[Jason92Classic]

What is the baddest-assest suspension setup? I'm talking "Lotus-like" handling, .90+ skidpad g's. Are there differences in the suspension/chassis of the B13 & B14? Lemme know what you guys know/think and the differences therein.

Thanks,
J

 

[Ben]

Wow, talking about summing it up. Could make a webpage out of that.

Curious why you have 325front/450rear and just a rear swaybar. Do you oversteer like a Camaro?

 

[gpser96]

ehehehhem..<--clearing throat, welp the suspension systems on the bad ass scale are like this. For all SE-Rs the fornt suspensions are the same. B-13s up to '94 have independent rear end which allows more passive steering and adjustablity of camber and toe which are not adjustable with the B-14s 95-->and on.

Shocktech and Truechoice coilovers which cost roughly $1,500-$2,000 for all four corners allow tailored spring rates and double adjustable rebound and compression settings.
Down the food chain a little is the Motivational Engineering System featuring Koni adjustable shortened strut bodies and single rebound adjustments for around $800-$1000 for the whole set half the price and almost as good handling (look for this set-up on the new SCC 1.6 Sentra)

Then there is Ground Control Coil Over Sleeves and you could go with their racing double adjustable shocks. The sleeves you can fit over KYBs, GABs etc., and run around $400 without shocks. Double adjustable shocks put this system around $2000 also so you pay a premiunm to use their shortened body racing struts.

In addition to the aforementioned coilovers i have to stress the fact that the Nissan suspension system is very ride height challenged and if you are doing anything resembling track use or get after it autocrossing, i would stay away from Eibach PRo Kits and other normal wound springs. If you lower the car any, you crash into the bump stops on just about every little bump, and under any steady cornering. Pat G and i demolished his Tokico blues on Eibach Pro Kits in about 12 autocrosses.

Also in addition to the suspension systems you want to get some camber plates from Stillen or Grouind COntrol (which also allows caster adjustment in addition to camber) Also you can opt for the Nu-Tech front subframe brace and sway bars that are fully adjustable for the B-13 and front adjustbale for the B-14. Or Suspension Techniques makes front and rear sway bars for about the same price as the Nu-Tech but they are not adjustable.

Really the whole issue with our cars is to keep the damn front end from bottoming out. I am running 325f/450r on Ground COntrol Sleeves over AGX adjustables, stillen camber plates and and Suspension Techniques rear sway bar and strut tower braces. I can still bottom out the front suspension. Don't get me wrong though, its only lowered one inch from stock, and i destroyed STS in a local autocross so the suspension is working but it can WORK ALOT BETTER WITH MORE TRAVEL...

So if you do choose to spend a little money on the suspension make sure you get a shortened strut body like the ones i mentioned above...This is the ticket to get the SE-Rs to handle.!!

gpser96
1999 PRO SOLO National STR Champion 1993 Sentra SE-R and 1996 200 SX SE-R

 

[Jason92Classic]

um, wow, like, that was an incredible summation! So what about strut tower braces and sway bars? Where do they come into play and are they all about the same or should they even be used?

 

[gpser96]

>Curious why you have 325front/450rear and >just a rear swaybar. Do you oversteer like
>a Camaro?


Don't i wish but nah, no really bad oversteer. The car REALLY rotates in the corners and is actually neutral for the most part. The stock sway bar i left in the front and the rear sway bar i have an ST bar which is about 3/4 inch thick solid bar. The stock front bar is 1 inch thick and it is hollow. All ST and Nu-Tech bars are solid and their stiffness is about twice what the hollow bars are. You don't want to go real stiff with bars anyways and here's why...

>question....
>So what about strut tower braces
>and sway bars? Where do they come into play >and are they all about the same or
>should they even be used?

Tune your handling with the springs. Make the car handle as YOU like it to handle with the spring rates, this retains any independency of the suspension and each wheel. By slapping on a huge bar you reduce the independency of each wheel and dictate the offside wheel movement by what the other wheel connected to a roll bar is doing. What you feel in hard cornering is a gradual break away or increase in rear wheel slip angle and if the bar binds a sudden wheel hop, usually you get this with a big rear bar.

Alternatively, if use tune the handling with springs, each corner of the car acts independently (do a larger degree) than if two wheels are connected by a huge roll bar. SO handling is much more predictable, you reduce any sway bar binding and you get a smooth breakaway with you slip angles...and isn't predicatability what we want as well as increased cornering grip.

Now the strut tower bars and braces retain suspension alignment during hard corners. They do this by reducing the "flex" that occurs as the suspension goes through its travel and is affected by G-forces of cornering braking etc. The braces act to support the chassis contact points and keep the suspension alignment as close to stationary settings as possible. They are a "reactive" device where as sway bars are an "active" handling device much like springs only they act between two wheels as opposed to one like a spring.

Hope this helps...
gp

 

[Zak91SER]

My 2 cents... I think the Truechoice Stage 4 is the baddest of the bad at the moment. But at $2400, it's also the most expensive. I have the Motivational suspension, and for $1350, it kicks ass. The differences between the Motivational and the Truechoice stage 4 are:

The Truechoice has tender springs and double adjustable shocks. The Motivational has single adjustable shocks and no tender springs. I can tell you though, that putting the Motivational suspension on my car, and getting a really good alignment that my car easily pulls more than .90 Gs right now. With race tires it'll probably pull over a G.

Ask George Roffe if you want another opinion on the Motivational setup, he drove my car. It tracks like it's on rails, it's pretty intense. BTW, I have 325 lb springs in the front and 250 lb in the rear. It's very neutral and will oversteer at the limit. Plus, I have an additional 3-4" of travel all the way around thanks to the shortened shock bodies.

 

[Jason92Classic]

thanks, ya'll. Keep the notes and comments coming so that I can soak it all up and make a choice!

Thanks again,
J