Headers and sways installed...very long post
03-29-2001 | 01:22 AM
#1
Thread Starter
My other car is a 350Z
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 0
From: SacTown
Headers and sways installed...very long post
I had the Comptech headers and sways installed at one of the local Sacratomato dealers, Niello Acura. I dropped the car off this morning, drove across town to work in a plain-Jane loaner Integra, and picked the car up this evening. Their service was courteous and professional.
Because the dealer is located across town from where I work, I didn't get to make the drive home on the same roads I drive on every day on the way home. I don't have any pics or dyno sheets to post, but here are my initial post-installation driving impressions:
HEADERS - No noticeable noise increase at idle, low speeds, or full-out in VTECH range. With a 5 mph rolling start from a right turn onto a straight freeway onramp the pedal-to-the-floor acceleration to 60 mph seemed to come real damn quick! A definite improvement here over stock. The roads were too congested earlier in the evening when I was driving, so I only had one opportunity to mash the pedal while cruising at 70 mph and take it to 90 mph. Not as dramatic a change as what I could feel from the 5 mph rolling start to 60 mph.
SWAYS - No noticeable increase in ride harshness or road noise whatsoever. Definite improvement in steering feel during turn-in. The stock steering feel in sweeper turns of freeway onramps and off ramps always felt really numb and heavy. The turn-in feel with the new sways is definitely crisper on turns taken at slow and high speeds. I also had an opportunity to test the feel during an emergency lane change at 70 mph. There were several large chunks of retread tire that I had to swerve to avoid and the feel and control of the car were excellent.
As others have reported there is a very noticeable reduction in body roll with the new sways. After getting off the freeway I made a sharp 90-degree left turn to go onto a freeway overpass. I've taken this turn several times before, always holding at high revs in second gear during the approach and through the turn trying to get as much speed as I felt was safe. The car always leaned so much I never got much speed or made any noise on the tires. With the new sways I held the revs higher and pushed through the turn at an estimated 10 mph faster. The car had minimal lean, but the stock tires howled noticeably, and my backpack with laptop and other gear did a cartwheel from its position on the floor behind my drivers seat to the floor behind the passengers seat.
If you never miss opportunity to drive your CL hard around turns (which I don't do often) once you get sways you will want to push it even further, beyond the point that the stock Michelin rubber can keep up. Having clearly felt the limits of the stock tires I would heartily endorse grippier ones as a necessary upgrade if you get the sways to keep out of trouble.
BTW I also got the rattling sunroof fixed finally. They lubed the seal around the sunroof glass and that did the trick. No teflon tape required. We'll see if the fix is permanent or if it returns. Now I can concentrate and isolate the other annoying rattles.
They were out of the AEM CAI in red, so I'll have to wait a couple more weeks for that.
Later all!
------------------
Mike
2001 Satin Silver CL-S / PIAA 19169
"Never underestimate the power of a dark CLown!" - Darph Bobo
Because the dealer is located across town from where I work, I didn't get to make the drive home on the same roads I drive on every day on the way home. I don't have any pics or dyno sheets to post, but here are my initial post-installation driving impressions:
HEADERS - No noticeable noise increase at idle, low speeds, or full-out in VTECH range. With a 5 mph rolling start from a right turn onto a straight freeway onramp the pedal-to-the-floor acceleration to 60 mph seemed to come real damn quick! A definite improvement here over stock. The roads were too congested earlier in the evening when I was driving, so I only had one opportunity to mash the pedal while cruising at 70 mph and take it to 90 mph. Not as dramatic a change as what I could feel from the 5 mph rolling start to 60 mph.
SWAYS - No noticeable increase in ride harshness or road noise whatsoever. Definite improvement in steering feel during turn-in. The stock steering feel in sweeper turns of freeway onramps and off ramps always felt really numb and heavy. The turn-in feel with the new sways is definitely crisper on turns taken at slow and high speeds. I also had an opportunity to test the feel during an emergency lane change at 70 mph. There were several large chunks of retread tire that I had to swerve to avoid and the feel and control of the car were excellent.
As others have reported there is a very noticeable reduction in body roll with the new sways. After getting off the freeway I made a sharp 90-degree left turn to go onto a freeway overpass. I've taken this turn several times before, always holding at high revs in second gear during the approach and through the turn trying to get as much speed as I felt was safe. The car always leaned so much I never got much speed or made any noise on the tires. With the new sways I held the revs higher and pushed through the turn at an estimated 10 mph faster. The car had minimal lean, but the stock tires howled noticeably, and my backpack with laptop and other gear did a cartwheel from its position on the floor behind my drivers seat to the floor behind the passengers seat.
If you never miss opportunity to drive your CL hard around turns (which I don't do often) once you get sways you will want to push it even further, beyond the point that the stock Michelin rubber can keep up. Having clearly felt the limits of the stock tires I would heartily endorse grippier ones as a necessary upgrade if you get the sways to keep out of trouble.
BTW I also got the rattling sunroof fixed finally. They lubed the seal around the sunroof glass and that did the trick. No teflon tape required. We'll see if the fix is permanent or if it returns. Now I can concentrate and isolate the other annoying rattles.
They were out of the AEM CAI in red, so I'll have to wait a couple more weeks for that.
Later all!
------------------
Mike
2001 Satin Silver CL-S / PIAA 19169
"Never underestimate the power of a dark CLown!" - Darph Bobo
03-29-2001 | 02:15 AM
#2
Back to Four Doors
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 677
Likes: 0
From: San Rafael, CA USA
As one who is contemplating installing the sways (gonna do it myself too 
), thanks for the great write-up. It sounds like the sways only come into play when you want/expect them to.
------------------
Rex -
'01 CL Type S - Satin Silver, Navi, BBS RK
Lic: THX CBOE
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...770&p=36712116
), thanks for the great write-up. It sounds like the sways only come into play when you want/expect them to.------------------
Rex -
'01 CL Type S - Satin Silver, Navi, BBS RK
Lic: THX CBOE
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...770&p=36712116
03-29-2001 | 03:32 AM
#3
Thread Starter
My other car is a 350Z
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 0
From: SacTown
Sled_dog_who_does_see_a_change_in_scenery: 
where in San Rafael do you live? I have family living in Corte Madera.
------------------
Mike
2001 Satin Silver CL-S / PIAA 19169 / Comptech headers / Comptech Sways
"Never underestimate the power of a dark CLown!" - Darph Bobo
where in San Rafael do you live? I have family living in Corte Madera.------------------
Mike
2001 Satin Silver CL-S / PIAA 19169 / Comptech headers / Comptech Sways
"Never underestimate the power of a dark CLown!" - Darph Bobo
03-29-2001 | 10:24 AM
#5
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 0
From: Live NYC , Work Northern NJ
Nice review... Give us another update after you have lived with them for a while.
------------------
2001 Silver 3.2CLS
-Muds, Spoiler, Hardwire 8500, Prolarg M-6 lamps
Planning: Comptech Headers, Sways, CAI
------------------
2001 Silver 3.2CLS
-Muds, Spoiler, Hardwire 8500, Prolarg M-6 lamps
Planning: Comptech Headers, Sways, CAI
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