Sydneykid

The Skyline track day guys have been asking for this style of upgrade for while now so I did the engineering at the same time as I was doing the S13/14/15 kits. Being a strut front end the S13/14/15's can't have circlip height adjustment, so for the guys who wanted height adjustment, I had to have screw adjustment on the lower spring seats on the front legs. Having done the front I had to do the rear and since S13/14/15 have common rear springs and shocks to R32/33/34 and Stageas it seemed logical to do the front of them at the same time. That's the background. The kits is actually quite simple, it consists of 4 Bilstein threaded sleaves that fit over the shock bodies and sit on/around the circlips. Plus 4 Eibach main springs (2 front and 2 rear) and 2 Eibach tender/helper springs for the rear. There are obviously 4 adjustable lower springs seats, 4 top spring seats and 2 intermediate spring seats (for the rear) included in the kit. The valving in the Group buy Bilsteins has a large enough window to work very well with the spring rates I have chosen for each model. So there is no change in the shocks required. You simply remove the Whiteline springs and their standard configuration spring seats and put on the sleaves, seats and springs. You reuse the standard strut tops. For those of you that already have them, you can sell the Whiteline springs if you want to recover some cost. The advantages are that you can more easily adjust the height, for looks or corner weighting. Plus there are a few different spring rates available, which is a good thing for the guys who do track days. Keep in mind that you still can't lower the car any more than you can with the original kits, there is no change to the rules of Stagea suspension geometry. Any lower than 355/345 and they still handle badly and ride like shit. I always use (have always used) Eibach coil springs in the race cars, they are simply the best available and they have a HUGE range of sizes and rates available off the shelf. They do cost a bit more, but their quality is unquestionable. Cost wise it is $1100 less what you get for the Whiteline springs, usually $150 to $200 for the set. I may be able to do Whiteline springs (the availability part of the Eibach advantage) for $150 less (ie $900 in total). The Whiteline coils are top quality, cold wound on a hydraulic bending machine (same as Eibach) in Europe. I would use them all of the time (instead of Eibachs) but it is an availability question, they are not always available. I am trying to put together a Group Buy with Whiteline so that I have enough of the right coils to make it worthwhile. More news shortly. Cheers Gary

Movement and leverage ratios have to be taken into account when calculating the "effective" spring rate (what the tyre feels). Which is the only thing that is important in handling and ride. The actual spring rate (at the spring) is a meaningless number without knowing the movement and leverage ratios. Since R32/33/34 Skylines plus S1 and S2 Stageas all have the same movement and leverage ratios, we can effectively compare the actual spring rates. But comparing the front spring rates of an S13/14/15 with an R32/33/34 is a waste of good oxygen, since the movement and leverage ratios are different. Cheers Gary

As most guys know, I am not a big fan of using sphercial bearings in a road car. They are very harsh, add noticeably to the NVH, don't replace the outer, standard, rubber bushes, wear ouit very fast, knock like a bustard and can't be serviced or replaced, you have to buy a whole new arm. In addition, to avoid creating bump steer, you should adjust the effective length of the traction rod at the same time as you adjust the upper control arm. Hence why the Group Buy includes adjustable Whiteline bushes for both. http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/R3...tel-t87826.html For guys who do regular track work and want to adjust the camber frequently, the Group Buy now has the option of Noltec bushes. Which allow on car adjustment of rear camber via a bolt and lock nut, similar to the front camber. Cheers Gary

I can do a Bilstein threaded sleave and Eibach (the best) springs coil over conversion, front and rear. As an example the rear looks like this; Adds around $900 to the usual Group Buy price. PM me for details Cheers Gary

A few simple, checks take 10 minutes; Do you have to fill the radiator up with water often? Is there rust on the spark plugs? Are their bubbles appearing in the radiator header tank at idle? Is there water in the oil? Is there oil in the water? If the answer is no to all of the above, then I doubt it's a head gasket. Cheers Gary

Mt Kosciusku, minus 5 degrees often, every winter, every year for 10 years, all sorts of cars, all with oil coolers. Never needed a thermostat in any of them. How about a rally car on Mt. Canobolas in winter, now that's cold. Regardless, 60 degrees is not a problem. Plus I assume that you are measuring the temperature post oil cooler, so the "operating" oil temp is more like 80 degrees anyway. Cheers Gary

Ours usually runs mid 80's normal driving and high 80's when pushed. Time for a radiator flush perhaps? Or maybe a debug, ours was a bit clogged with dead insects last summer. Cheers Gary

Nope, the high flowed RB25DET turbine housing will do 250 rwkw, givne decent tuning. Personally I wouldn't use a VG30 turbine cover until I was aiming for 275 rwkw or more. Why have the poorer throttle response when you don't have to? Cheers Gary

PM sent Cheers Gary

Yes I know, but it is a bit too much for what's left of SoSK's budget. We got a bit carried away with the RB25.5 rebuild and so it's got some serious stuff in it and done to it. Cheers Gary

To clear it up. I use adjustable fuel pressure regulators for 3 purposes, the obvious one (that most people understand) is to simply stretch the injectors (standard or not) a little bit further. Around 10% seems to be the maximum, over that and I seem to run into tuning problems. Plus the ever present danger of too high fuel pressure for the standard hoses and clamps. #2 reason for increasing the fuel pressure is simply to improve the spray pattern on some injectors. This is particularly noticeable when you use injectors off another model of car that runs higher than the Nissan standard fuel pressure. #3 reason is a bit more complex. As most people are aware using an SAFC (or any other voltage bender) has 2 effects, changing both fuel and ignition at the same time. Common thinking is that RB's always need leaning out when modified, which results in advanced ignition timing. But my experience has been that that is very seldom the case throughout the rpm range. There are some areas that need richening up, which results in retarded ignition timing and hence the always unwanted bye product of poorer throttle response. There are also areas that need richening up and where it would be profitable to not retard (or advance) the ignition timing. By using an adjustable FPR I can richen it up without affecting the ignition timing. As SITC's become harder to find, this approach has some benefits. Cheers Gary

Yep, around 250 rpm is it. But the rebuilt RB25 in the R33 is actually an RB25.5. So I get the 250 rpm back with the larger capacity, not to mention the Poncams, porting and larger exhaust valves. I would like to see how close I can get to 300 rwkw out of a GCG Highflow Cheers Gary

Arse Class perhaps Cheers Gary

My 20 cents; Personally I would flick the aftermarket intercooler and put the standard one back on. You don't need it for your mods level, it is costing response and most likely is the biggest problem causing the water temp climb. With a 50 mm radiator it should have heaps of cooling capacity. I would never do any track work without an oil cooler. Cheers Gary

I have never had too cold oil anywhere in Australia, so I have never ever considered a thermostat. Cheers Gary

Why do you want a 62 degree thermostat? That's too low a temperature for maximum power or minimum engine wear or maximum fuel economy. Cheers Gary

So if SoSK drives my road car he gets chucked into "race" class? But I get to stay in "road" class? Sounds OK to me but I don't think he will like it much Cheers Gary

Koni make a good shock, we use them in lots of cars, just not in Skylines. Why? Because the Japanese Koni agent specified the valving, not the Koni engineers in Holland. The Koni adjustment only affects the rebound (extension) damping, not the bumop (compression) damping. So "softening" them doesn't improve the impact harshness. Accessing the rear shock adjustment is OK on R32's, where the strut top is at the inner wheel arch in the boot. But it is rather difficult on R33/34's as the strut top is located up under the rear parcel shelf. Cheers Gary

In the case of most Jap shocks you are only adjusting the rebound damping, hence it will make absolutely zero difference to how harsh it is on impact. All you are adjusting is how fast (not how far) it will recoil after the impact. Some adjusters (very rare) do both rebound and bump, but in a fixed ratio, generally between 10 (rebound) to 1 (bump) and 5 to 1. So they also make very little difference to the impact harshness. By far the spring rate has the most effect on harshness and keep in mind that the standard springs are around 3 kg/mm. R32/33/34 Skylines are sports cars, so they don't have "soft" spring rates to start off with. What effect do you realistically expect when you are more than trippling the spring rate? A 10 kg/mm spring rate is still going to be a 10 kg/mm spring rate no matter what you do with a shock adjustment. Reducing it by 20% (to 8kg/mm) is hardly going to make a discernable difference. What's the best spring rate? If you aren't going to lower the car and only use it on the road, then the standard spring rate is pretty much spot on. If you are going to lower it, then the ratio of 20% lower to 20% increase in spring rate is logical. If you are going to use it on the track then ask the tyre manufacturer what effective spring rate they suggest for your selected tyre. You will be hard pressed to find any "R" type tyre that will tolerate an effective rate much over 5kg/mm. As for a road tyre, then 4kg/mm is the maximum I have seen for a tyre that will fit a Skyline. Happy New Year Gary

There are 3 "compounds" of A048, so called "soft", "medium" and "medium/hard", not all compounds are available in all sizes and to further complicate matters, Yokohama Australia (in their infinite wisdom) don't bring in all the available compounds and sizes. Consequently it woiuld be my understanding that Duncan has to race on "medium/hard". This season we changed one of the race team cars (not a Skyline) from 17" wheels to 16" so we could run the "mediums", result being 0.75 secs faster at OP. With no discernable difference in tyre life. So if you are contemplating running A048's I strongly suggest that you check the sizes and compounds first, before you buy wheels (too late he said). Happy New Year Gary

TUNE Cheers Gary

Ah, no. My R34GTT had more power EVERYWHERE, from idle to redline than when it was standard. SoSK's R33GTST is about to do the same and, if someone swaps the VG30/R34GTT turtbine cover with me, I believe I can accomplish the same with it. Cheers Gary

I will swap you turbine covers, been looking for a VG30/R34GTT one for a couple of weeks. I mean, advancing the ignition timing about 15 degrees won't help much Leaning it out around 2 points, probably won't help either As for retarding the exhaust camshaft timing 4 degrees or so, well we all know that doesn't do anything Yep, I definitely think you should swap with me right now Cheers Gary

We don't run any cams in RB26's without valve spring upgrades. The standard valve seat pressure is abismal, so the rule of thumb steps we use are; Up to 9 mm lift = shim the standard valve springs 9 mm to 10 mm = Performance Springs, best value for money and shimmable to achieve the seat pressure desired Over 10 mm = Jun valve springs, simply the best. Keep in mind the MINOR releaving of the head to clear the cam lobes (not a biggy, but necessary) All of the above can be accomplished without removing the cylinder head ie; done it situ in the engine bay. You want more low down performance, TURN UP THE BOOST, nothing else works as well and is that simple. Happy New Year Gary

Why not grease the bushes, it's a simple job. Take off wheel, loosen one bolt, squeeze grease, do up bolt, put wheel back on, move to other side, repeat process. Cheers Gary