Softening up my GXP
Well, after enjoying it for a while, I've soured on it and determined I've kind of ruined the G8 for actually going places. The trip up to GONE this year wasn't a perfectly pleasant drive because the broken pavement through Illinois HURT. Driveline slack, noise, etc. The car has also loosened up significantly as it's aged, but overall it's still an excellent car. It's tempting to sell it and put the money toward a dedicated track car, but I still enjoy the car. I'm also in to my shoulders financially after all the mods.
So it's time to review and tweak my mods to make the car fun on the road again and not just on a road course.
So, chronicled for status and your enjoyment, here are the things I plan to address to try to return some of the daily drivability to it.
Problems and Solutions
Problem: Whining noise from MGW short shifter on the freeway
Solution: New rear shifter mounting bracket
There's been a few mentions of the softer "Street" insert for the MGW shifter on the forum already. In reality, after designing a new short shifter for the MT-82 in the Mustang, they actually developed a wholly new rear bracket with significantly more rubber in it. There are actually two inserts available for this new mount, and they call the softer of the two a "Street insert". It's a softer durometer rubber that is supposed to provide more damping for vibration in the shifter. If the shifter was purchased more than a year ago, though, like mine, then it's actually a wholly new design. The old mount provided very thin sleeves of polyurethane over the shifter mount points that do almost nothing for vibration. So we'll see how the new mount works. I plan to install it this week. I can post pictures of the mount and install if desired.
Oh, by the way... My previous solution? I put a gym sock over the shifter while on the highway. Yes, really.
UPDATE: Installed new bracket : See post #25
Problem: Rattling in the plastics in the center console as a result of the short shifter transmitting driveline vibration into the body
Solution: See above
Problem: Driveline slack
Solution: Check, service, and/or replace GForce axles
The GForce axles I purchased from Chuck (gr8lover) back in 2011 have been absolutely fantastic. I have yet to wear out a CV joint boot despite four HPDEs, and the fact that the stubs can be removed from the axles means that dropping the differential can be accomplished without touching the rear suspension.
The one complaint I have about the axles deals with the play in them. There's a tiny bit of a turn of slack in the axles due to the loose CV joints. No noise, no popping. Just looseness. From what I've heard, they're built that way for heat voiding so the metal can expand under extreme use without seizing up. However, on a road course or during regular driving, that slack adds up and means that if I use engine braking, I take up slack one way and then have to be gentle on the throttle because I then have to take it back up. It causes a bit of jerkiness when switching between accel and decel.
So after speaking to the GForce reps, I plan to send the axles in for a CV joint service, likely in January. It may be that they've loosened up further due to age. At just $50 per joint, getting an effectively new set of axles for $200 seems a deal. If the service does not improve the axles, I may need to look at stepping up to their newer axles, which are supposed to be tighter.
(Unfortunately, the anti-wheel-hop kit which is a half-shaft-only replacement is no longer manufactured or sold by GForce. So unless I can find an old set in stock at a retailer, I'm out of luck. I also hate to lose the bolt-on stubs of the full GForce axles.)
Problem: Exhaust roar at low RPMs
Solution: New/different axlebacks
Keep the engine above 2000 RPMs and it's fine. Much below that however, and the low-frequency roar is rather loud. It can be pleasant at first, but when just rolling along on the highway, it isn't. So I may return to the GXP axlebacks - I'll need to purchase a set since I sold mine - or find something else. I like the tone of the Magnaflows, just not the low-frequency roar that persists despite the custom J-pipes on them to quell drone.
UPDATE 1: Tried GT Axlebacks
Far too quiet. Very little growl, roar, or anything. In fact, the only tone was "whoosh". See post #24.
Problem: Busy ride on the freeway
Solution: Remove and replace coilovers
That's right, I plan to remove the Pedders SuperCars. This one I'm torn about more than any other. They've been excellent and did a great job at my most recent HPDE. Bumping the rebound up definitely helped settle the ride on the highway. But they're still just far more busy than the Eibach springs ever were due to the higher spring rate. I'll be sacrificing track athletics, but this more than anything will restore some street grace to the car.
On the recommendation of the Crazy One, I'll be contacting Andy at Kollar Racing about a matched Lovells Shock/Spring set. I've considered the adjustable Koni shocks, but because the rear shocks require removal from the car to adjust, I don't really consider those "adjustable".
Problem: Quirky fog HIDs
Solution: Replace with halogens
This one I've posted in the "What did you do today?" thread. Quite simply, I rarely use the HID fogs because they ignite green and eventually turn yellow. Flashing the brights turns the fogs off and back on, causing them to surge. And now one of them has stopped working. So I just plan to switch back to the regular halogens, which are trouble free.
UPDATE: Replacement Complete
Took no time at all to remove the HIDs. The right ballast had come loose and was moving around, which likely explains why it went out: trauma to the ballast. The halogen fogs just work, and are plenty bright. post #25
And that's the list for now. I'll update this thread with status and other things as I go.
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Originally Posted by Eidolon
