| |
2003 Sentra SE-R
Project
With the onset of the new Sentra from Nissan, we had to stop and
take a moment to reflect on the last few years of development,
especially for the B15 platform. We have always felt that the
Nissan Sentra community has been overlooked. Most think of it as
a four-door grocery getter, so we, at FreshAlloy, thought it was
time to step up to the plate with make some dramatic changes in
development and power. We want our beloved Nissan Sentra to
really compete with the other sport compacts in the market.
In this series of articles we are going to attack the foundation
of just about every Nissan Sentra lover out there; For many it
has been labeled with a reputation for being ignored, yet
respected. We will begin with the bottom side of the Sentra, the
suspension.
The Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V (the sport version of the 'grocery
getter') is already equipped with what one would refer to as a
'decent' suspension system. We decided to take it one step
further. We trekked over to R Nissan in Edgewood, Maryland and
spoke with Tom Walton in order to hammer out our suspension
needs. Tom gave us some great advice! He informed us that Nismo
had released an R-Tuned Suspension for the vehicle. It would
reduce the overall ride height by 20MM in the front and 15MM in
the rear, and it had a Spring rate that is 20% stiffer over
stock, while maintaining a damping force tuned specifically for
SE-R Spec V.
So we followed his advice and determined the NISMO R-Tune set up
would perform extremely well in our Sentra. We also addressed
our Sway Bar need for the front. Now the Sentra comes with a
stock sway bar, but being that Nismo offers one, we opted for
it. It Increases roll stiffness for quicker turn-in and less
body lean. It's thicker then the stock front sway bar and is
23MM of Solid Steel. It also comes with Hardened Bushing to
replace the stock ones. Our laundry list of suspension upgrades
included, the NISMO Rear Sway Bar, NISMO Front Sway Bar, NISMO
Lower Tie Bar, and a NISMO R-Tuned Spring/Strut package.
(Editor's note: Tom just told us he's willing to give FA
reader's a discount, just send a private message to ???? on our
Forums.)
The difference of this vehicle in how it drives, handles, and
destroys turns with what seems to be little to no effort is
simply put into one word: Amazing. They were right! This is the
best setup for the Nissan Sentra.
Refer to
the FreshAlloy article on the Nissan Sentra SE-r for a detailed
evaluation.
My initial impression of the set up was that it was much
smoother over the previous suspension. Replacing the stock
components made such a difference. The body roll is
significantly less; it turns much sharper, and quite frankly,
feels just great. I'm a power freak and I have all but ignored
suspension being a vital part of the Nissan Sentra's overall
characteristics. This experience has for sure has caused me to
rethink my approach on future modification on any vehicles I
own.
Well, now that we've taken care of the bottom side, we'll move
on the the fun part - power! Stay tuned to Freshalloy for the
next installment of one of the best tuner cars on the street or
track.
-The Speed Freak, Will the Sentra Guy
>>
Forum:
Speak
your Mind on SE-R Project
|
| |
| |
2003 SE-R
In Stock Form
Pros:
Excellent Power plant with loads of torque
Excellent Limited Slip Differential
Mild Mannered Suspension
Cons:
Destructive Exhaust Manifold
Needs more Power
Current Upgrades:
Engine/Power:
AEM Intake
Ported Throttle Body
Ported Intake Manifold
Jim Wolf Technology Cams
Unorthodox Racing Crank Pulley
OBX Header
Megan Mid-Pipe
NISMO Cat Back Exhaust
Apexi SAFC2
Suspension:
NISMO Front and Rear Sway Bars
NISMO Lower Tie Bar
NISMO Spring/Strut Combo
Wheels:
Gram Light 57Pro 17x7
Brakes:
Brembo Cross drilled/Slotted Rotors
Hawk Pads
Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Transmission:
NISMO Generation 1 Short Shifter
Future Upgrades/Articles:
Custom Lightweight Flywheel
Upgraded Clutch
Full SQR Engine Build 10K RPM Line (watch for future
articles on this!!)
Extruded & Honed Cylinder Head
Oversized Valves & Full Valve train build/review
Electromotive TEC3 Standalone
Larger Exhaust System
Brembo Brake Package
|
|
|
