RebekahsZ

OK, good, you guys can see the movie. JM-of course, I know it's ghetto, but if I don't take some shortcuts, my car will get no track time at all this summer! I'm just hoping a brother will throw a jack under one wheel and share his results for comparison's sake. I am not an expert at driveline repair, but I sure seem to be an expert at tearing parts down just to find out that they are fine. I think what I'm seeing is just the additive effect of lash in the tranny, driveshaft, diff, output stub splines, CVs, and companion flange splines. I would call this "total driveline backlash." I'd like to see if it is excessive before I start looking at individual components, and you can be sure that the first individual component I will check is the diff, then I'll try to do it correctly. I have a buddy with a non-Z drag car with a solid spooled 9" axle and an auto trans-he had almost no total driveline backlash-does that mean my stuff is goofed up, or is it not a fair comparison??. Phantom, I look forward to your findings, plus the findings of anybody else who is willing to check. Only three tools are required: a jack, a sharpie, and a smart phone camera.

Went junk-yarding yesterday and came home with two sets of spare axles. I chose the axles based on which Z31Ts had the rearend jacked up already. The first set of axles look good with intact boots. the second car had bad rear wheel bearings and there was lateral play in the hubs. Perhaps that is why the grease caps are bend to death? This was a stock Z31T with no suspension mods, so it looks like under certain circumstances, the axles can bottom out even on a Z31! I will have to disassemble the damaged axles to see if there is anything that I can use. Will go ahead and build up another complete set of shortened axles from the set of spares that had good boots. Here's a related question. Watch the attached movie-does that amount of slack in the driveline look excessive? The setup for this video is one rear tire off the floor (the other is ON the floor), car in gear. Subject diff is an R200 CLSD with Z31T CV axles. Tranny is a T56. What do you guys think, do I need to tear down my diff and check backlash in the R&P, or does this look like the normal amount of drivetrain slack for a manual tranny? Hopefully the video will load and play for you... Slack.MOV

Picked up some taller street tires so that I can keep the miles off my slicks. I wanted something cheap, poor traction, and skinny so that I can do lots of smoky line-lock burnouts without putting too much strain on my axles. The street tires are BFG 235/75/15. They should handle like crap, which should help with the temptation to drive fast on the street.

Yep, Oct 10-11 according to the ZNationals website. I'll start working on wearing Mrs. Thompson down and will register as soon as she starts to break down and starts twitching uncontrollably. I will bring that tail-pipe silencer they issued me last year. If your car is too loud for AMP, where will you do all your R&D? Double check your calendar and don't worry about whether you can run your Z or not-I'm sure you would out-corner, out-brake, and out-power me if you were only wearing roller skates. And you know that I would pay to have you instructing from either seat of my heap.

Uh-oh. This would be a good time to switch to sending PMs to the guys to whom you think you want to ask specific questions. You may get beaten up pretty badly publicly broadening your discussion that way.

I'm sold. Next project wi be in white. Love it.

Matt, I understand that Z1 Motorsport is holding the big gathering at AMP in October. Will you be going? If that is on your schedule, I may try to make that happen as my next trip to AMP. I don't really want to get into traffic at AMP with all the yea-whos with out you with me to instruct. I would plan to have brake ducting and mirrors. What do you say?

I'm considering these just to get rid of the bend in the stock outer tie rod. My car is lowered and I wear out inner tie rods pretty quickly. I THINK reducing the angle on the inner tie rod will help. Meant to move the LCA pick up when I had the motor out for the LS swap, but I simply forgot to do it.

I really like that car and I love red interiors with silver paint. But, you gotta clock those screws to match on the center console, that would drive me crazy. I'm just teasing cause I'm jealous.

I'm a V8 guy trying to remember my L24. Could your left and right motor mount bracket (the engine side) be switched left to right? Something in my memory is telling me it is possible.

I always assumed Ferrari owners were just compensating for shortcomings elsewhere. If I had a chest like that, I wouldn't wear a dang shirt and I would drive a convertible. My cousin had an old 308-does your car require you to drive with your feet in the glovebox?

99% of the Z cars left on the planet have goofed up bump steer-what are the chances most drivers (including myself) will even recognize a problem? We have a lot more trouble with wide tires following cracks in the road. Get it to clear the wheel and drive it.

I will be picking your brain.

So totally cheering you on.

In Will's defense, he is in college and probably has finals for the next few weeks. And, I don't think his dorm/apartment has a lift for taking good pictures. So, Ima be patient and optimistic, and start saving money.

You'll get used to it. You only have two options: enough room for tires (which sometimes means more than enough) or not enough room. Function over form.

The BAMFs are on the car. And, they rub the slicks a little in the positive camber position. They rub near the bottom at the forward edge. Wishing I had moved them forward another 1/2". Rather than reconfigure EVERYTHING, I plan to just sand the front of them to create the needed clearance. Function over form.

Ebaymotors.com and I will send you some other places when I get on my PC at home. ebaymotors.com johnbtires.com jbracingtires.com

Thank you!

Andy-I smack my airdam pretty often on driveways and on my trailer-is that 5-minute epoxy flexible at all? And I know thus is stupid, but do I acetone before sand it or after sanding?

I'm ordering urethane brake ducts to bond to the back of my urethane airdam. Anybody have a recommendation for a super good adhesive? If so, any recommendations for prepping both surfaces prior to bonding? Pics of airdam and ducts attached.

Naptown-do you have a stock fuel tank? If so, how did you calibrate gauge to your sender? How accurate do you think the oil pressure and water temp are?

Posting some update pictures. It's been a while, so here you go. Only 3 passes so far this season. First 1/8-mile pass: 7.18, second was 7.22, third was DNF at the line due to broken inner CV/stub axle. One All-Nissan show at ZAttack in Nashville-I won a door prize-a hat! Next big milestone is tech inspection at ECTA at Ohio in June to make plans for this coming winter's safety mods. After that, just the usual drag racing and autocrossing, then a 1/2-mile time trail at the Georgia 1/2-mile in Clayton, GA Sep 13-14.

I just bought Autopower tach and speedo from a forum member. Thinking ahead to the 3-gauge pod in the center of the dash. I currently have stock S30 gauges. What gauges are you guys running (please specify the function that you recommend monitoring). I'm imagining fuel level, engine oil pressure, water temp. No turbo on this car, but NO2 is in my future some time. Any other suggestions?

New suit, new helmet, new rims, same girlfriend. Life is good.