How to make your B14 handle properly!
I just wanted to share with everyone some of the stuff I have been learning about B14 suspension setup. I have know all along that the B14 is not going to respond to the same tuning as a B13 (because it just never did). After sinking tons of time, energy and money in my suspension I have learned that the most important thing to do to a B14 is get the rear beam bent to zero toe. It comes with ¼ inch of rear toe and that just makes the car handle like a pig in every corner. It understeers no matter what you do to it. Once you take that toe out it will be significantly better. The change is dramatic and until that is done you will not have a good handling car. The reason this is requires some visualization. Rear toe-in means that the rear tires are pointing toward the engine of the car/centerline of the car. When you turn the car into a corner most/all of the rear weight of the car shifts to the outside tire. This outside tire is pointed toward the corner and will do everything it can to follow the arc toward the corner due to that rear toe in. Now lets toe that rear tire “out” or the oppisite direction away from the engine/centerline of the car. Now when you turn the car into the corner the rear of the car will become loaded on the outside and that tire will try and take an outside track around the corner. In other words it will want to spin more readably. With a B14 rear beam the tires have minimal camber deflection/change under cornering and as a result the rear of the car is extremely stable/planted in a corner. You add that “toe in” and it is far to stable for competitive driving or even fun street driving. The b14 needs zero rear toe for properly handling of any sporting nature. Remember only about 5% of the b14’s were se-r’s and most are setup for the average person just going to work. I hope that helps people understand why a seemingly small change in alignment in the rear can make such a big difference in the way a car handles. Mike Kojima has stated on several occasions that with a Bent Rear Beam the B14 handles better on a roadcourse then a B13. After getting the beam bent you have some choices. All the discussion from this point forward assumes that you have a B14 with the Beam Bent to Zero toe.
Springs = The racers will say a small difference front to back is needed. 300f/250r that kind of thing. I can tell you that my car was awesome with 300/300 and big bars front and rear at the track. I think if I had a different front bar that would change. They say start with the springs setup. My plan is still to try several setups and see how it feels.
Swaybars Front = The B13 has a 28mm front bar that is solid (so I have been told). The Suspension Technique (ST) bar is poorly made so I wont recommend it (although I have one on my car for the time being). Whiteline has a 27mm solid bar that might be a great option because it uses the OEM endlinks, which is one of the major issues with the ST bar. Progress also has a excellent front adjustable bar but it is very expensive. Both Mike and Naji are running big front bars on their SE-R cup B14’s. I found I was able to use less front camber with the bigger bar and had better brakeing and acceleration traction with less front camber. For purely autocrossing the oem front bar is plenty but for highspeed work you will want a bigger front bar.
Swaybars Rear = In order of greatness: Progress, Stillen Whiteline, and ST. The last three all make adjustable rear bars. Progress and Stillen also support the rear-trailing arm of the axle adding some additional stiffness in that area. The ST bar is really too small. The Whiteline looks real nice for the price. Progress is the best BUT it is super expensive. Stillen is very nice also but not as easy to adjust as the progress from the looks of it. Time will tell.
Struts = Same as B13 for the most part. AGX’s, Koni’s, Motivational.
This is a excellent thread about these options. Personally Bang for the Buck seems to be in the TEIN area right now.
Eric is trying to get me to come out to his area and bend some beams. If you are interested check out
this thread.
Also, Mike Kojima and others chimed in over at Nissan forums about this topic as well. Interesting stuff
here.
Hope this is helpful to people.
