Nissan 240SX - Performance

Aftermarket Parts

Chassis

Substantial handling improvements can be made to the 240SX by lightening and strengthening the chassis.

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Chassis Lightening

You can reduce the weight of the car by removing unnecessary parts and replacing heavy components with lighter aftermarket parts. The following is a list of parts that you may consider removing and their weights:

Sound deadening material:	39.8 lbs.
A/C system:	29.2 lbs.
Spare tire:	28.0 lbs.
Hatch cover, speaker panels, and rear floor mats:	23.8 lbs.
HICAS system:	22.4 lbs.
Back seats:	20.8 lbs.
Automatic seat belts:	20.0 lbs.
ABS system:	19.0 lbs.
Stereo and speakers:	16.8 lbs.
Carpeting:	11.8 lbs.
Jack tools and jack cover:	6.4 lbs.
Total:	238.0 lbs.

The following is a list of parts that you can replace with lighter aftermarket components to save weight:

Products - Lightweight Parts:

Product	Possible Replacement Parts	Price
Front seats	Bride ZETA III Seat	$800
	Sparco Speed Seat	$400
Battery	Buddy Club Racing Spec Battery	$140
	Braille Racing Battery	$230
Hood	Seibon OEM Style Carbon Fiber Hood (S13)	$520
	VIS Invader Type 6 Carbon Fiber Hood (1995-96 240SX)	$500
Wheels	See Wheels section

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Chassis Strengthening

Increasing chassis rigidity is critical for building a good handling car. If the car flexes, suspension geometry changes. Therefore, even if you have a great suspension setup on your car, it will be ruined by inconsistent flexing of the chassis. The weak points in the 240SX chassis are around the firewall area and the rear hatch area in the S13 fastback. It is easy to get carried away with adding all sorts of stiffening bars and braces. However, many of these parts make very little difference and only add additional weight to your car. Below, I list some components that noticeably improve steering response and overall handling. If you want to stiffen the chassis as much as possible, the best option is stitch welding the frame lines and installing a roll cage. This should only be necessary for a high-horsepower car or one that you plan to race on the track often.

Products - Chassis Strengthening:

Product	Effect	Price
SPL Front Fender Brace	Reduces flex in the firewall area	$260
NISMO Power Brace	Stiffens lower front of chassis*	$190
Okuyama Type-I Aluminum Front Strut Bar	Stiffens front of chassis	$210 (can be purchased from splparts.com)
DC Sports Rear Carbon Steel Strut Bar	Stiffens rear of chassis	$165

* The NISMO Power Brace replaces the stock tension rod mounts and adds a reinforcing bar between them.