Not to disparage the kits offered or anything like that, but you need to keep context in mind and exactly
which Sentra we are talking about here. Read the article. It's about a B15 being converted solely for track use with a lot of drop - 3" to 4". IDK but pretty sure 4" exceeds the entire front travel of the B13, possibly even in stock trim with it's rally-like ride height and soft springs with Mac Struts.
I run OEM ends and I don't have this problem with the B13, and believe me, I know bump steer when I feel it. I've tracked the car heavily and it's a dual use car(i.e. street legal) like many B13 owners probably have who care about this stuff. I have no need or desire to swap out the OEM parts in this area. Why not? My car does not even come close to the extreme angles pictured - it looks nearly level at rest.
Why?
a) My B13's is not dropped 4", or even 3", read the article and the intended use of that project car - pure track car. Most of us are driving street cars, possibly dual-use street/track like myself. If you're dropping a Sentra 4" on the street then it's going to be for style points, and you are going to have a lot of challenges if you expect it to handle under hard use in a variety of situations.
If not, this really doesn't apply to your car.
Originally Posted by
MikeKSince we are lowering the car a large amount 3-4”, we need to address these issues if we expect the car to handle well under the hardcore use we expect it to see.
b) is not a B14, or...
Originally Posted by
MikeKThe car was cursed with a crude beam axle rear suspension and a McPherson strut front suspension whose geometry was designed around efficient packaging and relentless understeer rather than performance. Because of this, the Sentra is at a significant disadvantage in the handling department when compared to its FWD rivals, mainly Hondas, the Scion TC and even the Infiniti G20.
The G20 has no better front suspension than the B13. In my car, w/ the swap to Progress coilovers, GC plates, etc., it's better than any stock G20 or (shudder) Scion/Camry TC. Read the article carefully, too, he couldn't raise the top mounts with GC plates, an essential step in the B13 if expect to have decent travel AND stay off the bump stops w/o resorting to some pretty high spring rates.
c) ...is also not a B15. This also adds some important context:
Originally Posted by
MikeKIt seems like the B15 Sentra SE-R Spec-V just doesn’t get any respect. Unlike previous models of SE-R powered by the SR20DE engine who’s owners seem to love them and drive them until their shells decay into loose piles of metallic oxides, the owners of the new generation of SE-R seem to be eager to get rid of them, trading them in for the WRX, EVO, Si or SRT as soon as their incomes grow enough to afford the payments of these more expensive cars.
There's probably a good reason for that. Stack up what went into
their B15 project car in $$$ to cure its inherently hard-to-lower front geometry, issues with rear beam geometry, flex, etc and it's well over $5k-$7k, easily. That's a lot of money compared to what that buys upgrading a B13 (about double the cost of my entire suspension). Or a Honda. Sure, you have a stiffer chassis, and if you're building a race car, the B13's age is an instant disqualifier today in many series. It's simply too old for what the rules allow. But I'd have to really
love the B15 to dump the kind of coin into the car that they did (or would have to, if paying anything close to market value for their parts). For a pure RACE car, I'd buy a Honda or even (shudder) a Scion TC (read their article on their project Scion TC and you'll see why) before going the route they did. I'll eat my words if it starts owning Hondas in its class (don't hold your breath on that one).
Unless you are slamming your B13, I don't see the need for a bump steer kit, if you are also using a setup like the GC plates and height-independent adjustable CO's (changing the CO height is independent of the body size, within its range).
Maybe if you are keeping a Mac Strut layout, and trying to run with both 2-3" of travel with spring rates less than about 300 lbs/in, also w/o top mount changes, then yes, I'd consider it.
But I'd make every single one of those other changes before - GC plates, CO's, etc. After which, unless I run some really stupid caster settings, I don't expect bump steer (and don't have it).