Weight Saving R33 - By Removing Hicas

[benl1981]

I am contemplating removing the HICAS in my R33. Can you remove the ECU? I heard someone lost front power assist by doing this?

How much weight can you save if you use a mild steel replacement weight about 2kg?

Cheers

[Trust33]

Dont know about the ecu.But you can buy a Electonic hicas lock kit.Which dissengages the switch that activates the hicas.You also get shims that lock the arms in place.

I think the hicas unit works off of hydraulic fluid but im not sure if it is independant or if it has lines that lead from the front of the car/power assist.

Does any1 know.

[benl1981]

Yeah - I don't want an electric lock kit. I was just going to replace the rack with a bar. I think the R33 is electric unlike R32 that has hydarulkic line running to it..

[Trust33]

So the r33 is electric.

can any1 confirm that notion.

Do you have a list of the differing hydraulic and electric hicas units!!

If so mine can be removed.

The only problem would be the arms that lead to unit.They would have to be locked again somehow.

[Greg]

Yes you save about 2kg with a mild steel lock bar on an R33. The computer cannot be removed or you lose power steering. Know this from experience!

[benl1981]

Thanks Greg - you only lose 2kg????

Somebody was saying 20kg?? How much does the standard bar + electric motor weigh. Maybe it isn't worth doing for weight saving. Maybe for handling though..

I'm going to get a wheel alignment soon but need to replace front shocksfirst and thinking about the lock bar..

[Greg]

Actually it saved 4 kg, I measured it at the time and posted it here:

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...=40562&hl=hicas

Definitely a worthwhile mod, the rear end feels much tighter and predictible

[benl1981]

Thanks Greg. 4kg isn't muh though. I might make one up if I can be bothered...

[Sydneykid]

Thanks Greg - you only lose 2kg????

Somebody was saying 20kg??  How much does the standard bar + electric motor weigh.  Maybe it isn't worth doing for weight saving.  Maybe for handling though..

The R32's loose 20 kgs as their HICAS system is full hydrualic with heavy stainless steel solenoids and hoses and much larger hydraulic rear steering rack.

cheers

[benl1981]

Right. So on the R33 the best you can hope for is about 5kg?

[Sydneykid]

Right.  So on the R33 the best you can hope for is about 5kg?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We have one of GTRGeoff's HICAS replacement bars for the project R33GTST. I hope to have timt to fit it this week. I will weigh what we take off and post it up.

cheers

[JCMarshall_Law]

I removed mine with one of GTRGeoffs lock bars, my guess is you save about 3-5kg but thats not what I did it for. The car is far more stable in high speed corners and seems far more stable under heavy braking (tested that on Tuesday at QLD raceway). Worthwile mod.

I have had no problems with low speed power steering getting heavy.

[benl1981]

Thanks guys.

SK - If you could do that that would be great!

JC Marshall - did you keep the HICAS computer etc in the boot?

[JCMarshall_Law]

Thanks guys.

SK - If you could do that that would be great!

JC Marshall - did you keep the HICAS computer etc in the boot?

Yep, I just removed the HICAS fuse in the boot fuse box.

[Anquetil]

HICAS unit felt about 6kg to me (-6) Geoff's Lock Bar (+2), so about a 4kg weight saving guesstimate