How to drive with Attessa ???

[Dominic]

Guys after having the R33 GTR for 6 weeks, I still dont know the process of driving (circuit racing) with the attessa.

As I go into a corner the car seems to slide more than I expect. The traditional 4WD method is to then put the boot in and the car straightens up.

This doesnt work on the GTR. The car seems to overcorrect causing a loss of a few seconds, especially on a hairpin (eg turn 2 Eastern CreeK)

Any Ideas??

Also whats the button below the dash above my left knee. (it doesnt seem to do anything)

[hippy]

turn it off??

[Dominic]

How do I turn Off?

[Pva_Glue]

you can make up a switch for them... on off button by auto-electriction...

I am sure someone has wiring diagram... care to put them up?

I dotn know how easy or hard it is for R33 GTR...

cheers

Joe

[Morgs]

You need a controller for the R33 GTR, HKS etc. Its not as easy as pulling a fuse as the R32 GTR.

[DriftR]

advanced driving course

[blind_elk]

Is the slide "understeer" or "oversteer"?

[Mick Trainer]

OK let me start by saying that no one in their right mind would be looking to turn Attessa off if they are looking for good times around a race track. The Attessa AWD system will allow any decent driver to pull huge chunks of time out of their lap times.

I think this is a very good question and discussion point however due to the number variables in it is a hard question too answer. The attessa system as we all know is an electronicly controlled "variable" all wheel drive system that allows more drive to be placed too the front wheels as the system desifers that it is required. This system then will tranfer through a "tranfer case" power to the front wheels. It is in the variable system and tranfer case that things get tricky.

As we all know what signals to the attessa system that power is required is the 2 Longnatudinal and 1 latitudingal scensors situated under the centre consol. These scensors measure the amount of G-forces in all directions and will alter the drive to the front wheels under various conditions generally through measuring the angels that the car is at. So for this system to work correctly suspension componants must be in very good working condition so as not to exagerate the level of force being exude on the car and thus altering what levels of power tranfer must be given to the front wheels.

The other aspect that can further complicate things is the transfer case. In the early 32 many people found that the car had excessive oversteer due to the tranfer case not transfering power fast enough. Nissan tried to adress this in the v-spec and 33 series by altering this. This can lead to very different handling characteristics from car to car. Further to this I have found that alteration to the tranfer case is a very positive modification as taking out non-drive plates makes the system hook up much faster making the cars ability to accelerate out of corners simply incredible. This is for me the way Nissan probably wanted the system to be so that the Race teams could easily modify the car to drastically improve it's handling.

So when adressing how to drive with the Attessa system it depends a lot on the car, it's suspension, and what the car is doing now. When I first got my GTR it had very poor suspension which made the charateristics seem as though they were one way. Then I replaced the shockes to Koni Adjustibles and that made the car alter again and gave me the ability to alter it through the shock adjustment. The further aquisition of King Springs has further changed the car again to what I consider and extremely impressive handling car that is very neutral in handling with fantastic braking potential and extremely impressive hook up when coming out of a corner which is extrmely easy to control and set up for correct lines etc.

To help this discussion along I will talk about all different characteristics that the car went through.

Like I said when I got the car it had very worn suspension both springs and shockes. It had little if any rebound and bump ability and would rock and roll a lot. This made the car quite understeery as the back would drop as soon as the car was under any real acceleration causing the rear to grip but of course the attessa system would push heaps of power to the front wheels which where of course almost in the air and had no real weight upon them. This would cause the car to simply push through the corner creating more understeer. To further exagerate this would be the fact that if you truned into a corner with still under brakes the suspension was having so much trouble just with the braking force that it simply could not handle the lateral force that came with the side ways thrust from the front wheels so it would understeer in and understeer out. This is much more like the characteristics of a wrx than I thought the GTR would be.

So clearly the shocks had to go (as the car sat at the correct heights I though that the springs where OK). So I put Konis on the car. This enabled me to dial out the understeer under braking to an extent and allowed me to adjust the suspension to alter the characteristics of the car. As I prefer a tail car to and understeery one I set the car up like this. To get this I would run 1/4 to 1/2 a turn more pressure on the front shocks. This would leave the rear softer but not massivly and thus would allow the car to step out under strong acceleration which the attessa would correct to a large extent but I would have to correct through throttle control (backing off) and correctiove steering (opposite lock). However here there is a big difference with the attessa as due to it putting power to the front wheels the level of throttle and steering correction were vastly less than would have been in a 2wd car. In most cases it would simply be a very small adjustment than would bring the car back into alignment and straighten the chassis. The car would still be rocking around a fair bit but overall the car was more neutral and driveable.

From here I really was still not 100% happy and always thought that the car could of handled better. To this end I fitted the car with King Springs (they make up a modded pack for the GTR"s) which drops the front a long way and changes the ratio between front a rear spring rates to make the car softer in the rear (as well as increasing overal spring rates by about 32% from memory). This casued a massive change in the handling characteristcs of the car. As the front is held down better due to it's lower set up and higher spring weight the car brakes extremely well and extremely flat thus allowing better turn in. More weight on the front as the wheels turn in makes this even more pronounced. The turn in speed that the car has has risen massively. The softer rear (proportionately anyway) allows it to bite harder andthus reduce oversteer. However the biggest difference I think is in the attessa as it now works pretty much as it should. It really does deliver the correct power to the fron wheels as it is needed causing the car almost zero understeer ability on exiting the corner. The car is incredible neutral upon entry and exit of corner and has massive grip levels. In many tight corners where I drive the car is a full gear up on where it was when I first got it.

So how do I drive it? Basically now that it is handling correctly I think that getting it through the corner and out of it fast is all in the set up (corner set up not car). Clearly with a Turbo car you want the car to be on boost early so that power is delivered fast without lag, so getting on the power early is important and the turbos spooling before you really are exiting the corner so left foot braking can be a bonus. Ok coming to a tight corner from high speed I will leave the braking very late and come in hard (well jeez theres a big shock) and I am happy if I am carrying ina little bit of brake when I am entering the corner just to make sure the weight balance is hard over the front wheels. Clearly I dont was to much brake but if I am backing off the peddle for the first 1/2 a second after the first reall step of turn in that is about right. From here I try to point the car juts outside where I have judge the apex to be which will usually be a late apex. I now start to get onto the power to go through the middle part of the corner. However I usually will increase throttle more sharply than would be normal. I do this for 2 reasons. Firstly to get the car up on boost (revs are so not really a problem) but also to start the rear moving around just slightly towards the outside of the corner which will bring the nose tighter into the corner. Dont get me wrong the ass is not hanging right out, just slight sideways movement. This should now put the car onto the true line I have chosen. I will hold this charateristic through the total mis corner sqeezing on more as we go right up until just before true coner exit where I just try to settle it a little. Once I am looking at the exit I really start to squeeze it on. At this point the car will start to step out and our instinct and years of driving rwd cars tells us to get off the loud peddle and start to bring on the opposite lock but we must resist that urge as the attessa has started to drive power to the front wheels and backing off or correcting to far will make the attessa reverse this or the car get very ugly and want the turn hard to the outside of the corner. Instead hold throttle (unless of course you have way to much on) and only staightne the wheel slightly (maybe 1/4 of a turn) the car should very quickly start to correct itself and drive very strong and straight out of the corner.

In the end the GTR is and extrmely good hanlding car but you do need to learn how to drive it. On off throttle techniques do not work, nor does just turn in, wait to see exit and hit it (if you like that get a WRX). The GTR is a drivers car for someone who wants to play around to get 10/10ths out of it and it will reward such a driver.

So in short check the car's suspension out it may not be the best. Dont run huge spring rates it really males a mess of things. Be smooth with it and dont jump off it to quickly, and really set your line right from the start.

Sorry if this is too long but I used to teach this stuff I belive driving to be a science. Hope that this helps.

Mick.

[Dominic]

A very interesting and sensible reply.

Thank you.

Advice like this makes this list worthwhile.

Come and see me at the GP rally next year. (I usually come at the bottom of the pack) LOL

[d0p3y]

Hi Dominic, ATTESSA Is really sensitive and does not like homosexual drivers. Perhaps this is why it does not like you. Also it could be because your cousin bought your car smashed at auction and did a cut and shut job.

[Mick Trainer]

Do u really enter in the GP rally? If so Iwill be at the GP as I always am.

[Dominic]

Yes Mick, I did it last two years in my STi. Next week I do the Dutton Rally. I love motorsport and compete in 6-8 events a year. Next year I hope to do the Rally of Tasmania as well. There are some photos of last years event on http://groups.msn.com/investorsunited/pstr....msnw?Page=Last

no the blonde hooker is not my wife.

[Mick Trainer]

No wonder you can't get the hang of it. The handling characteristics of a WRX/STI are so different from a GTR they are uncomparable. The understeer characterists of the WRX is removed for the oversteer of the gtr. The turn in speed shold be far higher than the wrx but you dont have the look and hit it mentality of the WRX. Your mid corner speed shold be much higher in the GTR but you need less enthusism when coming out.

If you are doing serious MP then you really should look at modifying the Tranfer Case it will give you so much more pull out of the corners, far more like a WRX but with the entry and mid corner advantage that the attessa brings. It will cost you around a $1000 but wellworth it. I was in a 33 with 350wrkw that had it done and it could come out of a tight second gear corner with the foot planted hard without even the slightest wheel spin. It made the car so chuckable. It really was a massive difference.

Mick.

P.S. I used to have a WRX and had the same transition problems.

[SLY33]

QUOTE "Micks really long post"

holy crap Mick Trainer! thats probably the longest post ive ever seen!!!!

[Mick Trainer]

U should see my animal behavior posts on other forums. Make this look small.

Mick.

[Duncan]

Mick, excellent post, thanks.

[red900ss]

Great stuff Mick thanks. :uh-huh:

[ryan], crawl back under your rock.

[Silver-Arrowz]

Originally posted by Mick Trainer

P.S. I used to have a WRX and had the same transition problems.

You guys are not alone!

Where did you get the transfer case modded at?

[Mick Trainer]

I have not had it done yet myself. It is on the list. I simply went for a ride in one with it done and the difference was massive. Ben at Race Pace in Bayswater does it. If you are serious about handling then for me it is a must, increases the speed of the tranfer case heaps making the car very flattering to drive.

Mick.

[R32 Combat]

Some more help.

http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/upload/showthre...ead.php?t=19533