Question...

I want to buy a 350z but I have a few questions I need answers to.

1. Why Would I want VDC? I have heard that it will slow the car down? and that it cuts the power when you hit the breaks. Is the car better wiht out it?

2. What is the rear wheel horsepower on this car. does it really lose 40hp+ to the drive shaft?

Thats all If anyone can help please let me know!!

Thanks
Doug

:flipa:

Originally posted by Dkent2


:flipa:

???...

1. I heard VDC doesn't do sh!t...just adds weight to the car...my guess is that you'd be straight with TC, and LSD...

2. does it matter how much horsepower it has at the wheels?...almost every car loses HP if you look at it like that...my CL supposed to be 260HP...but that's not at the wheels (ATW is something like 200)...basically it doesn't even matter, the car is FAST, handles nice.

p.s. :finger:

I know all cars lose hp at the wheel I had heard that the Z's drive shaft for some reson eats a lot of it up! Do you know what the VDC is supposed to do at all, I know how the TCS works, Right now im leaning between two models and its either the Track, or I get the Enthuists and hook it up my self.

Happy thanksgiving!

i have read driveline loss of up to 20% but the testing method was questionable. the avg loss is 15%..some are speculating that the carbon fibre driveshaft might cause more than avg loss.

VDC is matter of choice but it doesnt slow down the car except in the sense that it might not let you induce oversteer, etc. but you can turn it off.

That was my next question, can you turn it off!! In sportcompactmag they tested a z and said that you could not use left foot breaking methods because of VDC and they had to unplug the break light switch for some of the testing. I guess I want the Enthusists with the same breaks and wheels as the track with leather seats and areo package!! good luck finding that right!! ahhhhhhhh

Thanks guys i will be showing pic's soon

I read the same article about 30 times before I ordered my Z. On page 81 it states that they disabled it by unplugging the brake light switch. I am not sure what exactly that means but assume that with a little work there should be a permanent bypass or even cooler would be to install a switch so that you can turn it on or off. I know that I will be driving mine half way civilized most of the time, BUT if you get a wild hair up your &$$ you can switch it off and go to town.

If you unplug your break light switch then your break lights dont work anymore.

I can't believe that the carbon fiber driveshaft causes more hp loss than a standard driveshaft. While I'm not a mechanical engineer, it does make sense when you take into account Newton's 2nd law of motion:
F=ma (Force = mass * acceleration); or alternatively a = F/m. This dictates that the less mass you have, the higher your acceleration. In this case, we'll get greater angular acceleration on the driveshaft as it's mass is reduced (and I believe the carbon fiber composite used made it a bit lighter).

Screw the brakelight switch the one I test drove the other day had a VDC switch to the left of the steering wheel to turn it off. I was very impressed with the car and extremely happy I ordered one. The car is more fun to drive than the 1996 300TT I used to drive.

Originally posted by rgreene
I can't believe that the carbon fiber driveshaft causes more hp loss than a standard driveshaft. While I'm not a mechanical engineer, it does make sense when you take into account Newton's 2nd law of motion:
F=ma (Force = mass * acceleration); or alternatively a = F/m. This dictates that the less mass you have, the higher your acceleration. In this case, we'll get greater angular acceleration on the driveshaft as it's mass is reduced (and I believe the carbon fiber composite used made it a bit lighter).

I see where you're coming from. But I do wonder about the flexibility of the carbon fiber material. It is definitely not as rigid as aluminum or steel and may be losing energy in a twist/flexing kind of motion. Maybe that translates to more torque? Great, I'm driving a rubberband car.

FYI. The power difference when measured at the flywheel and then at the wheels is do to what engineers call a non-conservative force a.k.a. friction. The gearboxes, universal joints, and the CV joints are the main sources of power robbing friction in automobiles not the drive shaft itself.

As for aluminum shell carbon fiber wrapped driveshafts, they are stronger, lighter and more rigid than steel or aluminum; however, they are also more brittle. They have a lower moment of intertia which means that it takes less enegy (in this case torque) to produce the same angular acceleration. Translation, the car picks up rpm quicker.

I hope this helps.