Review: Whiteline Performance Suspension

Since I'm a big supporter of Aussie made automotive products, I've decided to write a couple of short reviews on a few of them for the benefit of the Malaysian motoring public. Besides Whiteline, theres Haltech for your electronic engine management needs, Disc Brakes Australia (DBA) for rotors and Turbosmart for wastegates. The Aussies make pretty decent stuff and I'm using all those brands in my cars.

As some of you might have noticed, I am currently using Whiteline Performance Suspension bushes and sway bars on my GT-R.

I actually started using Whiteline on my cars since my student / working days in Melbourne, Australia. Great people to deal with over the phone and easy pick up at your friendly neighbourhood Pedders Suspension shop (they have a tie up with Whiteline). Pedders is a chain of suspension tuning shops which can be found in many Australian towns and major cities.

Anyway for everyone's knowledge, Whiteline suspension suspension products are actually manufactured in South Korea but design and testing is done at their facility in Somersby, New South Wales (near Sydney). Whiteline recently had their swaybars TÜV SÜD certified, so that they could be sold in the EU. They are pretty much up there in terms of quality seeing as European standards are quite stringent when it comes to automotive parts.

As with most automotive parts, a company's product is as good as how well it does in motorsport events. Whiteline parts are used in major events such as the recent World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) that was held in Australia. A Whiteline equipped R35 GT-R took the number one spot in the Open Class category and several cars in the Pro Class (like Mercury Motorsports' R35) used Whiteline swaybars. Whiteline parts have also found their way into the rallying scene. WORKS Motorsport's Mitsubishi RalliArt SST participates regularly in Rally America, The Oregon Trail. Whiteline has been supporting the WORKS car with adjustable sway bars, alignment products, polyurethane bushings and aluminium bushings.

I'll leave with you some pictures of Whiteline's NSW facility. If you're looking to improve the handling of your car or wanting to refresh tired suspension parts, check Whiteline out as they cater to a wide range of makes and models, from Subarus to Volkswagens.

http://www.whiteline.com.au/ 

Heres one of their sway bar stress testing machines:

Sway Bar Blanks being fashioned on site for testing purposes:

This is their stockpile of swaybars at Whiteline warehouse / HQ in NSW:

Spare Engine Rebuild Update - Tomei Forged H-Beam Conrods

Apologies for the lack of updates but its been a busy month for me and I've been waiting on a particular part to arrive. In fact, its the last piece of the engine rebuild jigsaw puzzle. I'm referring to conrods as it was the only other forged item that I wanted for this rebuild. Lo and behold the official spiel (summary courtesy of Nengun):

Usually, to give con-rod buckling strength and light weight character at the same time, H-beam or I-beam profile is applied. Tomei have applied a H-beam profile for the connecting rod for NISSAN RB, SR, CA, VG engines and succeeded in gaining high buckling strength while reducing the weight. Tomei produces con-rod's using a forging mold with the main bearing hole in its large end, so the 'metal flow' runs along con-rod's entire body. And with a use of special materials, they have succeeded in producing con-rods with extreme intensity and durability. 

Naturally, I got standard RB26 stroke conrods as I'm not stroking the spare engine. Thanks to my good friend Glenn Trollope of Chasers Motorworks Melbourne (good luck at the World Time Attack dude!), I was able to source the conrods in record time.

So that ends this update as the crank is being balanced but I'm hoping the engine will be ready before the end of May. Theres also the Nismo bearings that need to be installed and those had arrived sometime last month, courtesy of a fellow Skyline owner (thanks Nain!). 

Here are the bearings:

Can't wait for all the parts to come together. Watch this space.

My friend's BMW 135i track car (modded)

As mentioned in yesterday's entry, a mate of mine in Melbourne tends to change his cars every twelve months or so and after getting the X5M, the guy is looking to offload his track day car, a 2008 BMW 135i M Sport (manual).

The car has only done 9,000 kms! I'd buy it if I was still living down under.

The 135i has been modded with the following:

• RR catless downpipes
• AA Processor & Intercooler
• KW Clubsport coilovers
• BMW short shifter
• Drexler LSD I 3.46 final ratio
• BBS RS-GT rims
• Dunlop R-compound 
• Forge DV
• AP Racing 6 piston front calipers with 365mm rotors
• Goodridge brake lines
• Hawk HT-10 pads
• SouthernBM custom radiator
• Evolution Racewerks dry carbon wide body

I've driven the car and it goes like stink plus stops reasonably well with that setup. Manual 135is have awful 1st and 2nd gear ratios plus spongy suspension but the mods have rectified these shortcomings. Managed some good times at Sandown racetrack in Melbourne in late 2008.

Lap 1 - 1:31.9
Lap 2 - 1:29.9
Lap 3 - 1:31.1
Lap 4 - 1:30.0
Lap 5 - 1:29.9
Lap 6 - 1:30.2

Loving the BBS RS-GT rims

My friend's BMW X5M in Melbourne

Went back to Melbourne a month ago and met up with a good friend of mine who loves cars so much that he changes rides every 12 months... I'll put up an in-depth review of the car at a later date. In the meantime, enjoy the pics we took.

Took it for a spin and it was awesome to drive!

The M Division have done it again

Old (E53 in Estoril) and new (E70 in Monte Carlo) - the X5M on Clarendon Street, South Melbourne

Oh and the lucky sod is getting this in a couple of months... Exact same spec but naturally the steering wheel will be mounted on the right. Damn you man! I heart the Spyder!