Could you not modify 200SX versions ?

 

[stevepudney]

They seem fairly straight forward to fabricate ?!
Could you not modify 200SX versions ?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I wasn't looking for N14 ones as they don't exist, the idea was to get a set of SX ones and adapt them to fit the N14, then make a jig and fabricate more to sell ;-)