Drift Tengoku — October 2003

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About this issue

English draft translations are available throughout this issue. Unclear or unreadable OCR remains flagged; these drafts have not received full image proofreading. The archive retains 310 scan files, including two duplicate captures, representing 308 unique pages.

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Page 31 · English draft

Draft translation. Unclear OCR remains flagged; full image proofreading has not been performed.

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  1. GET HE GOND HANDLING!
  2. Thorough [OCR damaged]
  3. How to build a car that corners
  4. This is a front view of a lowered FC3S before the knuckle modification. The upward-angled tie rods reduce its already limited steering angle. [OCR damaged]
  5. Modified knuckles: mini catalog
  6. Stock
  7. The photo shows the FC3S version
  8. Modified knuckles
  9. [Modified knuckles]
  10. The tie-rod connection is shortened by about 2 cm. This changes the lever ratio and substantially increases steering angle.
  11. ¥15,000 (… [continued]
  12. …gle. [continued]
  13. Telephone: 093-281-4670
  14. There is also a way to increase steering angle using factory parts!
  15. …with… [fragment]
  16. …as well. [continued]
  17. On an AE86, combining a GT Apex or GT steering rack with GTV knuckles increases steering angle. An earlier Drift Tengoku test measured 37° before and 53° afterward.
  18. A well-known modification among AE86 owners. With this much extra angle from a combination of factory parts, there is every reason to do it. [chassis code corrupted in OCR]
  19. …exchange). [continued]
  20. Satoru Works — 029-298-8604
  21. For FC3S/FD3S
  22. ¥39,800 (standard part ex… [continued]
  23. …you know… [fragment]
  24. …that is how it works. [continued]
  25. You cannot go back to standard!
  26. Once you get used to it…
  27. URAS Super Reinforced Tie Rods. A new product developed by URAS’s Nomuken, known for drift distance and angle. A special material in the tie rod makes it difficult to break or bend. These drift-oriented parts also substantially increase steering angle… [OCR damaged]
  28. A thorough check of the parts’ effects!
  29. …increase it. [continued]
  30. The reassuring feeling is great!
  31. It makes me want to deliberately drive at a bigger angle!
  32. IMPRESSION
  33. [Unclear: damaged fragment]
  34. Test driver: 馬上学, a self-employed drifter who runs Garage Ash in Iwaki, Fukushima. Familiar with replacing parts, he finished quickly. He says the replacement has no particularly difficult steps and an ordinary person would probably have plenty of time in an hour. His name’s phonetic reading remains unverified.
  35. Entries at deep angles are easy!
  36. Once you experience this feeling…
  37. …you get hooked!
  38. After replacement
  39. Before replacement
  40. This difference in steering angle proves the effect!
  41. A dramatic steering-angle increase for the RX-7: shortening the knuckle’s tie-rod connection changes the relationship between tie-rod movement and knuckle rotation. This is especially effective on the FC3S and FD3S, which have limited factory steering lock. The changed lever ratio produces more wheel angle from the same steering input. It also quickens the steering because the extra wheel angle does not require more steering-wheel turns. The article notes that modifying knuckles requires advanced welding skill, so only a limited number of shops offered them.
  42. Modified-knuckle mini catalog, 2003 prices: Izu Jidosha modifies factory knuckles with strength in mind. Factory cores must be exchanged; modifications are possible for most sports cars, not only the FC3S. FC3S and others: ¥15,000 with factory core exchange; 093-281-4670. Satoru Works FD3S steering-angle knuckle arms use neither cutting nor welding; the advertisement claims no strength concerns. FC3S versions can also be made, and bump-toe correction is another benefit. FC3S/FD3S: ¥39,800 with factory core exchange; 029-298-8604.
  43. “I knew these parts increased steering angle, but hadn’t fitted them to my own car. We installed them here and I tried to assess the difference. The extra lock is obvious, especially entering corners: using my usual entry angle, I no longer feel the steering reach its stop, and it feels as though I could add much more angle. That gives more margin. It also makes spinning less likely. I deliberately tried a run that would normally spin, and the extra lock let me recover. Once used to this, I might find it hard to return to a standard car! I expect benefits on the street too, such as reversing maneuvers and U-turns in narrow roads. With stronger tie rods as well as more lock, I think they’re worthwhile.”