BC ER, SPL Install and Adjust

GSS138

Similar problem when I was doing this-I have BC BR's and 12k/11k swifts. Some of it can be the surface, also if you let your car down off the lift and don't move it or roll it out, you can expect to lose a good 1/2" once you have rolled out the binding.

Also everytime I have removed the top 3 nuts and put them back on, clunk. I drive it for a day or 2 or 3, retighten the bolts and find I usually have sometimes almost a full turn of play in them.

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Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5.

GSS138

Think twice before you corner balance it, kind of a waste of money at least in some people's opinions unless you have replaced all of your compliance bushings. I know a few guys in formula D that say it is a complete waste of time and money to do it on a car that has compliance bushings in it still. They told me that if you have the ride heights to the millimeter, you are as corner balanced as you are going to get. This was sort of surprising to me but they swore by it. Told me that even if I got corner balanced, as soon as I took a turn it wouldn't be corner balanced anymore.

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Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5.

Robert Yuras

Sorry, but I disagree 100% - ride height has nothing to do with corner weighting. Ride height is certainly important, but its only the base of the foundation for weighting. If I came and put a 200lb weight on the passenger seat of your car, you'd hardly see a ride height change. However, you'd see a corner weight change. In fact, I could shift that 200lbs all over the car and you'd hardly see a ride height change. The 200lbs would make a dramatic corner weight and cross weight difference though.

Of course you aren't corner balanced through a turn, the car is turning and throwing weight all over the place. However, when the car comes back to neutral, it better be back to normal - otherwise you've done something very wrong.

Sorry, but there is not logic in that "formula D" answer, much like the series itself.

GSS138

I was skeptical about it myself at first but the more I think about what he said the more sense it makes.

The guy sets up, sponsors, and is a crew chief on a professional race cars that have won and are competitive at a number of different levels, so I would put a lot of weight in what he told me.

Specifically he said ballast the weight like you mentioned, set the ride height, you are done. I am not personally sure how that accounts for front to back, it definitely does not account for cross. But his point is that even if you balance it perfectly, because of the soft subframe and knuckle/control bushings, it is going to go out of whack almost instantly. He showed me our OEM bushings, they are very soft, you can depress them with your finger. I had a hard time believing it myself but the more I think about, the more I think he is right.

And I am no fan of formula D, I just go to his shop for tire mounting and to shoot the breeze. Like Formula D or not those guys know more about setting up a car than probably anyone.

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Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5.

Robert Yuras

Ride height will still not get it close. What if the chassis is twisted slightly? What about if suspension components are bound during ride height setting and become unbound after roll out? What about spring settle?

I was also a crew chief of two C5R teams. I can assure you that my cars wouldn't just get the ride height set and "go".

Additionally, if your bushings are in good shape, they will give a consistent response. This consistency allows for proper chassis tuning. I do agree there is a variable that exists with rubber bushings, but it is minimal. You can corner weight a car with rubber/poly bushings.

Formula D cars need basic adjustments compared to RR cars. Often times drift cars compete on parking lots or small circle tracks. Their speeds are low and the steering input often just goes from one input to the near (extreme) opposite, additionally the track conditions are poor compared to what many of the RR guys run.

Fwiw: everyone has their perspective on setting up a car. I enjoy discussing it, heck even arguing about it, I normally learn something in the end.

GSS138

Me too, I'm at heart a math nerd/software nerd, ex rubiks cube kinda kid lol.

I think ultimately his point to me was that corner balancing for me was kind of a waste of time and money. I have looked at buying my own scales, and I was asking him about it etc. he sort of suggested spending my money elsewhere-I told him if he made some friggin headers for our car I would buy them. He laughed.

The point I am trying to get across is that, 25 -50 lbs of weight diff per corner for someone that is not racing at a professional/very competitive level, is probably not worth the 500 bucks or so someone is going to charge you for corner balancing. If the left and right are dead on(with ballast), and you have a basic understanding of your car, then that is probably good enough for you.

With mushy bushings though, I can see why the otherwise terrible things that happen during a corner just get worse. I am not sure that 50 lbs of corner balancing makes it any better.

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Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5.

Spooler

Are you my twin? Never thought I would find someone else with as much bad luck as me.

Robert Yuras

Yes - I agree with this.

Bigfish888

I bought the same set up but didn't get custom spring rate. Which I should have done. I did get SPL rear camber kit and end links. My end links came a while after so I didn't install them. What do they do? Should I have them installed? I was going to wait until I buy after market sway bars. Anyways nice set up and good call on the spring rate.

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Pioneer/Hertz/Kicker/BC/Swift/SPL/Work Gnosis CV202/Stillen G3/Fast Intensions CBE/UPREV/Z1 Plenum/RJM Clutch pedal/Tuned at Specialty Z/Fly1

GSS138

Me personally , don't even use a rear sway bar atm so don't need rear end links. They are mainly intended to replace a broken or bent OEM end link, but I think some people also use them to use staggered holes on their sway bars so that they can run various/intermediate stiffness on their sway bars. I can't see much use for rear end links on our car. Fronts maybe.

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Current Mods: Vorpal Weapon +5.

Bigfish888

Thanks

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Pioneer/Hertz/Kicker/BC/Swift/SPL/Work Gnosis CV202/Stillen G3/Fast Intensions CBE/UPREV/Z1 Plenum/RJM Clutch pedal/Tuned at Specialty Z/Fly1

sandersd

(singing) ...If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all,
Gloom, despair, and agony on me...

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

sandersd

The end links are an upgrade over OEM. They are adjustable in length to eliminate preload after changing ride height (most important) and to fit bars with multiple stiffness settings. They have teflon lined spherical bearings for smooth action.

If you have them, install them. It only takes a few minutes and if you don't like them, remove them and sell.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood

Spooler

How is the ride? Do you get the jarring bumps on rough roads?

sandersd

Ride is better than the stock Nismo suspension, but it has its limits. You can't ride like a Cadillac and handle like a race car.

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2014 370Z NISMO -- HKS Hi-Power Exhaust -- Swift Springs -- BC ER Coilovers -- SPL Suspension Components -- Nismo R-Tune Intake -- Seibon BD CF Hood