R33 GT-R Update: Nismo Under-Floor Reinforcing Bars Set + Nismo Rear Member Brace

My brand spanking new Nismo Front Under-Floor Reinforcing Bar

Been busy with work, so I've actually done a lot to the GT-R since last my update, as you can see from the above picture.

Installed: One of the Nismo Centre Under-Floor Reinforcing Bars

The last aspect of the car that I wanted to improve on was it's stability. That's where Nismo comes in to save the day (yet again) - don't you just love these guys? Through countless hours of testing and improvements at the track, in events such Le Mans and other races where the R33 GT-R competed for top honours, Nismo was able to develop their Under-Floor Reinforcing Bar set.

The set consists of three pieces, a front underbrace and a pair of centre underbraces. These reinforcing parts, made out of strong high-carbon steel, help to increase the vehicle’s rigidity against twisting and bending. Installation will also provide a more linear sense of stability. And the best part - these bars are above the minimum ground height clearance point, so there is little chance of scraping or under-body road rash. So in a nutshell, they strengthen the under-floor section of the car to provide greater stability. They looked so shiny and pretty, that I felt bad installing them underneath the GT-R! You can always count on Nismo to make products of the highest quality and finish.

I've already installed Nismo's rear member brace sometime back, so this completes my GT-R's handling setup. What's really cool about the rear member brace is that Nismo developed it exclusively for the Z-Tune R34 GT-R but fortunately, they decided to make it available for all R33 and R34 GT-R owners through the Nismo link upgrade.

One section of the Nismo Rear Member Braces installed

Here's what Nismo has to say about their Rear Member Brace:  
Attached to the rear suspension link of the rear suspension member, the brace improves rigidity, and controls changes to alignment due to deflection of the suspension member. By bringing out the true potential of the suspension, it improves cornering and traction performance. And by installing the brace, changes to the car are more directly transmitted to the driver, so settings are more immediately understood.

I have to say that there has a marked improvement in the car's ride and handling characteristics. Far more pliable but not uncomfortable at all. In fact, my R33 GT-R now soaks up road imperfections without creaking and there is definitely less flex when riding over bumps. Even on highway runs, at speeds approaching 200 km/h and above, the strengthened chassis glides over any dips or raised features that are on the road. 

As for the Nismo front underbrace, the GT-R already has good rigidity to begin with but now you can actually sense the body better through steering feel, which is more direct and precise. This makes it easier to predict how the car will react in high speed situations, like when taking a long sweeping bend in the road. These upgrades make you fully aware of how far the car can be pushed, when tackling such obstacles. Traction has improved as well, with the rear section being able to put down power more effectively, when the gas pedal is pressed.

Overall, my Skyline now feels really stable when I'm carving up windy roads and doing high-speed runs on the highway. I've fallen in love with my GT-R yet again (this happens every time a new upgrade is bolted on!) and it gives me the confidence to carry out more difficult maneuvers, like attacking a sharp corner or carrying speed into a curved bend. Thank you Nismo!

To learn more or if you want to order these parts for your own car, head on over to http://www.nismo.co.jp/en/products/competition/lb/index.html.

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: TEIN Mono Flex Suspension with EDFC

What can I say about the Tein Mono Flexes and the Electronic Damping Force Controller (EDFC)? Since that was quite a mouthful, to sum them up in one simple word - just plain AWESOME!

They've totally changed the whole feel of the car, and having the EDFC controller at your finger tips is just such a joy. They have once again made me fall in love with the R33 and I can't help but look forward to the next time that I'm behind the steering wheel. The feeling that you get is actually is quite similar to Audi's Drive Select in terms of damping and traction (Comfort / Sport / Dynamic). This very positive experience came as a pleasant surprise, as prior to purchasing the TEINs, I've never sat in a car that was equipped with TEIN Mono Flex and EDFC.

PIMPIN, a fellow Skyliner who owns a BNR34, is an ardent supporter of these two TEIN products... so much so that he has installed the Mono Flex / EDFC combo in all of his previous rides (including the R34 GT-R)! Even with that sort of endorsement by a close friend, I was still a bit sceptical. I was worried that the TEINs would be stiffer than my old HKS Hiper-Ds - even at it's softest EDFC setting. As for the HKS suspension, I've never been happy with them because the Hiper-Ds are VERY bouncy on less than perfect roads (poor damping) and they don't inspire confidence when taking sharp bends or corners (very floaty to say the least).

Now my main concern was that at first glance, the spring rate on the MonoFlexes are EXTREMELY high. So one would immediatly assume that the ride would be harsher (case in point, the side by side pic found above). Before I go any further, lets have TEIN explain a little bit more about their Mono Flex and EDFC:

The MONO FLEX coilover kit has been developed for entry-level competition motorsports and advanced street driving. Features include 16-way damping force adjustability (combined compression and rebound), a mono-tube internal design, pillowball upper mounts, and EDFC compatibility. There are independent adjustments for ride-height and spring pre-load settings for increased suspension tuning. The new Mono Flex also includes TEIN's latest technological innovation, Micro Speed Valving (MSV) system, which allows the driver to feel a greater difference in damping force adjustments. Designed and developed for consumers seeking aggressive handling on the street and at the track.

The EDFC (Electronic Damping Force Controller) makes it possible for the driver to control the damping force at the touch of a button while in the driver's seat. This is accomplished by controlling stepping motors installed on each shock absorber. Because the damping force can be controlled with such ease, the driver can adjust the suspension to suit all road/track conditions. Thus allowing the driver to fully enjoy the driving experience.

By inputing your preferences into the controller, the new setting will be transmitted instantaneously to those little small boxes that you see on top of all four of the TEIN suspension mounts.

I found out very quickly that setting the EDFC to 0 Front, and 0 Rear resulted in you feeling EVERYTHING on the road surface. Sort of like dragging yourself naked across the street. This prompted me to increase the settings to 12/14. Immediately, the harshness subsided. TEIN did an unbelievable job with their spring and damper design, which resulted in the production of the MonoFlex. With the settings at their softest (16/16) I was able to experience a near stock like ride quality at low speeds. Of course, the same is not true when I bumped the EDFC up to 0/0 once again. You felt everything, and it hurt. Definitely not the sort of setting that one would want when cruising down inner city roads. On smooth highway asphalt though, the 0 / 0 literally blew me away. I could easily carve corners at significantly higher speeds than I ever did with the HKS Hiper-Ds. The TEINS seem to make the car that bit more predictable and gave me the confidence to push the car slightly closer to the limits. They also help in the traction department especially when launching the GT-R, as the rear is squats easily due to the softer damper.  I reckon 0 / 0 would be superb on a track like Sepang, where you really get to test the TEINs to the maximum of their ability.

HIGHLY recommended.

Rainbow tyre well thanks to the yellow of Whiteline and Goodridge, blue of Cusco and green of TEIN. Soon to be joined the matt silver of Nismo (strengthened lower rear A-Arm).

Spare Engine Rebuild Update: Haltech Platinum Pro

Yesss!!! My Haltech Platinum Pro Plug & Play R33 Engine Management System (including a 3 bar map sensor) has arrived from Australia!!!

 
Decided to switch from my Apexi Power FC with Commander to the Haltech Platinum Pro, due to the following reasons:

• User definable X- & Y-axis for fuel, ignition and boost
• 32x32 high res mapping
• VE Tuning (Volumetric Efficiency)
• MAF (no longer have to balance air fuel mixtures correctly)
• Advanced intelligent knock control
• CAN communication (really works as promised!)
• Closed loop idle control
• Speed density (more power)
• Launch control 
• N-VCT (Nissan Variable CAM Timing Control)

Thats just a few of the Haltech's features. Full details: http://www.haltech.com/store/index.php/plugin-ecu-kits/platinum-pro-kits/platinum-pro-plug-in-nissan-r32-33-skyline-kit.html

The Power FC is no longer in production and is technically a 10 year old technology, reliant on AFM readings (which is a pain to balance for twin turbos) plus it only has 20x20 resolution, does not have a ignition cut feature (fuel cut only) = limited tuning features when it comes to modified higher horsepower engines.

Spare Engine Rebuild Update: Tomei Poncams

The rebuild is going well and I've sent in my Tomei camshafts + Pulleys and a N1 Water Pump in for the final stage of the project. Looking forward to how the cams perform as not only will they improve response and overall performance but the poncams will also have a positive affect on the R33 GTR's exhaust sound.

And why Tomei? Tomei Poncam camshafts are designed as a "drop in application", so no dialling in required as the nock-pin has been pre-set. The Poncams are also designed to work with the standard valve springs and offer the best drop in performance gain for both street and track use. No machining is required at all.

Tomei manufactures several camshafts for the RB26 engine, the most mild being the Poncams. Designed as an upgrade when compared to stock cams, the Poncams fit all generations of the RB26 engine (R32, R33 and R34), and come in three types, Type A, Type B, and Type R. The differences between the Type A and Type B Poncams are limited, with the Type B version featuring 260° of lift on the exhaust, compared to 252°. This slight increase in duration means more air can enter the cylinders at higher RPM. The downside to additional duration is that low end power is sacrificed, as the turbochargers typically can not move enough air at lower engine speeds. The Type R Poncams were designed by Tomei to cater to those who wish to remain "street legal" by Japanese standards. This means decreased duration for better emissions, as well as compatibility with stock or aftermarket catalytic converters.

Type A camshafts are suitable for engines that will be using stock or larger bolt on turbochargers. Type B camshafts are for engines that will be running N1 turbo chargers or full aftermarket turbo kits. The Type R camshafts should only be used when a car retains the factory catalytic converter, or when you wish to upgrade to an aftermarket catalytic converter.
 
Tomei Pon Camshafts + Pulley Set: Nissan BNR32/BCNR33 RB26DETT Duration IN 260, EX 252, Lift 9.15 (Pon Cam + Cam Pulley IN & EX) 143036 A Type + 153027 Cam Pulley.

Excerpt from nengun.com about the Tomei Poncams:

Tomei presents the popular poncams. Generally, engine tuning is to modify the torque characteristic of engine by changing cam duration timing and height of the cam lift, so as to gaining maximum torque and horse power. However, when tuning the engine strictly, it should be carried out with the idea of securing effective area of the valve not only by duration timing and height of the cam lift, but also by through improvement of its intake efficiency. High valve lift allows huge amount of air to flow in, yet it mechanically damages the system and gains friction loss. Also, wide cam duration will deriver great power at high RPM, but it gives rough engine character at low RPM too. Tomei have worked to get an ideal well-balanced profile of camshaft and succeeded to give it 1.3 to 1.5 times more effective area than regular camshafts.

The repainted RE30s are back on my R33 GT-R

Words escape me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking... ;)

The sight that greeted me as I arrived at Autodetailer earlier today (picture courtesy of Darren): 

Couldn't be happier! =)

Repainted my Volk Racing RE30s

I decided that the bronze look wasn't working out and called on the services of Darren from Autodetailer. My previous car, which was a manual track-spec 350Z, had been detailed by Darren in early 2010. Hence, I knew the car would be in good hands, if not the best in town. Since I was going to be out of the country for a bit, the R33 was and still is, at Darren's batcave in Jaya One.

I was initially stumped with trying to decide what pattern or colour to paint the rims. My first thought was to turn the rims glossy black and have the lips painted red, to look something like this:

But after sleeping on it, I decided that such a paint scheme was just too plain hectic and might be deemed untasteful among certain quarters. So it was back to the drawing board.

I eventually decided to play it safe and go for a tried & tested two-tone look. This paint scheme is actually carried by Volk Racing from the factory - heres an example:

I was pretty sure that this paint scheme would work out, especially after I saw the following pictures of a silver Porsche 997TT with matte black rims and chromed lips:

And so, before heading to the airport, I dropped the GT-R off at Darren's and was overseas for a couple of days. The trip was pretty tiring but all the aches & pains went away, after I received an e-mail last night. Attached to it was a picture.

This is the end result of Darren's work and I'm mighty pleased with how the project turned out. Can't wait to see them on the car and a big shout out to Autodetailer for making it happen!