JMortensen

http://auto.joins.com/upboard/pds/pdst/BestMotoring_JDM_Supercar_Battle.asf This one is also huge. That S15 is winning some points with me. I never was all that impressed before... Jon

I mounted my AutoMeter 5" gauges by using a large hose clamp around the body of the gauge and attaching it to the existing bracket. I think I had to bend the bracket a little bit by hand, but it would sure beat silicone. Jon

Since you are in the area, the 76 off of Chesebro Rd used to have Trick 100 octane at the pump. If you're coming from the Valley, get off at Chesebro and cross the freeway, then take the right down the hill and the 76 is right next to the on/off ramp. Jon

http://auto.joins.com/upboard/pds/pdst/BestMotoring_350Z_tsukubaBattle.asf 50 megs... Skyline camera car, separate AE86 vs Skyline at the end on a rally course Jon

I wouldn't use my member to change a lightbulb

Helical cut gears are standard in production cars for noise reduction. Straight cut gears are easier to engage, but are noisy. So race trannies and motorcycles, and probably snowmobiles and ATVs often have straight cut gears because noise is not a factor. Anyone who has ridden motorcycles for awhile will tell you that you don't need the clutch to shift. Just slam the next gear. This is NOT good for the transmission, of course, but it helps to show that synchros are not necessary with straight cut gears, and it has saved my butt a few times back when I was riding dirt bikes. Slamming into the next gear is faster than waiting for the syncro to speed up the next gear cluster so that the helical gears will mesh. The price paid is double clutching on downshifts, or heel toeing, or as Nic does and I do too, just "heeling". Downshifts usually aren't going to make or break a race. Upshifts are. Jon

Jeromio, That's what I was thinking. I like this idea A LOT. I think I will do it too. Should be even easier than the threaded end on the control arm. I think that the compact turnbuckle that Mike Kelly suggests would be easy to make work with the RH and LH nut idea. Jon

No one has mentioned unsprung weight yet... Jon

Not sure I'm following Terry's idea fully, but if I have it right in my head it is a pretty good one. I don't understand how you would use a turnbuckle in addition to the slotted holes, unless you were to weld a RH and LH nut onto the left and right hand side of the link on the back of the link with the turnbuckle in between, and slot the right and left sides along the flat area along the bottom. Use a very small turnbuckle like the ones used in the Mike Kelly control arms??? I think that would work. Is that pretty much what you guys are saying??? Jon

3/16" toe in is really not that much. If memory serves, it's within factory spec. On the racing Porsches I used to set up, we ran as much as 3/8" total, but as I've said before, driving a 911 is like throwing a dart backwards, so anything that keeps the @ss end behind is a good thing. I can run on one set of slicks for an entire season of autox and about 3 track days. Jeromio's idea is interesting too, but you'd also have to space the turnbuckle away from the back of the diff. I'll have to have a closer look at that one... Jon

Welcome to the World of High Performance. Well, infinite adjustability would be nice. I'm trying not to reinvent the wheel here, but as vashonz stated earlier a turnbuckle in the back would be nice. Lots of cars have rear toe adjustment there with a turnbuckle, and a lot of the front drivers with that type of toe setting have a really spindly looking turnbuckle. Maybe I'll just stick to 5/8" rod ends, which with 18tpi would give a little finer adjustability. If anyone who has AZC arms could shed some light on this, I'd appreciate it. Not sure that I have the skill to mock them up well enough to insure the 3/16" total toe that I would like... hmmm............ Jon

Another thought occurs to me. Run rod end reducers on 3/4" rod ends and use a 5/8" through bolt. That would be easier. Wouldn't be able to bolt to the strut housing, but it would make swapping a strut housing less difficult if I were to bend one. Jon

Well thanks again Terry. I'm going to have to pull my spare control arms and rear struts out of the attic and get going on this sometime this winter. It definitely seems doable, from all accounts. I do like the idea of the 3/4" rod ends too. That would pretty much alleviate any of the concerns that I've heard with respect to the strength of the threaded portion of the end. Jon

Quick disconnect wheels aren't street legal, at least in CA. I had the same experience with wheel diameter though. I switched from a 14 to a 13, and love it despite the 9.5" slicks I run at autox. Leverage is worse, but it is easier to manage just due to smaller diameter. Jon

I've tried a bunch of different settings from 0 toe to 3/8" total toe in (yes really), but I turn the fastest times with that setting. I'm sure that there are more suspension tweaks to do, and this is just one more step in getting them all done. Thanks for the input. Jon

Maybe I phrased that wrong. Didn't a tranny with the same gear ratios, same steel synchros, and 2 piece driveshaft come in a roadster. I gave one just like that to a buddy of mine. Also gave him a second one with a one piece driveshaft and a 3.3:1 1st gear. He used the main shaft from the trans with the one piece driveshaft and put the closer gearset on it. It worked out pretty good. Or did I unwittingly give him a Nissan Comp tranny? Doesn't really matter anyhow, but I'm curious now... Jon

Isn't that really a roadster 5-speed? Jon

Sorry 240zprace, the "don't race for pinks" thing was a joke that apparently was taken seriously by a couple people. Jon

That's what I was thinking. I guess it's only illegal if you get caught, and they're not likely to check until you start winning big... Also I thought you could run triple sidedraft throttle bodies in BSP... Jon

Don't race for pinks... Jon

It would be pretty easy to spread the rod ends away from the strut. Just use spacers like you find in bump steer spacer kits from Coleman. Jon

OK, I did just have a glass of wine, but I didn't follow that at all 260DET. You got a picture or something??? Terry, I'm sure using a 3/4" rod end would eliminate the possibility of weak rod ends, but I don't think it would be easy to sleeve a 7/8 hole down to 3/4". That's a really thin sleeve, but it would be great if it could be done. I thought the holes were smaller, like 5/8". Guess I was wrong on that one... I have to wonder if the 3/4" rod ends would interfere with the brakes too. That's a pretty big end to have out there. Good idea, I'll have to look into it. Jon

I'll be interested to hear what people think of that Vashonz. Thanks for the supplier hints, too. Jon

Terry, I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I know that rear drive cars toe out under acceleration, and I figured the stress on the rod ends would result from acceleration more than braking, which takes weight off the rear. Also going over bumps and turning would stress the threaded part of the rod ends (they're already loaded by the g force of the turn, then get sudden impacts from the road surface). I would plan to run about 3/16" total toe in, like I am with the G Machine bushings. That seems to be my happy place with regards to rear toe. Makes it stable under braking. Don't know if that changes anything drastically with regards to the rod ends. Unfortunately for me I'm only smart enough to know that I don't know on this one. Thanks for getting things rolling though! Jon

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