My old Zed did not have the HICAS elimination but this one does - it was like that when i bought it.

 

I was just wondering (after watching that 300ZX video that princeking uploaded) why is the HICAS eliminated seeing as it looks so clever in the promotional vid. Nissan must have gone to all the effort of fitting it for a reason one would think. Then we take it off again?

 

Rich

Without too much detail, hicas only really helps in an over taking or salom scenario. When we talk about corners not so much. Sadly it creates excessive play often, equally many find it a bit dim witted. You tend to react quicker that it does and an over correction occurs. It's personal choice in all fairness, but most Motorsport focused z32s have deleted it.

The 300ZX Turbo, with its considerably higher speed potential [than the NA], needed Super HICAS if it was to achieve the ambitious handling and stability standards they had set themselves.

Nissan Testing Centre was happy with the handling of the NA without it and that

the real benefits of the rear-steer become apparent at over 120mph

Now all that's as maybe but there are two facts here. 1) Nissan did "de-spec" the 300ZX throughout its model life in places (just one example being the aircon controls) and 2) never took HICAS off the TTs. One would have thought if it didn't have a good effect, they would have saved the money.

Edited October 13, 201312 yr by Gio

Heavens now I am even more confused! The graph looks like in the Nissan video. Should I put HICAS back on?

Id say no Rich, it was a gimmick in my view to set the 300zx apart from other performance cars of that era im seriously considering deleting it from mine.

Leave it deleted bud, more trouble than its worth

Sit on it mate, I'm working on switchable hicas from the dashboard by making the car think the psf is low. I got it working but got my wiggly amps wrong and blew a load of fuses.

When I buy some more fuses and a fire extinguisher and get it working properly I'll do some roundabout trials and report back to the forum.

But I think mine works nicely tbh, it really tucks into tight bends.

Leave it deleted bud, more trouble than its worth

 

If it's deleted, then I'd leave it too. There are plenty of arguments for and against; suffice to say most people probably delete it at this point in the car's life due to the fact that all the joints are loose and wobbly - or it simply is not working like it should be. I am inclined to agree with Gio's thoughts above - if it were just a gimmick, then Nissan would have deleted it from the later spec TTs just to save money; but they didn't. Nissan retained the HICAS for a reason!!

 

My thoughts are, if it works, leave it alone - I personally think the car handles fine with it. But then mine is working and I don't take the car on the track; so I have no reason to dump it. But then if I bought another ZX with the HICAS deleted, I would not bother to reinstate it - just more work and expense:wink:

 

Richard:clover:

Some people delete due to reliability issues with the system (worn racks, worn arm joints, sensor problems), others delete because they dont like the way it feels. The Hicas system is a driver aid and it interferes with the driver input under "very spirited" driving. Many owners don't even notice it on the road....or don't have experience of the system on or off to know the difference.

 

If you have no issues with the system either in terms or reliability or how it feels then there is no reason for you to remove it.

 

On a Track oriented car its one of the first things to be changed, mainly because the handling is more predictable on the limit without the hicas, it also quite a bit lighter without, especially if you go the NA subframe route, which has other benefits in terms of drive ratio.

 

Sit on it mate, I'm working on switchable hicas from the dashboard by making the car think the psf is low. I got it working but got my wiggly amps wrong and blew a load of fuses.

When I buy some more fuses and a fire extinguisher and get it working properly I'll do some roundabout trials and report back to the forum.

But I think mine works nicely tbh, it really tucks into tight bends.

 

I've done this a lot for other owners that were unsure about wether they wanted to replace it or not. Just wire a switch inbetween the PAS fluid feed. Very quick and simple to do.

 

In order to effectively see a difference there mustn't me any play in the system at all (and quite often there is).

Edited October 14, 201312 yr by Yowser