i am about to began a 20b conv, which kit should i go with, Autotech motorsports, Hinson Supercars, or Pettit?

 

GTORX7 offers a kit that allows rentension of the stock subframe. You should check it out, no need to screw with any bump steer kits and that jazz.

 

yeah, but then you have to cut the intake to clear the hood. There is still alot of modification needed to clear the steering rack and oil pan. Most the 20b swaps I see done use the pettit sub frame.

 

youre right that modification is required to clear the rack, but fortunately GTO does that for you as part of the kit. I have it, and it is REALLY nice and well sorted out. I'd rather pay the 10 or so dollars for cutting and grinding disks to remove the necessary material from the LIM and reweld it (if you have a welder and know how to use it) or pay a welder to do it than mess with bumpsteer and what not. furthermore (and i know that this is not much of a reality since most people would never do it) it allows you to put the stock motor back in since it doesn't change the subframe at all in case you ever wanted to put your 20B in something else or sell the car down the road and keep the motor.

anyway, do whatever you think is best, based on reSEARCH.

good luck
ryan

 

shitty handling and annoying bumpsteer VS. cut intake

is that really a hard decision?

 

bump steer is easy to correct if you have a good allignment shop. Next to hacking an intake. Plus if you drop in a sub frame you can still turn it back to stock when you put the stock sub frame back in.

 

all of the subframe solutions that i researched (which i must confess is limited to hinson and pettit) require a core subframe, which unless you have an extra, means that you cannot, without substantial fabrication, reinstall the original motor.

ryan

 

Correct Ryan. I have the hinson kit in my car. I still have my sub frame, I found a spare for $100 and there not to hard to find these days.

 

GTO or Pettit

 

Well, its not quite that easy. Moving the entire steering rack down 2-4" results in a drop of tie rod pivot points. In relation the the movement of the suspension, this change will make the tie rod follow a different range of motion. This change can only be fixed by lowering the outer tie rod a exact distance downward. but if you look at the factory placement, you are very limited to amount it can be lowered before rim contact happens. Plus it is a much weaker attachment, not to mention even harder to correct if the car is lowered 1-2" like most performance Rx-7's will be. Its a downward spiral of headaches, weaker design, and extra costs. Plus, I now am able to modify the intake in house, so its a one stop shop. However, good luck with whichever route you go on this project!

 

I used a pettit and it works ok, you have to send in spindles to get modified, Grind down the brass steering mount (where the steering bolts to the subframe) for the oil pan to clear, and make 1/2" spacers for the steering mounts. The engine sits higher and further out than Autotechs and disrupts the near perfect balance of the car. Id say from experience go with autotechs. I believe they have to modify the intake, but you maintain near 50/50 balance.