Need ideas for cheap engine mods!
#41
09-12-2011, 02:12 AM
I installed rear strut bars and C pillar bar and got a surprise that I didn't expect.. My steering wheel had been off center to the left and was almost dead on center afterwards... I think that having wider, offset and rims puts more of a load on the body structure and adding the braces with the wheels off of the ground has put it back where it should be.
yes i dont doubt they helped, i am on the side for sturt bars, the ge kinda needs to be in the air to install these kinda bars because the way the shocks mount. but it sounds more or less like your suspension has a issue (worn out bushing, belt bolt or belt arm?) maybe even a chassis to frame issue possible bend or seperation? i am starting to see this to my ge with the "glue" that holds the chassis-subframes together
this is my strut bar.... its amazing, the rear of the fit feels solid and predictable.
#42
09-12-2011, 02:37 AM
That is a serious bar setup you have there.. What I have is small potatoes in comparison.. My car isn't suffering any suspension problems other than being too low in front and too high in back, problems from aftermarket springs and no rear seats or spare tire.. I love everything about Swift springs except for the stupid low ride height that prevents me from being able to drive really fast except on very smooth roads... There are some very challenging back roads around here that I have to poke slowly down or risk damaging the front lip or underside of the car... If I could get coil overs with the same spring rate and travel Swift springs on them as the springs I now have I would order them in a flash.
#43
09-12-2011, 07:05 AM
I am not trying to argue with anyone but instead provide valuable info...
I am new to the fit, but not to honda nor the car scene...
my previous line up of cars:
1987 Rx-7 (drift missile)
1991 B16 CRX DX
1995 240sx SE (drift slut)
1995 Probe GT
1988 Toyota Pickup best daily i ever had, 14,000 original miles
sorry to be off topic again but i just want to clear up that i am not some noob, and also not trying to argue. strut bars do alot! i just dont like for people to mis-inform others. I know we are entitled to our own opionion, so instead stating strut bars do nothing, maybe state that you think they do nothing...
No hostility from me... just trying to help people out.
Back on topic... as I stated and others have, engine mods wont do much for our 1.5 liter engine, and it wont be cheap either. unsprung weight will be your friend. as previously stated with wheels and tires. try to find lightweight wide wheels and equip them with some nice semi-sticky tires. A lighter driveshaft and/or flywheel will make a huge difference as well. But go with light weight wheels first.
as I know everyone want proof on this forum... here is some about unsprung weight: Every pound of unsprung weight savings has the effect of reducing overall vehicle weight by 20lbs. So lets say you have a weight loss of 4lbs per wheel (lets say the tires weigh the same, to make things simple). We obviously have 4 wheels on a car, so 4lbs. per wheel (4x4=16) is a total of 16lbs of unsprung weight. That may not seems like alot but using the above formula, we multiply this number by 20 (16x20=320) which is now 320lbs. this does not mean your vehicle weihs 320lbs less! But, it will handle, perform, and feel like it does! Hope this helps and influences some people to buy some wheels rather than waste their money on intake/exhausts...
I am new to the fit, but not to honda nor the car scene...
my previous line up of cars:
1987 Rx-7 (drift missile)
1991 B16 CRX DX
1995 240sx SE (drift slut)
1995 Probe GT
1988 Toyota Pickup best daily i ever had, 14,000 original miles
sorry to be off topic again but i just want to clear up that i am not some noob, and also not trying to argue. strut bars do alot! i just dont like for people to mis-inform others. I know we are entitled to our own opionion, so instead stating strut bars do nothing, maybe state that you think they do nothing...
No hostility from me... just trying to help people out.
Back on topic... as I stated and others have, engine mods wont do much for our 1.5 liter engine, and it wont be cheap either. unsprung weight will be your friend. as previously stated with wheels and tires. try to find lightweight wide wheels and equip them with some nice semi-sticky tires. A lighter driveshaft and/or flywheel will make a huge difference as well. But go with light weight wheels first.
as I know everyone want proof on this forum... here is some about unsprung weight: Every pound of unsprung weight savings has the effect of reducing overall vehicle weight by 20lbs. So lets say you have a weight loss of 4lbs per wheel (lets say the tires weigh the same, to make things simple). We obviously have 4 wheels on a car, so 4lbs. per wheel (4x4=16) is a total of 16lbs of unsprung weight. That may not seems like alot but using the above formula, we multiply this number by 20 (16x20=320) which is now 320lbs. this does not mean your vehicle weihs 320lbs less! But, it will handle, perform, and feel like it does! Hope this helps and influences some people to buy some wheels rather than waste their money on intake/exhausts...
#44
09-12-2011, 04:56 PM
I was able to reduce unsprung weight and rotating mass by 30.8 lbs by changing wheels and another 12 or so lbs with a change in tires... Oscar Jackson Sr. said that next to forced induction lighter wheels and tires was the best performance modification that can be done to a Fit... Even with the power increase I have gotten from the KWSC high boost kit and exhaust changes it is easy to feel a difference in wheel/tire weight makes... Removing the rear seat can be felt but not as much but there is also a loss of body stiffness when that is done that is felt when cornering on a rough surface... The addition of braces does eliminate the flex in much the same way the anti sway bar stiffens up the torsion beam... An anti sway bar will increase the stress on the body as will short travel stiffer springs, making the addition of rear bars very desirable in order to prevent the body from flexing from the added stress on the suspension mounts and components....
Last edited by Texas Coyote; 09-12-2011 at 05:12 PM.
#49
09-13-2011, 12:24 AM
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 4,424
So I give you two polished billets of (comparable mass and dimension) 6061 and 5754 and you can discern the difference with your hands?
Or Birmabright and 5251?
Impressive.
Are you familiar with how the Wohler curves are generated for a given whel? Or what "notch sensitivity is?" How does one estimate fatigue resistance by hand?
You realize you cannot define nominal stress values for items as geometrically intricate as a car wheel? All you can do is use generalized notch tip radii data and material parameter.
So unless you personally are hitting every wheel with an SEM micrograph you are literally making this shit up. Stick to talking about what looks good and not what makes something "good." Be it a qualitative or quantitative analysis on your part, neither is conclusive by any means and not especially helpful or even objective based on your attitude to the subject.
I can appreciate you may have a better handle on the style aspect of these things but the mechanics and physical reality of what you are talking about do not support you.
You have a hard on for expensive wheels. That's cool dude. I like to ogle expensive items myself.. like copper beryllium valve seats and metal-matrix composite con-rods.
Just stick to discussing what you actually understand. Fashion is not my thing, so I stay out of those threads. I suggest you stick with what you understand, cuz it clearly isn't metallurgy.
Also, as far as strut ties.. you would really have to push your setup to "feel" a difference as compared to other forms of chassis bracing. However that doesn't mean they don't do anything or that they do not provide some form of rigidity.
That is your opinion and nowhere did you perform some sort of test that holds up to the scrutiny of the scientific method. On the front strut towers, for the GD3 at least, they are in a particularly rigid setup to begin with.
So for any conceivable road use in a stock Fit we can both agree the results may be marginal.
However, with some sticky tires and some springs they only stand to complement the setup.
Or Birmabright and 5251?
Impressive.
Are you familiar with how the Wohler curves are generated for a given whel? Or what "notch sensitivity is?" How does one estimate fatigue resistance by hand?
You realize you cannot define nominal stress values for items as geometrically intricate as a car wheel? All you can do is use generalized notch tip radii data and material parameter.
So unless you personally are hitting every wheel with an SEM micrograph you are literally making this shit up. Stick to talking about what looks good and not what makes something "good." Be it a qualitative or quantitative analysis on your part, neither is conclusive by any means and not especially helpful or even objective based on your attitude to the subject.
I can appreciate you may have a better handle on the style aspect of these things but the mechanics and physical reality of what you are talking about do not support you.
You have a hard on for expensive wheels. That's cool dude. I like to ogle expensive items myself.. like copper beryllium valve seats and metal-matrix composite con-rods.
Just stick to discussing what you actually understand. Fashion is not my thing, so I stay out of those threads. I suggest you stick with what you understand, cuz it clearly isn't metallurgy.
Also, as far as strut ties.. you would really have to push your setup to "feel" a difference as compared to other forms of chassis bracing. However that doesn't mean they don't do anything or that they do not provide some form of rigidity.
That is your opinion and nowhere did you perform some sort of test that holds up to the scrutiny of the scientific method. On the front strut towers, for the GD3 at least, they are in a particularly rigid setup to begin with.
So for any conceivable road use in a stock Fit we can both agree the results may be marginal.
However, with some sticky tires and some springs they only stand to complement the setup.
Last edited by DiamondStarMonsters; 09-13-2011 at 12:34 AM.
#51
09-13-2011, 12:41 AM
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 4,424
Never seen it, so hows about we discuss the content of my post instead of character attacks? I'm not ashamed for actually knowing WTF I am talking about.
Or we can just dive into ad hominem BS right away, considering you are the guy so proud of his douchebaggery that you have it held up as a trophy in your sig.
Or we can just dive into ad hominem BS right away, considering you are the guy so proud of his douchebaggery that you have it held up as a trophy in your sig.
#55
09-13-2011, 01:06 AM
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 4,424
It's a quote from an import bashing redneck that you and the rest of the forum e-castrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 96Chevy350
sol you are a douchbag
Originally Posted by 96Chevy350
sol you are a douchbag
Last edited by DiamondStarMonsters; 09-13-2011 at 01:09 AM.
#58
09-13-2011, 06:20 AM
and if you didnt feel a difference with the strut bar remember you have to remove it from the package and install it
#59
09-13-2011, 09:09 AM
So I give you two polished billets of (comparable mass and dimension) 6061 and 5754 and you can discern the difference with your hands?
Or Birmabright and 5251?
Impressive.
Are you familiar with how the Wohler curves are generated for a given whel? Or what "notch sensitivity is?" How does one estimate fatigue resistance by hand?
You realize you cannot define nominal stress values for items as geometrically intricate as a car wheel? All you can do is use generalized notch tip radii data and material parameter.
So unless you personally are hitting every wheel with an SEM micrograph you are literally making this shit up. Stick to talking about what looks good and not what makes something "good." Be it a qualitative or quantitative analysis on your part, neither is conclusive by any means and not especially helpful or even objective based on your attitude to the subject.
I can appreciate you may have a better handle on the style aspect of these things but the mechanics and physical reality of what you are talking about do not support you.
You have a hard on for expensive wheels. That's cool dude. I like to ogle expensive items myself.. like copper beryllium valve seats and metal-matrix composite con-rods.
Just stick to discussing what you actually understand. Fashion is not my thing, so I stay out of those threads. I suggest you stick with what you understand, cuz it clearly isn't metallurgy.
Also, as far as strut ties.. you would really have to push your setup to "feel" a difference as compared to other forms of chassis bracing. However that doesn't mean they don't do anything or that they do not provide some form of rigidity.
That is your opinion and nowhere did you perform some sort of test that holds up to the scrutiny of the scientific method. On the front strut towers, for the GD3 at least, they are in a particularly rigid setup to begin with.
So for any conceivable road use in a stock Fit we can both agree the results may be marginal.
However, with some sticky tires and some springs they only stand to complement the setup.
Or Birmabright and 5251?
Impressive.
Are you familiar with how the Wohler curves are generated for a given whel? Or what "notch sensitivity is?" How does one estimate fatigue resistance by hand?
You realize you cannot define nominal stress values for items as geometrically intricate as a car wheel? All you can do is use generalized notch tip radii data and material parameter.
So unless you personally are hitting every wheel with an SEM micrograph you are literally making this shit up. Stick to talking about what looks good and not what makes something "good." Be it a qualitative or quantitative analysis on your part, neither is conclusive by any means and not especially helpful or even objective based on your attitude to the subject.
I can appreciate you may have a better handle on the style aspect of these things but the mechanics and physical reality of what you are talking about do not support you.
You have a hard on for expensive wheels. That's cool dude. I like to ogle expensive items myself.. like copper beryllium valve seats and metal-matrix composite con-rods.
Just stick to discussing what you actually understand. Fashion is not my thing, so I stay out of those threads. I suggest you stick with what you understand, cuz it clearly isn't metallurgy.
Also, as far as strut ties.. you would really have to push your setup to "feel" a difference as compared to other forms of chassis bracing. However that doesn't mean they don't do anything or that they do not provide some form of rigidity.
That is your opinion and nowhere did you perform some sort of test that holds up to the scrutiny of the scientific method. On the front strut towers, for the GD3 at least, they are in a particularly rigid setup to begin with.
So for any conceivable road use in a stock Fit we can both agree the results may be marginal.
However, with some sticky tires and some springs they only stand to complement the setup.
I can feel the difference in quality of finish.
And DSM, I really do not care one bit about your 'science.'
#60
09-13-2011, 10:47 AM
I get to make a 200+ mile round trip to a medical appointment at the Waco VA Hospital in a little while... I am glad I have the bars installed since they have lowered the sound of exhaust resonance and buzzing plastic parts that festoon the interior of these little cars.