GR Performance Parts is excited to offer the HKS Carbon Brace Kit for the ZN8/ZD8.
■Features
- Uses GRAPHITE DESIGN carbon shafts, a leader in golf carbon technology.
- Replaces stock front steel bar and adds connecting bars for front and rear reinforcement.
- Weave pattern matches other HKS carbon products, ensuring a unified and elegant engine bay appearance.
- Reduces harshness and absorbs vibrations, providing a smooth and refined driving experience.
■Configuration d
iagram
Not just increasing strength, but also the necessity to emphasize flexibility.
Achieving both high strength and flexibility through joint development with a leading golf shaft company
- Enhanced rigidity without compromising ride comfort: HKS addressed the common concern of ride quality deterioration by adopting high-quality carbon shafts with high strength and optimal flexibility, similar to those used in golf clubs.
- Developed in collaboration with GRAPHITE DESIGN, a renowned manufacturer of golf shafts favored by professional golfers, leveraging HKS's extensive tuning expertise.
- Unmatched performance through carbon's unique flexibility, made possible by GRAPHITE DESIGN's expertise, delivering a level of control and performance that sets it apart from conventional brace bars.
- Improved driving dynamics: The flexibility not only enhances ride quality but also contributes to greater stability during circuit driving, amplifying the enjoyment of driving.
【About GRAPHITE DESIGN INC.】
Graphite Design is a long-established golf shaft manufacturer founded in 1989. From 2003 to 2017, they were the most used driver shaft on the domestic men's tour and are used by many top professionals. Particularly for shafts made of carbon fiber, they use high-quality materials and have established themselves as a leading company in the industry due to their high quality and reliability.
■In pursuit of the unique flexibility of carbon
【Torsion】
- 150% increased torsional strength compared to stock brace bars, effectively reducing body torsion and enabling precise suspension movement.
- Enhanced damper response: Minimizes delays in suspension reaction, ensuring accurate and responsive handling.
- Optimized cornering stability: Torque increases progressively with angle, providing the necessary load at the right time for stable cornering performance.
【Bending】
- Improved flex characteristics: Utilizes carbon's unique flexibility to reduce bending load to 70% or less compared to stock brace bars.
- Enhanced ride quality: Effectively absorbs unpleasant vibrations and sudden impacts, significantly contributing to a smoother and more refined driving experience.
Circuit testing to determine specifications
To determine the specifications, we conducted a circuit test at Fuji Speedway. After understanding the characteristics of the stock model, we tested various specifications on both the ZN8 and ZD8 to find the specifications that seemed best.
- Stock Steel Bars:
Provide body rigidity with a firm feel but lack refinement. Vibrations are prominent, leading to lower quality. Handling feels abrupt, lacking smoothness and tire contact feedback. - Improvement goal:
Reduce excessive stiffness and enhance refinement. - Front Prototype (Stock Replacement):
Eliminates front rigidity, reducing vibrations and improving quality. Enhanced tire contact and smoother vehicle behavior. However, steering feel becomes softer, which may not appeal to everyone. - Front Prototype (Stock Replacement + Tower Bar):
Restores firm steering feel while maintaining reduced vibrations for improved comfort and performance. Enhanced overall refinement but introduces a slight rear imbalance due to stronger front rigidity. - Stock + Prototype Tower Bar:
Creates excessive rigidity, amplifying vibrations and road noise, sacrificing comfort. Handling improves but becomes overly rigid, leading to grip loss during sudden maneuvers at limits. - Front Prototype (Stock Replacement + Tower Bar) + Rear Prototype:
Achieves front-rear balance, improving rear tire contact and linear response. Significantly enhances rigidity, boosting control at limits while providing smoother inputs and a refined, premium driving experience.
■Driving performance evaluation
Chart Overview: The right side indicates handling and performance, while the left represents ride comfort.
- Carbon Brace Characteristics:
- Improves responsiveness and stability, delivering a smooth, refined steering feel compared to the harsher vibration of stock components.
- Carbon shafts significantly dampen road vibrations (e.g., harsh jolts or buzzing) for improved comfort.
- Performance Advantage:
- Utilizes the flexibility of carbon, balancing ride quality and driving dynamics at a high level, surpassing traditional metal braces.
- Enhances direct handling feel while maintaining composure at the limits, making the vehicle easier to control.
- Track Benefits:
Improves tire pressure distribution awareness, enhancing cornering precision.