I am new to auto-xing FWD and whilst doing an excuse of a slalom run last weekend (gota love them corporate parking lots I noticed that while steering the wheel got very stiff...I have novice exp with rwd and wanted to know if this is normal in the case of the power that the car puts to the ground (kinda like torque steer)...I have a stock 97 5 speed SE...the ABS is sensitive as hell when trying to left foot brake too

 

mine seems to stiffen up at speed too.

and what are you doing left braking! gotta learn some heel toe driving techniques grasshoppa.

 

..I only heel and toe when downshifting...its easier for me to left foot brake upon corner entry when I only need a lil reduction of power and also when trying to get some oversteer upon exit am I handicapped?

 

no, i am just giving you a hard time

 

I've found that in some situations I can get ahead of the power steering, especially doing very tight transitions. If it was a tight slalom, maybe you were getting close to this point too.

 

Doing a hard slalom run can definetly tax the power steering system. About the only thing you can do about it is either muscle it or change the pulley size on the PS pump.

 

Has anyone ever changed the pulley?

 

It's probably not worth doing because it takes more power from the engine, and it won't be worth it 99% of the time.

 

Yeah true. What if you made the pulley smaller and like the UDP. Would that help your engine.

 

how fast were you going through the slolom? I was doing some driving in 2nd gear today through the parkinglot...my steering felt so effortless that it was easy to turn too far and plow.

I've auto-x before a few times. I can't think of a situation you would need to left foot brake? Also, my 93 maxima se 5sp, 93 altima gxe 5sp, and 95 altima se 5sp refuses to let me into 1st gear gate unless i'm going less than 10mph (and even then, I gotta dbl clutch). I haven't tried going back to 1st in my 97 max gxe 5sp, but I don't think it can either. Is anybody able to get 1st gear going 15-20 mph?

Jae

 

It was a ghetto slalom set up by my buddy and myself and I was in second gear...I left foot braked at the end as I was turning around...I like to left foot brake in familiar turns also under safe conditions trying to get some oversteer

In order to downshift to first, *the max has long gearing making it easier* you need to rev match and then you can select first nice and smoothly or double clutch as its also known...thats the safest way to do it afaik...if not I hope your synchros are not shot

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