# E-Braking Stresses?



## Omega3k1 (Jan 6, 2005)

Well i've got a 95 Sentra XE and recently i've been driving around my local back roads and i've been pushing my car and i've noticed a good way to reduce understeer on these cars is to e-brake as you hit the apex so it whips the back end around. Well i was just curious as to what all stesses and strains i'm putting onto my car by doing this and what i could do to help strenghten it. Also is this damaging my E-Brake. I know its burning up my rear tires cause they lock up and slide out, but whats other part is it damaging and things like that. Should i get a strut bar to help reduce the stress on my struts. Or should i just lay off ebraking all together?


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

lay off it because it's not the proper way to go through a corner. maybe if you're a rally driver on dirt, but you're not...

left foot braking to help rotate the car is one thing, but locking up the back and and sliding is another.


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## Omega3k1 (Jan 6, 2005)

man i really need to take a driving course... i have no clue how to do that. I wish there was a track around my location that i could race at cause i dont want to do it on the street.

I do need tires w/ a better grip(i'm looking at getting some new 15 or 16in rims wrapped in 205's) and new struts and springs. How would this combo be for springs + Struts? KYB-GR2's wrapped in TEIN S Tech Springs? I could pull that off for around $250 off of Ebay. Or should i get Some KYB-AGX's. But if spending that much i should probably go ahead and get TEIN Basics... I dont really care about extreme handling i just want something thats a bit better than stock that'll grip the road but still ride smooth and wont jar my teeth out of my head. The roads around here arent to good and i still need some dampening.

Also where would i go to find a driving course in my area so i can learn how to safetly drive, so i can better avoid accidents and to know the limits of my car so i can better handle it incase an incident arises and i need to avoid an accident. If i knew how to drive i'm sure i would've missed that deer that shattered my turn signal and dented my hood and fender.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

Omega3k1 said:


> Well i've got a 95 Sentra XE and recently i've been driving around my local back roads and i've been pushing my car and i've noticed a good way to reduce understeer on these cars is to e-brake as you hit the apex so it whips the back end around. Well i was just curious as to what all stesses and strains i'm putting onto my car by doing this and what i could do to help strenghten it. Also is this damaging my E-Brake. I know its burning up my rear tires cause they lock up and slide out, but whats other part is it damaging and things like that. Should i get a strut bar to help reduce the stress on my struts. Or should i just lay off ebraking all together?


The parts you're putting the most stress on are the tyres and the rear brakes. All of the suspension components in the rear are also being stressed (indirectly), but this is to a much lesser degree. 

I agree with Matt though in saying that it really isn't a smart or worthwhile thing to do. It puts unecessary stress on critical components of the car, and it isn't fast or safe. I mean, it is good to get used to using your e-brake to slide your tail out (like when you're driving on fresh snow and your car refuses to turn quickly enough to avoid hitting a curb. It happens quite a bit to people in my area). But you shouldn't do it all the time.

If you want to learn accident avoidance, defensive driving and the like, the quickest thing to do is probably to go to your local police station/municipal building/DMV and ask them. If they have closed course street driving courses in your area, they will know.

If you can't find anything like that in your area and/or want to know more than just the basics (those hands-on defensive driving courses really only teach you the absolute basics), there's lots of great literature out there to suit your needs. I still push Ross Bentley's _Speed Secrets_ series of driving books because they're so easy to understand and you can apply everything in it to street driving (the books themselves are pretty cheap too).

Once you get the theory down, the next step would probably be to find an autocross (hot lap days/HPDE if you have money) in your area. The two most well-known sanctioning bodies in my area are the SCCA  and NASA. Look at their web sites and see if there's anything in near you.


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## himbo (Sep 20, 2003)

def. dont use gr2 for the tiens, they could blow. anyway, get g/c or tiens w/ agx or tokico hp (?) thats a good set up. 

as for the left foot braking. only do it in a large smooth area, bc its easy to screw up, esp. if u are driving a stick and your left foot is used to really hitting the clutch. basically, is u use your left foot to brake, while on the gas, properly done, u can shift the weight over the front end, which causes more grip (ie less understeer), and lighten the rear (ie oversteer). it can also lock up the rear safely w/o ripping on the brake line.

*lfb requires dexterity, and lots of precision. the car is really on edge when you do it.* this is an extreme practice on balance. so, practice safely and good luck, its really satisfying when u heel and toe, then lfb in a turn and nail it. you'll feel like a champ :thumbup:


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## STRATTON (Sep 10, 2003)

check this group buy out for some cheaper prices for agxs.....
http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=86524


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## Omega3k1 (Jan 6, 2005)

the AGX's are a bit to steep for me really. Especially since i'm wanting to get rims and tires(looking at around 500 for what i want), Weapon-R Header(not best performance but good bang for buck from what i've read), CAI of some sort(prolly whatever i can find for less than 100), and a cat-back exhaust from a local muffler shop. What would be a good setup for around 350? I know to stay away from the generic Ebay crap, i dont want to die . 

Hmm i have found a set of Tokiko's for $265
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ry=33590&item=7954861000&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

But that is still kinda high. Would those pair up well with these?
Tein S.Tech Lowering Springs
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33582&item=7955013310&rd=1

And is there anything else i'd need for a decent setup? Bump stops and camber plates and all that stuff?

Also thanks for the sources i'll ask the officer at my school where i could go, if he doesnt know i'll try my insurance(hey always nice if it'll drop my insurance ), and then go to the PD.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

Omega3k1 said:


> Hmm i have found a set of Tokiko's for $265
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ry=33590&item=7954861000&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


I hate those dampers. They're awful.

EDIT: You're going to have to allocate more than 350 for dampers and springs.


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## STRATTON (Sep 10, 2003)

ReVerm said:


> I hate those dampers. They're awful.
> 
> EDIT: You're going to have to allocate more than 350 for dampers and springs.


yeah what he said tokicos blow. if your gonna spend money dont do it half assed. save it up. it may take longer but in the end it will be worth it.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

ReVerm said:


> I hate those dampers. They're awful.
> 
> EDIT: You're going to have to allocate more than 350 for dampers and springs.


HA we got the AGX's for 345 foo! EVERYONE COME CHECK IT OUT! click my sig.
the best springs for our cars are the hypercoils, sr20forum has them in right now. they are 235 shipped a set!!!!!!!! BUY BUY BUY
TEIN STECH IS LOW, you will bottom out. unless you rate looks over performance, the hyper coil in the way to go.

hypercoil+AGX+motiv rear mounts+ koni bumps+rear sway bar+strut bars=out standing for the money. add in some chassi X bracing later and other things from Matt93SE and youll be set.


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

you need to spend less money on wheels and just get a nice suspension setup and some good tires

spending all your money on wheels isnt go to satisfy your need


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## jmann98 (Aug 20, 2004)

But wider wheels will give him more grip. Seems silly that he should go out and get 300 pound springs, and have 185mm wide tires. I would suggest getting some rims/tires, and get them so that your width is 205, and get some sticky tires along with it. This will dramatically increase your grip. If you need more, then you can add expensive suspension parts.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

i got 205 wide tires AND wheels for $250. SE-r, cant go wrong, lightest wheel you can buy for under $500 a set imo. 15lbs each.

also spending more on suspention is a much better idea than getting blinged up wheels. and just because they are wider dosent allways mean they will be stickyer but it does mean there will be more drag. you could find a 195 wide that is just as sticky as some 205's


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## Omega3k1 (Jan 6, 2005)

i've been searching around and i cant really find anything cheaper than that. I dont want big flashy rims, I just want something that looks better than my 13in rims w/ hub caps . I want silver/chrome 4 to 10 spoke rims. If someone could find me something i could search for for a lot less than that it would help me out.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

your best bet. 

my wheels came by real easy. wickedsr20 lives in MD and read a post that i said i wanted se-r wheels. and offerd them to me and we met up a few weeks later and i bought them from him.

rota wheel GB! they have silver, polished, flat black, gloss black.


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## himbo (Sep 20, 2003)

1.6pete said:


> i got 205 wide tires AND wheels for $250. SE-r, cant go wrong, lightest wheel you can buy for under $500 a set imo. 15lbs each.
> 
> also spending more on suspention is a much better idea than getting blinged up wheels. and just because they are wider dosent allways mean they will be stickyer but it does mean there will be more drag. you could find a 195 wide that is just as sticky as some 205's


yep, good word, rubber compound, and they way the tire was designed (ie, stiffness of sidewall, etc) will play a major role of how the tire handles


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