Hicas Lock Bar Any Good?

[boostin_r33]

Hey guys,

Does anyone out there have a lock bar? Whats the difference like in handling etc?

Cheers

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

steering is heavy as a fat chick...

drifting is controlled and predictable

[boostin_r33]

any good for circuit?

[moobaque]

steering is heavy as a fat chick...

drifting is controlled and predictable

steering shouldn't be any heavier....

have u disconnected the hicas ecu? coz that will fark with your power steering up front too.

[some_cs_student]

I've had no issues with steering in the R33, if you do lose control its much more predictable without HICAS...

[RBwhatever]

yeah no power steering issues here either. Just leave the hicas ecu plugged and your set to go.

The car is more predictable during high speed cornering. It doesn't give the squishy squirmy feeling in the rear.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

didn't touch power steering... just the lock bar...

there is a few people on here that have exp'd the same

[some_cs_student]

didn't touch power steering... just the lock bar...

there is a few people on here that have exp'd the same

R32 or R33 GTR? And did you disconnect the HICAS ECU?

The tutorial explains how the installs are done in the tutorials section of this forum, R33 should not be an issue, not too sure about R32's.

[R33S2]

I did a fair bit of reseach on this, as I was having trouble with the Hicas shuting down on wet days, the power steering would die along with it, all attempts to fix it were only temporary, so it had to go.

From what I read at the time (06) the lockbars on a 33 would cause the pwr str to either die out because the hicas was disconnected or be restricted (it was never clear to me which) and also nobody had any to sell me, so i bought the Tomei kit which locks the hicas physically and reroutes the hicas with another unit, pwr str works fine and no interference from a computer when the hairy stuff happens.

If you have ever dropped a long side skid with hicas, it will kick the car back the opposite way ie you cant drift.

[Cubes]

If the steering is heavy or craps its selt its because you have not removed the hicas correctly.

Before after I much prefer no hicas; much more predictable and the steering actually feels a tad lighter and more willing/easier to make corrections mid corner.

Kicking the car back etc is a load of crap; the rear steer is so little it will not kick the car back just make it feel not as predictable.

[R33S2]

Well it sure as hell felt like it kicked it back, which doesnt exist anymore. Just my opinion tho.

Is there a correct way to disconnect it? If I had known that I would of just made up some washers.

[teng]

The 4-door R33's have no HICAS but they do have the power steering ecu in place of the HICAS/PS combo unit. Is it advisable to lock the HICAS unit and then change the HICAS/PS Combo ECU to the Power Steering only version from the 4-door models. That should eliminate whatsoever HICAS problems with R33's. Please confirm on this.

Most of the HICAS problem i've heard are from R32's cause of hydraulics, the R33's are electronic which makes it easier to eliminate.

Edited June 24, 2008 by teng

[boostin_r33]

my mate's hicas light keeps popping up in his dash and his steering becomes heavier would anyone know how to fix it instead of a lock bar its a 33? Cheers

[teng]

Maybe the hicas/ps combo ECU or the HICAS system itself acting up.

[buggor34]

my mate's hicas light keeps popping up in his dash and his steering becomes heavier would anyone know how to fix it instead of a lock bar its a 33? Cheers

Has he recently installed an aftermarket steering wheel?

[boostin_r33]

he did install one but the hicas light wouldnt stay off and his steering was heavy all the time! So he out the standard one back it just plays up everynow and then nothing to do with the steering wheel as it was acting strange b4 he put the new one on! It's not the power steering fluid anything else to check?

[Bennett]

I have a 32 and removed the whole system. The car drives so much better. Pretty sure when i was reading that for a 33 you have to either remove the warning light from your dash or cut the wire going from your hicas ecu (under the parcel shelf) to the dash light. Someone correct me if im wrong. But leave the actual ecu connected or u will get heavy steering. Deffinately comes up when u search anyway.

[chrissyo]

Yeah thats what i remember reading too bennett however im also keen to hear of what 33 drivers have experienced as im looking at the lockbar myself for in the future

[some_cs_student]

he did install one but the hicas light wouldnt stay off and his steering was heavy all the time! So he out the standard one back it just plays up everynow and then nothing to do with the steering wheel as it was acting strange b4 he put the new one on! It's not the power steering fluid anything else to check?

Did he follow the HICAS tutorial in the relevant section of the site?

I'd say no, because his power steering stopped working AND he didn't remove the globe, of course when HICAS is locked the warning light will go on.

Does he have an R33? Did he attempt to disconnect anything inside the car? (Don't!)

Note: before installing the lock bar the warning light would come on, mainly after highway driving and the car would feel strange while its on. There are ways to run the HICAS diagnostics but I just removed it and the car feels better for it now, I'll find out how much next track day

[battery]

to be honest i noticed fark all difference! haha