GMTGTR's R32 GTR overhaul

[GMTGTR]

Onto goal 2, Overhaul entire suspension (maintenance and upgrades):

1. Coilovers: Still TBD, probably between 5 options 
   1. MCA Comfort 8f/3r (~3200AUD/$2050 with all fees)
      1. No stateside support. All warranty must be sent back.
         1. Only warranty(3 years) for visual defects
         2. Shipping is roughly 390AUD AUS to US. I assume US to AUS is similar.
   2. Fortune Auto 500 valved to 8f/6r (~3500AUD/$2250 with all fees)
      1. 5 year warranty. Based in US so logistically better.
   3. Ohlins DFV valved to 8f/6r (~3500AUD/$2250 with all fees)
      1. 2 year warranty. There's several shops within an hour of me that service Ohlins.
   4. HKS Hipermax S (~2650AUD/$1700 with all fees)
      1. The cheap option. Stop gap if budget gets tight.
      2. Easiest part to replace down the road (vs a clutch, injectors/retune, etc.)
   5. HKS Hipermax G (~1850AUD/$1200 with all fees)
      1. If I really run out of money.
      2. Same as option 4, but cheaper.
2. Sway bar/Anti Roll Bar/Stabilizer and End Links: I'll likely replace the Cusco bars since they have very large rears (~30mm) which is overkill for street use. Will probably go with the Whiteline kit.
3. Front and Rear suspension arms/links/etc. (upgrade and refresh):
   1. Front Upper Link: Ikeya/SPL/Nismo. I'll do more research on each brand. Ikeya and SPL come up as the better quality that I've seen.
   2. Tension Rods: Same as above.
   3. Tie Rod Ends: Same
   4. Roll Center Adjuster: Same
   5. Rear Knuckle Bushings: Same
   6. Rear Upper Camber Arm: Same
   7. Rear Lower Arm: Same
   8. Rear Traction Rods: Same
   9. Hicas Delete: Likely SPL
4. Inner Ball Joint: Nissan OEM (40160N)
5. Lower Ball Joint: Nissan OEM (40160P)
6. Engine/Transmission Mounts: Nismo
7. Rear Differential Mounts: Whiteline (or another non-solid bushing variant)
8. Subframe Bushings: Whiteline (or another non-solid bushing variant)

I think that covers the suspension components for the most part. There's a lot of overlap between Goal 3 and this.

Edited September 25, 2023 by GMTGTR

[GMTGTR]

45 minutes ago, Duncan said:

To be fair, the answers aren't exactly contradictory, you can make over 300kw with a full standard intake (I do, on the race car at high boost), but it could be causing some restriction. High boost (18psi on N1 turbos, >300kw) needed a swap from factory to 550cc injectors, low boost 250kw I just got there on stock injectors 440cc

In your case, I would keep the factory intake as living in the state of california is known to cause cancer and you probably don't need the attention

Very true and completely agree. Based on California, I'll probably lean to stock airbox unless I'm losing a significant amount of spool or top end (very unlikely at these levels).

Whoever sells the Prop 65 warning signs is a low-key billionaire. 

[GTSBoy]

10 minutes ago, GMTGTR said:

Onto goal 2, Overhaul entire suspension (maintenance and upgrades):

1. Coilovers: Still TBD, probably between 5 options 
   1. MCA Comfort 8f/3r (~3200AUD/$2050 with all fees)
      1. No stateside support. All warranty must be sent back.
         1. Only warranty(3 years) for visual defects
         2. Shipping is roughly 390AUD AUS to US. I assume US to AUS is similar.
   2. Fortune Auto 500 valved to 8f/6r (~3500AUD/$2250 with all fees)
      1. 5 year warranty. Based in US so logistically better.
   3. Ohlins DFV valved to 8f/6r (~3500AUD/$2250 with all fees)
      1. 2 year warranty. There's several shops within an hour of me that service Ohlins.
   4. HKS Hipermax S (~2650AUD/$1700 with all fees)
      1. The cheap option. Stop gap if budget gets tight.
      2. Easiest part to replace down the road (vs a clutch, injectors/retune, etc.)
   5. HKS Hipermax G (~1850AUD/$1200 with all fees)
      1. If I really run out of money.
      2. Same as option 4, but cheaper.
2. Sway bar/Anti Roll Bar/Stabilizer and End Links: I'll likely replace the Cusco bars since they have very large rears (~30mm) which is overkill for street use. Will probably go with the Whiteline kit.
3. Front and Rear suspension arms/links/etc. (upgrade and refresh):
   1. Front Upper Link: Ikeya/SPL/Nismo. I'll do more research on each brand. Ikeya and SPL come up as the better quality that I've seen.
   2. Tension Rods: Same as above.
   3. Tie Rod Ends: Same
   4. Roll Center Adjuster: Same
   5. Rear Knuckle Bushings: Same
   6. Rear Upper Camber Arm: Same
   7. Rear Lower Arm: Same
   8. Rear Traction Rods: Same
   9. Hicas Delete: Likely SPL
4. Inner Ball Joint: Nissan OEM (40160N)
5. Lower Ball Joint: Nissan OEM (40160P)
6. Engine/Transmission Mounts: Nismo
7. Rear Differential Mounts: Whiteline (or another non-solid bushing variant)
8. Subframe Bushings: Whiteline (or another non-solid bushing variant)

I think that covers the suspension components for the most part. There's a lot of overlap between Goal 3 and this.

My thoughts:

1. Consider KW also. Top notch Euro suspension with USA presence.
2. Whiteline for sure. 2 or 3 way adjustable at each end gives you ability to tweak under/oversteer behaviour.
3. Suspension bits.
   1. FUCAs: None of those are any bloody good. Rigid FUCAS on R32s just suck. I use and recommend the GKTech ones. They.....kindaa require regular rebuilds though. Every couple of years. But that's on my daily doing 10000km/yr. If yours is a weekender, they ill last far longer.
   2. Tension rods. Anything will do, so long as they have spherical joints. I have Tein, just 'coz. But would use anything that's not 3rd shift 6th factory yum-cha manufacture. GKTech do these also.
   3. -
   4. -
   5. There are points to be made about these in the arms points.
   6. I use and recommend Hardrace (which are a decent quality yumcha brand) with harder rubber bushes. If I were happy to use spericals here, I'd use GKTech here too.
   7. I'm thinking that I am going to need to use the GKTechs with sphericals here too, because I want to install GKTech's front lower pickup relocation to reduce Nissan's shitty anti-squat geometry. And....you cannot use that without spherical joints on the lower arm, because it twists the front of the arm down and that's not good for the rear bush.
   8. Same as 6. Do a search on here for the many many words I have already written on getting the adjustment of these right to prevent adding shit tons of bump steer to your car.
   9. Any good delete will do.

cheers

[GMTGTR]

31 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

My thoughts:

1. Consider KW also. Top notch Euro suspension with USA presence.
2. Whiteline for sure. 2 or 3 way adjustable at each end gives you ability to tweak under/oversteer behaviour.
3. Suspension bits.
   1. FUCAs: None of those are any bloody good. Rigid FUCAS on R32s just suck. I use and recommend the GKTech ones. They.....kindaa require regular rebuilds though. Every couple of years. But that's on my daily doing 10000km/yr. If yours is a weekender, they ill last far longer.
   2. Tension rods. Anything will do, so long as they have spherical joints. I have Tein, just 'coz. But would use anything that's not 3rd shift 6th factory yum-cha manufacture. GKTech do these also.
   3. -
   4. -
   5. There are points to be made about these in the arms points.
   6. I use and recommend Hardrace (which are a decent quality yumcha brand) with harder rubber bushes. If I were happy to use spericals here, I'd use GKTech here too.
   7. I'm thinking that I am going to need to use the GKTechs with sphericals here too, because I want to install GKTech's front lower pickup relocation to reduce Nissan's shitty anti-squat geometry. And....you cannot use that without spherical joints on the lower arm, because it twists the front of the arm down and that's not good for the rear bush.
   8. Same as 6. Do a search on here for the many many words I have already written on getting the adjustment of these right to prevent adding shit tons of bump steer to your car.
   9. Any good delete will do.

cheers

Appreciate it GTSBoy. Sounds like the suspension bits might be a mix of a few different brands. I'm trying to keep the subframe, diff, engine, and transmission bushings softer while running spherical/solid on the arms/rods/knuckles if possible. Ideally striking a balance for a street car.

 

Would SydneyKid's explanation of rear subframe adjustments be a simpler solution to the squat adjustment? I'm far some suspension competent, so a lot of his posts have been informative for me.

 

[GTSBoy]

What you can achieve with pineapple rings is about 2/5ths of f**k all. I've had them in in all orientations and couldn't tell much difference.

[lidz]

8 hours ago, GMTGTR said:

Front and Rear suspension arms/links/etc. (upgrade and refresh):

1. Front Upper Link: Ikeya/SPL/Nismo. I'll do more research on each brand. Ikeya and SPL come up as the better quality that I've seen.

 

Would probably only consider Nismo of those 3 options (& they're just a stock arm with different bushes), SPL don't make FUCA's for the R32/Z32 platform either.
Like GTSBoy I run the GKTech arms too on my Z32 (z32 & r32 suspension is all inter-changeable), would also really recommend the pivoting arms sold by RGS Performance.

All my other suspension arms are SPL, really nice stuff & would definitely recommend them.

[GMTGTR]

4 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

What you can achieve with pineapple rings is about 2/5ths of f**k all. I've had them in in all orientations and couldn't tell much difference.

LOL fair enough. I may use the GkTech poly subframe bushings and throw in the spacer at best. I'm definitely well below the use case you're looking for.

12 minutes ago, lidz said:

Would probably only consider Nismo of those 3 options (& they're just a stock arm with different bushes), SPL don't make FUCA's for the R32/Z32 platform either.
Like GTSBoy I run the GKTech arms too on my Z32 (z32 & r32 suspension is all inter-changeable), would also really recommend the pivoting arms sold by RGS Performance.

All my other suspension arms are SPL, really nice stuff & would definitely recommend them.

Man I miss driving my old Z32, but I surely don't miss working on it.

All the reports I've seen of the FUCA seem to be lackluster. I may just press new bushings into the current ones or get the Nismos. Not really upgrades in my eyes, but cheap replacements at best. I've heard of the GKTech ones not lasting very long on a few accounts already, but I think they were hard use cars. 

If I don't get heavy endorsement for another brand, I'll probably be doing with SPL for the other suspension parts except ones they don't make, such as rear lower arms.

[GMTGTR]

Ok, here's the last portion of the overhaul, the modernization and maintenance section. Not sexy, but probably the most necessary:

1. Brake System
   1. Replace Pads: Ordered Project Mu Type PS front and rear
      1. Testing RHDJapan service, shipping, and leadtimes
   2. Replace Rotors: Project MU SCR Pro fronts and SCR Pure Plus 6
   3. Rebuild Calipers (R32 V-Spec Fronts and R32 GTR Non-Spec V Rears)
   4. Inspect brake lines and fittings
      1. Bleed brakes and refill with RBF600 (or other recommendation)
2. HICAS system
   1. Install SPL HICAS delete
   2. Remove as much HICAS parts as possible with engine in
   3. Will be following the below post unless there's other recommendationshttps://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/453561-a-complete-guide-to-removing-the-r32-hicas-system-inc-looping-hydraulic-lines/
3. ATTESA system maintenance
   1. System works without issues currently, but is it worth it to preemptively replace or keep a spare of common failure components?
      1. Torque Split Accumulator (41630-20u00)
      2. Transfer Control Actuator (30570-05u0a)
      3. ETS Actuator Relay (25224F)
      4. ETS Motor Relay (25224FA)
      5. ETS Attesa Pro Controller (for g sensor/ecu replacement)
      6. Any way to rebuild the Pump?
   2. Bleed system
4. Fuel system
   1. Aside from the fueling upgrades, mostly just an inspect of rubber condition and fittings. If deteriorating (unlikely), will replace.
   2. Inspect fuel tank fittings/lines when replacing fuel pump
5. Cooling
   1. Replace radiator/radiator hoses
   2. Replace water bypass and heat hoses (or at least what I can access)
   3. Inspect and potentially replate or replace heater return pipe (14053-05u15)
   4. Coolant flush
6. AAC/IAC System
   1. Replace AAC/IAC hoses. Will research for the most convenient way to do this. I have a cold start issue that likely involves this area. https://tfaspeed.com/products/nissan-skyline-r32-gtr-secondary-air-system-aac-iac-hose-kit-under-intake-manifold
   2. Clean/rebuild AAC. Damn these things are pricey, will buy a new one if original is toast. Will do more research here.
7. Turbos and related hoses/piping (water/oil): Inspect for leaks
8. Power Steering: Inspect leak in PS system near passenger side. Flush if needed.
9. Transmission: Fluid Flush, maybe rebuild. Replace rear main seal.
10. Engine components:
    1. Compression check
    2. Replace Spark Plugs
    3. Replace Coilpacks
    4. Inspect timing components
    5. Inspect accessory components
    6. Inspect cams/replace valve cover gaskets
11. Rear Diff: Flush fluid.

That sums up my hit list. I'll do more research on everything over the next few weeks to consolidate a parts list and action plan. Thanks for the read and any feedback. It'll pretty much be scope management and task building until car is in pieces.

[GMTGTR]

On 9/24/2023 at 11:38 PM, GTSBoy said:

Consider KW also. Top notch Euro suspension with USA presence.

Sorry GTSBoy, I forgot to respond to this. As far as I'm aware, KW doesn't make any coilovers for the R32 GTR right now. They did make some KW Clubsport models which went on Nismo cars and other press cars to my knowledge, but I've never seen them commercially available. Between KW and Ohlins, I might still give the nod to Ohlins. Probably my frontrunner if budget doesn't impact that area due to post-purchase support/turnarounds.