Driftwagen EinI have a plan to fabricate a drift car using a Porsche 944 chassis with a custom rear subframe to house Nissan suspension. I am pretty sure this would work beautifully as it would allow me to put the instant center wherever I want. I am confident this would make an excellent drift car given the weight distribution and overall characteristics of the vehicle.I understand the subframe is going to require some R&D but would like your advice as to how much anti-squat to include (in accordance with 'Making it stick', SCC, December 2005)Wesley SkeltonCincinnati, Ohio
Your solution seems overly complex. Swapping complete suspension systems between cars is much easier when you can move the whole suspension and subframe as a unit. Since the 944 has a rear transaxle and the Nissan subframe is just designed to hold a differential, there's no way to just bolt the Nissan bits in. Obviously you know this, since you're proposing making a new subframe, but precisely locating all 10 inboard control arm mounting points is a daunting task I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
Instead, I would see how far you can get with the stock suspension geometry. Since the rear springs are torsion bars, it would be easiest to leave the stock torsion bars in place and add extra rear spring rate with a coil spring mounted over the rear shock.
The semi-trailing arm geometry can be a little tricky for two reasons. First, rear toe can change a lot as the suspension moves, making rear grip a little inconsistent. The simplest solution here is simply to make the rear really stiff so it doesn't move much, keeping toe consistent. Big anti-roll bars and some stiff springs will help a lot
The second problem is, as you guessed, the instant center. When lowered, the control arm will be flat, or even pointing down (looking from the wheel, forward) leading to quite a bit of rear squat. The simplest solution is to run near the stock ride height where the geometry probably works pretty well. If the drift judges poo-poo that solution, though, you can try raising the subframe up in the car by the same amount that you lower the car. This is a lot of work, but less than the Nissan idea.
Driftwagen ZweiI am the proud owner of a 1987 BMW 325is. I know there are a great deal of clubs devoted to BMWs, and that you guys give little press to their machinery, but I have a question most BMW guys can't answer. I would love to set the car up to drift. From what I can guess, I have the basic ingredients right: rear-wheel drive, limited-slip diff and torque in the mid-range. The suspension now is stock (as in 222,000 miles stock). What else do I need, and what settings do I need to make? I know it will cost a lot because of the emblems on the car, but I want a German drift machine.Kyle WalkerMunich, Idaho
On the surface, you need the same thing as the 944. A suspension stiff enough to negate the semi-trailing arm vices, and a little moderation when it comes to lowering. With 220,000 miles, though, add in stiffer bushings everywhere and a trunk full of kitty litter to clean the track when you blow your motor.
And after you blow that old motor up, drop a 302 in and glue a blue and white propeller to the top of your Holly double-pumper, so the club guys don't make fun of you.