Solo 2 Natls BS Results
 

As reported earlier Carter was 6th in the 60 car BS class...37 well driven/well preped s2k's.
WE had hoped for a top five finish and almost made it. It rained the first day and the conditions made things very difficult for all drivers.We had full tread Khumos for the rain as did all the top ten finishers that day.The Z is a very good rain car but you just can't use that torque when the track is wet.
In the dry on day two the Z was "hooked" on the Hoosiers...our setup was near perfect. Unfortunately Carter's first and third runs were ruined by the ABS going into the dreaded "ice mode"where you exit a long slalom and immediately turn right ( causing a rear wheel to be off the ground at just the wrong time).
The ice mode problem is our only real concern with the car for autocrossing.We talked to a few owners who have encountered the ice mode on the street...ex exiting a freeway ,hit a pothole on the offramp at the same time brakes are applied. WE are writing a letter to Nissan to complain and ask for help on the ice mode problem and ENCOURAGE others to do the same.
Get ready s2k's,next year the Z will be even more competitive.

Have you considered undoing the 2 wire connectors at the brake switch? I believe this will totally deactivate all the systems, as the VDC, SLIP and ABS lights all come on when disconnected.

Great job, btw!:D

We cannot disconnect anything in Stock class but will try that as an experiment at a local event when we get a course that causes the icemode problem...only happens when hard transitions lift a rear wheel just before braking.....we think.

Hey jim (I assume Jim right), Congrats on the finish. I'll tell ya for a first year car you guys are doing awesome. Andy Dropped a Hint to me that I should expect my car to go to AS next year weither or not that Happens I'd put money on carter. Hopefully my Financial situation will take a swing for the better So I can keep the car and give you guys a run. If not I've been offered a SM2 Co-drive... HEHEHE.

ANYWAY, down to the real question... Remember that Triangle Brain teaser you had at the divisional in Nashville? Did you ever solve it, or do you have a copy of it. That thing is still screwing with my mind!!!!

Congrats on the finish!!! :)

I have only been to two autocrosses so far so sorry for a noob question but what exactly is the "ice mode" problem?

thanks

Dmitry

Good job for the home team!!!

Certainly post any comments or thoughts you have about autocrossing the 350. there are a lot of us newbies out here who never gave autocross much thought until buying this car.

Ian.......I'll look for the brain teaser and let you know..you shouldn't worry about things like that....not good for you.

Re AS...I'm surprised that the S2k is even rumored for a move to AS. Wonder why at this late date?What is Andy going to drive next?

Dmitry......"ice mode" is when the ABS thinks the car is on a slippery surface and the system greatly retards braking force.In our case..autocrossing....we think when we have a rear wheel off the ground at the instant brakes are applied that the wheel speed sensors see a big change in wheel speed and the brake force is retarded....on our car the pedal goes rock hard and it feels like no brakes at all and we over shot the corner. Same thing can happen on the street when a wheel hits a pothole and is off the ground the instant brakes are applied....and we know of two Z drivers that have encountered this. We suspect the Z ABS system is too sensitive and needs a little reprograming...don't know if we can convience Nissan and get a TSB.

Last I heard Andy was looking at a ASP Rx-7. I think the rumors of the S2000 going to AS are coupled with it staying with the S2200 which will likely be an AS car. It receives much wider wheels in my opinion better gearing, and slightly more torque.

Jim- I was there too in 49 car, anyway my track did the ice thing last weekend at an event, felt like hot brakes feel, hard pedal, and not much stopping power, so add me to the list.
Congrats again, hope to see you both at future events, and send letters to get the S2K into AS :}

Hey John......yep that's exactly how the ice mode feels. Be sure to write Nissan North America. My letter only mentions the off ramp pot hole senerio ...no mention of racing.

braking
 

One of the Corvette National Hotshot guys was in Idaho last weekend to work with a Mazda driver, anyway, I told him what had happened.
The response was to use a sort of 2 phase braking, initial soft contact, then push hard. He said the Z06 does the same thing. If you stab the pedal hard, the ABS kicks in, and will not go off till you restart the car.

Jim,

How do you guys have your Z set up?

I'm planning my mods for next season. I picked up an extra set of the Track model Rays wheels (8"F/8.5"R) and am torn between 245 Hoosiers and 265 Kuhmos. I'm thinking about running the Hoosiers up front and the kuhmos in the rear.

I was planning on picking up Koni s.a. or are duals worth the price?

I was going to go with the Evo adjustable front sway and run it a little looser than stock.

Any idea about some negative camber for the front? Does anyone make crash bolts for the Z yet?

I'm planning on a drop-in K&N and a Borla dual exhaust also.

What type of harnes works for the Z?

Any advice? :) Thanks!

Thompson setup

Enthusiast Model
275/40/17 Hoosier is the tire for the car(275/35/18 for Track)
Koni DA (the Koni SA's should be available soon)
Kodiak Wheels(16.5#) the 18' Rays are best 18" wheels
1/4" wheel spacers
Muffler removed
Schroth harness
camber...stock....Frt 0.9 neg,rear 1.5 neg
Toe.....................FRt 0.25" out,rear 0.25"in
weight with 5gal fuel=3030#

Ian......John Bartlebauh has Triangle brain teaser. Contact him at
jb-eng@comcast.net and he will email to you.

John...thanks for investigating. We have gotten that same advice from Vette drivers.Unfortunately it is easier to say than do....most often we don't have time for two phase breaking...wish we did.

Jim,
Congrats to Carter! I hope you are right about the Koni SA's.

The Koni guy at the Nationals said that they are just waiting for a slot on the production line, the preliminary has been done, brackets, etc. The SA will be do Nov and the DA is supposed to come out Feb or so.
The Stillen rep has said that KYB and Tokico are do out soon. Guy Ankeny also has a set of Motons he bulit for his wifes car for sale that are SA.
As for Ice Mode, last weekend I tried just keeping a light pressure on the pedal, left foot, then hit em hard and did not get the mode activated. We had a very fast course, I looked one time and was doing 80+. John Ames was there with Alan Densmore, made a small adj to Alans shocks and really tore up the course, was great to watch.

rktjhn,
I hope you are right about the SA Konis. Seems to be the most reasonable cost ($600/set) solution to the bounce problem without lowering and buying a complete suspension upgrade ie NISMO S-Tune. Plus if you AutoX you can stay in the stock class. What type of shocks was Alan running?

He has DA Coilover setup in an SM2 RX7