Betty the Beater- Just a beginner drift thread

[awp235]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cas2krir2b0
HereÂ’s a better sound video. IÂ’m trying to find that metallic clanking noise when IÂ’m chopping the throttle on and off. If I swerve left and right it happens on the weight shift too.
ThereÂ’s bushing noise from the poly RTAB on that side too, but IÂ’m trying to find that clanking sound. Is that normal for solid subframe bushings?

[protomor]

Could be the axle? I'm running out of ideas.

[awp235]

Could be the axle? I'm running out of ideas.

I did check that all the axle bolts were there, maybe I'll retorque them before my event on sunday.

I'm a bit nervous that somehow my subframe mounts tore, maybe as a result of bad welding of the reinforcements? I'm not sure. I'm half tempted to cut into the trunk on the passenger side and see how it looks....

[protomor]

Yea I could see that. But it would be pretty apparent once you got under the car.

[Novablue454]

my car had a sound just like that, turns out all the bolts holding the passenger side RTAB bracket to the body came loose and every time I would accel / decel / hit a bump the whole arm was shifting around in the pocket.

[awp235]

my car had a sound just like that, turns out all the bolts holding the passenger side RTAB bracket to the body came loose and every time I would accel / decel / hit a bump the whole arm was shifting around in the pocket.

I'll give it a check, but I'm fairly sure that I'd torqued them multiple times trying to find the noise.

Nova, you have a super kit on an e46, don't you? I'm tearing tires up hitting my frame rails, I've got super arms and 30mm spacers already. My tires are a tiny bit oversized(225 40 18) but does it make that much difference? I did a lot of hammering on the metal that is on along the frame rails at the event last week. Both my steers are totally wrecked, and I should really be replacing them.
I think slamming into my frame rails also knocked my alignment out of spec a tiny bit, my wheel was cocked a bit to the left on the way home. I'll see if anything's bent when I get my next alignment... I really, really hope not.

[Novablue454]

I have an Ultra kit. I run 235/40r17s on Style 42s (et20) with a 30mm spacer so I'm really at -10 total. I could turn until my tire sidewall rubbed the actual paint off the control arm, but I blew a rack from that so I installed some rack stops.

[awp235]

I wish I knew clearance would be an issue, as I would've gotten the ultra kit. It's looking like I'm going to have to look into steering stops. I'm not too keen on spending more money on even bigger spacers, and that would cause even more issues front to rear when the wheel turned. Not really sure what I'll end up doing, but steering stops seem to be the best bet.

Edit: Just talked to Paul @SLR, they're sending me out steering stops. I'll fine tune it for max angle without hitting the frame. Kind of bummed I can't use the full angle capability of the kit right now, but I can always upgrade to the ultra arms if I really need that angle. In reality, who needs that angle, but it sure is nice to have it. So, spacers inbound, and I'll see how sliding next event is with those stops installed.

[protomor]

So far I just dont go mega angle. I still hit the frame now and then but I never like being at that much angle anyway.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[awp235]

So far I just dont go mega angle. I still hit the frame now and then but I never like being at that much angle anyway.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I was trying really hard to avoid it, but it helped me get out of clubbing a big curb during my last event. Messed up my tires, I felt it carving them away, but I'm not replacing my radiator and supports.... Oh well! I'll have it in for new fronts, and another 6 rears next weekend along with an alignment. Going to be an expensive trip to the tire shop!

[awp235]

Ok guys... I’ve messed something up. Maybe because I ran without the front underside brace? I’m not sure, I have to diagnose. Basically, I got it aligned today. Drivers side hasn’t tons of poke, passenger side is tucked under the fender. To get the camber even, the passenger side had to be maxed out negative at 3.5*, and the drivers side is halfway on the top hat adjustment. It’s like the whole front end is shifted to the drivers side. It drives fine, but I must have seriously messed something up. Any ideas on what to check?!

I didn’t hit a single thing with the wheels, it was a skidpad event that I ran last. Noticed the car out of alignment on the way home from this past skidpad event. I seriously tore up a set of steers, bashing the inside sidewall into the frame.

Noteworthy- the passenger side toe adjustment by moving the tie rod exentesion tubes was crazy unresponsive while making adjustments. A 1/4 turn of the drivers side make a quick and substantial change, but the pssenger side took a few revolutions. What could’ve I bent?

[protomor]

Do you have the caster adjusters? Maybe one adjuster is out more than the other?

[awp235]

Do you have the caster adjusters? Maybe one adjuster is out more than the other?

Nope, running the poly fcab from SLR. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll have a chance to throw the front subframe brace on (which I really just forgot to put on for the last 2 events) and see if it lines up. For some reason, based on the weird positioning. I’m convinced I tweaked my front subframe, or maybe tweaked the shank coming out of the SLR arm somehow? I’m shooting in the dark until I line up the subframe brace I guess, but I smell an expensive repair.

On the plus side if it is the subframe, the shouldn’t be too hard to find in a junkyard, and it would give me the chance to upgrade the 225k mile factory mounts for the engine and trans, which are barely rubber anymore.

[protomor]

I really doubt it's the subframe. But I have no other idea what it could be.

[Novablue454]

I've bent the pin that goes through the subframe to the arm before, but it took broadsiding a wall with a fair bit of speed to do it.

[E36austin]

Do you recall hitting any big potholes on the way home or dropping a tire off track? That kind of impact could definitely bend a balljoint stud or coilover. Kinda doubt it's the subframe, but it sounds like a pretty major shift.

[awp235]

No big potholes that I recall, I'm almost positive it was normal when I got to the track, and then I ran it on a skidpad all day. Smooth pavement, with some bumps, smoothly paved over, There's a nasty curb but I definitely would have noticed if I had smacked that. When I got out onto the street to drive it home was the first time I noticed the alignment being off. I can't fathom what's up with it, because it is quite a major shift. Probably about an inch towards the inside of the car compared to the other side.

[awp235]

So, under the car, everything looks really brutally normal. The only possibility I see is that this shank through the subframe bent, because the shaft out of the bolt head does look to be at a different angle. Having not hit anything except riding the frame rail, I can’t imagine what would’ve done that. I’ve got a call in to Piner, because I want to chat with someone from SLR about it to know if there’s anything else I should be checking. I don’t think I’m going to remove the shank today, because the garage I’m in really isn’t mine, it’s my parents. I don’t want to pop the control arm off before I speak to SLR. I’m not even sure how to check the coilover, but maybe I’ll be calling out of work sick on Thursday to see about taking this whole corner of the car apart. I want to get this fixed before Pocono Bash in 2 weeks!

[Piner]

I don't think its the balljoint stud. They are custom machined 4140 and take a pretty hard hit to bend. Im not sure what else could cause your issue besides the frame may be bent. Are you sure this car wasn't wrecked in the past?

[awp235]

I don't think its the balljoint stud. They are custom machined 4140 and take a pretty hard hit to bend. Im not sure what else could cause your issue besides the frame may be bent. Are you sure this car wasn't wrecked in the past?

It’s 100% the stud. I ended up pulling it out last night. Maybe it’s a defective one? I seriously would be honest if I had hit anything, but the only things I’ve wver hit drifting are lots of cones and a barrel to my drivers side rear door. Never dropped off track with the SLR kit on, I’ve only run two events on it.the car drove straight after the riadcoarse/ first skidpad in July, and then I ran the skidpad intermediate clinic. Leaving the clinic is where I noticed the alignment off.

I'm positive that the frame is straight. No evidence of any wrecks, looking at the front frame rails. They look great.

pin.jpg

[Piner]

Yeah it's bent, I'll see about getting a replacement sent out, they normally take a solid hit to bend like that so im not sure what happened there but since it has been so soon after you got the kit on the car if you cover shipping I'll get a new one out to you today. I'll send you an invoice with the cost of shipping.

I apologize for the issue.

[awp235]

Thank you so much for covering the part, I really do appreciate it. If I figure out what happened, I'll let you guys know, but I really can't think of anything I did. I'm just happy I actually found what was wrong, and hope this sorts all of my weird alignment stuff. I don't see anything else tweaked on the car.

[awp235]

So, I feel like I'm starting to comfortable with the limits of my car. Living at 6500rpm, for entire courses, linking whole road courses. It feels great! Car's currently aligned at -3.2 camber, .33 toe out each side (a little more than I wanted, but we'll bring it in a bit next time I need an alignment), and just under 6* of caster. I'm really starting to get concerned about my oil pump, and I'm starting to very seriously look into going for a turbo m54b30. The build would happen sometime next year, maybe even the next off season after this one. Either way, I'm really considering the GSR 4 bolt oil pump, it's a pricey upgrade but if I'm going to commit to the motor, it would be a very worthwhile purchase. Again, sitting for about a minute and a half at redline CAN'T be good foe my factory fastened oil pump nut. I'm practically waiting for it to fall off. Hoping to free up some cash in September or October to be able to buy the oil pump, but it does push back another purchase that I really want to make (not car related).


This past weekend was Pocono Bash for Ready Set Drift. Shit was lit, south course day one, 10am to 10pm, so we got some night drifting in which was really sweet. Second day was east course, and damn , it was a fun course. I have yet to pull videos, but I have lots! Finally got my girlfriend in the drift car, and she went into the weekend thinking she wouldnt enjoy anything about it, and ended up loving the car scene/ drifting scene, not to mention the beautiful location of the track (the NASCAR tricky triangle.)

Car performed flawlessly, and newer even seemed to get that hot. I've got some cool thermal imagine photos of my engine bay, and front tire heat profiles that I'll have to post up, they're pretty sweet. Chrisfix convinced me that commiting the FRiday Night Drift Party at clubloose was a good idea, so I'm going to hit that this coming friday and get some seat time on different tracks.

Sidenote: Chris gets 30-50 laps out of his federal 595 burners.. I've been getting 5-7 laps out of my FP7000's. Now that I really get them hot, I think they just melt away and don't last. I'm getting 4 sets of federals, and testing them out this weekend (on 2 new tracks I've never driven... lol.) I'm hoping they last longer than 7 laps, because at the rate I'm going through tires, I can't afford to drift anymore this year.

[protomor]

I'd love to see those thermal pictures. Federal changed their compound so depending on when you get your 595s, they might wear out faster than you think.

[awp235]

When abouts did they change their compound? I'm really hoping I pull more than 10 laps a tire. I can't burn a set every 7 laps at 180-190whp, I'll never be able to afford more power...