Hicas vs Non Hicas parts

[PonieBoi]

Hi all,

Can someone let me know what's interchangeable on the rear subframe between hicas and non hicas?

Eg, can I slap on rear knuckles and arms from a hicas car onto a non hicas subframe providing I have the traction arms? (The knuckles are hopefully the same is my query)

 

 

[FiXtUrE]

White line hicas lock bar (Aussie)

gk tech lock bar (Aussie) 

SRI lock bar ? 

Cusco hicas elimator (Japanese) 

[GTSBoy]

The knuckles are the same but the HICAS ones have tapers pressed into them for the rear tie-rods. The non-HICAS don't have the tapers in those holes and just receive a balljoint from the toe adjustment arm.

On an R32, I took all my arms of my HICAS subframe and threw it in the bin. Then I bolted up a non-HICAS subframe, including its original toe arms, pressed out the tapers, and boosted off into the sunset without HICAS trying to kill me.

But, the only reason I did this was so that the entire rear end was original Nissan parts. It was so long ago that there were no HICAS eliminator kits on the market, only lock bars. Lock bars are illegal, because it is not legal to modify a steering system (not without serious engineering, anyway). The stock look of the non-HICAS rear was my solution to putting it through Regency without an argument. Which is how it played out. No questions asked.

These days, a black eliminator kit would probably pass muster if it was dirty like everything else down there.

[FiXtUrE]

R32 with hicas what? For light weight purposes if that’s what you’re after, you would do the subframe swap, remove hydro pump & lines etc and sussy bits and pieces.

just get a lock bar mate 👍

[GTSBoy]

1 hour ago, FiXtUrE said:

just get a lock bar mate

You wouldn't need to do the subframe swap to lose weight. The HICAS subframe doesn't weigh any different to the non-HICAS one. If you fit an eliminator kit instead of a lock bar, then it ends up being almost exactly the same as a non-HICAS setup.

In the modern day and age of eliminator kits being available, you would be mental to install a lock bar and have to live with the slop in the original tie rod ends, or pay money for new ones to get rid of it. Eliminator kits kick lock bar arse.

I didn't remove the various HICAS solenoids and lines for lightweight reasons. The primary reason is because they get in the way of things I want to do (particularly in the engine bay). Losing some weight is merely a bonus. Losing the 2 stage PS pump is another bonus, and/or being able to use the R34 pump that comes on the Neo without cracking the sads over HICAS not working any more (as if that was likely to be a problem!!!).

[FiXtUrE]

Flat out… you did this on an r32?

[GTSBoy]

47 minutes ago, FiXtUrE said:

Flat out… you did this on an r32?

Yes. I do things properly.