Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[p1l0t]

Originally Posted by Talus1

I tend to use engine braking a lot. It goes with my driving style, which relies on anticipating what's going on around me and being ready to capitalize on gaps in traffic. I also like to heel and toe and to blip the throttle on downshifts. It is rare for me to have to brake hard, especially since London started installing countdown timers on the traffic light walk signals. Unfortunately, one side effect is corrosion on the rotors, particularly the rear ones.

My lease is up in August and I think its time to move on. At my last service, the Service Manager mentioned that the rotors might have to be turned at the next service (it only had 17,000 km at the time!). Being a cheap bastard, I'm going to try to eke it out until August and just return the car as is. Now that my summer tires are back on (225 MPSS), I'm deliberately using the brakes more to try to keep the rotors clean. I have to really concentrate to leave my braking late, then really stomp on it. It makes me look like a bit of a **** around town, but it is kind of fun even if I can only do it in a straight line. I'd have to be going stupid, stupid fast to have to brake that hard into a corner.

On a related note, if anyone in SWO is looking for a good used BRZ with low miles, check out Subaru of London in August. Just watch out for the rotors...

Haha well if it's a lease... FULL RENTAL POWER!

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[jawn]

Originally Posted by Nevermore

I just use the brakes...

I use both. Power stroke is eliminated as soon as you're off the throttle, so the load on the motor is essentially negligible. If your car has had a recent oil change, and you don't mechanically over-rev the motor, it's no more wear than just driving your car regularly.

Hell, every CVT car on the market engine brakes as soon as you lift.

[p1l0t]

Some cars even recharge..

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[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by finch1750

I was looking at the Radiums. I want something with good baffling and easy to empty. Also I am not DIY enough to deal with universal mounting and like to keep the engine bay clean. They are 2 bills a piece

I just got a used racerx for 280. Look up that one. Revworks makes a double too but it may be a universal fit

[p1l0t]

Swordfish

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[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by jawn

...

Hey, iirc you wanted to know bout the ST Suspension sway bars right? I just did quick update of ST Suspension sway bars (in member journal). It's pretty interesting how character of the car changed in certain areas & haven't changed overall (in good way).

I only had front installed (19mm on full soft) for a week (til parts came for rear) and it was a bit livery in the rear, due to stock sway and tires couldn't handle it and like to go oversteer a bit. But it's pretty fun setup.

After installing the rear, car have calm down and went back to stock kinda feel... EXCEPT 2 areas. 1. first turn-in into the corner & 2. correcting the angle while in the corner (over/understeer). Turn in is sharper, but nothing to go crazy. It's more like when you turn into the corner, one of your eyebrow goes up and can feel that you can push the gas earlier than stock setup. While you over/understeer into the corner, it's not sensitive. It still have mild stock feel, but correcting is fraction faster.

Again, it's F:19mm/R:17mm setup, so it won't make huge difference like say, Hotchkis or other huge stay bars.

I'll be testing more out in canyon and autox later (when weather gets better).

[Talus1]

Traction control sucks.

So, we drove up to our cottage on Thursday night in the Wifemobile. There was a lot of freezing rain on the way up, but actual snow about 8" deep on the access road. Crusty, heavy, icy, wet snow. The Wifemobile is AWD and on 18" WS80s but is also lowered enough that we were scraping along. A couple of times I could feel the TCS cut in and then the car would just start to slow down and keep on slowing down, like from 40kph down to 10kph. I finally had to shut off the TCS or we'd have been stuck. Previous traffic had left some pretty significant ruts, which made the Wifemobile dance around a bit. It was lots of fun, though I hate the EPS on this thing. No feel whatsoever. More like yachting than driving.

That said, I'm sure glad we left the BRZ at home, especially since I switched to my summer tires (MPSS) last week!

On the upside, it has been spectacularly sunny and beautiful here since Thursday night, with all the trees sparkling with the ice. Not too much damage, though a lot of people around here are still without power.

[jawn]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Hey, iirc you wanted to know bout the ST Suspension sway bars right? I just did quick update of ST Suspension sway bars (in member journal). It's pretty interesting how character of the car changed in certain areas & haven't changed overall (in good way).

I only had front installed (19mm on full soft) for a week (til parts came for rear) and it was a bit livery in the rear, due to stock sway and tires couldn't handle it and like to go oversteer a bit. But it's pretty fun setup.

After installing the rear, car have calm down and went back to stock kinda feel... EXCEPT 2 areas. 1. first turn-in into the corner & 2. correcting the angle while in the corner (over/understeer). Turn in is sharper, but nothing to go crazy. It's more like when you turn into the corner, one of your eyebrow goes up and can feel that you can push the gas earlier than stock setup. While you over/understeer into the corner, it's not sensitive. It still have mild stock feel, but correcting is fraction faster.

Again, it's F:19mm/R:17mm setup, so it won't make huge difference like say, Hotchkis or other huge stay bars.

I'll be testing more out in canyon and autox later (when weather gets better).

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

I just got a used racerx for 280. Look up that one. Revworks makes a double too but it may be a universal fit

How easy it it to empty the Racerx? looks kinda like a pita

[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by finch1750

How easy it it to empty the Racerx? looks kinda like a pita

Dunno yet, looks like you either take it off and dump like the radiums or install the drain kit. Also like the radium. I dunno, I liked the price compared to two singles, and the fact that they are together instead of in 2 locations. My next choice was the radiums though. Racerx is on sale thru March. 10% off I think. That's all the more I know, I just bought mine and haven't gotten it in the mail yet

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

Dunno yet, looks like you either take it off and dump like the radiums or install the drain kit. Also like the radium. I dunno, I liked the price compared to two singles, and the fact that they are together instead of in 2 locations. My next choice was the radiums though. Racerx is on sale thru March. 10% off I think. That's all the more I know, I just bought mine and haven't gotten it in the mail yet

let me know. Just looking at pics it seems like you have to yank the full Racer X can but cant tell with the room where its installed super easy. The radium cans unscrew I believe but not sure you can take it apart without removing it due to space.

[babydriver]

Originally Posted by soulreapersteve

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In other news, flipped my entire sleep schedule to go join in on the caucus fun today. Guess my whole body has adapted to being a nightwalker because I feel like shit right now. (adding to the poop-theme that we have currently going on).

Speaking of caucuses, I noticed that there were 399 participants in the Alaska Democratic caucus today. Total. That's right, 399 people got to decide how a state more than twice the size of Texas chose its delegates. Who says your vote doesn't count?

[babydriver]

Originally Posted by p1l0t

Just remember brake pads are what? $20 $60? A new engine is like $5k sooo unless it's life or death just use your brakes!

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If it's life or death, yo' motor ain't gonna help anyway. Just stand on the pedal.

BTW, I downshift (motor brake) all the time and not just with my present car. This whole argument smells like BS to me. (Sticking with the current toilet theme.)

[babydriver]

Originally Posted by Teseo

I thought engine wear are more significant on cold starts.

Yes it is. Nearly all engine wear occurs within the first minute of driving. When the engine's cold. That's why I allow mine to warm up for at least two minutes before driving it.