S13 Update: Nearly Track Ready

The S13 is nearing completion - and not a moment too soon. For this Saturday, I'll be attending a closed track day at the Sepang International Circuit :).

With the engine rebuild completed, I shifted my focus to the car's handling. The S13 was still running stock sway bars. After installing a full set of Hard Race suspension upgrades (pillow ball tension rods, lower rear arms, rear camber kit etc), along with Nismo bushings and solid sub frame collars, the old bars just wouldn't cut it. The rear felt very solid and the front somewhat weak. This might affect turn-in and promote understeer. As such, it needed stiffening and the stock bars were just too skinny. That's why I opted for a full set of front and back Cusco stabiliser bar kit. They arrived from Japan and here is the reason why they are going onto the car:

Cusco Stabiliser bar kit for front - (P)S13. 28mm diameter (Standard is 24mm). 131% stiffness comparison.

Cusco Stabiliser bar kit for rear - (P)S13. 18mm diameter (Standard is 16mm). 114% stiffness comparison.

Along with the Cusco bars, I ordered Nismo Braided Clutch Hoses for both the S13 and the R33 GT-R. Compared to the factory stock rubber hose, stainless steel mesh was adopted by Nismo for a much lower rate of expansion. The Teflon interior of the pipe provides a low pipe frictional coefficient and smooth flow volume characteristics, for more direct clutch operations. So in other words, there is no room for volumetric expansion. Not only will the Nismo braided clutch hose firm up pedal feel but it'll also make the clutch function precisely, by not allowing the hose to swell and lose pressure.

Now all that's left is to upgrade the car's suspensions. It's currently running JIC high lows and as some of you might know, you need fully adjustable suspension for the track. I'm looking at buying a used set of Aragostas but at the sametime, quite keen to see what RCS - Radical Chassis Solutions - can do for my ride. It's headed by Nanda Kumar, who has some 15 years of experience in rallying. According to a review by Tom of Zerotohundred, Nanda was trained by Lotus Engineering and has served as an engineer there for some years. So, he probably knows a thing or two about suspensions, and handling, of the Lotus kind.

More updates to come, so stay tuned :).

R33 GT-R Update: Nismo Strengthened Rear Lower A-Arm and Cusco Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods

I actually installed these some time back but haven't had time to sit down and blog about them.

As some of you might well know, the GT-R is a 14 year old car and a lot of things get worn out as the years roll by. Hence, its imperative to refresh certain areas of the car, like the suspension, as it might pose a hazard to the driver and other road users. Its also a pain to drive around with a worn bushing or a less than functioning rear arm, as the car's ride tends to suffer as a result. More importantly, the GT-R's handling is much improved when newer and better suspension parts have made their way onto it's chassis.

Note the condition of the 14 year old Nissan factory rear lower a-arm - worn out!

This I can attest to after experiencing the before and after effects of something as simple as installing aftermarket adjustable tension rods. Its like night and day - suddenly you have the confidence to take corners at high speed and the car feels so much more controllable. The turn-in motion is also greatly improved and the car feels flatter as it pivots to where you want it to go. The rear also benefits from the strengthened a-arm plate as it's less affected by road irregularities and feels more planted when the car accelerates. 

All of this is multiplied in terms of driving pleasure as you get a sense of rightness about the car's condition and overall driveability. As I have said in previous posts, once you install one aftermarket suspension part, you'll be hooked and will have to the urge to change everything as a result of the positive effect they will have on your car.

The nice and shiny (and adjustable) Cusco pillow ball tension rod

The Nismo rear lower a-arm set looks right at home in the passenger side rear tyre well of my GT-R! :)

And so till the next suspension upgrade, I'll leave you with RHD Japan's description of the recently installed parts:

"The NISMO Rear Lower A-Arm Set - Strengthened R33 is part of the NISMO Suspension Link Series and were created by NISMO to provide true suspension performance for Nissan drivers. Included are the strengthened bushings to provide better feedback through cornering to make the vehicle more predictable. These are for true suspension performance, and are recommended to anyone using sport suspension and tires. The Nismo Strengthened Rear Lower A-Arms are a great way to refresh your vehicle`s suspension components by removing the aged arms that came stock from the factory. All units come in the Nismo silver color. These are stronger than the standard Nismo units because of an added plate on the underside to provide more strength against pressure and stress". - RHD Japan

"The CUSCO Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods Nissan stop the movement and flex that change the geometry on the front suspension under hard braking and cornering and drifting. These Cusco Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods help with stability and predictability when drifting or racing the car hard. They also improving initial turn-in response. They are designed to work with stock suspension or nearly every aftermarket system available". - RHD Japan

R33 GT-R Update: 493 whp / 551.15 N·m of torque

After 12 months of collecting engine parts and prepping a spare RB26 for the rebuild, this is the end result. And boy was it worth it.

At the dyno, my car put out 500.84 PS (493 whp) at 1.6 bar, displaying a good power band and a very healthy max torque of 56.24 kgm (551.15 N·m of torque). Full boost at 4000 rpm. That's the equivalent of how much power and torque a BMW E60 M5's 5.0L V10 engine makes when the "M" power button is switched on (Power: 507 PS; 500 bhp at 7750 rpm / Torque: 520 N·m at 6100 rpm).

Loving my 'new' R33 GT-R :).

So anyway folks, thank you so much for following my rebuild and for your continued support.

I'd like to wish our Muslim readers a Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir dan Batin. To everyone, please drive safe during this festive period and do take care.

- Loki

Parts Installed

* ARP Bolt and Studs
* ATI Super Harmonic Damper 1000hp
* BCNR33 4 and 2 Pot Brembo Calipers
* Billion Super Solid Coolant Line
* Blitz Nur Spec R Exhaust Full System
* Bridgestone Potenza S001 UHP Tyres
* Carbing Air Diversion Plate
* Cusco Adjustable Pillow Tension Rods
* Cusco Rear Adjustable Upper Arms
* Defi-Link BF Boost Meter
* Defi-Link Control Unit II
* Defi-Link Display
* Endless Racing CCR Brake Pads
* Exedy Twin Plate Racing Clutch
* Goodridge Braided Brake Hose
* GTROC R33 GT-R Stainless Steel Etched Fuse Box Cover
* GTROC R33 GT-R Stainless Steel ABS Box Cover
* Haltech Platinum Pro R33 Plug & Play EMS
* HKS 88mm Forged Pistons
* HKS GT-SS Twin Turbo Kit
* HKS Oil Cooler Kit
* HKS Kansai Service Twin Tube Alloy Strut Brace
* HKS Kansai Service Floor Mats
* HKS Special GT-R Piping Kit
* JVC KD-R816
* Koyo Radiator Type Z
* Motul 300V Le Mans 20W-60
* Motul Gear Competition 75W140
* NGK Iridium IX Spark Plugs
* Nismo 320km/h Speedometer
* Nismo Aluminium Shift Knob 10mm
* Nismo Engine Mounts
* Nismo Gearbox Mount
* Nismo Strengthened Rear Lower A-Arm Set
* Nismo Intake Collector RB26DETT
* Nismo Main and Conrod Bearings
* Nissan Factory Series III Xenon Headlights
* Nissan N1 Water Pump
* Pitwork Service Kit / Belts
* R34 GT-R Rocker Panel Emblem
* Rays Volk Racing RE30 18 x 9.5 + 12
* Red Stitched Leather Gearshift & Handbrake Trim
* Series III R33 GT-R Bumper
* Splitfire Super Direct DI Ignition
* Sun Line Racing Front Pillow Camber Arms
* Superpro Castor Rod Bushes
* TEIN Mono Flex Suspension with EDFC
* Tomei Forged H-Beam Conrods
* Tomei Fuel Pump (output 590PS 276 L/h)
* Tomei Fuel Regulator Type L
* Tomei Metal Head Gasket 88mm Bore
* Tomei Pon Camshafts + Pulley Set (260, EX 252, Lift 9.15)
* Tomei Oversized Oil Pump
* Top Secret R33 Oil Catch / Water Reservoir Tank
* Trust Extended Sump
* Whiteline Arm-adj upper radius-camber/toe
* Whiteline Arm-adj upper radius-camber/toe
* Whiteline Camber adj kit - front upper c/arm
* Whiteline Camber adj kit - rear upper c/arm
* Whiteline Front Swaybar-h/duty Blade adjustable
* Whiteline Rear Swaybar-h/duty Blade adjustable

R33 GT-R Upgrade: Cusco Adjustable Rear Upper Arms

Suspension upgrades are like a bowl of delicious french fries. Once you start, you can't stop consuming / installing them. Seriously addictive. 

This isn't an act of superflous spending on my part, for as I have said in my previous entry, the rubber bushing on most of the GT-R's factory mounts are in a poor state and therefore need to be replaced. They have after all been on the car for the past 15 years! Hence, this is more of an exercise in necessity instead of greed.

Once I had swapped in the Sun Line Racing Front Pillow Camber Arms and felt an instant improvement in the GT-R's handling, I decided to plunk down some more moola on a used set of Cusco Adjustable Rear Upper Arms. Thanks to Eu Jin from JDM Auto Link for supplying the said item which looked near brand new.

So whats so great about the Cusco unit? Well, the overall benefits are very similar to the Sun Line Racing arms but I'll let RHD Japan explain further:

"The CUSCO Adjustable Rear Upper Arm Links Nissan will provide proper camber angle and improve you cars movement in hard turns on the track. Prevents irregular tire wear and holds tire to the asphalt, improving traction. The good alignment will enable better traction as well". 

 The Cusco rear upper arm and the factory Nissan unit - the bushing too was pretty worn out

The Cusco unit installed on the driver side rear wheel well

Remember what I said about suspension upgrades and how its hard to stop oneself from installing more? Well, I've ordered the following items and they'll be arriving some time soon from Japan :).

NISMO Strengthened Rear Lower A-Arm Set

"The NISMO Rear Lower A-Arm Set - Strengthened R33 is part of the NISMO Suspension Link Series and were created by NISMO to provide true suspension performance for Nissan drivers. Included are the strengthened bushings to provide better feedback through cornering to make the vehicle more predictable. These are for true suspension performance, and are recommended to anyone using sport suspension and tires. The Nismo Strengthened Rear Lower A-Arms are a great way to refresh your vehicle`s suspension components by removing the aged arms that came stock from the factory. All units come in the Nismo silver color. These are stronger than the standard Nismo units because of an added plate on the underside to provide more strength against pressure and stress". - RHD Japan

CUSCO Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods

"The CUSCO Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods Nissan stop the movement and flex that change the geometry on the front suspension under hard braking and cornering and drifting. These Cusco Adjustable Pillow Ball Tension Rods help with stability and predictability when drifting or racing the car hard. They also improving initial turn-in response. They are designed to work with stock suspension or nearly every aftermarket system available". - RHD Japan