yellowcar

well.. just don't get a yellow one, you'll probably start getting pulled over even if you're doing the speed limit like i am

MitsuRalliArt

There are two simple approaches and infine dumb ones.

1. Change the 5th gear sprocket with a different one. This may or may not be possible. It depends on the design of the tranny. Some trannys have interchangable gears and some don't. Low end cars seldom do, but this car is related to the EVO (a high end car). More research needed.

2. You can swap the gear in the differential. The effect of this would not be isolated to one gear. Every gear in the car would be streched out. This could be very useful to people that mod their RA's. The way the RA is geared, 190 - 200 whp will make first gear useless. One would have to feather the throttle so that you won't smoke the tires. Longer gearing would help this.

Again, the long stoke of 100 mm is not a problem. The engine is solid. The problem is the fact that 5th gear is a very high ratio. This is despite the fact that the RA has lots of low end torque.

Evo Spec VIII

why don;t you go check out an se-r spec v..? 6-speed, with good highway rpms, front lsd, more power than the RA, its worth a test drive.

spyderx

iTrader: (17)

No wonder my sportback's interior and specially the steering wheel vibrate like freaking crazy. Cheap crap!

Any solution to cut this steering wheel vibration, short of installing my own balancer???

MitsuRalliArt

I have test driven it and this is why I am not considering it.

1. It's ugly
2. No Anti-lock Brakes w/ the Brembo package
3. Needs premium gas
4. It's not ULEV (insurance discount)
5. It has an aluminum block
6. It's not boost friendly
7. It doesn't handle as well
8. It's ugly
9. The weight distribution is more screwed up than the RA
10. The warrenty is shorter
11. No roadside assistance
12. Notchy shifter linkage
13. 1st gear is too short for Auto-X
14. It's ugly
15. New version around the corner
16. Any exhaust modification makes it buzz like a f***ing weed-eater
17. Crappy stock audio system
18. Audio deck built into dash (hard to change out)
19. Shorter wheelbase makes for more bump steer and the feeling of a harder ride
20. Smaller interior
21. Not as much low-end torque
22. Higher co-efficient of drag
23. It's ugly
24. The SE-R has a large fan-boy base like Honda
25. Most of these fanboys don't even have a SR20DT
26. It's more unsightly than 15 inch OZ rims

MitsuRalliArt

Is the vibration at all times of during braking?

Vibration at all times could mean a tire(s) out of balance, alignment problems, or maybe screwed up power steering.

Vibration during braking is the sign of one or more warped brake rotors.

None of the stuff I listed in my previous post has anything to do with your problem. They just prolong the life of the engine. You should get that checked out before a large problem emerges.

But anyway, back to the original topic.

Evo Spec VIII

1. Okay i'll give u that the 04 is ugly
2. If you knew how to drive you would not want ABS.
3. yes premium gas is recommended.
4. yea its not on the ulev
5. yes it has an aluminum block.
6. in stock form it is only boost friendly to 265whp(safely)
7. actually it handles better than an RA.....
8. Yea Ugly 04's
9. wieght distribution is not the greatest.
10. warrenty is 3 year/36k standard, i have a 7yr/100k
11. roadside assistance is free! i dunno where mags get this bs from
12. notchyness actually lets u feel the gears once u get used to it
13. 1st gear is fine for auto x and is better than the RA in auto x stock.
14. ugly 04
15. new version? the 04 is the new version and one eventually coming is gayer.
16. i'm sorry but my spec v sounds meaner than ur tiburon would ever sound. even with intake, header, exhuastw/ no resonator, it sound throaty and deep no bs weed wacker **** if u choose the right path
17. af package is better than the infinity package.
18. ummm, not hard at all to change out. sorry that was just dumb..
19. harder ride? *****
20. true
21. ACTUALLY MORE LOW END TORQUE....
22. true
23. UGLY
24. maybe it has a fan boy base but its for a reason.
25. yea, would u swap a used engine in ur brand new car??
26. opinion.

mitsumichael7

iTrader: (1)

Here are my hangups about the spec V.
2. ABS was made for a reason...
7. I dont think that spec V handles better than the RA. Points #9 and #19 on your guys little lists are my reasoning there.
16. who cares
17. how do you figure that the sentra is better than the sun and sound package on the RA.
19. some people care about ride, especially if you claim you drive something like 50-60K miles a year. (which I am sure that was exagerated number) I personally dont care that much or I wouldnt lower any car.
21. you said something about the 04 having more hp and tq on the dyno than the 03, but my reading does not prove you right here...YET! ( I havent taken any time to check because I dont really care that much)
25. I TOTALLY AGREE!! You dont swap out an old motor into a new car unless you HAVE TOO!! THe spec V is a great car in and of itself and it doesnt need the help of the SR20DT motor.

My BIGGEST problem with the Spec V, and this is why I didnt even drive it, was that I am 260 lbs, and so are most of my friends (DAMN GYM RATS!!!..lol) and the interior space was WAY WAY too small for me. I sat in it and felt like I was sitting on the passengers lap.

Khobin~

...plus there's the fact that it's fugly...damn fugly...I mean ... fugly...

Evo Spec VIII

okay i respect your points. but handling on the Spec v is better, the RA does not have a lsd while the spec v has a Helical limited slip. the stock tires on the spec v are the same as on porches (continental sport contacts).... the RA's have ****ty stock tires for handling. it only pulled a .80 on the skidpad while stock spec v's have seen .86+ which is equal to a 350z. i wieght in at 230 pounds and i'm only 5'11" so i'm pretty stocky, the car could be bigger but i have no problems. 04 is the only refined version so far, the car had major knocksensor problems in the 02-03 which was solved in 04 by nissan. this is why more power is seen onthe dyno on the 04's.. plus u have to take into concideration the spec v has an lsd and that take some of the power for better traction. its your decision and whichever one u make i hope you like it. there both good cars for the price(the spec v more so since u can pick one up now for 15,9k which is a hell of a deal for the performance). i agree with you that the 04 is not appealing in looks like the 02-03's were but body kits are on there way. the ride is not that bad as you make it out to seem. the rockford fosgate package on the se-r's is quite comparable to the infinity but u get 9 speakers (in 7 locations) and sub in the trunk(320watts) while what do u get with the infinity? same stock interiors with a sub? if your goin for auto x you don't want abs, IT WAS MADE for a reason, to correct for uneducated drivers braking methods.

Deltarider99

The speakers on the Infinity Sun/Sound Package ARE in fact Infinity speakers. Open the trunk on any Lancer ES or OZ, and look at the speakers in the rear deck. Then pop the trunk on any sun/sound equipped RA and look. You will CLEARLY see the Infinity name branded on the speakers.

Plus if you listened to the interiors you would realize that they can take a lot more power and play a lot louder and cleaner than their "stock" counterparts.

Good points though...the SE-R with the limited slip and Brembos is a killer combo. I bought the RA because I thought the SE-R wasn't as refined. Sure it's got great performance enhancements, but it didn't have as solid a feel as the RA.

PoorCollegeKid

While you might not want it for auto-x, ABS is invaluable for a daily driver in a place that gets a real winter. If you're driving along a road with alternating clear, sandy, slushy, and icy spots and someone decides to pull out right in front of you, the ABS will adapt for the changing traction conditions as your car passes over the various surfaces far faster than you ever could. This is especially true if one wheel is in sand and the other in the clear, or if you've had a long night/day, are tired, and are just thinking about getting home when the guy cuts you off. Threshold breaking becomes much, much harder when the threshold is constantly changing or when you're not quite up to par on that day for whatever reason. I, for one, would rather have the ABS safety net in these cases rather than driving a car without just so I can impress people with my l33t dr1\/1ng skillz (yo).

Other than that, I agree with most of the points that you posted above. The best advice I can give anyone is to test drive both cars before you buy either one. They're both very similar to each other, so if you like one, chances are you will like the other.

Evo Spec VIII

ACTUALLY ABS SUCKS FOR THE WINTER.... where do u come up with this ****.... u'll never stop if u have abs in the winter.... it just sucks *****, in the rain okay it helps, on snow? or ice? ur ****ed and ABS ACTUALLY can make situations worse. i dunno i just really hate abs and i wish people would just revert to learning the proper methods rather than trusting a computer. sure it can pump faster. but thats it.

PoorCollegeKid

So how would it help in a low traction situation involving wet roads (rain) but then somehow not help on other low traction situations (snow, ice)? I think that I should be the one asking you where you come up with your facts. This just doesn't make any sense....

Comparing two of my friends' Civics (one with ABS, one without), the one with ABS stops faster in the snow/ice than the one without. The difference in the rain is smaller, but still there. The difference in stopping distances is especially noticeable if there are alternating strips of different surfaces because, as I said before, it's very, very hard for a driver to adjust for a constantly changing threshold. As you know, once the wheels start to lock up under braking, the ABS engages and so gives you more control over your vehicle under those conditions. If you've ever had to pump the brake, then ABS would have done a better job at braking than you did, it's as simple as that.

I agree that people should learn how to operate their vehicles without any computerized handicaps, but even the best threshold brakers on a specially prepared and conscientiously mantained track are not perfect 100% of the times. On the road it only takes one unseen patch of black ice or one split second of indecision to put you, your passengers, and your car in mortal danger, and ABS gives you enough of an edge so that the chances of this happening are greatly reduced. Like you said, ABS was designed for a reason, and that reason is to save lives. Unless you live somewhere in the Sun Belt where they don't get more than an inch or so of snow a year, if that, ABS is a definite plus to have on a car.

I REP 838

Stocky? Or just fat?
Doesn't the cab of a RA have alot more room then
the Spec V?