With the S14 sitting in storage waiting for the new tension rod setup, I decided it was a good idea to change the oil.
While attemting to remove my oil filter, my hulk like strength snapped the threaded lug right off the oil filter assembly. After a quick search on NicoClub.com I found a used replacement housing.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Custom tension rod brace.
I just got word from a fabricator I have been in contact with about a brace for my tension rod brackets. He has finally gotten a few prototypes built, and he is sending me one at a ridiculously reduced price.
The tension arms bolt to the front lower control arms, and go forward to to brackets on the front engine cross member, they limit the movement of the lower control arms during braking and hard steering inputs. The brackets themselves are rather flimsy and allow a lot of movement under stress. Until now the only way to combat this movement was to purchase an upgraded brace from Nismo, to the tune of $250. From all the reviews Ive read, the power brace is the most noticeable chassis upgrade you can make besides a full roll cage. I pondered buying one for a long time, but could never justify the cost.
Through the wonders of the internet I came in contact with a guy named Jonnie Fraz, he was interested in designing a tension rod brace for the S13/S14. I exchanged many emails with him, and I and a few other forum members have been chatting with him for the last few months. He finished the S13 brace first, and has been selling them for almost a month now, everyone who has reviewed them says they are unbelievable. It took a little longer to design the S14 brace because it is slightly different and requires a little more work to install. The difference between his unit and the Nismo are interesting, instead of replacing the whole bracket, it just braces it, this means, all the stiffness, half the cost. Im very excited to get mine and get it installed.
The Jonnie Fraz brace uses a cross bar with extra support struts. It also uses slugs that go between the original brackets, so instead of bolting the brace to one piece of flimsy sheet metal, it bolts through both sides, locking everything together. It comes with all necessary hardware. My cost plus shipping $80.
The tension arms bolt to the front lower control arms, and go forward to to brackets on the front engine cross member, they limit the movement of the lower control arms during braking and hard steering inputs. The brackets themselves are rather flimsy and allow a lot of movement under stress. Until now the only way to combat this movement was to purchase an upgraded brace from Nismo, to the tune of $250. From all the reviews Ive read, the power brace is the most noticeable chassis upgrade you can make besides a full roll cage. I pondered buying one for a long time, but could never justify the cost.
Through the wonders of the internet I came in contact with a guy named Jonnie Fraz, he was interested in designing a tension rod brace for the S13/S14. I exchanged many emails with him, and I and a few other forum members have been chatting with him for the last few months. He finished the S13 brace first, and has been selling them for almost a month now, everyone who has reviewed them says they are unbelievable. It took a little longer to design the S14 brace because it is slightly different and requires a little more work to install. The difference between his unit and the Nismo are interesting, instead of replacing the whole bracket, it just braces it, this means, all the stiffness, half the cost. Im very excited to get mine and get it installed.
The Jonnie Fraz brace uses a cross bar with extra support struts. It also uses slugs that go between the original brackets, so instead of bolting the brace to one piece of flimsy sheet metal, it bolts through both sides, locking everything together. It comes with all necessary hardware. My cost plus shipping $80.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
New wheels
Tired of staring at the ugly motegi's on my S14, I decided to upgrade.
For a darn decent price I picked up a brand new set of Rota Grid Offroads. They are sized 16"x8" with an offset of +10. They should fit perfectly flush with my stock fenders.
Many say that 16"s are too small for the S14 chassis, but I disagree. I think, done right, 16"s can look great. I chose to stick with a 16 because of all the driving I do. I would hate to spend every moment behind the wheel terrified of potholes.
The fitment on the car is fantastic, and it really changes the look of the car. To wrap these new wheels I ordered a set of Falcon Azenis Sport RT-615s. They should be nice and sticky, while still retaining a little streetability.
For a darn decent price I picked up a brand new set of Rota Grid Offroads. They are sized 16"x8" with an offset of +10. They should fit perfectly flush with my stock fenders.
Many say that 16"s are too small for the S14 chassis, but I disagree. I think, done right, 16"s can look great. I chose to stick with a 16 because of all the driving I do. I would hate to spend every moment behind the wheel terrified of potholes.
The fitment on the car is fantastic, and it really changes the look of the car. To wrap these new wheels I ordered a set of Falcon Azenis Sport RT-615s. They should be nice and sticky, while still retaining a little streetability.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
