Posts by Bill from Hahn RaceCraft

Quote from lokati

First impressions!
Suspension set to drag settings.
Rear tire set to 22 psi.

1st gear pulls hard and boost begins to come into play around 2k-2.5k rpms. Around 5k rpms the tire gives way and the slingshot falls flat on its face. This improved a little more as I warmed up the tire but even the 345 had trouble hooking up until it warmed up sufficiently. I imagine it would take pressure in the teens to hook up completely in 1st gear.

2nd gear pulls hard all the way through the range on a warm tire, didn't play around too much with a cold tire. Still kicks the tire lose in corners under any boosted throttle but digs in hard in a straight line.

3rd gear flawless, pulls hard, sticks like glue on warm tire. Still puts your head back in the seat.

4th gear flawless, pulls hard, obviously no traction issues here. Impressive freeway passing speeds.

5th gear USABLE! Pulls all the way up to 1xx from 60mph. Doesn't put your head back in the seat but makes cruising on the highway convenient not having to shift.

Upgraded blow off valve worth every penny. It screams! Cold air intake gave some hood fitment issues it really presses down on the seal and makes opening and closing the hood a chore but probably worth it in the long run. I'm getting a sigifnicantly larger amount of fumes into the vehicle and hopefully once the ECU relearns everything this will die down. If not I will have to find another exhaust alternative. It is LOUD (streetrace exhaust) which I love.

Difficulty of install; I'll give it a 7/10. I have never wrenched on a car motor before and have only done minor work on motorcycles (maintenance and bolt on parts). The biggest challenge was getting bolts tightened in all the cramped places, I have several tools that had to be cut or ground to make it work in the space. It would have been easier if I had a fully compliment of tools. In my opnion, PDF should definitely include the necessary tools for DIY, however, Hahn does explicitly state the install is not for amateurs. And amateur I am! Total time to install, maybe 20 hours spread out over a week and a half. Some of that time lost to chewing up and/or snapping the heads off bolts due mainly to me. If I were to do it all over again, I would still probably install it all myself. It was a good learning experience, @rabtech was a god-send in his constant assistance, even as he was being hounded by 2-3 other people installing turbos. I did have one leftover 2" wide by 3" long hose extra. Never found a place for it, lets hope it wasn't neccesary! :

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First off, thank you for choosing Hahn RaceCraft. Your business is greatly appreciated, and we're proud that you chose us. Second, muchos kudos to @rabtech for being the fount of knowledge he is in general, and on our product in particular. He's gone above and beyond, like every single day since I've met him, in helping out this community. If ever a fella was "all-in" on anything, it's this jolly guy and Slingshots!

Thanks also for your feedback, Lokati. Welcome to the Boost Posse! We play hard together, and we share what we've learned. Input from the field has been vital for us to continuously refine and improve our product, for we're not fans of compromise at Hahn. We like it hard, and fast, and very loud. We push the envelope first, accompanied by our most daring customers, and we learn what to expect. We learn what future customers will need to know...which is precisely why we set out to learn it in the first place. Well, that and it's also damned fun pushing that envelope, so there's that too! But at the end of the day, we do it to learn and improve and find new ways to make it all happen for our customer base first, and for the community in general as well.

Thanks in no small part to this Posse involvement, the SST TurboSystems we are shipping today are truly one of the most advanced, yet easy-to-understand turbosystem products that we've ever developed. Professional performance shop technicians who have significant experience with various competing brands will typically commend ours for being among the most complete, best documented, and easiest systems to install. This high level of detail and completeness makes it that much easier for the home enthusiast to understand as well. I am very proud of these SST TurboSystems, as they are my most recent design effort, and therefore should logically be the best system I have designed to date. Why set the bar any lower than that? I feel strongly that it is

Please keep the feedback coming, and if you need anything, please let me know.

Quote from lokati

Thanks to @rabtech and @Bill from Hahn RaceCraft for the assistance. Looks like its all together and running. Haven't put the hood and panels back on but started her up and slowly ran through some revs and everything appears to be functioning correctly. AEM read max pressure at 8lbs (if I am reading this damn thing right). Tomorrow maybe drop it on the ground, button her up and take her out.

Outstanding! Incidentally, that 8 PSI reading you are seeing by free-revving (neutral, no load) is mostly spurious, and not directly related to actual boost pressure production. It's essentially momentary air surge as you open and close the throttle and the turbo gets tickled/not tickled. Normal, and fun too, mostly because it's also accompanied by all those other cool sounds, sights and smells of the first lighting of new boost on one's machine! Zoom zoom indeed

Now for the debut, your first on-road Slingshot boosting, setting you back in your seat and making things blurry in a hurry. Do keep us apprised, your immediate reactions will usually be the most fun ones!

Quote from Flybuddy

Which week?

Just like it says...This week

I must be having fun, because time sure does fly! Admittedly, I was wondering if/when I'd get called out on this one

Quote from KennyJ

I still view the site and have posted a direct question to the "administrator" Philip as to if he is a SS owner or not but he has not answered.

I chuckled audibly when I read this. Now you're really putting him on the spot, lol!

And hey, I still give all the love due to the other site, as I am sure most of us do. It's still a stout resource, it's just that we're a little further down the road now with Slingshot, and the enthusiast base is maturing. Different orientations are inevitably going to emerge, as one size most definitely does not fit all. So long as we all still get to use the bathrooms of our choice, I am good with all of it!

I just know where to go for what now. I come here for INFO and I go there for...well...other stuff.

As a Slingshot vendor/enthusiast, I also enjoy this style forum for a number of reasons, many of which have been mentioned here. My business, as well as my own personal preferences, have always been primarily based around hardcore performance parts and strong technical involvement. While I also enjoy the other aspects of modifying a vehicle, such as aesthetic and comfort improvements, these areas of performance improvement have always taken precedence. As one might imagine, that is mirrored in my company's approach as well. Here I can better interact with that like-minded segment of the Slingshot faithful.

I'm also not a fan of hypercharged moderation, having felt its sting in the past myself. Here I feel more comfortable about letting my hair down and interacting on a regular basis, not having a feeling of walking on eggshells lest I step across imaginary boundaries that sometimes seem to be moving targets, based on who the popular kids and companies might be at the moment. I enjoy being diplomatic and courteous to all, but all the same, snotty cliques and brown-nosing for profit and ego enhancement really chap my ass. So long as everyone has an equal voice, and an equal opportunity, we can all behave like the giving, fascinated people we really are, and the rest takes care of itself. I believe this forum will be a very positive addition to the Slingshot community's voice, and I truly appreciate the efforts of all those who have worked very hard to bring it to fruition.

Go Mitch Go!

I think I shall post this on my company's Facebook page. Is there a webpage associated with this event? If not, I can direct traffic here, maybe pick up some new forum members while we are at it

Quote from BryanL

I contacted them when I was shopping for shocks. The problem I had was they use the same spring rate as stock. I believe that's 185lbs in the front. My SS would lean quite a bit in corners with the stock shocks. I believe it would be more noticable with quality shocks.
The QA-1s I purchased required a bit of shaving on the upper bushing, and I had to use the original sleeves to get the proper diameter for good fit so they weren't exactly plug and play like @Bill from Hahn RaceCraft plans to offer. I also had to do a bit of shopping to get the price I posted in the other thread. I don't mind sharing, but I'd like to see what Bill is going to offer so I don't take the wind out of his sails.

Thanks for adding some more detail Bryan. You are correct on the spring rates, the rates we'll be using are designed to more fully leverage the available choices so as to best prevent body roll, but not so harsh as to cause a bone-jarring ride. This is where my Turbo Posse came into the picture, for they had already played the game of "musical springs" and were able to provide me with some dynamite feedback on what works best.

I will make it a point to share all of this (and so much more!) on my upcoming thread...I didn't intend to dominate this one, but all of the participation so far has been top-notch, thanks to everyone for chiming in. This is what makes the community beyond awesome. I'd like to turn the floor over to others now so we can all learn more about what's out there, and what's been done. As for my QA1 adventure, more to come later this week in a new thread!

Quote from Chubs

Is there something I missed? I have QA1 shocks and they bolted right up.

Same question as above, did I miss something?

As I understand, the poly-bushing QA1's are close to bolt-in, just need to do some trimming of the bushing sleeves. What we've developed as a direct bolt-in is the nylon spherical version, which to date has been install-able on Slingshot, but only with modifications (drilling, washers, different bolts) and thus not a true bolt-in.

We may well develop a true bolt-in poly bushing version too, if the demand is there.

Quote from kenny_h

Might have to sell my QA1's. Keep us posted Bill!

Well, that's not reallll likely...as you're actually one of the big reasons we went with QA1 ourselves! I'll have more info later this week, thanks for the excellent interest.

We've recently completed a bolt-in Slingshot application of the QA1's with nylon spherical ends. Great results so far, and they are as simple to install as jack it up, remove the stockers, and just re-use the stock bolts to install the Hahn/QA1's. Effective field testing and refinement with great feedback by our Turbo Posse assisted us in our venture to make this new application of the QA1's. As such, it's already a well-proven path and product. We just needed to make it a direct bolt-in, and now we have

We're also looking at the softer polyurethane ends as a bolt-in option to offer along with the spherical ends...but to the purists, the spherical ends are so much more effective, and truly not overly harsh.

I will do a full writeup here on SlingshotInfo.com later this week

Quote from Nemesis1701

@Bill from Hahn RaceCraft
Have you released any info on the mentioned coilcovers?

"Not surprisingly, we have been developing a coilover set that will offer a superb improvement at a reasonable cost, and I am about to release details "

Not as of yet, as we are working on final details before the release. I'll make sure to post here when it occurs. Thanks for your interest!

I would like to add that this type of wheel widening used to be very popular in the motorcycle markets. Back years ago when we did not have wider wheels available, we had to make them ourselves. We'd widen stock wheels using these same techniques. So long as the prep machine work is performed in a precision manner, and the welding processes performed properly (as this is certainly not a novice welding or machining job)...the results will be as dead-on as a one-piece wheel, with little if any runout. We swore by them, safe and smooth at speeds in the 180-200 MPH range. This is also how most beadlock wheels are made, with the outer bead ring/bead concentrically welded to the main wheel body.

Tricky work, but done right, it's awesome! Here's an example of what we used to call a "double weld", with wider wheel lips welded onto both sides of the stock wheel. I built (machined/welded) this wheel about 20 years ago, still have it on an old Kawasaki GPz:

Quote from funinthesun

I'm using one of those cheap imported ones called a Baldino. Traction isn't good, ride is horrible and it hydroplanes on the morning dew. Here' a picture of the latest one

NOTE: Don't hate the poster, hate the turbo that causes this to happen

Haters gonna boost! I also have a distinct dislike for tires. They are my nemesis, and must be destroyed!

Quote from Flybuddy

Agree with you, it's a matter of figuring out the right pressure as we're running only about half of max pressure. Lower pressure generally makes sense when center wear is excessive. I'm concerned that it might be high speed egging on a soft tire. It might be that if we stiffen it up with more pressure it may be less prone to flexing. I'm surely no expert either. We DO know that running 32 is not good. I'm rolling the dice with you on 28 (4, 7s!) and may increase for known wet conditions. If the wear doesn't improve we can always try higher on the next tire.

All very true. Our machines are about even on weight distribution, with about 600 lbs. per wheel. But as mentioned, the tires that are prevalent today in these size ranges are designed for considerably heavier cars. As an example, consider a four-wheeled car of 600 lbs. per wheel, 2400 total. In the USA, that would be a subcompact, and would come with much smaller diameter wheels/tires. However, the cars in the wheel size ranges we are running are considerably heavier, and will compress the tire more; as such, said tires have a stronger (stiffer) sidewall and more robust overall carcass design to not only support the heavier weight, but also to do so without overheating. When we use such a tire with a much lighter vehicle, the deflection/compression of the tire between rim and road surface is reduced, and subsequently so is the actual "footprint" area. The footprint will remain full width, but will be reduced in length, as viewed from front to rear, decreasing the overall area of contact and the effective grip.

Yes, in order to countermand these aspects, lower pressure is a great place to start. I personally am experimenting with pressures in the low to mid 20's with good success so far. I suggest the individual go right down to 28 and play from there. The suggested numbers from Polaris are mostly an ultra-safe starting point that combines many desired outcomes, not taking into account only that which supports best handling. Reduce your pressure a PSI at a time, do it in the morning when they are cold, and see how you like it. Drive it for a day or two and note the difference. How low can you go? We'd practically have to move into the teens in pressure to cause any real overheat dangers, I'd imagine...and I doubt we'd ever get there. All the same, as you play with lower pressure, take the opportunity to see how hot they are after a long highway run. Some heat is normal, of course, but as a SWAG rule of thumb, they are OK so long as they are not too hot to touch. If you can't handle the heat in your hand and fingers, it's likely to be somewhere north of approximately 150*F, which is the danger zone, and you should add some pressure back. It's all about the deflection/compression I noted earlier: when the tires has to contend with too much of it as it rotates and flexes at too low a pressure, the resultant friction of that additional flexing is where the additional heat is generated.

As for wear, the basic rules hold true. If it's wearing out the inside, too high of pressure...if it's wearing out the edges more, then it's likely too low. Careful on analyzing the edges of your front tires though...as steering tires, if you push it in corners a lot, they will naturally wear and feather more on the very edge, near the corner.

All that said, our search for the best tires is likely to end up a somewhat subjective journey of experimentation and info-sharing, as we're unlikely to find off-the-shelf offerings in these sizes that ideally suit our lightweight machines. Let's all keep comparing notes and findings

And all THAT said...if one is really serious about handling on these machines, I've come to learn that one is truly just dicking around until the stock dampers end up gathering dust in your garage attic. Trying to overcome the big picture with tires alone is ultimately futile. Oh sure, there's room for improvement in replacing only tires, but the spongy, low-performance coilovers are utterly overmatched one we start carving corners. The stock coilovers are such a concession to universal comfort for all possible owners, as well as to low cost, that they are utterly incapable of supporting a quality handling experience. Slingshot has the chassis and the balance to be a real performer in the twisties, and all it takes is a good set of adjustable coilovers and upgraded tires to unleash the beast within. Not surprisingly, we have been developing a coilover set that will offer a superb improvement at a reasonable cost, and I am about to release details

Quote from dangerdarrell

Ordered BFG Sport Comp because Discount Tire had very Good ratings on it. Should be in Monday so I had to mod the existing Kenda.
Can't get the video to upload but it was a lot of fun in a large, empty parking lot. Got to learn how the traction control works and how the rev limiter works.

Ah yes, the Kenda mod! A fine ending to a mediocre tire. I believe you'll enjoy the SportComp 2 (I presume they were 2's). So far, good reviews from customers, and I've been impressed with them as well.

Quote from FLSLING

wow, great deal, i have a hahn cold air intake..i cant justify a turbo even though i want one, tell @Noel Hughesto keep giving me a hard time to get one

I'll gladly help Noel apply the "pressure" for pressurized induction

Anyone else having issues adding themselves to the "Participants" above? When I click on it, I just get a list of those who have signed up, but I don't see anywhere for me to sign up. My name would be in there too if I could!

Quote from Jonathan Thompson

Tire size question... Keeping the stock SL wheel... What is the size of the widest rear tire I can get while keeping the overall diameter?

You may find the stock tire size to still be the best alternative. With larger wheels and their very short sidewalls, the acceptable window of optimal tire vs. wheel width is relatively narrow. If we put too wide of a tire on, the short sidewalls cannot flex effectively to compensate, and the result is a tire that does not behave, perform, or wear as desired.

If you truly desire a wider tire, the wider rim is the best bet. You may even consider a smaller diameter rim than stock, so as to add back some sidewall height, which can help the tire's traction performance.

Shameless Bump Department: Just a couple left at this price, and it is AMAZING. That's our versatile, durable, very tractable and satisfyingly powerful Stage 2/2X complete SST TurboSystem, continuously refined for over a year and counting, nothing else to buy (except perhaps a stickier rear tire!), for as little as $3700 out...the...door. If you've been lurking, I suggest you throw down NOW while the getting is still good!

Quote from Toobad4u

Not sure I want to hear all the little noises coming from this thing. I'm pretty sure I just want it out the side for exhaust fumes and the droning on the road @ 75mph on my cross country trip.What and or how did you baffle this one? Same car chemistry units?

Stephen

Incidentally, based on RABTECH's ongoing help in the field, we will likely be offering a baffle system for our SidePipes, just as we do for the StreetRace exhaust (link below). Thanks as always for the assist, RABTECH!

StreetRace Baffle System