Looking at a 240sx, HICAS ???

[cybercrx00]

I found a really nice 240sx in town that I am thinking about buying. It is a 1991 coupe. They car is very nice, and it even has the HICAS system in it. I was curious if it had a hydrolic or electric sysem for the steering. I used to have a 1991 300zx with the HICAS in it, and it was always leaking, and was very expensive to fix. I guess I'm just wondering if I should worry about this on the 240's also

[TatII]

i'm pretty sure its hydrolic casue even the early R32 skyline GT-R's used hydrolics in the HICAS steering.

[Holyterror]

At some point in the mid-90s, Nissan went to fully electronic HICAS. I want to say '94, but I'm not sure. So different years of the 300ZX had different types, and at least by the time the R33 was released, the GT-R also went electronic. Not sure about the 240, but probably the same deal.

[cybercrx00]

yeah, the electronic one went in the 94+ Z's and from what i have heard, it is much more reliable

[Jay!]

From a recent issue of Sport Compact Car:

Picking the Chassis

The S13 240SX came as a fastback, coupe and convertible. The convertible is heavy, flexible and was only available with an automatic. If you're building a sports car, don't start here. Of the remaining body styles, the coupe is slightly lighter (about 50 lbs., depending on options) and stiffer, thanks to the added structure behind the rear seats.

The 240SX was available with ABS, a viscous limited-slip differential, and Super HICAS four-wheel steering. ABS from this era is relatively primitive, so we tend to avoid it. The HICAS system is probably another one to avoid. The rear-wheel steering is sometimes in phase and sometimes out of phase with the front wheels, and many people find it unpredictable and unsettling. There are several kits available to eliminate the system on cars that have it.

We've only experienced the system on Skylines, where it works quite well, so we can't comment on its effectiveness in the S13. A limited-slip differential is absolutely critical for what is about to be a very powerful car, but only cars with Super HICAS had the limited slip. If you can't locate a car with one, you can find one in a junkyard from a 240SX (all Canadian 240SXs had them) or a 300ZX, or there are aftermarket limited slips available. If you get a 240SX limited slip, be sure to get the driveshaft as well; it's about an inch shorter.

They don't seem thrilled about it...

[Holyterror]

The rear-wheel steering is sometimes in phase and sometimes out of phase with the front wheels, and many people find it unpredictable and unsettling.

I've experienced this in the 300ZXTT. I nearly ended up in a lane I didn't belong in when my powerslide went terribly wrong. My friend, the owner, was kind of pissed off about it, since about 10 minutes before I swore to him that I had already mastered the car. I would have been fine if the car hadn't decided to second-guess my driving. I have never done any serious driving in a 240SX, but I'll bet it's the same story. This is one of the reasons I want to drive a GT-R so badly, so I can find out what it's like to have the electronics working with you instead of against you.