Is it considered to be too slow to be a good performance option?

 

I would say it is pretty individual orientated, for driving feel. The manual rack has a longer numerical ratio, as in more turns total, but many drivers will compensate their inputs, and not notice it. Probably a bigger deal for an Autoxer, than a road racer IMO. I really like the feel of a de-powered NA, and found the higher effort NB2 de-powered rack less pleasing, because it has an even higher ratio, (if I remember correctly, anyway). I searched for months for a manual NA rack, to no avail, and ended up with the de-powered NA, which I now really like.

 

While I cant remember the exact ratios, my fiancee used to have an NA (RHD Aust spec) with a factory manual rack, and when that died it was replaced with a factory PS rack (with PS) since there were no Manual ones around for sale.
Stock NA, lowered springs, 310mm wheel, cant remember alignment settings.


End of the day, most of it comes down to personal preference.
She loved the manual rack, I preferred the PS rack.

I've found manual racks to have no more feel than a PS rack, only difference is the manual rack feels like you're driving with a brick strapped to each wrist.
But also worth noting that most of the motorsport i've done has been motorkhana, where you're spending about 50% of the time with one hand yanking the handbrake to slide the car into the gates.


So yeah, try each, go with what you prefer.
Unless it's a racecar and you're going for times, in which case "feel" is less important than weight/speed.

 

IMO it is better for performance driving. I realize this is opposite of the commonly accepted idea that "moar faster = moar better." With a faster rack you have less precision in the steering, a tiny movement of the wheel creates a larger movement of the steered wheels. With a slower rack, a tiny movement of the wheel results in a tiny movement of the steered wheels, giving finer control. I went from a depowered rack in my Spec Miata to a manual rack and much preferred it as it allows much finer control inputs.

 

I can tell you that with a properly depowered NB rack, 6.3 degrees sucks on track.

I'm not a weak guy and its fine over 20 mph on the street, but in parking lots or at speed on track with sticky tires it will wear you out.

Sebring-bumps hot and humid with 6 degrees is a serious workout.

Using Sadfab delrin bushings in my NB2 can only get down to 6.3 degrees caster with 3.0* camber. Can get less >5* caster but then camber is 4*+.

 

what ball joints?

 

Extended---And yes I'm going to replace them with stock and try again.

If that doesn't fix it going to yank the upper arms and put in .100" spacers to move arm fwd. Don't want to lower any more as I need as much travel as possible at Sebring 4 1/8" now on Xidas.

Thinking Sean should revise NB bushings to move arms fwd in the future???? I would think many guys going delrin are track cars and depowering is common.

 

If you can't get the camber you want with stock LBJs, you can use Delrin offset FLCA bushings, since they allow for lower minimum caster than ELBJs for the same ride height and camber.

Of course, if you can still hit the camber you want at your ride height by just dropping the ELBJs, then you don't need to buy anything

 

What about adjustable upper control arms?

 

Time trial points.