datsun 510 coilovers

[Kolbis77]

Does anybody know of any cheep coils for a 72 datsun 510. Or if any coils from other cars would fit?

[r0p0doe]

Did you try searching for info, this has been covered several times...

[MicroMachinery]

[flatcat19]

Cheap is the perfect way to go when dealing with steering/suspension. 

 

 

$20 for a set of split collars. $20 for the lowering blocks out back. 

That's about as cheap as I would ever plan on getting. 

[dr.feltersnatch]

Cheap is the perfect way to go when dealing with steering/suspension. 

 

 

$20 for a set of split collars. $20 for the lowering blocks out back. 

That's about as cheap as I would ever plan on getting. 

where do the lowering blocks go? :fu:

[flatcat19]

where do the lowering blocks go? :fu:

 

Um, wagon. You tell me. 

[dr.feltersnatch]

shit :sneaky: missed the wagon part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here is tits to make it better

[flatcat19]

Boom. 

[datzenmike]

Does anybody know of any cheep coils for a 72 datsun 510. Or if any coils from other cars would fit?

 

What for? To raise up a saggy ride? If to lower the ride height say so, but keep in mind there is more to it than that. Asking for 'cheep coils' is like asking for cheap airfare to Hawaii and riding inside a suitcase in the hold.

 

You can slightly lower your ride height but there are limits to this, perhaps 2" to 3". The strut will be compressed and much closer to bottoming out on bumps. The combination of a stiffer spring rate and a good damper or shock absorber inside the stock strut will reduce this. You can also replace the strut with one that is shorter such as from a 280zx. This will lower the ride height without any other changes or risks.

 

There are two ways to lower the ride height. In both cases the lower spring perch is trimmed and removed from the strut and the old weld ground down smooth.

 

1/ instal a coil over sleeve and clamp or weld in place. Usually these have a bottom spring perch and a variety of springs and rates that can be bought for them. The ride height is adjusted by screwing the adjusting collars up and down the threaded  sleeve. Remember 2" to 3". They are expensive even for the cheap ones and once you get your ride height where you want it all that expense is just along for the ride and getting dirty. That's a lot of money to tie up doing nothing much.

 

2/ Instal 2" split collars below the cut off stock spring perch. Compress the spring with a hydraulic jack and slide the split collar up and clamp in place. Check ride height and adjust up or down to suit. Just remember 2"-3" on the 510 strut. A pair of split collars are about $25 to $30 and once adjusted as as good as the $600-$1200 coil overs.

 

2a/ You can trim the stock 510 spring to increase the spring rate. The stock rate is 89 pounds per inch. Race cars go as much as 300 lb/in but I'm not suggesting this. The spring rate is easily worked out by a spring rate formula and (on my 710) a single coil raised the rat about 50% to 150 lb/in. I imagine the 510 is slightly different so work it out in advance as once cut you can't put it back. My advice is cut small amounts off and try it, stop before you don't like the stiffness.

 

2b/ You can replace the strut dampers with after market inserts at $80 each? Not sure, have never bought them. Shorter ones can be used if you stack shims under them in the bottom of the strut tube. If you take the strut apart and have the original valving in an oil bath you can simply empty the thin watery hydraulic oil out and replace with thicker motorcycle fork oil. The thicker oil is harder to push through the valve holes and add resistance and firmness to a tired strut damper. I used Bellray 20W at $17 a liter, enough for three struts. I used ATF on my other 710... it works but is slightly softer.

 

 

Remember that stiffening/lowering the front without matching the rear spring rate will destabilize the handling. Two or three inch lowering blocks will somewhat match the ride height at the front. Removing a leaf to lower is wrong headed as you are reducing the spring rate on a lowered ride height making it bottom out even more. You can have the leaves de-arched to lower or a combination of blocks and de-arching but an extra leaf added will help to raise the spring rate.