620 lowering issues

[illestmatic]

hey ratsuns. i have a 1973 datsun 620 that iv been working on since oct. iv done most of the interior and have proceeded to the exterior part of the truck. i first want to lower it; iv done tons of reading/forums on lowering and decided to go with lowering spindles since it will prevent future alignment issues. the front brakes have been converted to disk but am not sure what year they came of from. i called the previous owner and was told there 720 disk brakes. i bought lowering spindles off ebay for a 720 1984-1997 but they didnt fit :/ the caliper didnt fit. i am now stumped and dont know what actions to take on next. any help is very much appreciated. anything to get this truck back on the road and lowered.

does anyone know what year disk brakes these might be?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11552992343/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11552881394/in/photostream/

 

what things do i need to make this spindle fit?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11552995423/in/photostream/

 

 

the interior 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11440455373/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11440323564/in/photostream/

 

 

[datzenmike]

Sure would be nice if the pictures showed up instead of links.

[illestmatic]

it sure would but the links take you straight to the picture so its not that bad. i couldnt quit get the hang of the whole upload thing on here through flickr.

[wayno]

I would suspect that you don't have vented rotors like are in the photo below, correct?

[datzenmike]

You'll figure it out. Makes comparing things difficult trying to jump back and forth.

[datzenmike]

Well those look like the '78-'79 620- and the '80-'82 720 front disc brake set up. If the PO said they were from a 720 then they might as the early ones were just like the late 620. I don't know how this would have been converted to fit on a '77 or older truck as the upper and lower control arms are mounted to the frame much differently and can't just be swapped over.

 

 

 

This hub takes a much larger caliper and as wayno shows in his picture, a wider vented rotor

 

[illestmatic]

wayno

that is correct they seem to be just solid... will that be a problem?

[illestmatic]

datzenmike

yeah thats true. wattta!! how do you upload pics ?

[wayno]

This is the type you have, correct?

 

[illestmatic]

wayno

yes these are the exact same ones i have

[illestmatic]

wayno

gosh it feels like a never ending story if its not one thing its another. so your saying i might have to get some custom arms for a full disk conversion? and even if i was to get thicker vented rotors and bigger caliper would i still manage to install them?

[wayno]

I suspect you have early 1980-82 non-vented rotors, the drop spindles are made for vented rotors made from 1983ish on, so you will need to buy 1983+ rotors and calipers unless you can find a late 720 in the wrecking yards around there to get what you need.

When you ask for parts at a parts store, you should ask for parts for a 1985 Nissan 720 2wd truck.

You can take the non-vented rotors off your hubs, and bolt on new vented rotors, that makes it easy to just order new ones from the parts store, you can also buy new calipers, but you will need new brake line hoses also I believe, this is why it's easier to just find one at the wrecking yard and just put it on your truck, but since you live where you live, it might not be as easy for you to find one to rob the parts from.

[wayno]

Did you drop spindles come with some spacers also?

[illestmatic]

wayno

wow thank you for all this usefull information. theres a junkyard near my house so ill scope it out soon probably tomorrow. youv cleared up so much for me. now that i know what year rotors/calipers they are ill convert the vented rotors and calipers as soon as possible. once i do ill let you know hows it goin. 

and as for the spacers... NO i only recieved the spindles with pins for the bolt.

[wayno]

This makes it a lot harder for me to explain, if you did not get the spacers, you will either have to make them, or use hardbody rotors I believe, I have never done this myself, so I am not positive that I will get it correct for sure, but 720 vented rotors are offset a certain amount, while hardbody rotors are offset differently, that is why you need the spacers, Mike K. knows exactly what is needed.

The spacers are about 5/16ths thick, but you need the longer bolts also, my drop spindles came with the spacers and longer bolts.

 

I will email Mike and ask if the hardbody rotors will work instead of spacers, but it could take a day to get a response.

[illestmatic]

wayno

okay well as far as the spacers go. this shouldnt be a problem i have a bunch of bolts and stuff laying around i should be able to find some. 

quick question that has me confused. whats the difference between 720 and hardbody i though they were both the same?

darn well ill figure something out. i should still manage to get those longer bolts aswell one way or another. 

if you could let mike know i would highly appreciate it.  but for the mean time ill get to those vented rotors. 

[wayno]

The hardbody vented rotors are not the same as the 720 vented rotors, they are offset differently, or maybe it is the dual piston hardbody vented rotors that are offset differently, like I said, I don't know for sure, I messaged Mike and asked, just waiting for a reply, Mike knows what's going on, as he makes kits for Datsuns to convert from front drum to disk brakes, and right now he is figuring out the rotors, as I was at his house, and he showed me the difference between the two different rotors, he had them both right there to show me.

If you were putting these drop spindles on the hardbody, you would not need the spacers.

[wayno]

What size wheels are you running?

Stockers?

14 inch?

15 inch?

[illestmatic]

wayno

okayy ill stay put until mike messages you. this whole time i thought 720 and hardbody were the same   :confused:

im running stock 14nch.

[illestmatic]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59464300@N06/11440297575/

[wayno]

The odds are that you will have to find some 15 inch rims, at least that is what I have heard, I have not used my drop spindles yet, so I have no first hand knowledge that the 14 inch rims will hit on the inside, just make sure when you mount the rims, they will spin freely. 

There is more involved than just bolting it on and taking a drive, it's a modification with side effects that have to be dealt with. 

[illestmatic]

wayno

yea iv also read about upsizing to 15inch so ill probably do that. 

i believe mike told me i would aslo need some custom control arms. gosh theres just so much do to for a 2inch drop  :mad:

but would i be fine with getting the vented rotors and calipers for now?  ill still wait for mikes response on the rotors

[wayno]

I forgot about that, I believe Mike is correct, the existing 720 arms are to long as I recall, you might have to trim both tie rod ends a little, and both the ends of the sleeve they screw into, otherwise you will not be able to align it, it will be basically un-drivable, as both wheels will be pointing out towards the sides(toe out), it's kinda a pain in the ass to do this, and then to top it off, you have to change the rotor and calipers also.

Since you have already bought the drop spindles, it's not worth doing what I am going to tell you now, but if you were just going to upgrade your brakes like many on here do, I would have said to go to the wrecking yard and find a late 2wd 720 with the vented rotor front brakes complete, I would have told you to remove the tierod end assembly from the wheel/spindle assembly,  and then remove the flexible brake line from the hard brake line on the frame, then unbolt the upper and lower balljoints and remove the assembly from the upper and lower arms.

Then you would take it home and remove your existing brakes the same way and replace it with what you bought, bleed the brakes and you would have been done.

It would have been easier to covert over to the drop spindle if you already had the upgraded brakes, so that is just another thing you get to learn about now, and in the future you can tell someone how to do it yourself like I am helping you, well at least I hope I am helping. :lol:

[illestmatic]

wayno

 

you said the 720 tie rods need to be shorten... mines a 620 does that still apply to me? 

im not trying to do much of a brake upgrade im really just trying to lower the truck 2 inches or so. 

if i was to get the 720 tie rods, vented rotor, and 720 caliper would i still be able to use the lowering spindle i bought? 

im just in need of lowering it not upgrade bakes even further. 

[wayno]

 

wayno

 

you said the 720 tie rods need to be shorten... mines a 620 does that still apply to me? 

im not trying to do much of a brake upgrade im really just trying to lower the truck 2 inches or so. 

if i was to get the 720 tie rods, vented rotor, and 720 caliper would i still be able to use the lowering spindle i bought? 

im just in need of lowering it not upgrade bakes even further. 

 

To use the drop spindles, you have to upgrade the brakes, as that is what the drop spindles are designed for.

I forgot you are using this on a 620, this may cause other issues, your tierods are not adjustable, I don't know, I have never used drop spindles on any of my vehicles yet, as I have only lowered one of them so far, and I went about it completely different, but I do plan to lower my 521KC, just have not gotten around to it yet, and it is sitting on a 720 frame.

You must understand, I have no idea how your 73 Datsun 620 has been changed to disc brakes, I am assuming that it was done with 620/720 disc brake hardware, arms and such, that is why you have what looks like a balljoint 720 upper arm, and the lower arms have what looks to be the 620/720 disc brake shock mount, I would actually need to be there to really tell you what you need and how to do it without specific photos.

You might even be able to use what you have, I just don't know, when you tried putting the calipers you have now on it, why wouldn't they work, was the rotor to close to the engine, or to far away from the engine?

I have a 521 with disc brakes, I did mine a long time ago, I had a lot of issues for several years till I finally figured it all out, it drives fine now, but it didn't for a long time.

For me to understand everything, I would have to know exactly how your truck was converted, and I mean everything, if the lower control arm was shortened, or the upper control arm was lengthened, what upper arms you have, do you understand what I am getting at, there is a chance that someone could have welded the front clip from a 720 onto your 73 frame, I cannot see what I need to see to tell you in the photos supplied.

All I can say is that it is likely that the reason that your calipers will not fit on what you have is because you have non-vented rotors/calipers on a spindle that is made/designed for vented rotors/calipers.

When people use these drop spindles on their 720s, they have to shorten the tierods to get them to work/to be able to align the frontend.