Drift Tengoku — September 2004 · Page 76
Page 76 — English translation
Page text and listings
Questions that bother you
A thorough investigation
You may now be ready to try alignment. But are you assuming it is pointless because your crashed car won't track straight, or that an expensive setup will quickly drift out again? We performed some interesting experiments to answer those questions.
Photography: Hiroki Iwashima
Question 1
Can a car with a bent frame...
This Cefiro even challenged experienced alignment specialist Suzuki. Adjustments rarely take over two hours, but this one exceeded three. His refusal to compromise and repeated attempts were impressive.
...drive straight after alignment...
Kaotan's Cefiro (A31). A beginner female drifter drives this standard engine car. A replacement front section was bought at auction for ¥17,000 and welded on by Drift Samurai. Suspension parts: Tein coilovers and Tein pillow ball tension rods.
...is that possible?
Cutting and replacing the frame like this is unusual, but many cars no longer track straight after a crash. Owners often tolerate it, assuming alignment cannot help. Yet if this repaired car can be corrected, many others can too. The main cause appears to be Drift Samurai...
...but matching readings at only one end cannot make a bent frame car track straight if its thrust angle is wrong. See the explanatory box for thrust angle. A professional shop can make even this badly misaligned car track properly. Drivers frustrated by a wandering car are encouraged to get it adjusted and rediscover normal behavior.
This looks like a difficult job!
...welding the frame slightly out of line: it is visibly around 3 cm off. A four wheel alignment tester is particularly valuable here. Separate front and rear measurements may match local reference numbers...
Answer
With careful alignment...
Assessing the current condition
...the car can track straight!
...led to a spin inward...
During street drifting practice, a right hand corner...
Watch these areas too!
...and hit the central divider.
Repair began by cutting the front frame...
...and transplanted the front of another Cefiro with its frame. Drift Samurai performed the work; see June 2004. The steering pulls left in motion, requiring tiring correction to keep straight.
The frame is crooked!
Pillow ball tension rod installation: the joint and rod are mounted at an angle. Uneven force distribution may cause play to develop prematurely in the bearing.
...mounted like this...
A torn HICAS rod boot
Rubber boots often split with age; check driveshafts and HICAS rods. Grease loss can cause joints to seize, making alignment harder and causing noise and poor ride.
We did not mention the frame when bringing the car in, but it was immediately found. It is displaced roughly 3 cm to the left, the source of this Cefiro's poor alignment.
Pay attention to bolt tightening. Here the bolt bears on the washer's edge, preventing secure clamping and risking loosening and alignment changes...
...as a result.
Escaping grease means the boot needs attention!
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About this issue
ドリフト天国 (Drift Tengoku), September 2004, is a Japanese drifting magazine. This archive preserves 316 scanned pages in their original right-to-left reading order, including the covers.
English translations are available through the outlined text areas. Hover over a box on desktop, or tap it on mobile. The original photographs and Japanese lettering remain visible on the scan.
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Use the page buttons or page number to navigate. On mobile, drag with one finger to move the page and pinch with two fingers to zoom. On desktop, drag a corner to turn a page. The zoom controls allow a closer look at the scans.