Savage42

When you decide you need even better braking, get a real pair of brake pads and it'll make a huge improvement over those pads!! Brakes are your friend! (especially when we make the cars go really fast!)

John, that is too funny! I know those "gear head racer" types! Thanks for the referral. I'll see what he can do.

I know there are a few fabricators on here, so I'm wondering who can make up a few braces for me. I have the specs done up in a PDF file and I also have an IGES file, if that makes it any easier. I figured I'd rather help a Hybridz member make a few bucks than "some machine shop". PM me if you can or know of a Z friendly place that can. Thanks! -Gary

There a quite a few on my page here: http://www.myspace.com/gsavage

I hear ya! BRAAP will probably just bolt one onto his tractor and one onto his lawnmower, so at least they'll get used!

......and 5 days after your "first dibs" post? SHEEZ! Some people!

On a stock setup, shims or washers are used to adjust caster. That being the case, you'd have to shim the driver's side to move it forward to match passenger side, as you'd have to turn down the TC rod itself to move it back. More caster isn't necessarily a bad thing, anyway. If you opt for an adjustable control arm/TC rod setup, you have a ton of adjustment on tap.

You have to remember that a "lightened flywheel" and an aluminum or lightweight flywheel are not the same thing. I ran a 10 lbs aluminum flywheel (Tilton) in my 510 for a decade and ran that thing to 7000 rpm all the time and never had a problem. Very low risk of an aluminum flywheel coming apart. It's guys who cut a 22 lbs steel flywheel down to 12 lbs in a lathe that are scary. Once again, there are right and wrong ways of doing that. Only a skilled person should lighten a flywheel, know where to take out material and then have it balanced. I've had friends running 12 lbs lightened steel (stock) flywheels and revving their L18s to 8500 rpm without any issues. So, I'm a big fan of aluminum flywheels, but thin stock ones are a bit scary to me, too!

It is a good thing to run it. It pulls air (pressure) from the crankcase during acceleration. If you don't run it, most vehicles will build up pressure and blow the oil dipstick off the tube and make the motor more prone to oil leaks past the seals and gaskets.

Precision Gear and Reider Racing are both owned by Tom Reider, same company with different divisions. They didn't have any R180 LSDs back when the whole group buy thing came together nearly a year ago and they didn't have them back then and were waiting on more. When I talked to them recently, they put me on the list for an R180 LSD, but they didn't think they'd get them again and took my info, just in case one popped up somewhere or there was a return. Didn't sound likely. So, I guess time will tell.

That is probably true, but I like the predictable nature of the pre-loaded clutch type, where it does the same thing pretty much all the time. That isn't always the case with the helical units. I've noticed that a light car with lots of power and on slicks has quite a time with inside wheelspin when trying to do a 180 degree turn around a spin cone. I drop the hammer and it's dirt track action.

Peak Performance Eugene, Oregon

I think I've seen a few of these cars when I visited "The Dream Garage" last year. http://www.datsun510.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=3338 Love that stuff!

You are right for the Z31, as the SS model was the only VLSD "bolt in" R200 unit. The local Nissan dealership sends ALL of the Z32s over to our shop to be worked on and they all have the VLSD. They have different ratios and different input flanges between the non-turbo and turbo / auto vs. manual.

I've been keeping an eye out for the last month and there aren't many 300ZX turbo diffs out there, but there is this one that didn't sell on Ebay. http://tinyurl.com/2fhdqd Then there is the KAAZ unit for $795 on Ebay. http://tinyurl.com/yq3xox I've heard to stay away from the OBX units! They are the cheap version of a Quaiffe. You might also check with these guys. http://www.optionimports.com/lsd.html

I have run both Simpson and Bell and like the comfort of the Bell. I know Pyrotec makes a good/inexpensive helmet. As mentioned, they all have to pass the Snell protection standards, but extra features, weight, etc is what you pay more money for. As for Earnhardt, he didn't have a HANS device and was one of the last to stick with an open face helmet and refuse to go full face. You are now required to use both in most (high speed) forms of racing.

I haven't heard much about KAAZ and the little I have heard wasn't all that good. Heck, it's better than nothing at all. I'm not a fan of viscous or helical limited slips, as they just aren't the best for autocross or track. I've seen several guys with Quaiffe LSDs that get incredible amounts of wheelspin on really tight corners, so I like the ability to set a breakaway torque setting on a clutch type unit. Type of unit is determined on what kind of driving (or racing) one is doing. After checking out the KAAZ site, I like how they recommend changing diff oil every 5000 miles and encourage using their oil (not synthetic). They also note: "A viscous type, torsen type and helical type are some of other designs used as OEM equipment or optional LSD unit. These designs are commonly used since they are less aggressive and easier to maintain than the clutch type racing LSD unit. In order to achieve the maximum traction control, most OEM performance divisions and aftermarket manufactures use the clutch type design for their LSD unit." Then you have the Nismo unit, http://www.optionimports.com/ni2waylsd892.html which has a can of GTR synthetic gear oil. Things that make you go "hmmmmm". I'm assuming that the 240SX ('88-94) is the only one that can be used. Is there going to be any issues with CV axles, spline count, etc? In any case, with the KAAZ and Cusco units being in the $900-1000 range, the $495 deal would have been sweet, had they kept building those units!

I guess I left out that option.

After making calls and doing checking for the last 2 weeks, it looks like there are no more clutch type LSDs out there. An earthquake in Japan took out the surplus and damaged tooling at the plant that produces them. Due to the cost and overall low demand for these units, they are saying that they most likely will not retool. I got some of this info from Reider Racing and also checked with the guys Nissan Motorsports. Nismo actually increased their order to an amount that would at least meet the minimum quantity needed to get more produced. The early R180 LSD has been NLA for some time and the later R180 LSDs were on a 4-8 week order (which meant coming from Japan, which means NLA). The R200 LSDs were said to be in stock and would take 3-5 days to get. They are out of stock and said the same thing: "We don't think we will be able to get them again". They also listed for $835, which I was willing to pay (less with the Z club discount), assuming I could even get one. I thought it would be good for everyone to know what is going on. So, it looks like you have to spend $1200-1500 for a Quaiffe (or other helical type), or hope to find an R230 or '87-89 300ZXT unit. Those who actually got your $495 group buy unit should consider yourselves very lucky! I told the guys at Nismo use their pull & do what they can to get them to reproduce them, as there is demand for them. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

You need to pull the dash and then you can remove the box that the Evap core & expansion valve sit in. I'm currently going through my A/C stuff, so I may retro fit something newer there for the Evap core, as everything else will be newer R134 stuff. I'm assuming that you already had a place evacuate your system? Make sure you have the system fully evacuated to get out all moisture before adding refridgerant and make sure to add oil and leak dye to the system.

I've love the Porterfields and have used them on both my 510s, my '97 Maxima SE, 2000 BMW 540i and my Z. The R4S pads are awesome for street, autocross and even track days. They work great when cold and don't need heat to make them work, like some other pads. They take a few days of driving to really bed in, but once they are, it's like adding power brakes!

I'm using the C5 Vette gauge cluster in my Z and didn't have any problems getting the wiring diagram for the car. If you can't track one down, let me know and I can probably find one and fax it to you.

Lingenfelter??