JMortensen

I think we'll all find out when Mike hits 2000 posts. He'll get another dot if I'm right. The first five boxes are 100 posts each. Nothing happens again until 1000, when the first dot goes up. Then each 1000 after that gets another. That's what it looks like to me... EDIT- Actually, I just looked and I am apparently wrong. Sorry. It sounded good anyway.... BigWhyteDude, your bar doesn't follow my model. Jon

Too big. You can run an adjustable prop valve to try and fix, but you may want to just start with a smaller caliper and have that much less unsprung weight. I think Terry (BlueOvalZ) is using Toyota cressida rear calipers or something like that, he would definitely have some good advice for you. Jon

This got me reading, and I did find this article: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/spacejunk-1_824.html Apparently a French satellite was hit by an old French rocket and damaged. How about "sh!tosphere" for the name of floating junk in orbit? Jon

Sorry Majik... just wanted to share. RPMs I was thinking the same thing. Probably actually a 7.5. Still should fit a 225 nicely though. I just like the weight on those. 14 lbs is what the 6 spoke ZX rims weigh. Jon

Uh.... 10.... Jon

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43955&item=2443438812 I think these are pretty sweet... Jon

2400 lb VR4 sounds to me like about -1000 lbs of BS. Just not buying that one... I did rather like the Car and Driver where they showed that the spoiler was more effective in the lower position though... Jon

Yeah, weren't they rated as "crappy, crappy, and crappy"??? Jon

I run 250/45/15 slicks at low pressure and it's not easy to turn at low speeds. My Z is not flared. I've been looking to see what's going to happen with that WRX power stering rack upgrade. Tread and higher pressure will help you steer at low speeds, and the my car definitely handles much better with the bigger tires than with the street meats, 195/60/14's. Jon

OK, apparently that piece is a spacer, and not a crush sleeve as reported to me. Still trying to figure this out...it even kinda looks crushed on the ends... I may just have to buy that new ring and pinion and go through the setup myself to get it straight... Jon

According to a friend of mine who owned a Mitsu race parts biz they have a very weak transmission that is damn near impossible to rebuild and very expensive to replace. They do haul butt for a big heavy car though! Jon

Resurrecting this old thread. I recently was sent PICS of a R200 pinion shaft with a crush sleeve. It was stated that the diff was a 75-78 R200. I don't know what to make of that. Maybe they used crush sleeves in the earlier models and not in the later ones? Anyways, it brings back the point I had originally tried to make about the crush sleeve crushing in drag cars, and the possibility of installing a solid spacer. This certainly would be a better setup for you V8 guys. Just thought everyone should know... Jon

There have been a couple of full size older Blazers (I think that's what they were) with 240Z bodies sold on ebay in the past few years with solid axles front and rear. Never seen a modded 240Z with fully independent suspension and 4wd, except that Japanese one where they completely swapped Skyline stuff in. That is a really cool car, but made for show and definitely looked like a street/track car, not an off road vehicle. Jon

I haven't been able to get the brake bias right with the Toy calipers, but I'm running 79 280ZX rear disc with it. I think the rear disc can't keep up. I also constantly boil the brake fluid, but that is at the track, which yours won't be subjected to. If I have one recommendation it is Brembo cross drilled rotors which I got from PowerStop. I think I would actually go for the slotted knowing what I know now, but I have thoroughly abused the rotors, I think I've boiled the brake fluid 5 times with these rotors on the car and they still aren't warped!!! Jon

GOOD STUFF!!! Thanks! Jon

MSA sells a kit to make camber and toe adjustable. I'm sure these adjustments have an effect on rear caster, but I have only met a handful of people who actually care about caster in the back at all. Jon

Try searching for tolulene or toluol, we had this discussion about a month ago. Here's the quick version. You can mix race gas with regular, run toluol or xylol (aka tolulene or xylene) mixed with gas to get your octane up. Toluol is already in your gas from the pump, but it is 114 octane so you can mix 1 gal to 5 gallons of gas to get about 96 octane. Xylol is 118 octane. I've run race gas, xylol, and toluol all with good results. Supposedly you can run up to 35% xylol or toluol with no ill effects. Jon

I think David is onto something. Check the edge of the rotors for scrape marks. That happened to me once when I didn't get the little anti squeal springs in correctly. Jon

Well, I'm not much for the straight line thing, so I really can't dispute that. The one thing I can say is that after owning an Outback wagon, I love Subarus, and I think their AWD system makes a hell of a lot more sense than the old Eclipse system, or the Volvo system. I'm sure I'll own another, hopefully it will be an STI. The Subaru is almost like a Porsche 911 AWD backwards. Very cool. Jon

I could be mistaken. Even so I figure I'd want something like 25/75, or 20/80 were it my car. Jon

I think Smokey has it right. I don't think it was my acceleration alone that freaked the WRX owner out. It was the lateral grip. Granted, my car isn't exactly stock. I test drove a WRX when they first came out and was really impressed with the power, but not so much with the handling. It seems that the center of gravity is really high (tall car to start with, lots of glass, 4 door), and driving the front wheels with 50% of the power isn't going to help the pushing problem that the car I drove seemed to have. Jon

IIRC, the poly bump stops are tapered, so that they start of soft and as they compress they get harder and harder. I wouldn't take any off the tapered end. I'd take it from the other end, which is usually mounted towards the top. IMO a solid poly bushing with no taper wouldn't be much better than none at all. Have you seen the Koni ones? About 3 inch long soft foam. I think you need to cushion the impact, that's the important part. I've got nothing for you on the tire question. Jon

I had a friend wire up my Maxima alternator, 80 amp internally regulated. It took him an hour or so. I am a wiring moron at best, but any automotive wiring shop should be able to take care of it for you. They bolt right on, so mounting is not an issue. Jon

I met a guy with a WRX at an autox. I was complimenting him on his car, and he asked for a ride in mine. Went through the first dogleg, then it opened up into a wide left sweeper. I punched it going into the sweeper and never let off. His comment: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOH MMMMMYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD!!!" I never had so much fun at an autox. And that was in the first 10 seconds of the run. Needless to say, he was impressed... Jon

The reason they do that is to withstand hydraulics. Better to have them located radially when you're bouncing the front end 4 feet off the ground. At least that's what I've heard... Jon