I am getting my Alpha Turbo installed on Tuesday. It's a stage II with the inter cooler. I know heat is a real enemy of a turbo. On my 72 chevelle I run an electric fan in front of radiator that adds more cooling. Just wondering if adding a small high CFM fan would be worth it? @rabtech @Jeff@DDMWorks I am not sure how much room there will be or if even worth it?
Posts by Switchblade
-
-
I just received an email from Polaris for their Sturgis ride, and wouldn't you know, the picture show the wife and I on the last Sturgis ride! I know that it doesn't matter to anyone,but we thought it was pretty cool. I'm kinda a hermit, so I figured I would tell you guys. My extended family. Oh, we're the one in front.
Are they doing it again this year? Any details? -
@Dave@DDMWorks wow! Should be a sticky @rabtech
Great information explained to a professor level. Thanks for taking the time. P.S. Just ordered my new DDM heavy shift handle. Installing the DDM sway bar as well I bought. -
Come on RAB! @rabtech Tell us. Tell us. LOL JK. I will wait to see what Dave @Dave@DDMWorks has to say on our questions above. -
So @rabtechwhy did you go with the rotrex on your sling? I am also interested in the difference as well. I have cash in hand and am researching to make my order within a week. I have talked extensively to Alpha Motorsport, but can honestly say I am on the fence. I am curious Dave @Dave@DDMWorks you say the engine doesn't need to be upgraded with your kit? Also I have a 1320 header and alpha variable exhaust. Will those work with your kit? I know with the Alpha I would have to ditch the exhaust due to space.
-
I noticed that gauge has the ability to cut boost? How? Also @rabtech can you elaborate more on the upgraded fuel pump? I know with the Alha kit you get upgraded fuel nozzles so it makes sense to get a better fuel pump. Is the slingshots one internal or external? Which one are you going with?
-
The guy blew his engine on 4 lbs of boost? Ouch
-
Forgive my ignorance then he was up around 12lbs of boost?
-
A customer called us a while back asking about a built engine as he has blown up two now with a turbo kit. Another shop was going to install the engine for him up north but that didn't work out. We got his Slingshot down here to DDMWorks to install the engine and things have snowballed from there... Here are some photos and details showing what is being done.
can you enlighten us if the blown engines were from any of the known turbo makers? I have heard that none of the Alpha Turbos have led to blown engines.
Also if going with a turbo from say Hahn or Alpha and not going through a major new engine, while the turbo is going in, is it worth while to say replace the head bolts with Arp? Are there other things that could be done without an engine tear down?
-
BBBBOOOOIIIINNNNNGGGGG
-
The bill passed the house and the senate then signed by the GOV. But like many laws they didn't set a specific date. The state of MN has an effective date for all new laws passed without a date to become in effect law. That is August 1st.
Minnesota Legislature - Frequently Asked Questions - When do new laws go into effect?
The law
-
Thought I would giv it a shot to see if anyone is left in town and not at the cabin?
-
@Dave@DDMWorks any info on your sway bar?
-
Just wondering why you went with the 5.0 pads up front and left the stock pad in the back? The rear brake setup actually does a fair amount of work on the Slingshot and can definitely use the same upgrade in the back.
@Dave@DDMWorks with the Hawk pads I understand you have to grind the face down to get them to fit. I was going to do just that and my harbor freight grinder took a dump on me on start up. I haven't had time to go up North to get it replaced. I know stupid excuse -
Display More
Just a couple quick notes -
Here is a good example of the force vs. temperature for Hawk Pads -
It is very important though that when picking brake pads that you work in the heat range that you are driving the vehicle. On the Slingshot, there is not a lot of mass to stop since the vehicle is relatively light and the rotors are actually rather large for the weight of the vehicle and its weight distribution. If you go with a pad that is overly aggressive you may never get the brakepad into its ideal operating range, which a lot of the times means lower coefficient of friction, more dust and non-linear braking force.
As for the big brake kits, the 4 piston or 6 piston setups if sized correctly will not apply more force to the pads, they do provide that force more evenly across the pad surface though to prevent tapering of the pad. All of the big brake kits I have seen use larger pads, our DDMWorks kit, Alpha's or Stoptech's all have larger pads than stock. The larger pad volume has the benefit of higher thermal mass. This higher thermal mass of the pad helps with temperature spikes under hard braking, takes more energy to raise the temperature of the pad and also the larger pad volume helps with longevity. The big brake kits also have larger rotors (14" on our DDMWorks kit, 13" on Alpha's, etc.) which also have more thermal mass also. Larger thermal mass of the rotors allows them to absorb the initial thermal load under heavy braking and since all of the aftermarket kits have better vanes internally, typically directional, they are able to disapate the heat faster than the stock rotors also. One note with the big brakes we found during testing of our kit, with the bigger pads and rotors it is actually difficult to get some of the more aggressive pads up to operating temperature at all, unless you are doing hard braking repetitively with sticky tires.
The other big factor to consider with braking is your tires. No matter how good your brakes are, the tires are what contact the ground and actually stop you. So if you have some really sticky tires, you can go with more aggresive pads because you can develop the higher friction with the road to stop faster. If you are on stock tires you really do not want to go with something too aggressive, otherwise you will just engage the ABS and never really get the pads to their operating range.
The slingshot setup stock is not that bad, mainly just a pad replacement takes care of most people. The 2 piece rotors are nice and offer better cooling and less rotational weight and with a pad upgrade definitely takes care of almost everyone. The big brake kits are typically not needed unless you are doing some hard track days with sticky tires, although they do look great
Hope that helps,
Dave
@Dave@DDMWorks thanks for the technical explanation. Really helps.On another note I see you are offering a sway bar with spherical end links and poly mounts. Can you explain the difference between diff over the stock bar? The look to be the same diameter. I thought the thicker the bar the stiffer it is thus better. Can you provide further education?
-
@Switchblade, the Alpha's kit does look great, but I just couldn't justify spending $2,000 more than the StopTech Kit. BTW, almost any pad/rotor combination can lock up the wheels. It's what happens after repeated steps (hence the fade and warped rotors). Enlarged, Slotted, Drilled, Vented, etc. are all done to remove heat and get the temperature of the rotors down. What a lot of people are really looking for is pad "bite", or how aggressively the brakes slow the vehicle down with minimal effort. There's also a "force" curve as well, just like how an engine horsepower comes on. Some grab great at first, then taper off. Most race pads are very linear and consistent. Back to temperature. On the street, this can work against you since if there isn't enough temperature in the pads/rotors, it won't stop as well as when they're in optimal temperature range. So far, the kit I have seems to do great in both scenarios. I don't have experience with this setup on the track, though, but @Noel Hughes has run them at the FIRM track and said they're great, so they're probably good there as well. Make sense?
BTW, where are you located?
@Speedr117 I am in Minnesota near St. Paul. Thanks for the feedback
-
Display More'
This should get interesting .....
My personal set up : Slotted rotors / Hawk 5.0 pads / MC Brace / properly bled system filled with Stop Tech STR 600 ..... better tires ...
3-2-1 here comes the threw money at it and never been happier post.....and about that braking "test" ......
.
EDIT : Some light reading : ABS and Big Brake Kits
EDIT-EDIT: No that was not a plug for Stop Tech .. just food for thought...
.
@Orangeman great article. Love title dry bet I now get the point that a 6 piston caliper might not be better than a 4 piston or even 1 piston if it is able to produce the same stopping force on the pad to rotor. I wondered why it would always be better to have more Pistons. -
I run the ceramic pads and the stoptech vented rotors. I warped my stock rotors with the bigger pads and this was the next step. So far I haven't warped these rotors yet. They stop fine. I would say at the very least that they seem to stop the same and they haven't warped. So I would say it's a winner. It's kind of a catch22. The rotor isn't any bigger so it's not going to stop any faster. However heat is your enemy. The hotter the pads and rotor get, the worse your braking is going to be. So if these can fend off the heat and keep the rotors a bit cooler then you will KEEP your brakes. And that is fine with me. ...
@rabtech you raise a point here. Wouldn't a larger rotor that stops quicker be better for everyday driving? I race maybe three times a year but I drive aggressive and my brakes, I just don't trust them. On my 72' Chevelle I have hydro boost and 14" rotors drilled and slotted with Hawk pads. Car stops in what feels like a second. Just want to see the best way without dropping $4K. Alpha makes amazing stuff. Just not sure I can pay to play at that level.
-
Display More
@Switchblade, haven't tracked the Slingshot yet (where did you?), but did take it down the Tail of the Dragon during SSITS with the StopTech Big Brake kit from Cycle Springs. Ran a very aggressive pace (with Nitto 555's and QA1s set really tight). Zero fade the whole time, and I pushed them hard. Halfway down, you could smell the brake pads (like when you break them in). At the end, they started to squeak a little (which went away). Overall, very pleased! I too had a coupon (only $150 off), and personally couldn't justify the additional cost of Alpha's Big Brake Kit. I was also running out of time before Maggie Valley, so I couldn't try just pads and rotors. Hope this help...
@Speedr117 there is a track at our local technical college the Police use for training. It's 1.8 miles. Fun fast curvy track. Thanks for the feedback.
-
I went to a track day a few weeks ago. I had lots of brake fading and in general my brakes aren't great. I am going to go through and re-bleed them etc.. I do have Hawk 5.0 pads on the front and stock pad on the back. Stock rotors.
I know @rabtech went with upgraded rotors and pads etc so his opinion would help. One would think that the rotor and pad would be the difference maker. Not sure how a 4 piston caliper will provide better braking force over the stock? I have seen its 107 ft from 60-0 with the stock setup and 77 ft from 60-0 using the Stoptech or Alpha setup. Can you get the same result with a similar rotor and better pads but not an upgraded caliper? If I can get away with the better pad, proper bleeding, and slotted/drilled rotors, will I still achieve the same? There is a big price difference. I can't afford the 6 Pistons from Alpha though, but interested in their rotors.
