Total HICAS removal

[51jay]

I want to remove all the HICAS components on an R33GTS25T running the stock ECU. Is it feasible?? anyone offer any advice?

[GTRgeoff]

Jay

as you may be aware, I build the bars myself and have run without HICAS for many months now. The improvement in steering input is noticable, and I have since installed the Whiteline swaybars, huge improvement, and now the pineapples set for traction.

The rear used to move noticeably, sort of a "turn..settle and then a slight sideways movement in the rear" that was only obvious after the lock bar was installed. The pineapples removed this response entirely and the swaybars are magic (blade adjustable).

The HICAS computer is separate to the ECU so will not affect the car other than to illuminate the dash light, which is easily removed in a half hour by pulling the dash.

Hope that answers your question.

[51jay]

skylinegeoff: thanks for responding, so..if I take off everything inc. HICAS ECU I will need to fit a lockbar? I have Whiteline coilovers and swaybars etc to go on.

This is a track only car. The plan is to remove every bit of un needed weight and work on the suspension and handleing + some body stiffening befor starting any power mods. The light won't be a problem as it probably won't have the stock dashboard

[AWDMAT]

Remoiving the HICAS

"I installed a Hicas lock bar. It was another great mod. The back end now fells a lot more controllable. You do need to adjust your driving style though but it is a good mod. All my hydraulic lines have been removed. It is as simple as putting the hicas bar in, remove all the hydraulic lines and solenoids, all the way to the power steering pump. Then you take the back of the power steering pump off and you will see all these tiny metal squares in slots. You pull all of these out and it disables the HICAS part of the pump. Then you just go to Pirtek and buy a plug and screw it into the pump. Bingo, no hicas and 20kg+ lighter. Just make sure you get a wheel alignment."

The above is quoted from :

_________________

Adam

Fulllock Motorsport

Hope this helps!!

[Angry]

roughly how much does this exercise cost.. providing i do it myself?

..its seems pretty easy to do ...

thanks

I would assume this still applys to R31 as well as any other form of HICAS'd nissan

Matt

[Bl4cK32]

Tomei hicas lock kit. It has two shims for the hicas rack, and a handy little black box that gets spliced into the hicas computer that stops the dash light from coming on, as well as stops the steering from going heavy at slow speeds.

edit/ unless you want to get rid of everything...lines and all...

[predator]

or spend $100 on geoff's lock bar..

you still selling these Geoff ?

[Bl4cK32]

If you want to lock it just for street use the tomei would be better though wouldnt it...I get upset with the way the light comes on and the steering goes heavy at slow speeds....Does this still happen when you put the bar in, and remove all lines and plugs?....I

[51jay]

??? Why does the steering "go heavy" at slow speeds??

[Bl4cK32]

dont know really....im not going to make any guesses, but it does it now, and i heard if you disconnect it it does tend to make it play with the steering if you just chop wires from making the light come on.

Mine does it now (hicas still active) when i see the hicas light come on, the steering goes heavy....may have to do with the computer trying to fix something....cant see it being a problem if you remove everything though.....but for those locking it just for street use id get the tomei kit ie slow speeds....

[GTRgeoff]

Just to respond to a few things:

Jay, you don't actually need to remove the computer, just the HICAS at the rear subframe and the globe in the dash which is very bright at night but won't be a problem for you. The other gear is specific to R32 which is hydraulic as opposed to electric. I am uncertain of the effect of removing the computer but would love to her if it is tried.

AWDMAT, thanks for posting as that will be helpful to 32 owners.

Pred, I still make these as it is simply an exercise in getting the steel. I am fully tooled to fabricate the bars (as well as just being fully a tool ) and have sent quite a few out.

Angry, other than the bar, I recommend fitting at a tyre shop unless you are comfortable that the rear may be out of alignment, which will take about 20 min to fit and a wheel alignment so say $60-80 for that including the full alignment. I have built these bars just a little bit longer so that people can fit them and have rear toe in instead of toe out when they drive for an alignment. Don't go any more than 5-10km though. Too much toe out at the rear is really unstable as I discovered with my first bar. It was like snowboarding down the road the way the rear slewed all over the shop.

One of my previous customers was hoping to have a "bender" developed to fix the warning light problem. No response yet.

The Skylines have a variable power steering and it gets harder at about 80kmh. I don't notice it myself but there has been discussion that when the HICAS is disabled it can get heavy at low speed, but that is at quite low speed and at low rpm. I would expect this is a product of the computer being a little confused, the engine rpm, therefore power steering pump flow, being low, and the wheel alignment. My alignment is permanently aggressive for the track, since I pay bugger all for tyres so it tramlines everywhere.

Hope that helps, the only reason I started making the bars was due to the rediculous prices charged and to make them more accessible to the SAU family.

[Angry]

Sorry to sound like a n00b

but where exactly does the bar get fitted to? i think i have an idea ..but i haven;t had a proper look at it yet.....

Any Pics of one installed?

Thanks

Matt

[predator]

Angry: FYI: here is one I had in my "files".. one (not sure of type) fitted to a GTR..

Basically instead of the toe-in/out being controlled by a little motor, the arms are locked into place.

A few things are speed sensitive on the skylines.. I assume all the Tomei kit does is use some simple electronics to feed the correct speed signal back to the computer so things work a bit more nicely. There are a few functions that are speed sensitive on the skylines, so disconnecting the HICAS (which hooks into that) I'd say mucks with the whole speed loop of the ECU.

bl4ck32: at a guess, what you are seeing as the speed sensitive steering I think being confused and going into the firmest setting. At a guess, probably "open circuit" means like 1billion km/hr or something so kicks into the maximum power steering firmness. Thats not actually HICAS.

I'd be interested to see what effect something like a PowerFC would have on things. So its possible that those with aftermarket management would not experience some of these problems??? Wouldn't surprise me if the PFC is a little more intelligent (knowing many would disable the HICAS for track, etc work) and doesn't care too much about HICAS connected or not??

[Bl4cK32]

Im running a power fc and the dash light comes on still and the steering goes heavy at slow speeds...

[predator]

there goes that theory maybe its dumber then.. lol

edit: Which PFC are you running? the AP Engineering one for RB20DET ? Which is AFIAK just the r33 reprogrammed slightly for rb20det. Wonder how much work they put into the different HICAS ?

how have you disabled the HICAS? Just disconnected the plugs? R32 HICAS is hyraulic, R33 is electronic.. could have something to do with it??

[AWDMAT]

no probs skylinegeoff!!

[51jay]

Hehguys thanks for all the info, very helpful for the R32 boys too, I see no point in keeping the hicas ecu if you have no hicas..even if it only weighs 1/2Kg.

The cars first time out is the drags Sun 22nd.It will be absolutely stock except for what I have time to remove befor then. I will post when I've removed all the hicas and ecu.

[funkymonkey]

*sigh*

here ya go fellas, with my custom translation too

[GTRgeoff]

Then pull it out (the controller) and drop it in the bin :D

Thanks Shan

[YogiR33]

So R33's wont hav the problem of the steering gettin 'heavy' at lower speeds ??? So with an R33 all i hav to do is removes the lines and fit the bar and also the lil globe in the dash ? Anything else needed. Oh and Geoff u hav pm, cheers