Description
DESCRIPTION
At Gktech we now have three different variants of our world-renowned front drop knuckles!
All of them are designed and build similar, sharing the following;
- Light weight
- Robust design
- S13/ S14 variations
- 4130 Chromoly
- CMM measured, CAD designed and FEA tested
- E-coated (Electrophoresis Coating)
We have tailored the knuckles to suit all types of motorsport that your S-Chassis is used for, the options we have are…
Grip knuckles
These have been specifically designed for Grip/ Time-Attack racing in mind, we have lowered the balljoint height 1.96' (50mm) for roll center correction while also lowering the steering mount 2.51' (64mm) for bump steer correction.
Being that they are Grip/ Time-Attack specific we have kept the OEM ackerman and OEM steering arm length, in the factory positioning.
- Ball joint height lowered 1.96' (50mm)
- Steering mount lowered 2.51' (64mm)
- Lightweight (S13 version is 6.9lbs and S14/S15 is 7.2lbs)
- Provision for ABS sensor
NOTE: Due to the 2.51' (64mm) of bump steer correction some tie rods may interfere with the inside of your rim. This is entirely dependent on both the inside diameter of the rim and the length/type of tie rod that you are running however as a general rule a 17" rim or larger will be required.
From there, we have the hybrid of the Grip knuckle and the Drift knuckle, which is the;
Drift/Grip knuckles
These have the best of both worlds, with the driveability that the grip knuckles have, the balljoint height has been lowered 1.96' (50mm) for roll centre and bump steer correction while also having around up to 60 degrees of steering lock available.
They have been designed with a linear steering response making them super smooth and predictable to drive with. They are still a super competitive knuckle to drive on in terms of drifting, but just don’t have the extra edge the pro knuckles do (as seen below).
This knuckle is perfect for the all-rounder, who enjoys both Drifting and Grip/Time-Attack.
To get the maximum amount of rack travel and see the full potential with these knuckles we recommend the bolt on rack spacers if your rack is moved forward, otherwise, you may get steering bind. If it is not moved forward and is not something you are able to do, we do recommend the offset rack spacers which do move the inner tie rods forward, which mitigates bind and still offer the rack travel needed.
- Ball joint height lowered 1.96' (50mm)
- Lightweight (S13 version is 6.6lbs and S14/S15 is 7lbs)
- Provision for ABS sensor
Lastly we have;
Pro Drift Knuckles
These knuckles have specifically been designed to be used for drifting only.
These bad boys have had their ball joint height lowered 1.96' (50mm) for roll centre and bump steer correction and are able to achieve around 70 degrees of steering lock with ease!
They are not for the faint hearted being our pro knuckle they feature caster trail and adjustable Ackerman, that's right, adjustable Ackerman so that you can really dial in your front end and be unstoppable.
As mentioned above, to get the maximum amount of rack travel and see the full potential with these knuckles we recommend the bolt on rack spacers if your rack is moved forward, otherwise, you may get steering bind. If it is not moved forward and is not something you are able to do, we do recommend the offset rack spacers which do move the inner tie rods forward, which mitigates bind and still offer the rack travel needed.
These knuckles are too awesome to have provision for ABS, this does mean there is no provision for ABS.
- Ball joint height lowered 1.96' (50mm)
- Lightweight (S13 version is 6.4lbs and S14/S15 is 6.6lbs)
- Offset caster trail
- Adjustable Ackerman
All the listed knuckles are best suited to be used with our Super Lock LCA's which can be seen here;
https://us.gktech.com/cnc-machined-4130-chromoly-super-lock-lower-control-arms
If you were planning on purchasing the Super Lock LCA's with the knuckles listed above, we do have them in a 15% discounted combo as seen here;
https://us.gktech.com/s-chassis-super-lock-combo-15-off
Want more technical information, product benefits and a look into the design process? Click here:
https://au.gktech.com/news/gktech-s-chassis-steering-knuckle/
FAQ'S
What's so good about drop knuckles?
A lot of people think that the best thing about knuckles (aka uprights) is getting more steering angle to drift however the main advantage of installing knuckles is the roll centre correction and bump steer correction. Extremely lowered vehicles typically handle poorly, with drop knuckles like these installed the handling will improve dramatically.
The reasoning behind that is as your lower control arm and castor (aka tension) rods are sitting near horizontal, this now brings them back to where they were before the car was lowered, which is exactly what you want for optimum handling.
Are there any modifications required, are these hard to fit?
No modifications are required, simply just remove and refit. You will also need to re-adjust your coilover height due to the drop incorporated into the knuckle and we recommend getting a wheel alignment.
We design all our parts around fitting OEM parts also.
Do you make knuckles for other cars?
We only make knuckles for S/R/Z32 chassis Nissans, we don't make them for any other cars.
Do I need to do any other modifications to get the most from these knuckles?
You will see an improvement in feel just bolting these directly in, but will not see their full potential.
We recommend to notch your lower control arms or at least modify your bump stops. This will allow more room of the tie rod end to travel inwards on lock, thus having more lock.
We also recommend bolt on rack spacers if you are running out of rack travel and or bolt on rack spacers, which still provide more rack travel but are mainly used to mitigate steering bind.
Keep in mind clearance is key, the more clearance everything has the more lock will be achievable, so you would need to ensure your swaybar, lower control arm and caster arm allow for this. We make all high clearance versions of those parts which can be found on the website.
Can I do backwards entries with the Pro knuckles?
Good question, we have seen our customers do that with these knuckles!
Provided you have enough lock, clearance (and skill) we don't see why not
