Posts by BKL

  • New manual Corvette?

    Quote from LargeCar

    So chevy is finally catching up with the Ford GT 40 from years ago? :whistling:


    LC


    Ford_GT&ved=2ahUKEwjp7tqO5NndAhUCZKwKHYyJCjAQ5OUBMBN6BAgBEAE&usg=AOvVaw3NBFFZGPVQc5xF9UnLUxFv

    If you mean Chevy will finally be releasing a mid-engine, rear drive, front-mounted radiator, two door car, yes. Other than that, the body styling is different and the mid-engine Vette will be significantly more affordable, but still way beyond what my wallet could ever afford! ;(
    Vette enthusiasts have longed for a vehicle like this for many years.

  • Shift adapter with no threads cant find

    Quote from Chain

    Is posting on your wall same as PM. I am not a idiot just do not see how to PM. Guess I should lay off the moonshine.

    IIRC, I had someone post to my Wall, but I didn't realize they had done so for several months. Either I missed any notification or the forum software never notified me. Creating a new Conversation (A Personal Message/PM) will result in the forum member receiving a notification of a new Conversation/PM.

  • Late 2017 or 2018 Slingshot Angle Drive pics wanted

    Update from TDS -
    @Orangeman pointed out the PN changes could be due to a simple manufacturing source change.


    TDS member @Rider posted the he thought he had read that the part number changes were due to changes in the internal components, nothing else.


    MY response - Internal changes may have affected the durability of the external casing, but I'd expect Polaris or any other manufacturer to have bragged about any such improvement in their advertising.


    TDS member @ulflyer posted - My '18 is much quieter than the '16 was. This may just be luck of the draw, but it seems there have been fewer posts about excessively noisy angle drives in the last year or two. I would like to think Polaris has made some change to the gears, but who knows? Maybe one of you techies could do a survey?


    My response - We can only hope confirming evidence appears. Some early owners have really pushed HP levels w/o (yet) experiencing failures, so the angle drive failures seen so far may simply be due to casting failures. Until we know the reasons for the changes in PNs that occurred in 2017, we don't know. The changed PN at the beginning of the 2017 model year build could be due to a simple source change or a design change, but w/o any confirmation from Polaris we don't know. It's also possible that the mid-2017 PN change was also due to a source change, but we are just speculating w/o any confirmation from Polaris. Polaris may have improved the durability of the angle drive, but I'd think any such change would be reflected in their advertising by referring to a new or improved drive-train.

  • Sneak Peak - The New Front Lip

    I got tired of having to readjust the lower front wing after what seemed to be all-too frequent critter encounters during night rides, so I replaced the lower wing with an eBay rear deck spoiler. The spoiler is about 42" wide and so far I attribute its narrower width (compared to the full width lower front wing) with being better able to avoid impacts with critters and road debris. Theoretically, the spoiler can also be adjusted to increase or reduce any down-force the spoiler might generate. Here's a pic -

    @ericastar76 expressed some concern about the possibility of damaging the front frame extensions since the aluminum mounts are angled down and might leverage the extensions in an impact. I've come up with a bracket redesign that should hopefully allow the bracket to slide backwards in an impact and spread the force out timewise, but haven't gotten around to fabbing a set to check it out. The new bracket will mount above the spoiler and should also lower the wing so it's below or closer to the bottom of the intercooler and work with a piece I'm designing to enclose the lower area between the two frame extension boxes and better direct air to the intercooler and radiator.

  • Late 2017 or 2018 Slingshot Angle Drive pics wanted

    User Schwingshot over on TDS has been wondering what changes have been made to the angle drive (What changes were made to the newer style angle Drive | Polaris Slingshot Forum).


    Here's what I found looking at PartShark's listings -


    Based on the parts listings from PartShark, here are the PNs by year -
    2015 & 2016 angle-drive pn = 1333003
    2017 built to 02/03/17 = 1333618
    2017 built from 02/03/17 = 1333909
    2018 =1333909
    Replacement angle drives for all years are now listed as pn 1333909.


    Assuming there is a visible difference in the casting for the new angle drive design (pn 1333909), if some owners of 2018 or late 2017 Slingshots (built after 02/03/17) post some pictures of their angle drive units, we may be able to see any changes. Since most failed angle drive units seem to have experienced failures where the driveshaft connects to the angle drive and across the front of the angle drive towards the drive pulley, pics of those areas may be useful.


    Please post any pics here and/or PM them to me and I'll try to get them posted on TDS.

  • 2019 Can-Am Ryker 3-wheeler starts at $8499!

    Found this article on TDS - Leasing and Lower Prices: The Can-Am Strategy of Affordability. Turns out Can-Am not only intro'd some new models, they also reduced prices on all models and now offer leasing!
    Now if Polaris would steal this concept for the Slingshot II, but still keep it 3-wheeled - Cycleweird Short: The Suzuki Hayabusa Sport Concept! The basic lines are pretty and if kept as a 3-wheeler will still offer a lot of benefits to the mod community. A topless version would still look pretty good.

  • Rear tire

    Quote from Bigdog

    Treadwear grade
    A government-required number that indicates a tire’s expected wear. A grade of 300 denotes a tire that will wear three times as well as a tire graded 100. But the numbers are assigned by tire manufacturers, not an independent third party.


    So that means that number means nothing.


    Quote from Bigdog

    It matters if you’re comparing other brands, which is more often the case.
    I use those numbers to indicate how soft the tire compound is. Which in turn should give you an indication of the type of mileage you can expect. Just an indication. To me it also means how much grip the tire has. More grip less mileage.

    So, which post are we supposed to accept? The first one where you say the rating is meaningless because it's assigned by the manufacturer or the second where you say it's useful when comparing different brands and you're then comparing one manufacturer's apples to another manufacturer's oranges? It can't be both ways. ?(

  • Rear tire

    Quote from edwardaneal

    The numbers do not mean nothing as you say - when comparing tires made by the same manufacture where the testing method used is the same for the tires being compared these numbers can be very helpful.

    Even when comparing between manufacturers, just remember to see what actual users of the tire have to say as far as their tire life and traction for that matter.
    Here's what Consumer Reports has to say about the UTQG ratings system - Understanding the UTQG car tire-grading system - Consumer Reports. While each manufacturer may provide their own ratings, it is still against a government-set standard, old as the standard may be. As CR says, look at the manufacturer's mileage projection as a better indicator as to how long a tire should last. Generally speaking, a higher UTQG usually also means the tire will also have a longer tread wear warranty.
    Also,keep in mind that the Slingshot's rear tire is more stressed than it would be on a 4-wheel vehicle,so expect less than half the mileage a manufacturer may claim. When a tire is used in a non-rotated application like the Slingshot, most manufacturers will only warrant the tire for half the normal tread life warranty, or may not warrant it in that application.

  • Rear tire

    I have a 2015 Base Slingshot w/ around 43000 miles on it and I'm on my 5th rear tire. I replaced my factory rear tire with another Kenda (same size and cost around $135 mounted) and I got around 10K miles from each one. I then went to a Sumtiomo HTR ZIII 295/30ZR18* ($200+ mounted) tire from which I only got around 7K miles. I then replaced it with a Nankang NS-20 275/35R18** (about $120 mounted) and got around 9K miles from it with some more tread left, but I wanted a wider tire after finally getting my turbo installed. I now run a Nitto 555 G2 315/35ZR17 (about $240 mounted) on an American Muscle 10th Anniversary Cobra Style 17 x 10.5" Mustang wheel ($149). (This wheel has a 28 mm Offset, so the wheel sits over 1" off-center, but I have not experienced any handling problems). The Nitto 555 G2 has a UTQG of 320, so I hope it will last a little longer than the Kendas, which had a 300 UTQG tread rating. The Sumitomo HTR ZIII also had a UTQG of 300, but the tire wore more quickly than the Kendas. The Nankang NS-20 has a UTQG of 360, so it should last a little more than the Kendas.


    If your Slingshot has a 20 x 9" rear wheel, Nitto says you can use up to a 275/35ZR20 tire, which should give a true speed of a little over 66 mph at an indicated speed of 65.


    * The Sumitomo HTR ZIII tire is a mildly asymmetrical tire as is the Nitto Motivo referred to above. Some people believe you should never use an asymmetric tire on a single wheeled axle such as we have on the Slingshot. I did not experience any handling problems with the Sumitomo HTR ZIII when I had it on the rear wheel. @edwardaneal has also not reported any problems with the Motivo either. If my Nitto 555 G2 doesn't give me a longer tread life than I got from the Kendas, I am considering using a Motivo 315/35R17 (also about $240 mounted) as a replacement since it is warranted for 60K miles and should hopefully provide longer tread life even when used as a single rear tire. If I could get 20K+ miles from the Motivo on the rear, I'd be very happy.


    ** Some people feel the Nankang NS-20 tire has a soft sidewall. I noticed when driving on the Interstate, that the rear seemed to sway slightly in response to minor steering wheel movements, but during quick lane changes from one lane to another and back again at Interstate speeds, I didn't notice any handling problems.


    Using the Forum's Search feature, you'll find a seemingly overwhelming amount of posts about tires, but it can be worth the time to go thru everything. Some people firmly believe in not buying low-cost tires, others don't. A lot of the Ultra High performance tires offer great traction, yet they also seem to be pretty expensive. Personally, I look for the longest tread life with good grip at a reasonable price.

  • Bad Mods - or, "don't do what I did"

    I bought a used Twist Dynamics Flat-Bottom steering wheel and didn't realize the hub it came with was drilled with two different sets of mounting holes for different brands of steering wheel. I didn't pay attention when removing the hub from the steering wheel and when I went to reattach the wheel to the hub, I couldn't get the steering wheel mounting holes to line up with what I was sure were the correct mounting holes. I kept trying to use the incorrect set of holes and eventually decided I should just drill the holes a little larger so the steering wheel would fit. I got it on, but the mounting holes in the steering wheel were just large enough that the steering wheel would feel too loose if the screws loosened even a tiny bit. When I finally realized my screw-up, I took a chance and bought an unusual steering wheel that is designed slightly off-center so when turning the wheel, the perimeter of the wheel is not a circle.
    It works fine, but during tight turns, using the flat portion of the wheel does require more effort compared to normal steering via the top of the wheel.
    I bought a piece of aluminum and am considering drilling it to provide the correct mounting hole positioning and then securing the aluminum piece to the TD steering wheel so the mounting screw holes are firmly and properly positioned. This would then allow me to firmly secure the TD steering wheel and correct my screw-up.


    Bottom line is simply make sure you're doing everything correctly and don't assume you're doing it correctly. All I needed to do in the first place was simply to have noted which set of the hub mounting holes I needed to use!

  • Max number of things hooked into cigarette wire

    The power outlet in the glove box is switched, while the power outlet between the seats is always on.
    You should only need to make a single connection of the Yellow (to a key-on wire such as the glovebox power outlet), Black (to battery negative terminal) and Red (to battery positive terminal) wires between the fuse block and their respective connections. When you go to add a circuit, you can then use the fuse block (Neutrino or FZ-1) to set each circuit for always on (alarm, for example) or key-on (for special lights, etc.). The Red & Black cables will always provide power to the fuse block for connections to circuits you want to have power with the ignition keyed off (alarms, for example). If you want a circuit to only be on when the ignition is keyed on, set that circuit to only have power when the Yellow cable detects the ignition is keyed on.