STS2 project updates... Whats up with your ride? (any class)

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:54 pm

Karl has a very good motto. This is why I waited to find a fairly low-mile car at roughly double the price of a ragged out beater. It sucks to have to skip an event because something blew up on the POS beater the day before.

--Kevin H.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:19 pm

I guess it's all relative to how much time or money you are willing to spend. If you want to spend a little time, plan on spending a lot of money. If you want to spend a little money, plan on spending a lot of time.
:word:

I'd love to have a brand new NB Miata, but at nearly $25K I can't justify it. Especially when you can find a nice used NA model for well under $10K. Besides I can do a lot of work to mine before I'm spending anywhere near that $25K price of a new one.

Doug Jackson · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:34 pm

I'll chime in. So far:

15" wheels, one of which is bent beyond repair or at least would cost more to fix than it is worth
FM solid sways going in tomorrow

In the future, replace the wheel, then whatever I can scrounge up.
Actually, struts first, then springs. header and exhaust and an RX7 AFM & some kind of filter element.

I'm still looking for 2 hollow-spoke OE wheels to make a complete set.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:57 pm

My turn to sound off...

Let's see...

Exhaust manifold - still in the box
Old, beat up turbo - still on the car
Extra set of wheels to put tires on - in the garage
Tires to put on said set of wheels - not ordered yet
piece of scrap carpet to cover rear deck (my brother can't find the one that came with the car

) to be legal in class - haven't gotten around to that either

Looks like I have some work to do between now and the first event.

I'm trying to remember why I decided not to race the Mustang this year!!!

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Sun Jan 16, 2005 8:18 pm

Wow, what a long strange trip it has been. I pranced around the yard like a conquoring nomad thumping my chest when it started. I wont lie, I had my doubts thru the various stages of this adventure and its been fun but I dont plan on doing this again (for awhile).

There are still some things left to do, I am figuring just like the oil pump, the water pump needs a bit of help to prime and I have the t-stat and gasket on in the wrong order, so it leaks. I need to get the axles back in, mount the battery (that little sucker is STRONG) and pimp the suspension but I know how to do that crap.

Ohh and the shinny silver header turned gold in a matter of 30 secs. It was weird...

Here are some pictures (some aint pretty, I still have some fiberglass work to do on the fenders as well)

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:48 am

No garage to work in ?!?!?! You're WAY more hard core than I'd be. I have a garage and a heater and I'm still pretty much a wuss about getting out there to work in the cold. (I'll do it, but I'm not happy about it.) You win man... outside in the rain (and it's probably like 45* there). Yuck!

Glad you got it running.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:35 am

Diane Hall wrote:

No garage to work in ?!?!?! You're WAY more hard core than I'd be.

No kidding. I have a garage, a propane heater (two of them actually), 20 gallon compressor...and I still hate it. I'm going to have to finally get the Integra back working for VIR full, and even though it's pretty trivial, I'm not looking forward to it.

Congrats on getting it going Ryan.

--Karl, increasingly big fan of "pay someone else to do it"

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:53 am

We're a dedicated team, Ryan and I. We will get this CRX prepped for the T&T one way or another. :word:

Dan Ecclestone · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 1:52 pm

Latest update:

Alignment done, not used to having so much neg camber available. More is not always better! I settled on -1.7 F and -2.2 R. There was about twice this much available, but most agree extreme neg camber isn't so good for the miatas. Test drive was very fun

Crisp turn in, no apparent understeer and the tail only comes out when asked to.

Tested the VLSD by turning the drive shaft to see if the wheels turn in same or opposite direction. They turn in the same direction, which lead me to believe the LSD is TOAST :cry:

I understand there is a better test, but I didn't have time to do it.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:12 pm

Dan Ecclestone wrote:

the LSD is TOAST :cry:

From what I've read the VLSDs don't last long at all. I'm glad my Miata has the Torsen.

So now Dan's goes from 4WD to 1WD. :wink:

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:24 pm

Dan Ecclestone wrote:

Tested the VLSD by turning the drive shaft to see if the wheels turn in same or opposite direction. They turn in the same direction, which lead me to believe the LSD is TOAST :cry:

I understand there is a better test, but I didn't have time to do it.

If they turn in the same direction, that's what you want. Opposite = open differential. You really can't trust this methodology with a VLSD, for my Miata's VLSD worked great, yet when raised up would spin them in opposite directions. - AB

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:16 pm

IIRC you can put the car in gear and lift one side then try spinning the tire -- the viscous should fight you a bit while open should spin quite free. Torsen should be unmovable.

At least this is what I remember... Mine is VERY open so there's no worries here.

--Kevin H.
(about to test open diffs in snow

)

Update: open diffs are terrible in snow! :lol:

At least I have all season tires (RE-950) instead of Azenis. :shock:

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:17 pm

Jack up so only 1 wheel is in the air. Then try to turn it, you can use a torque wrench on it as well to gauge how strog the LSD is.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Adam Ligon wrote:

Jack up so only 1 wheel is in the air. Then try to turn it, you can use a torque wrench on it as well to gauge how strog the LSD is.

That technique works great on a clutchpack LSD with an initial static force required to turn it. May not tell you anything on a VLSD, since the force to turn it will vary with the relative difference (F proportional to v). Initial force is probably zero.

In either case, be sure to put the torque wrench on a lug bolt perpendicular to a line through the axle - then the torque reading will be accurate.

FWIW - 89 325is w/120k = 40 lb-ft. 86 325es w/216k = 30 lb-ft.

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:06 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

May not tell you anything on a VLSD, since the force to turn it will vary with the relative difference (F proportional to v). Initial force is probably zero.
.

But who would want Goo as the LSD medium anyway :lol:

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