Twisted46

Cary, in my opinion if you are worried about being criticized then you shouldn't be posting things on the internet so don't worry about it lol. I also know you have no way of knowing I raced BMWs for 7 years and only tracked the forester for the 2 years I was working on getting the Z together. That being said I am used to RWD sports cars and let me tell you getting a forester around a track takes a very special approach to handling, when your weight is 2+ feet off the ground you don't dare move the wheel mid corner, you purely steer with the pedals. Yes the Z required a lot more wheel work but I think I found my primary issue which is a front alignment that is all out of whack. Even the toe which I had set at a dealership is messed up (toe out at over 1 degree different each side.) Combine that with woeful camber and body roll and it makes sense why the car felt loose and was squealing tires at low speeds. I really think I will save 5 seconds when i get the alignment and body roll sorted. Another 5 when I start to brake later because I can carry more speed in the corners. Then another 5-10 as I learn the car more. I am going to counter your entry speed comment. If the car is already pushing in understeer more entry speed is going to slow your exit speed down.

Thanks Miles, I test this out when we get another nice day here in Ohio..... So next April 😝

I just got around to testing this. The gauge did not move at all.

JHM, I am running 16X8s with 245 rubber at both ends, pretty mild. I will keep spacers in mind for the rear. JMortensen, I should know that.. duh, thanks for fixing my idiot brain. I am not terribly worried about additional wear as the car is trailered to the track and back home and two drivers with the local Z club each year. I was originally looking at normal bump steer spacers and figured why not get some more camber. I am also looking at Apex and T3 adjustable front end units.

Thanks JHM, I figured I'd hear from you! That is the feedback I was looking for. I am 2" lower so every degree of camber I can get back is a plus. Also the track I frequent has a noticeable hump on turn 14 right on the apex. I never had a problem with it in my other cars but the S30 does not like it. I was wondering though if the increase of track width created more understeer without correcting the back.

Hey guys, Looking for any feedback you might have on T3's NCRCA. I was already planing for bump steer spaces so it seems like these could be a beneficial upgrade to a lowered S30. I can find anybody reporting first had experience using them with results. https://technotoytuning.com/nissan/260z/negative-camber-roll-center-adjusters-240z-260z-and-280z

They make full sets of keyed lug nuts... I have a set on my car, not because I want them but because they had the right shank for my wheels. Unless you go to a machinist for some custom work, you are using off the shelf product that everyone has access to. Someone stealing wheels probably has a toolbox full of these keys... that they stole. I hate needing an extra tool just to get my wheels off but that is just my dumb opinion. My are is also parked in my garage in suburbia with 4 video cameras watching the house so that makes a difference in mindset I suppose.

Okay after spending more time staring the frame and suspension here is what I came up with for better/flatter cornering. Chassis work: I won't go in to detail in the this thread but my objective is to stiffen the car by connecting the front/rear frame rails to the rockers and tunnel, and tie the roll hoop to the front floor pan/rocker union. T3 triangulated strut brace. Camber: For now I am just going to stick with camber arms to get some use out of my new struts and springs. Body Roll: ST F/R sway bars (240z style) and bad dog plates. Misc: T/C Rod ball and socket swap.

Thanks Miles, I'll try that. Car has been down waiting for me to change the water pump so I will give it a try this weekend.

Here is some corner data, I recorded the chicane "kink" as one corner since you really never open the wheel up. Corner Forester 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 75.5 84.2 51 66 51 51.7 45.2 66.7 57.3 69.3 56.5 Entry 66.1 67.4 29.3 50 47.5 49 57.4 69.7 51.1 - 23.1 Mid 77.2 61.1 55.9 43.2 37.3 45.7 66.7 57.3 46 - - Exit 260Z 73.7 76.8 46.3 53.4 47.7 51.6 45.6 57.3 55 74 54.4 Entry 65.1 62 37 41.7 37.4 50.2 51.2 61 44.4 66.3 25.1 Mid 62.8 56.7 31 40.5 43 45.1 57.3 55 46.1 56.9 35.4 Exit

Thank you JM, I will avoid the bushings completely then. My only concern with the plates is that the ones I have seen replace the top hats and lower the car significantly or are only for use with coilovers. I do not mind going plates but I am not planning on dropping $2K for coils for another year or 2. I am building the car slowly so I want parts that will work now and later. Is there a plate that can be used with OEM top hats?

I tried a new sensor from ZCar, same problem. Maybe the gauge?

Silverado, Duly noted and I will take you suggestions in to consideration that next time I out there. My driving line is not terribly different between the two but then they drive nothing alike and have to be treated differently. I will post my corner entry, mid, and exit speeds later today, that will tell a lot too. What do you guys suggest for front camber adjustment: arms or bushings? I would do the plates but my long term plans for the car involve a nice adjustable coilover setup So i will deal with that then. I plan to do bump steer spacers and TC rod pivot joints at he same time. I am also looking at the 1-1/4" ST bars considering I am on 180lbs springs for next couple years. Do you guys know of any triangulated front braces that work with V8s? Or is my best bet the welder and McMaster?

Ben, Thanks again for the suggestions. Unfortunately I showed up to the track with my only GoPro card full.... dummy. Here is a clip my wife took, It was lap 1 so not full out but you can see how much the car is leaned over. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lHUmts9dnRvONSdJXeCmxB1UYCDN7UCe Here is a session I recorded in the forester last year https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_cOSLhnecTk7zxuCZ1SZRiydYeTxENpG

I was having trouble getting a video that made sense of the Forester and 260z overlayed. After reviewing data and video it is clear I was being light on the throttle (which I kind of knew) and shifting too early (not in the power band). I am confident I can shave 4 seconds off of sector 3 if I stay in 4th and brake 350ft later lol, my corner exit speed is way better in the 260z. Looking at sector 4 gave me a lot more confidence in the car and reminded me that it is all about the idiot behind the wheel. Sector 4 goes from a hard flat 90 right to a very tricky blind uphill that you really need to sweep a 1 turn with no brakes. It is nice to be able to see where exactly I made mistakes and really I was just being too timid with my speed. That being said I could see a ton of roll in external video, upgraded bars it is. Next season I will have more alignment capability so I am hoping to make my goal of getting in to the high 1:40s. Sector Trap Time 1 2 3 4 5 6 16.62 37.1 19.55 13.48 21.76 16.64 Forester 16.02 34.95 16.75 13.45 20.04 16.01 260Z 0.6 2.15 2.8 0.03 1.72 0.63 delta Sector Trap Speed 81 109 46 60 53 70 77 113 38 65 59 77 -4 4 -8 5 6 7