Best Budget Handling Upgrades?

[FergO2k]

I have a 2000, and found myself "plowing" with 185's and upgraded to 195's, like them a lot better.
+1 on alignment, makes a world of difference. I used Gordon Glasgow's numbers. (streetable, with auto-x use capable)
-1 on KYB Gas-A-Just. The have to much rebound, they perform as not only a shock but also a spring, so the car does not drop as much as I would like with comp springs.
Tires and tire pressure make a HUGE difference.

[Pjackb]

.
Tires and tire pressure make a HUGE difference.

OMG How could I forget about that ,

Here's a very enlightening exercise to learn how your car behaves at different pressures

Get all your tires properly inflated to the manufacturers recommended pressure (should be around 30f 32R for modern tires) and go for an agressive drive on a KNOWN challenging road and see how she feels

You then do the same drive again once overinflating the rears tires only to about 38psi and another time underinflating them to 25psi (don't touch the fronts)


You will be amazed at how different she will feel at each settings

[FergO2k]

Good test. The auto-x guys (I am told) use chalk on the edge of the treads and first part of the sidewalls, to see how much the tire is rolling side to side, and adjusting accordingly. This can help the learning curve as well.

[SLOroadster]

Front springs, Mike Youngs seem to be the closest to correct roll center and spring rate. Anything less than a set of Konis for dampers isn't worth buying. Don't mess with the rear springs unless you have re-arched comp springs. 23mm anti sway bar up front, none in the rear. Alignment -2 degrees camber (I have -1.75 and chew the outsides of the tires up) , 0 toe, and as much caster as you can get. The biggest tire you are going to get under stock unrolled fenders is a 195, and even then you might run into issues in the back depending on the wheels. 185s might be a bit on the small side, but hard to say. There really isn't anything worth buying in a 195 (the falken azenis are junk. I highly doubt anyone will be running them at autoX national championships. Everyone will be on Dunlops, Bridgestones or Hankooks. Sadly only the Dunlops come in a 14, and only in a 185. I'd still roll the dice on those over a 195 Falken.)

Learning how to be a better driver is always a good step. If you want to get a ton of runs in and really learn the car, Trackmasters runs an autoX at Sears Point 2 more times this year. Its often possible to get greater than 20 runs, sometimes closer to 40 runs in the day.

Will

[AidanDawn2000]

Thanks for all the great tips! I like tire pressure and alignment particularly as those sound like a big impact for quite cheap

[AidanDawn2000]

Wider wheels and tires probably won't happen for a while as the good stuff there is pricey and i'm really like the look of these almost new 185 tigerpaws
I do have a CL feed going for that elusive set of 15x6 4x114.3 +15 Watanabe RS-8s. Don't hold your breath tho
Just look at how sweet those whitewalls look!

[Gregs672000]

So if the Gas adjusts are pogo makers, do the GR-2s offer a better solution? I realize the higher end shocks are awesome as I can attest to, but I also know what it is to be on a budget.. his shocks are wasted, so ANYTHING would likely be better, no?

[AidanDawn2000]

Mr. Young himself runs KYBs on his comp equipped cars as dose Premo....can they really be that bad for $35 a corner?

[Pjackb]

Mr. Young himself runs KYBs on his comp equipped cars as dose Premo....can they really be that bad for $35 a corner?

Don't forget much of what is shared on forums are opinions, so personally I always take comments that deal in absolute (good or bad) with a huge grain of salt.

From everything I read it seems the KYB are an ok alternative to the OEM while you save money to get some Bilstein

[SLOroadster]

Mr. Young himself runs KYBs on his comp equipped cars as dose Premo....can they really be that bad for $35 a corner?

I don't think I've ever seen either one of them drive their car truly hard. If your shocks are totally blown, then yes KYBs are better than nothing, but not by much. They don't have anywhere near enough rebound damping to control a comp spring. Heck, even the normal Konis are hard pressed to do that. (Revalved ones should be fine.)

Since you are running all high treadwear all season tires, with soft sidewalls, steel wheels (scary, check for cracks), your cornering limits will be reached at a very low level. If you do stiffer springs with a stiffer front anit sway bar, again, the tires will give up first.

If your car bounces to the point that you get sea sick, the kybs will ensure that it takes slightly longer to get sea sick. KYBs will Keep You Bouncing, just not as much as a totally blown set of dampers. They are OEM equivalent nothing more.

Will

[RCMike]

Hmmm.. Ok, my two cents..

You are not trying to go set a PB at the track, rather make the car safe and fun..

Stick with the squirmy tires. They will teach you how the car handles at a limit that you can recover from, easily..

The KYB will work just fine with the basic springs. replace the blown shocks and enjoy until you get serious about track.

Ball joints are very important. Get it done and keep everything greasy. Sin City Datsuns has a nice option here.

A front sway bar will make you happy.

Brakes.. Please do brakes..

Going to a set of super sticky tires and a comp setup is a tough place to learn how to drive one of these.. Learn the car with low limits and wide recovery.. As you increase the limits, the edge gets much sharper, and when you get over the edge, the car does not come back...

Just my opinion..

[notoptoy]

^+1 Very well said Mike!

[Mainer311]

Someone just listed these on eBay. Probably need a rebuild.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-Roadster ... NG&vxp=mtr

[notoptoy]

Probably need a rebuild.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-Roadster ... NG&vxp=mtr

That's a lot of money for crapped out Koni's. They definitely need a lot of work, each shock is at a different extension from it's mate. Why get these and then have to spend twice as much to get them revalved?

[Skyman]

I ran the KYB Gas Adjusts before going with the Koni's. The KYB's are good shocks. Just a little bouncy compared to the Koni's. Urethane bushings will also help in keeping things nice and tight.