Gtr 4wd Torque Split Controller

[MountainRunner]

Hi Ed, Thanks for the review of my unit. Its great to get all the positive feedback from everyone who has bought one !!

When you start getting more into the setup and wanting different strategies for different track sections, don't forget the toggle switch that lets you flick between two complete setups. Mine is mounted in the centre console so I can find it without needing to take my attention off the road.

I am currently putting together another 3 of these units if anyone is after one. Just send me a PM.

Paul

[GTR 400]

Hi Paul,

Very interested to know if i can purchase a controller unit from you please.

Cheers,

Dave GTR400

[MountainRunner]

Hi Dave, thanks for the PM and email.

I have 5 in stock at the moment. I have also put togther a web page on my track day web site with some info etc

4WD Controller Info

[a20089]

Well I just ordered one. I'll provide a report for road useage end of next month. Track usage will have to wait for awhile.

[MountainRunner]

Keep us posted on how you go. Any questions please PM them to me.

We fitted a controller to a wild R33 GTR on the weekend. Can't wait to see that at the track on Nov 27.

[a20089]

Just installed the unit and it transforms the car for the better. I've still got a few little things to wire up but the unit works great.

This should have been standard fitment on the GTR.

[MountainRunner]

Thanks for the great feedback a20089. Keep us posted on your progress.

Don't forget if you want to datalog to your laptop the Software is on the CD in the box.

Paul

[a20089]

Where should I start with a review of this unit? I'll be brutally honest as is my way. Installation in an R33 GTR.

Packing: Received neatly packaged in a postpack. The sealed bag for the unit looked great except when turned over and it showed the "glad bag" logo. The CD was hand written and the wiring diagram was also hand drawn. I thought, OK it's a well presented but certainly back yard job.

Contents: The main unit is well put together and neat. The little switch supplied in my opinion is too small for usage when the car's going full throttle so I purchased another larger one. The 9 pin connector surrounds were made for male connectors or the supplied screws were not long enough to use, so did not allow for a screw in connection between the 9 pin connectors. A bit of tape was used to over come this.

Installation: Fairly painless, I used a mate that was a mechanic and owned a GTR as well. The wiring diagram left one connection a bit up in the air but using a voltage meter we found the correct connection. The wire colour in the instructions is correct up to a point but after a certain point the wire colours change. Nothing too painful to overcome.

Unit use: A breeze, After reading the unit manual I was worried I'd need to program the unit. Not at all, just press up or down instant and automatic save. I started on map 2 with 65 gain to test the unit and felt a dramatic change. After a few small roundabouts I lowered this to 55 gain and now with more confidence I have lowered this to 40 gain. That provides great grip for small roundabouts and sharp corners where there isn't the room to slide the car around. This is my main setting. I have also been playing with map 4 30 gain for the second setting, which allows for bigger corners without the understeer the map 2 creates. No track work yet, but from road tests, the faster the corner the less gain you need. Wet weather, max gain on map 2 really helps around town.

Best features: This unit allows you to set up the car to your likings, if you drive on a lot of small roads and don't get the opportunity to go fast, in general the higher the gain setting the better. If you enter fast and wait to plant your foot, or enter slow and power all the way out you can set the unit accordingly. The ability to switch between two map settings on the fly is very useful.

What more could you want?: Having used the two settings for small corners and medium corners, I could do with another one for big sweepers. But then I'd probably want yet another one after that and I'd never be able to flick the switch to the right location in the heat of race. At 256 setting options there's plenty of choice. Also seeing the unit change the signal from the G Sensor, why not allow the other longitudinally sensor be changed? Giving full control over the car.

Summary

Apart from the careful packaged but back yard look to the packaging and a couple of very minor items there's nothing to fault the unit on. It does what it says it does and is very easy to use. (data logging option not used). Other unit are for R32 GTR's only but this one works safely with all of them. I stand by my comment that this should have been standard fitment to the GTR.

I'll post some pics sometime of my install.

Why is this not being actively sold in the forums here? The slightly cheaper unit seems to sell like hotcakes but it's far less of a unit that this.

[Duncan]

a20089 unfortunately when Mountainrunner first posted these up it they were selling them directly which is not allowed unless they pay to become a trader.

The units I used to be able to get (I assume thats the ones you are talking about) were being made and sold seperately, I just obtained a group buy price for SAU members. I'm sure someone could organise the same for Mountainrunner - and I understand they are making some really good gtr logging tools now too.

This unit really looks the goods (and the price reflects the extra cost and functionality compared to other local units), I think its a great buy. The ebay $200 ones on the other hand look like overpriced junk to me ($20 worth of parts being sold for $200....)

[wrxkilla]

ive a new r32 gtr with front and rear cusco lsd's. i assume this unit still works as its the centre diff that is doing the work here?

[Lunatikk]

Yep, certainly will

[MountainRunner]

Hi a20089, thanks for the totally honest review. I'm glad you love the functionality of the unit. I have a mix of R32 GTR and R33 GTR customers and they give similar reports. Its great to see you have explored the ins-and-outs of the different maps offered.

The reason it doesn't do longitudinal is it wasn't felt to be necessary for improved cornering and the unit was built for circuit racing. For drag racing we have been talking about building a dedicated unit that has a different approach and also using front / rear wheel speed sensors etc.

If you could PM me the details of the toggle switch you prefer and the wire that was a bit ambiguous that would be good. I like getting feedback.

As far as selling them on the forum goes, I started building the unit for myself, showed a few mates what I was doing and they also wanted one. Then I showed some guys at a SAU dinner ages ago and these threads in the QLD section started. And as Duncan said, I put a post in the Technical section and it got closed because I was not a trader. I wasn't really sure at what point I crossed over from being a forum member who built something for the GTR community to a trader.

I understand that the forum has an underlying business model and I respect that. But as I only sell a few of these units now and again, I didn't feel like paying for advertising. I must admit I did not persue pricing options etc. I'm a senior design engineer so my marketing skills are not that great. I enjoy building electronics for racing, so I have been working on my new projects with a few race guys.

I had a chat to the local QLD exec and they are happy for me to post my developments and ideas for discussion on the members forum (www.sauqld.com) so thats where I now post stuff about my new USB Race Logger, Engine Monitor, 4WD Controller (and some new stuff I have not disclosed yet )

If someone like Lunatikk can organise a buy option from me and thus be one step removed, and that is cool with the forum then I am happy to help out. If you really think I should become a trader then please PM me some information.

Thanks guys.

Paul

[a20089]

HI Paul,

What better than to show everyone the unit installed.

Note the unit was installed straight but has subsequently moved (will fix later)

The bling of the LED clearly showed which setting the switch was on, no real need for it. As you can see it's a far bigger switch than stock.

I guess the unit was too good for a forum member. I'd organise a group buy when you get the drag version done and do both :-). I've never had a problem with the GTR's front to rear traction, it just would have been nice to have the control.

[TuneR32]

Hey all,

What seems to have been missed in the reviews of this unit is the versatility it lends to the car. I have had mine in my R32 GTR for about a year, and couldnt imagine being without it. I am going for the q-car look, and it fits neatly over the digital clock under the passenger side of the steering column. Doesnt get in the way of fast pedal usage, easy to reach to change for corners.

I use my car as a daily driver and as a track car. The driveline is standard, no upgraded diffs. Still has the HICAS bar in the rear.

The beauty of the unit is if you have a wet day, just crank up the front drive and you have a car with full time 4wd that keeps perfect cornering angle in the slippery stuff. The atessa unit does most of the tricky calculations and the 4wd controller tweaks it to the drivers needs. In the wet on Qld raceway it was miles faster through the corners, and you've got to love 4 wheel drift. Similarly in the dry its easy to set it up to make the most of all the traction available, and it significantly improved my lap times.

Similarly as a daily driver it creates predictability and pace over the standard car. I agree with the other posters that the GTR should have been equipped with it as standard.

The reason I chose this unit over some of the cheaper ones is that it has a dynamic relationship with the atessa unit, rather than just overriding it. The price difference is negligible compared with the advantage of a unit that can turn the car into whatever drivetrain setup you want.

If you have a GTR, then you have to have one of these. The old technology of atessa mark 1 can be instantly converted to something far superior to most of the modern dynamic 4wd drive.

[MountainRunner]

I have finally put together another batch of controllers. 5 in stock if your is interested.

New price $499.00 as I have found some better component and PCB suppliers.

[freemel]

Hello everybody! My name is Ilya, I'm from Russia. I have a question about MANUAL torque controller. My team has 2 drag GT-R's, now we are getting ready for championship of Russia. SO we decided to buy Manual Torque Controller and we did it. We even already installed it, but we have a problem - we do not know for clear how much pressure we need to pump in this system so we have killed 2 pairs of front axles already )) We bought this system from Dee (thailand) who used this system with no prob, but now he is in buisness trip and we have no opportunuty to contact him. Maybe you can advice us something acording to this system?

[MountainRunner]

Hi Ilya, I am not sure of the pressures at this stage. It was not necessary to know them to build the Circuit Racing Controller.

I do have a Drag Controller in the pipeline and we will be investigating the system fully for this project. Although I still have a few other projects to finish before this one. We are hoping to get into it in the next few months.

Good luck with the series.

Paul

[Marko R1]

looks like a nice unit u have here - so is it possible to run 100% rwd as i'd like to use this for drag racing?

i also like the fact that it can be tuned for the circuit

regards,

marko

[MountainRunner]

Thanks. It has done well so far with great results.

The unit is all about Circuit Racing. The new one we have been planning is going to be a no compromise drag controller. I will be starting it once the RaceLogger and Engine Monitor Pro II are finished. This will hopefully be soon as I have my assembler currently building the first batch. Then beta testing and we are good to go

[nigs]

Curious, does this unit solve or help solve the issue of the early versions of ATTESA being a bit slow to engage.

I find sometimes I get on the power early in a lowish speed corner, when exiting I lose traction

Doing a few hill climbs and comming out in 2nd gear, I put the power down and the rears just spin up. Exit so slow T_T