Merli's R32 Track Bitch

[Majanal]

let me ask you this. in driving on the track (or anywhere other than parking manoeuvres) how often do you hit the LCA to limit steering? my answer would be never. all the factory steering stop is is a piece of the LCA that sticks out a bit. yes, without it you now have the potential for more lock (too much) but will you ever use it? I don't think so. john reckons it could be an issue in an accident but if it's that bad an accident that it's slamming the tie rod into the LCA stopper then i'm not sure how much difference there will be with or without that little protrusion. personally I wouldn't worry about it, but it certainly would be possible to add something.

check out the stock LCA. they are not that different. I'm not sure how much more the stock LCA protrudes to stop steering angle...

I just can't help but think of what happens when you run out of talent and have a big loose, chasing opposite lock to try and catch the big slide through the dipper at OP...

Possibly a stupid question, but is the point where the LCA meets the castor arm supposed to be unmovable? (maybe I looked at the pic's poorly, but it looks like there is movement there?) I would also have to agree with Duncan, Alignment is very important with all these adjustable parts on board now and a solid check of this, possibly with standard wheels on, might be an idea?

Anyway, just some idea's, hopefully they help.

[GTRHOLIC]

Good information. keep it comming!

[DJRIFT]

There are some piccys of the wheels back there... None really showing fitment though... I'll take some more in a week or so, after the brakes go on.

In the meantime, here's a teaser pic

i was looking at some pics the other night and i noticed a pic of a r32GTR defuser. i was going to put it up as another example of could be done but then as i searched back through for your first pic of yours i realsed its the same design.

anyway have you fitted and tried this yet? im gessing not as you havent had any recent updates. or are you still awaiting a clutch?

Re air cooling, no pics to show as haven't taken any, other than probably some on my car which would be on our site in motorsports section.

No bling parts, it is more drilling and leaving things out, although you can run a duct in and out of bell housing as some race cars do.

GTR's have small rubber vents at top of bell housing, which is more than most cars have and ok for high performance standard road car, but imagine how hot it gets in this almost sealed relatively small area. Also helps cook the gear oil, along with the often unshielded after market staino engine pipes, right close to the gear box. Imagine if you had full face wheels and full dust shields, your brakes would melt, not quite the same although lots of energy going through equivalent of one rotor. Bottom line is if a car is going to the track with much more hp than it was born with, you should do counter measures, as everything gets stressed a lot more, and everything gets a lot hotter. My single plate clutch has lasted for many years, mainly as ari cooled. I know not 4wd which puts extra load and lighter, but using wide sticky semi slicks or previously old slicks and hanging on to up to 400 plus rwkw, with an average of 10 track days a year.

R34 GTR have a series of alloy fins moulded to gear box for cooling. I have done something similar also on my car.

thanks for the info. i had read past and missed this originally.

one more question. water and dust ect is not a major concern when putting holes in the bell housing? i tend to go off road a bit in mine and its never a suprise where mud and water can get.

sorry to hijack merli

[Duncan]

so.....got a clutch yet?

[Majanal]

Yeah mate, got 2 actually... oh hang on, that's not for me, I'll go back to my corner.

[Col-GTSX]

NOTE:

You may have noticed this thread has been moved.

SAU Admin have decided to run a new section for "Projects, Overhauls and Build-ups"

As such your thread is a prime example of what we wanted to house in this section.

We have left links in the sections you originally posted also to allow easy access to the threads new home.

Any issues, please feel free to pm myself or N1GTR.

Cheers Col

[M.C Ren]

has to be the best thread at the moment, keep up the good work...

cant wait to be you in a few years!!!

[djr81]

I just can't help but think of what happens when you run out of talent and have a big loose, chasing opposite lock to try and catch the big slide through the dipper at OP...

Possibly a stupid question, but is the point where the LCA meets the castor arm supposed to be unmovable? (maybe I looked at the pic's poorly, but it looks like there is movement there?) I would also have to agree with Duncan, Alignment is very important with all these adjustable parts on board now and a solid check of this, possibly with standard wheels on, might be an idea?

Anyway, just some idea's, hopefully they help.

Phark I run out of talent parallel parking in town.

Yes the bolted connection where the LCA meets the castor rod is solid. As in 2 times M12 worth of solid. No clearance fit on the bolts, either. Most of the compliance in the stock R32 is in the castor rod.

Shop alignment is for pussies. Just do it by eye.

Because I can't manage to read 87 pages of stuff & turned up late - did you change out the upper inner arm bracket (that bolts to the chassis?) Looks to be stock. If so next time you have a chance pull the spring/shock out - disconnect the sway bar & articulate the suspension, ie check if it binds. I am pretty sure this was at the heart of the issues I had with bushes lasting 10 minutes or 10 kms, whichever was the least.

Oh and those Cusco upper arms are heavy bastard things.

[Messiah]

saw your car on the weekend Merli, looking good. feck those brakes look even bigger in the flesh.

I dont like the roof racks you added tho, sure racing with your luggage on the roof will throw the balance of a little.

[Roy]

Updates?

[Majanal]

Updates?

Yes, agreed, have you still got the motovation bug?

[Ashy Larry]

Andrew,

What now?

[fatz]

i belive it lives at johhnys

i stole many parts from it

[Duncan]

I heard the car was entering the sau track day. not sure if merli is driving or it is just a town bike to share around everyone

[9krpm]

Merli, from the image it looks like you can easily fab up a rubber stopper between the LCA and the tie rod end and bolt it up to that big bolt (holding the caster arm).

I did not buy the tie rod end with my Ikeya kit. I am in the process of installing the kit now and not too sure if the stock tie rod end will be able to correct bump steer

Do you guys know if I need to get one?

Does anyone know how much improvement the rose joint tie rod end alone will have over the factory rod end?

Thanks in advance

[GTS4WD]

Updates?

I have been stalking this thread for a while now.

Im very jelous of your lock!.. although my car is a drift pig though..

[Duncan]

i saw it sitting around, covered in dust yesterday. looks like merli has fallen off the face of the earth, but his car has not. I think the best thing we can do is blow the cobwebs off it at oran park on sunday

[GTS4WD]

Sorry mate,

I haven't remebered, and 27 pages is along way to sift through,

but what tie rod and tie rod ends did you use to acheive so much lock? Anything else that would assist getting so much steering angle?

The Project I LCA's. Anything else?

Im sick of hearing guesstimates of how much lock ill get with dodgey second rate products. At least this way I know its quality prts and a clear answer on how much lock

Edited October 12, 2009 by GTS4WD

[Beer Baron]

he's using ikeya formula lower control arms (which come with castor rods too) and ikeya formula tie rod ends and cusco upper control arms. that's it as far as front end alignment bits go. the combo of the LCAs and the tie rod ends enables lots of lock. more than needed even for circuit stuff.

[s13-steve]

nice work!