Questions- 1979 Datsun 210 Upgrades

[f1ndM3aTaco]

Alright so I'm going to be completely upgrading the suspension on the car, and I really mean everything. I want to make this baby as smooth as possible before worrying about power. I'm not worrying about costs, I just want to know what is the best thing on the market that I can't get that is a direct swap without welding, or very little welding. I'm at school so the welding has to be done when I get back home.

 

Now I know about swapping the 280zx front assemblies and the 200sx rear axel and also getting a new master cylinder for the brakes if Im not mistaken. (thank you datsunfreak)

 

What I need to find more information about is:

 

-sway bars

(I've seen the addco sway bars, but if I eventually plan on putting in an sr20-wayyyyy further on down the line- should I be looking into getting a different sway bar, if not how good are the addco bars?What are some other sway bars I could look into)

 

-bushings

(I know to get polyurethane although with the 280zx front assembly swap should I be searching for a bushing kit for a 280zx instead of a 210?is it the same? and will a full 280zx bushing kit be okay with the 200sx rear)

 

-Tie Rods, Control Arms, Crossmembers, etc.

(Can I swap them out with other nissan parts-280zx? 200sx?)

 

Anything for a smoother ride. The goal is to swap out the stock for newer and more easily attainable parts because searching up aftermarket parts for a 79' 210 is a bitch sometimes.

 

I know I've asked probably more than I should have but I just want to start making a solid list of what I should be looking into and saving my paychecks for.

Thanks to anyone who responds.

[flatcat19]

You got it pretty well covered.

 

The A10 is also a viable parts whore for the 210.

[datzenmike]

Alright so I'm going to be completely upgrading the suspension on the car, and I really mean everything. I want to make this baby as smooth as possible before worrying about power.

 

Anything for a smoother ride. The goal is to swap out the stock for newer and more easily attainable parts because searching up aftermarket parts for a 79' 210 is a bitch sometimes.

You use the word 'smoother' and to me this means comfortable, soft, relaxed, refined. Now usually, when car makers design a car's suspension they err on the side of pleasing the most customers. The suspension is 'comfortable' while driving to work or traveling. Only a sports car might be designed with performance driving in mind... with such things as lower ride height, firmer springs and shocks, larger sway bars, larger and better tires. Now if you really mean a smoother ride then maybe don't read any further, but if you mean a better ride, better input and feedback from the suspension, a suspension that doesn't surprise you and is more forgiving of your mistakes, one that is easy to master and increases the enjoyment of driving, weather to work or on unfamiliar roads then read on

 

 

Now I know about swapping the 280zx front assemblies and the 200sx rear axel and also getting a new master cylinder for the brakes if Im not mistaken. (thank you datsunfreak)

Really I think it's only the two front struts that are swapped. These allow a lower ride height but better are the monster disc brake calipers and larger vented rotors. I'm sure that at some point you will be getting larger wider rims and grippier tires. Tires and rubber compounds have come an awful long way since the 210 was new. With better tires you can really use more brake for even faster stopping.

 

 

 

-sway bars

(I've seen the addco sway bars, but if I eventually plan on putting in an sr20-wayyyyy further on down the line- should I be looking into getting a different sway bar, if not how good are the addco bars?What are some other sway bars I could look into)

The sway bay is matched to many things on the car but the engine choice is far down the list, if on it at all. If you have a well sorted suspension it will handle the same with an L16 or an SR in it. All cars are designed with a small amount of understeer into the suspension. One thing that increases understeer is a stiffer sway bar so it shouldn't be done without taking many many other things into consideration. On a suspension, everything affects everything else. All things equal... if you add stiffness to the front sway bar you should add a sway bar to the rear to keep the understeer more or less neutral. How much? Only way to tell is drive it and see. Everything affects everything else. Lowering just the front end or raising the back can also reduce understeer. Experiment... just keep in mind... everything affects everything else and you won't go wrong.

 

 

-bushings

(I know to get polyurethane although with the 280zx front assembly swap should I be searching for a bushing kit for a 280zx instead of a 210?is it the same? and will a full 280zx bushing kit be okay with the 200sx rear)

As I said above I think only the 280zx struts are swapped onto the front end. Poly bushings can be used on the sway bar links. If hot to use polly get a soft a material as you can. I find polly way too hard. The original rubber grips both parts it's between and will give and stretch slightly and it also insulates vibrations. Polly can be so firm that it doesn' give an one part or the other will chafe and wear. They can cause annoying squeaks too. The four links at the back could use new rubber or polly bushings.

 

 

-Tie Rods, Control Arms, Crossmembers, etc.

(Can I swap them out with other nissan parts-280zx? 200sx?)

Stick with the 210 tie rods and steering parts and ball joints, new ones if possible. The 210 control arm is fine. a zx arm is made for a wider car and I doubt it will work on a 210 or give any advantage even if it does. New tension rod bushings are a good idea but these must swing up and down with the control arm movement. I hate to bitch about polly but I don't think it gives enough and forces the tension rod to bend around it. The tension rods are not designed to be bent back and forth. Research this.

 

 

The 210 steering box is similar to the old PL510 box... and it benefits from a brace. When hard steering the body around the box actually flexes and a brace helps remove this and put the motion where it belongs... the steering.

 

Strut braces... some get all ga ga about them. If the strut towers moved that much the hood would be pinched, but who knows? unless you try them. If it adds some firmness to the front end metal keep it... or, sell it.

 

Lowering the body, properly, will make the largest overall contribution to good handling by lowering the center of gravity. Any lowered vehicle should also have stiffer springs to reduce suspension travel and bottoming out. Avoid too stiff or there will be no suspension travel and your shocks won't do their job.

[f1ndM3aTaco]

datzenmike you're a godsend because of you I've been doing a lot more research into how I'm going to redo the front end of the car. You're right about questioning poly bushings, after some more researching I've decided that I'm only going to change certain bushings from rubber to poly, probably the control arm bushings in the front and rear as well as the sway bars but everything else I'll keep rubber.

 

So now the question is...who the hell do I buy from?

 

I've gone over Moog, Acdelco, Raybestos, and Rare Parts as companies that make stock replacement front end parts for the 210 but I have no idea which one is the best quality.

I've gone over a few sites that say Moog is better than ACdelco (and that in some cases they are actually one and the same for replacement parts) but what about Rare Parts?

 

Like I've said before, price does not matter, I'm at school and whatever money is left from my paychecks that doesn't go into food and books goes into the car - and occasionally the gift for the gf :) . I'm going to swap out parts with the best possible option, so what is the most trustable manufacturer to order from? I know this is a matter or opinion in most cases but if anyone has experience with any of the above mentioned companies input would be very much appreciated.

[MikeRL411]

Like their name says, Rare Parts sees a demand and has parts made to what appears to be OEM specs where those specs are accessable.  Example, in Feb 2011 Rare Parts had made and sold upper and lower ball joints for the 411 sedans.  They were also an intermediary supplying these parts to JCWhitney at that time.  They sold out fairly quickly and I doubt they had any more made by the way!

[f1ndM3aTaco]

Cool beans the info is great.

 

I haven't been driving the car or even been able to touch it recently since the snow has been hitting us pretty badly here on the east coast and the salt is even worse. I've ordered all the new bushings that I could. I ordered like you said datzenmike and I only got poly sway bar links everything else/almost everything else will be rubber. I got new control arm bushings and I'm getting some rubber idler arm bushings too. The only rubber and replacements I can't seem to find are some new tension rod bushings and ball joint dust boots, as well as any rubber for the rear, but I am planning on the 200sx swap so I might just wait until I get the h190 axel before I worry about the rear. Maybe it's right there and I'm just not seeing it, that shit happens when you search for so many hours for so many months.

 

The other question I had was how long the 280zx techno toy tension control rods are in comparison to the datsun 210 rods. Would a mod be possible? Am I crazy? I could have sworn that I saw some 510's swap them in.

 

Other question I had was about sway bars. I want to get the addco front sway bar but if I'm swapping with the 200sx h190 rear should I be looking for a different sway bar? If so will the 84 200sx rear bar that addco lists work?

[flatcat19]

The addco bars should be more than enough for you for a long time. 

 

Even when swapping to the SR or whatever-the should suffice. 

Better than having stocks. If they aren't enough-THEN worry about them-but I doubt it. 

 

 

 

83? I think is the cutoff year for the 200sx. It changes set up after the S10.