Beginers drift set up. opinions wanted

[raging panda]

learning to drift stock sucks, i did it, i learned a lot, but open diff drifting doesn't translate into drifting with a diff, only thing you get used to is weight shifting, which is important, but not something you should hold out on getting parts for to learn. LSD, bucket seat, coilovers, in that order imo.

a bucket seat is essential, i learned the first time around with my first 240 how much i needed it, and i bought a bucket seat before i bought my second 240. it makes THAT big a difference. i find being comfortable in my car makes the biggest difference since you can fully concentrate on driving the car.

a spring shock combo is alright, but most people plan on upgrading to coilovers anyways, so its a step that i would just skip and save a little longer to get coilovers, but anything is better than old mostly blown stock shocks and super soft springs.

[S3t0_S13]

wat kinda bucket seats do u have, im gettin some sparcos, anythin else u would reccomend?

[driftin2trance]

i got a momo start. cheap and very comfortable.

[raging panda]

ive had a sparco sprint, sparco speed, and sparco pro 2000. The prices listed are what ive come across, you can find them cheaper generally, but remember you also need to buy sliders and brackets on top of those prices and those run around 200-250 to mount them in your car.

1st - my favorite is the pro 2000, holds you like nothing else but i had to shell out quite a bit for it, but i think its worth it. 750$ retail

2nd - sparco sprint, im a bigger guy and i fit into the seat very snugly, but not uncomfortably so. most of my friends use this seat. 220ish$ retail

3rd - speed is the smallest, and isnt fia approved, i didnt fit in it as well and kind of uncomfortable for me. 220ish$ retail

i dont have any experience with any other seats, most guys use the sprint and i would buy it again if i had a tighter budget.

[driftin2trance]

i debated between momo start and sparco speed, i picked the momo cause its a 5 pt and approved. about the same price. as for teh sliders, if ur tall, u should get a seat that has a side mount cause u can mount them lower for cheaper rather then buyin bride seat rails. what i did is bought the momo and made my own cusotm seat bracket...i pretty much sit on the floor.

[Liquidus]

Here's basically how you should build your car on a budget, while trying to include the things you want.

1. Buy LSD.

1.5 or 2 way you decide. You must have this, and since you have a decent enough budget set aside don't even waste time on vlsd.

2. Buy coilovers.

If you want to save money don't drop the car too low, or you'll need new RUCA's and toe rods to fix your alignment. They are better than springs because they are stiffer, and have built in camber plates, which is insanely helpful.

Don't waste time/money on just springs. Use the budget you have now to buy the most important mods, LSD and coils. Set your alignment up for a good amount of negative camber up front especially. Now you should be able to drift pretty well.

3. Get decent tires for your front wheels. If you have money left in your budget get new wheels too, make sure to get a good offset. Larger wheels = lower profile sidewall = less rolling onto sidewall and bad traction.

Keep in mind if you don't get new wheels or get new wheels w/ bad offset you may want/need spacers to get your wheels to clear your coils.

You will need at least one extra set of wheels/tires if you plan on attending a drift day or practice. Depending on what you decide to do you could easily be done there and not worry about anything else.

If you really want a seat and want good and cheap get a buddy club seat. I've seen them listed for around $299 and they are very nice.

A good seat is very important, but just not as important as coilovers, lsd, and halfway decent tires. So use your budget accordingly and you will have a good drift car. If you are just starting don't bother with a cage yet. Practice for a while first (drift days and practices don't require cages), then put one in if/when you think you are ready to try comps.

Anyhow, thats my long-winded 2 cents. But i think you will find most people follow the lsd, then coilovers order of mods. I bought new shocks springs after my lsd to save money and wish i hadn't and just waited and saved a little more for coilovers. The camber plates alone are worth it, and the increased stiffness helps you drift longer.

[S3t0_S13]

wat kind of upgrade do u reccomend next for suspension?

[Liquidus]

Next following coilovers you mean? Probably just some RUCA's and Toe rods so you can lower the car and customize your alignment, but sway bars are really important too and relatively cheap, so i guess it just depends on how you want to do things.

If you don't lower the car too much you can probably get a decent alignment and drive on the stock RUCA's and TC rods, and then buy sway bars first. Or, since you already would have pretty stiff suspension you could ignore upgrading your sway bars right away in favor of the rucas and toe control rods.

Its all important but its sort of up to you after the LSD and coils as to which direction you want to go. RUCA's, TC rods, and sway bars as far as suspension goes, then racing seat and exhaust.

Racing seat = better feel for what car is doingExhaust = hear what the car is doing better

Neither one is necessarily for incresed car performance (although exhaust my help hp a little and seat lighten car a little), but will help the driver.

[jiinkz]

I'll put in 2cents real quick too....

Liquidus is on the money for the most part, but I can tell you that more important than setting up your car setup is time behind the wheel... for the first year and a half of my driving all i had on my car was a set of shi++y progress springs, a viscous diff and a set of tc rods and made do with just buying tires and entry fees and stuff to events.

Sooner or later as skill level rose I decided to mod up some more and slapped on some tanabe DD's kaaz 2 way and some white line sways...a ways down the line i threw in a bride zeta3. after that the car stayed the same til about a year ago when i crashed it and threw it away...

With the basic setup of diff, coilovers, sways, tc rods and a bucket seat the car did everything i needed it to do, i was able to win competitions, make top 16 at drift showoffs, and really had no issues with it...

Now though, i'm on to a full race car that is nothing but bug after bug after bug that has to get chased down....

So, as far as a beginner set up, i suggest first mod is a set of coilovers. shortly there after jump to a REAL diff, get rid of any thought in your mind that a VLSD is any thing but garbage, because that is all it is. After a couple seconds of abuse at a track, on the street, or dodging cones, the VLSD is as good as open diff. Saddle up and get a clutch diff kiddos.

Seat is a good thing to get, keeps you from having to worry about bracing your *** from sliding around and can let you focus on driving instead....but its not the most important thing...if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket go for it....

otherwise stick to good suspension mods....coilovers, tc rods, ruca, subframe bushing spacers, tie rods and ends etc...

[S3t0_S13]

wel my seats are really bad, like horrible condition, i wanna get the sparco sprints, but i dont noe about the mountaing and everything, ill get the sliders, and have the seats welded on by a pro.as for my car this is my curren setup

Whiteline front sway bar (no damn endlinks for the back@)Tokico Blue ShocksSprtline SpringsApexi ExhaustBrembo Brake RotorsFalken Ziex 512 17

i want a decent setup for my racing seats but dont know wat i need to do to install themim going to the sparco sale on march 11 at irvine, pick up some sprints for cheap.

[Neil]

i went to my third event yesterday, but it was the first time with coilovers, diff and seat/harness. What an amazingly huge difference.

The diff made the most noticable impact, then the seat, and i felt the suspension actually made the least difference... but it did help a lot to keep the car planted evenly.

using throttle input to control the hairy edge of traction while sliding is an awesome feeling. I chose an ATS Deftforce 2-way for my differential, I bought a NEX (no name) bucket seat off someone for $100, and have silkroad coilovers. I was able to link the course like I knew what i was doing

[fullthrtl_tech]

man im not gonna tell u what to do with your car cuz u r off 2 a good start. just take into consideration what all these guys say cus they know there ****. lsd is where its at, i read earlier dont mess with a viscious and i agree if u can afford a clutch type go with it, they r amazing. but suspension and lsd r the most important besides being comfortable. if u r really on a budget then only buy one seat. who gives a **** about your passenger they just add weight anyways.well thats my 2 cents i guess but goodluck at whatever u do man

[naed240sx]

man im not gonna tell u what to do with your car cuz u r off 2 a good start. just take into consideration what all these guys say cus they know there ****. lsd is where its at, i read earlier dont mess with a viscious and i agree if u can afford a clutch type go with it, they r amazing. but suspension and lsd r the most important besides being comfortable. if u r really on a budget then only buy one seat. who gives a **** about your passenger they just add weight anyways.well thats my 2 cents i guess but goodluck at whatever u do man

No offence, but do you own any of these things? It sounds like you either don't own a car, or have a completely stock 240. I could be wrong, but please don't regurgitate things that you read on the web, without any personal experience.

[Neil]

u r off 2 a good start.

hah forget starting, im almost finished... just need hard links, sways and a fmic so i can actually use my boost controller

[S3t0_S13]

i went 2 the sparco sale in irvine picked up a pair of $1200 Torino II seats for only 500. WHAT A DEAL !!! and a steering wheel thats $300 for only 50. so im set. now i jus need the hub and the sliders and im gonna weld my seats on, im not gonna cough up 300 dollars for brackets. anyways i was really looking up differentials, ive been really researching alternates to it, like opening it up or using the J30 Diff. wat do u guys suggest i do after these seats for a begginers set-up?

thxs

[naed240sx]

i went 2 the sparco sale in irvine picked up a pair of $1200 Torino II seats for only 500. WHAT A DEAL !!! and a steering wheel thats $300 for only 50. so im set. now i jus need the hub and the sliders and im gonna weld my seats on, im not gonna cough up 300 dollars for brackets. anyways i was really looking up differentials, ive been really researching alternates to it, like opening it up or using the J30 Diff. wat do u guys suggest i do after these seats for a begginers set-up?

thxs

remember that with the j30 diff, you need the axles and driveshaft as well. I suggest finding one from an importer on ebay. Viscous diffs are better than open, but will eventually lose their locking capability. If you can afford it, clutch diffs are the best for drifting. A welded diff is also excellent for drifting, and pretty much acts like a full time 2 way, but is not very streetable. They are however, very cheap.

[Neil]

I've come to realize that "beginners setup" is totally subjective.

does that mean youre legit about drifting and eventually want to have an "advanced" setup? if so, my opinion is you should bypass spending money on the "less than good parts" stage, and just bite it and save up for the real parts i.e. coils and clutch diff... and realize that the car just might turn out less streetable than you'd hoped it would be. if you don't like the car afterward, you can always remove the things you dont find comfortable and resell them.

If by 'beginners' setup you mean you want to build a mediocre setup to see if you can get the car to slide but you dont really want to get into it more than that because you either cant afford it or just don't want to, then get springs/struts and a used vlsd, and just know both will be less than optimum and will wear prematurely if abused frequently.

[S3t0_S13]

wat do u mean by not streetable?

wat does having a open or 2 way diff do to youand whats the diff between them, cuz personally i can drift a lil with stock diff the way it is its jus harder 2 get it 2 slide but thats all

[naed240sx]

wat do u mean by not streetable?

wat does having a open or 2 way diff do to youand whats the diff between them, cuz personally i can drift a lil with stock diff the way it is its jus harder 2 get it 2 slide but thats all

It is quite possible to drift well with an open diff. Search for the answer to you other questions. They have been covered often.

[fullthrtl_tech]

man thats pretty ****ty to hate on me and act like idk what im talkin about. Im not tryin front so dont play it like that. I still rock stock seats # 1, this guy is very insitanty that he wants seats, so i recomended the seats, yeah u can drift a stock suspension easy, im sayin i prefer the adjustibilty a nice set of coils gives u. I dont own coils because im 2 broke, but im gettin a set of kei office this summer. And the thing about the viscous man is that a viscous isnt a true lsd. Its a silicone liquid with a high viscosity trying to force its way through little plates in the diff, all i was trying to say is i prefer clutch, the engagment is much better and when its heated the impact on performance is nowhere near as much as a viscous. You know heat=not good for viscosity. Yeah so how can you hate on me dude when ive been working in shops since i was 16, have woned 4 240s, helped on swaps, installed mad amounts off diffs and work on suspension components all day long. Yes this 240 is stock because i have no money due to the fact im in college now...but im done i seven weeks and have a job that pays $16 dollars an hour when i leave so she wont be stock much longer. Im not tryin to be that guy im just sayin dont hate if u dont know me.

[naed240sx]

man thats pretty ****ty to hate on me and act like idk what im talkin about. Im not tryin front so dont play it like that. I still rock stock seats # 1, this guy is very insitanty that he wants seats, so i recomended the seats, yeah u can drift a stock suspension easy, im sayin i prefer the adjustibilty a nice set of coils gives u. I dont own coils because im 2 broke, but im gettin a set of kei office this summer. And the thing about the viscous man is that a viscous isnt a true lsd. Its a silicone liquid with a high viscosity trying to force its way through little plates in the diff, all i was trying to say is i prefer clutch, the engagment is much better and when its heated the impact on performance is nowhere near as much as a viscous. You know heat=not good for viscosity. Yeah so how can you hate on me dude when ive been working in shops since i was 16, have woned 4 240s, helped on swaps, installed mad amounts off diffs and work on suspension components all day long. Yes this 240 is stock because i have no money due to the fact im in college now...but im done i seven weeks and have a job that pays $16 dollars an hour when i leave so she wont be stock much longer. Im not tryin to be that guy im just sayin dont hate if u dont know me.

Alright, sorry dude. BTW, heat does equall good for viscosisity in the case of viscous diffs. That is what makes them lock up.

[fullthrtl_tech]

you are rigth, i wrote hat early in the morning. I didnt mean to get ll defensive all i was tryin to say is youll most likely get a visc. diff. used and after they go through a certain number of heat cycles the silicone liquid starts to loose some of its properties. Heat is good operation wise in a visc diff, but in the long run it kills them and chances are you might get one thats been used and abused and seen many heat cycles. Im not hatin on visc. diffs i had one in my91 and i loved it, i got it from a cnadien car and they are real nice but they dont like the cold as much. I was sayin i preferd a clutch because after i have driven clutch diffed cars i have fallen in love. The instant engagement makes initiations a breeze and make them real fun to drive. Yeah uc an drift and open diff...hah i do it all day long but an lsd is always an amazing upgrade regardless. budget-visc is a good way to go. If you have cash i would go clutch type. As soon as i can scroung 750 up im gettin a nismo 4 sure to accompany my black top. justin waitin for jarco to get a 180 front clip and then im in business. Sorry 4 bein a d!ck it just struck a nerve, im an ******* in the mornin. I was just tryin to say i knew my **** and dint need to be hated on.

[S3t0_S13]

egh i dont have money for a LSD anytime soon, i made a mistake getting the sparcos before a LSD, but i can save up again, and these seats are amazingly comfortable. what is exactly the cheapest bang for the buck i can get for a lsd, to get it good for better response

and in the mean time im sure their are ppl like me who dont have lsd's, wat kind of "techniques" do u reccomend to be able to drift or screech on a turn or 2i know im desperate and poor so help me out here

[Neil]

You can get a Torsen helicle diff for under $500 i think? S15's come with them stock but theyre not meant for drifting. Theyre excellent for road racing, but If one wheel loses too much traction (which is a condition you can easily replicate while drifting) it acts like an open diff. I forget how they technically work but I read about them somewhere and remember how it made sense for the helicle design to do that.

The cheapest cheapest way is to get your diff welded. Next would be a phantom grip insert... but i'd only install one in an extra diff and have my AAA card with me at all times. I think you can still get nismo street diffs for like $500, i dont know weather theyre clutch or viscous though.

My deftforce is an amazing drift diff, but its so not meant for the street... I live in a mountainous area and have some pretty twisty roads. The deftforce is so sensitive I have to watch out for significant changes in handling thru the turns as it locks on throttle, unlocks in neutral throttle and locks again while letting off enough to decelerate. That's a basic charactaristic of a 2-way clutch type diff, but the deftforce in particular is very agressive.

I did ok clutch kicking my open diff but youre only sliding with momentum... how far that momentum carries you depends entirely on what speed youve got, since youre mostly dragging yourself along on a wheel with no power on it after the initial kick. feints or whatever (i dont know moves, i just do what feels right) use near-edge handling and slight disruptive inputs to initiate a slide... which i guess sounds reasonable to be able to do with an open diff, but yr not going to be 3rd gear 75mph drifting if youre smart.
Modified by Neil at 8:54 AM 3/24/2006

[S3t0_S13]

i dont know a lot of people tell me to get rid of my 17's that i have on with falken ziex 512's but their pretty decent, and also i have apexi N1 Dual 3' catback running with my stock Ka24DE. they say im losing a lot of power, i bought the car like this so i dont know what should i do, the car looks and sounds great, and it can perform OK but im stuck ,

[kamikazi]

i think the only thing your loosing with the 3' catback would be bottom end, you still have some back pressure with the stock mani and cat. someone please correct me if i am wrong.

[S3t0_S13]

i dunno i told some ppl they said piping after the cat is losing power, but if i get a turbo in soon, do i have 2 change the rest of the piping for better power, or all that changed from the cat 2 muffler is enough of a gain, cuz right now at 2RPM i set off alarms, with silencers on too!! its a very low rumbling sound lol

[Neil]

only change out your exhaust if its too loud or gaudy looking for your own tastes. Yin: some people love a loud *** exhaust. Yang: I dont need everyone staring at me as I roll up setting off alarms when i want to go buy groceries for the week.

3" piping on an old 2.48 litre N/A 4Cyl motor is overkill in my opinion, but if youre serious about working toward a turbo setup then there's no good reason to change it. Especially because the low-end torque loss is legitimately neglegable. Your friends are right, The motor is probably losing a bit of low end grunt, but In the grand scheme of things you realistically aren't going to feel a change of 5hp. The only thing you would HAVE to change about the exhaust with a turbo setup is what is before the cat, which is a no brainer.

17"s are typically heavy with most 17" tires being performance/grip minded... your 512's arent the stickiest but theyre a lot more so than my old bridgestone all seasons. Pro drift racers use 17"s and 18"s and expensive low profile tires since theyre capable of providing much better control due to even wear and consistent grip throughout the treadlife with virtually no sidewall flex, but they also have tons of power to get them to break loose and sponsors to provide the rims and a stockpile of these expensive tires. AE86"s typically run 14" wheels because they dont have the kind of superfluous power required to light up big shiny rims.

It is possible that you would notice the illusion of a bump in power with some light 15"s since theyre smaller mass to get moving.

for us beginners, the cheapest **** you can get your hands on for wheels/tires is good enough to go out to a track and test your skills with.
Modified by Neil at 7:33 PM 4/3/2006

[TanManS14]

i debated between momo start and sparco speed, i picked the momo cause its a 5 pt and approved. about the same price. as for teh sliders, if ur tall, u should get a seat that has a side mount cause u can mount them lower for cheaper rather then buyin bride seat rails. what i did is bought the momo and made my own cusotm seat bracket...i pretty much sit on the floor.

Sorry but I just read this, anyways I have, or will have a head room problem pretty soon, Im pushing 6'4 and my head is about and inch from the ceiling(it has a sunroof, but Im not really in a position to sell for one that dosnt have one). Im seventeen, and I might grow more. Are you a pretty tall guy, and how much do you think you lowered your seat height? Is it still comfortable for shifting, peddles and heel toe ect? Cause I can imagine what would happen if I went to drift day with a helmet, there would be a crook in my neck the size of texas by the time I was done. Thanks.

[Joe]

the bride's lower it about 3-5 inches. not sure the exact amount but lets just say with my stock seat my head hits the celing when im in the "proper driving position" and wearing a helmet, and with me in an evo with the bottom pads removed and using bride rails i have about 3 or 4 inches of headroom.

im not overly tall @ 6' but i sit upright when on track (as you should). if you are leaning back in your stock seat you might lose a TON more headroom putting a bucket in the car.