Thinking of Getting a HICAS S13 model.. +'s -'s pls.

[kuruptR]

Iv been looking for a 91-93 240sx for a good price for a few months now and had no luck... there are how ever some Hicas rs-13's. Its white, looks in good condition, high K, just what i need.

So what can and cant i do with this crappy hicas system.

is the Steering wheel changeable, with out any problems?

I plan on putting a Drift suspension on it from JIC. Sr20 is already in my garage... im ready to go...
will there be any problems with the engine swap/ LSD / or the suspension.

anything you know about 4wheelstreering, positives & negatives...


thanks!

[DSC]

hicas is heavy and feels like ass.
Though in theory you shoudl be able to turn faster with it...I know I can't turn faster with it though.

You can remove it or cancel it I guess, but I'd just wait for the right non-hicas one to come along.

[zweebach]

It's probably not something to go out of your way for or to pay extra for. If I'm not mistaken, a HICAS equipped car should also have LSD, maybe ABS, but it doesn't seem 100% certain. Maybe check those things out. HICAS isn't a beloved feature though - not on the Z anyway. Many who drive their cars competitively, aggressively, etc eliminate it. There are several HICAS eliminator kits for the Z. It tends to make the rear of the car feel squirrely and twitchy.

[kuruptR]

its heavy...bad handling...

does it have LSD... :D thats what id like to know.... abs too eh...

please post more on this subject...

[HaLo]

I love the HICAS... To me, it's not a POS.

If you do want to remove it, you'll need:
- A non-HICAS powersteering pump
- A new belt
- Non-HICAS rear subframe or HICAS eliminator bar (I would go with option #1)

[AKADriver]

If you drift, just buy a non-HICAS car.

It's much easier to add an LSD to a normal model than to remove/disengage HICAS. You'll want to upgrade the LSD anyway.

Leave the rare HICAS stuff for the people that like it.

[West]

I have a 91 Hicas model. All HICAS models come with LSD and ABS as part of the Handling Package you get when you bought a HICAS model. ABS isnt my fav, but I live in Denver and it snows time to time so it helps. As for HICAS, I cant really say I like it or dislike it. I hardly notice it honestly, only when I really haul some ass around turns then I notice it and I like it, it just takes some getting used to. Id be interested to see how this all feels once I get my coils or springs/shox to complete my suspension. I could tell you more about it but my shocks are blown and I have Kumho's so the ride sux. Anyways, I say get it, but don't pay extra for it. The people I bought mine from didn't know what ABS was so I told them it was real important and I really wanted it, even though the car had it, they game me $500 off the car after we had made our final negotiations. :)

[madwilly240]

what is a HICA and whats an RS13 ... i dont know anything really about s13s... sorry

[West]

http://www.socal240sx.com/images/hicas.jpg

[240Dori]

Well heres my take on hicas....I currently have HICAS and personally i hate itl....this is why i ordered an eliminator which should be here in a couple of weeks...as for plus' and minus', think of it this way, HICAS is gonna be hell of expensive to fix if it goes bad....it makes the car understeer rediculously, maybe if you like a rwd car to handle like an fwd car you may like it...also as the vlsd is better than stock, its still not anything near a true lsd....and of course if you are planing on drift forget hicas craves grip...but by far the worst part is the unpredictability in the corners....this is all coming from someone who has owned and drivin a hicas 240 for about a year...

[AKADriver]

'rediculous understeer' in this case might be caused by your reaction to what it's doing to the rear more than anything. You can still steer with the throttle.

240SXs understeer anyway, so I'm not sure what you're expecting.

[240Dori]

I have driven both the HICAS and non HICAS equiped models....the HICAS model DOES understeer more than the non-Hicas model....

[Tokuki180]

NAHHH dont do it !!!!!!! if your planning on drifting you will not need it!!!!!!! it makes your suspension feel like soggy bread...;)

[HaLo]

Originally posted by Tokuki180
NAHHH dont do it !!!!!!! if your planning on drifting you will not need it!!!!!!! it makes your suspension feel like soggy bread...;)

I don't understand how toe-adjustments make the suspension feel like soggy bread, because that's what the HICAS does. It adjusts the toe!

[twitchy]

ive also driven the hicas and non hicas models. Mine is a 93 SE no hicas. It has abs and I think it has a LSD. The hicas feels heavier and it does handle better in parking situations. The guy I know that has HICAS has already replaced it once and has less kms than mine. I think without it you still have a hell of an awesome handling car.. Mine amazes me every day when I take the offramp into work... Glad I got rid of that civid!!!

[nrcooled]

Originally posted by 240Dori
Well heres my take on hicas....I currently have HICAS and personally i hate itl....this is why i ordered an eliminator which should be here in a couple of weeks...as for plus' and minus', think of it this way, HICAS is gonna be hell of expensive to fix if it goes bad....it makes the car understeer rediculously, maybe if you like a rwd car to handle like an fwd car you may like it...also as the vlsd is better than stock, its still not anything near a true lsd....and of course if you are planing on drift forget hicas craves grip...but by far the worst part is the unpredictability in the corners....this is all coming from someone who has owned and drivin a hicas 240 for about a year...
WTF,
I took my HICAS equipped 240 to the track and beat the fool sh1t out of my stock suspension and it never gave me one hint of understeer. Late braking, waaaaay too hot into a corner, mid-corner braking, nothing just very stable and very forgiving. It was almost like cheating!

I will say now that I have my suspension on the a$send feels a little twitchy and unsure. I think it's from the fact that it's adjusting toe that is not stock. As long as you don't attempt to overcorrect she is still dead solid in the corners

Edit: I have never considered my HICAS equipped '91 as more prone to understeering. My question to you is "Do you know how to drive RWD properly"

[ThE_BoMB]

I heard that hicas is pretty bad (expensive) to repair compared to the non hicas

[nrcooled]

Originally posted by ThE_BoMB
I heard that hicas is pretty bad (expensive) to repair compared to the non hicas

It's not a complicated system. You replace parts if they break.just like any steering system. You can do all the work yourself

Edit: I am not trying to sell HICAS to anyone it's just has a bad rap from the z32 owners. It's an opinion that everyone takes as fact

[HaLo]

Very true nrcooled. I get tired of hearing people saying it's garbage, expensive and whatever... You like it or you don't, after you drove it. In my case, I love HICAS. I'm no drifter and I believe on Auto-X courses, HICAS helps more than people tend to believe.

[ichiro]

Originally posted by kuruptR
its heavy...bad handling...

does it have LSD... :D thats what id like to know.... abs too eh...

please post more on this subject... all canadian 240's have LSD

[HaLo]

Originally posted by ichiro
all canadian 240's have LSD

Untrue.

1989-90 don't have LSD at ALL. As for '95 and up, I'm not sure it came standard.

[No Duhh]

I heard something that with the HICAS, you cant change ur rear shocks, like adjustables shocks. All I know is that you cant have KYB AGX.....

[kuruptR]

Originally posted by ichiro
all canadian 240's have LSD

right... im lovin my LSD... coz one wheel peels are great...
91-93 doesnt have lsd from most iv seen... iv compared a jdm s-13 unit to my own too... not the same.

mom owns a 92 SE... no LSD...
the other car im going to pick up is a 91 SE Hicas
s14s probably all have lsd i canada.

[nrcooled]

Originally posted by No Duhh
I heard something that with the HICAS, you cant change ur rear shocks, like adjustables shocks. All I know is that you cant have KYB AGX.....

That's funny because I have AGXs on my HICAS 240sx

[HaLo]

Originally posted by No Duhh
I heard something that with the HICAS, you cant change ur rear shocks, like adjustables shocks. All I know is that you cant have KYB AGX.....


True! I have KYB AGX all around with HICAS... ehm. I meant, false!


there's so much misinformation in this thread it's incredible...