For DRIFTERS!!!

fivehunsky

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Im not sure if there is a drifting specific subforum on here but I just wanted to let the guys who are interested know that there are cheap knuckles available for our cars now.

81c45dba.jpg



If you want more info get back to me..
 

stang389

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well seeing how this is in the tech side of life lets see me tech stuff? or your going to be moved to chit chat or pitstop
 

fivehunsky

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Okay then. A technical description on why cut knuckles make drifting easier...

The whole point of drifting is to get your car as sideways as possible. The stock s197 steering angle is very good for a stock mustang. But, not enough if you want to push the car to the edge without spinning.

Having more angle helps in a few ways. The most obvious way it helps is that the car can now drift with more angle before spinning. Also, if you pour more angle on while your drifting you can scrub speed and slow the car down without using the brakes.

To achieve the steering angle shown above the stock knuckles were shortened. What this does is creates a smaller arc that the tie rod has to push the knuckle around in. You can use your stock rack and tie rods and get quicker steering response and a tighter turning radius.

I made a quick illustration to show what Im talking about.

steeringdiagram.png


I appologize for the hasty way this has been thrown together. But, if you take a look at the drawing you can see that the shortened knuckle allows the same stock rack and tie rod to move the wheel farther than it could before.

Obviously you are limited by physical obstructions such as the control arms and fenderwells. but, in a perfect world you could almost give your car 90 degrees of steering angle. :)

The knuckles I just got for my car were made by level7tune down in Houston tx. Derrick Rogers of "bubba drift" El camino fame designed them and with the right wheel (17 or 18 x 8.5 -10 offset) I can get some really extreme offset. I could actually get more if I had a big brake kit. The limiting factor was my caliper hitting lol

Anyway, if this still isnt sufficient enough for a tech article then feel free to move it. I just wanted to spread the word that there is a cheap way of getting more angle out there right now.

Thanks :D
 
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stang389

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sounds good man got any pictures of the control would love to see it! nice write up
 

fivehunsky

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I will ask him if he has a website this weekend at the next competition. The company is run by Current XDC champion Chelsea Denofa and Derrick Rogers who I stated before was affiliated with the Bubba drift Hellcamino in Formula D. So, the products are designed by professionals.
 

peetiewonder

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definately interested in this. last time I went out I definately noticed the limitation of my stock steering angle.
 

fivehunsky

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Awesome, I will talk to either Derrick or Chelsea at the event on Sunday and get better contact info. Im sure they dont want me just handing out their numbers lol.. Pm me about it as a reminder if you are serious about wanting these.. They are a really awesome product with a quick turnaround for sub 500 bucks.. Ive seen spindles sell for 3200 for our cars.. they did more for the car but Im just comparing the bang for the buck.. :)
 

fivehunsky

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Im sliding my car for the first time tomorrow with the new knuckles. We measured the steering angle today and its sitting at 52ish degrees. Chelsea's BMW that he won xdc with this year actually had a little less.. :)

Derrick and I took a look at the knuckle and lower control arm and if you were willing to let him modify your lower control arm to clearance the tie rod you could actually end up with even more angle :D That might cost a little more.. We are going to see how it does at the Comp tomorrow before tho.

I will keep everyone informed on the pricing. As of right now I believe its 250 for a pair of Knuckles. You just send them to him and he will modify them and then send them back. Im not sure what the turnaround will be tho. He may also need your inner tie rods as well.

Anyway, off to bed.. Gotta get up super early to set up the course and do some drifting.. wish me luck.. Trying to get a piece of that 1500 dollars in prize money
 

Cone Sweeper

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Not to side track your thread OP, but where you from? I've seen Chelsea's BMW a bunch of times down here in South Florida. Along with Harry's BMW he recently sold.
 

fivehunsky

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To wonder: You can run a higher offset if you want. But, realize that you wouldnt be able to get the optimum amount of angle without low offset slightly narrow wheels. I put my 17x9.5 plus 15's on there and they rubbed the control arm at full lock.

You could always just run a spacer while at the track on whatever wheels you have and it would probably work. You can also talk to derrick before hand about setting something up specific for you car with different wheels or whatever.

To Sweeper: I am in Houston for and event this weekend but live in Dallas. Chelsea is staying in the Houston area right now too and thats where Derrick's shop is as well.
 

Cone Sweeper

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I noticed you had a picture of the one wheel at full lock, whats the other wheel look like at full lock? I know without setting up the front with different control arms etc you will find that full lock your creating drag to the " facing in " tire as it won't have the same angle at full lock as the other.. which is why, which you pointed out, upgrading the other components will just allow more angle and clearence so it all works together.
 

VTXFrank

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Im not sure if there is a drifting specific subforum on here but I just wanted to let the guys who are interested know that there are cheap knuckles available for our cars now.

81c45dba.jpg



If you want more info get back to me..

Looks to me like you forgot to put a few parts back on. You're gonna need that rotor ya know. :LMAO:

Seriously though, I couldn't imagine getting into drifting without either 1. A lot of money of your own or B. A sponsor.

That's some expensive undertaking right there.
 

Cone Sweeper

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I say the same thing but I have friends who fab up their own shit all the time which makes things a lot easier...i.e. knuckles, cooling mods, cages..etc. It's not about having a ton of power..which we all know, seeing 200 whp rwd in a car that weighs less then 2k lbs fly
 

darkstar november

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To wonder: You can run a higher offset if you want. But, realize that you wouldnt be able to get the optimum amount of angle without low offset slightly narrow wheels. I put my 17x9.5 plus 15's on there and they rubbed the control arm at full lock.

You could always just run a spacer while at the track on whatever wheels you have and it would probably work. You can also talk to derrick before hand about setting something up specific for you car with different wheels or whatever.

To Sweeper: I am in Houston for and event this weekend but live in Dallas. Chelsea is staying in the Houston area right now too and thats where Derrick's shop is as well.
when i went to the texas mile we stopped in secret service autosports and i was suprised as hell to see chelseas car there. i hadnt seen the kid since highschool years
 

fivehunsky

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UPDATE:

I just got home from an awesome weekend. Saturday we took most of the cars that will be running the Fabricated motorsports points series next year to a local shop called powerfab. I set up my scales and weighed all the cars and measured the steering angle as well. We also got to make a couple dyno pulls each too.

Sunday we had an event out at gulf greyhound park. The car is a monster with the new setup. I had to relearn everything about driving the car. The steering input is so much quicker and the car so much more responsive. It can also get maaaaaaasive angle before even thinking about spinning.. I definitely need to pick the power levels up now because it really shows the lack of power alot more now that I can drift with more angle all the time.

Anyway, to answer some questions:

The car gets the same angle on both wheels at lock. There isnt a difference. We have the ability to get more angle. It would just take more modifications.

The pic was taken while mocking everything up, hence the missing parts. It has the same angle with the brakes on there lol.. And, I do have a tire sponsor but thats it.. Its really not super expensive to get into drifting. You could go buy a capable sr 240sx right now for 3k and then just go have fun.

And chelsea is sponsored by Secret Services. I believe they built his M3's turbo engine for him. He won the comp with it this weekend. He also drove my car and had nothing but good things to say about the setup and how much angle the car could get. :)
 

peetiewonder

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And, I do have a tire sponsor but thats it.. Its really not super expensive to get into drifting. You could go buy a capable sr 240sx right now for 3k and then just go have fun.

1. I'm curious as to how you became tire sponsored

2. yeah a 240sx with pretty much a diff and coilovers will drift really well. I learned how to drift in a 240

My first time in the 240!
 
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