LOL!!! I know the line you're thinking of!!

 

Hey !!! Please don't forget what this thread is about! I think all who are interested want further updates on your driving impressions with your new set up. And by the way why was your steering wheel off center?

 

Good question...and I'd love some feedback on this issue.

Here goes:

The shop who took on the job is called Factor X Engineering. They are a high end tuner shop that works mostly on the Acura NSX. I was refered to them by the HKS website. The local Nissan dealers seemed leary of doing the job correctly (I did appreciate their honesty, however), so these guys seemed to be the most qualified shop locally. Had I not found them, I was planning on driving the car to Performance Nissan in California. I should have done so.

When I dropped off the car, I asked the installer if he was going to do an alignment. He said it was not necessary......that it would only be necessary if I dropped the car more than 1.5". I said, "Are you sure?" he answered, "Yes." Okay......he's the expert, not me. If I knew as much as him, I'd be doing the install myself.

After the install, I paid the owner, Mike, $480 for the six hour quote @ $80 per hour. I knew they had finished in 4.5 hours or less, but hey, that's what he quoted.....and I was hoping it would just be good money spent on quality work. Besides, at that point, I wanted to create a good relationship with these guys to be the future installers of either the HKS SC system or APS TT system on my Z.

When driving home, I immediately noticed that the wheel was turned about 5-7 degrees to the left. I called "Bosco," the installer, and he said to bring it back. I did so two days later, and after briefly checking his work, he said, "Mike said it just needs an alignment." I asked him why he told me no alignment would be necessary when I first brought the car in, and he said that he's an expert on the NSX, not Nissans.

Had they told me in the first place that the car would need an alignment (duh...my mistake for listening to the "expert"), and that they DID NOT even do alignments, I would have packed up and taken the car to Perfomance Nissan, who quoted me $325 for the install, including what their service writer said was the "necessary" alignment.

So......I speak with the owner, Mike, and he says he cannot even recommend an alignment shop in Las Vegas that he would trust.
In an email today, he also said he assumed I knew that an alignment would be necessary. Uh....I did.....or at least I thought I did until his NSX "expert" said I didn't. Hell, they've got about 6-8 NSX's sitting around in various stages of modification......pretty impressive. Who am I to argue with the expert?

The bottom line is, now I paid too much for an incomplete job. It's not the money....$480 is not gonna change my life. But I do think I was misled a bit by an honest mistake by someone who really didn't know what he was talking about. Mike, however, does not seem the least bit compelled to rectify the situation (caused by his empolyee's mistake) at all....at least not yet.

Now, aren't you sorry you asked why my "steering wheel is off center??? "

 

Any other long term comments on handling so far? I am looking at doing the same set-up. Have you taken it on twisties, etc. Did you do the sways? If not, how is the handling in corners, etc.? Is the bounce completely gone?

Thanks!

Craig

 

Actually no! because now I can do my own research at Performance and confirm if an alignment is really the issue here. I have talked to the people at Performance on numerous occasions specifically about h tech and the need for an alignment and they told me over and over NO alignment would be necessart on such a minor drop. I think you mentioned an uneven drop front, and right to left, what's that all about? Sorry for your headaches,don't let it spoil your enjoyment of your"Z"

 

I don't remember the name of the service writer I spoke to at Performance Nissan, but he did say I would need an alignment....he said when you replace springs and shocks, it's pretty much a given.

I'm not sure about the uneven drops....at this point, I'm just attributing it to the settling of the springs. I'm not sure if a poor install could cause this. Both rear and front are off by about 1/8" now. I doubt this would be causing the off center steering wheel.

Any experts out there care to weigh in?

 

I haven't done the sways yet, but the car both handles and rides better. The bounce is history. Like I said, the difference is not night and day, but it doesn't have to be. The high-strung edge has been taken off the car, and it's easier to control at the limit.

 

I've seen this many times on other cars. Sometimes springs just settle a little differently. The difference should always be small, though. 1/8th of an inch is similar to what I've seen on other cars.

That's why you should always let your suspension fully settle in before you go and get it re-aligned. Oh, on that note: every suspension installer I've ever been to has always said an alignment is a good idea after any suspension install.

 

Actually that's a "he". Very ironic, I found out at Z Con car show.

Victor