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Coilovers for Datsun Nissan Sunny B11 ??


dawson

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http://community.ratsun.net/topic/64896-1982-datsun-nissan-sunny-b11-new-to-the-site/?do=findComment&comment=1181650

 

I have a 1982 Datsun Nissan sunny (B11) and literally no coilovers exist for this car in the UK.

 

I have seen that there are Nissan pulsar and slightly newer models B12 B13 B14 coilovers for sale but they are like £500 second hand.

 

My question is..does anyone know what coilovers can be adapted to fit? I have been told that Volkswagen MK1 Golf coilovers will fit if I take the top mounts off my springs at the moment and put them onto the Datsun with a little but of modification to make them fit but just wondered if anyone knew anymore than I did or has adapted coilovers to fit the car before?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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FWD B11, I think they were the 310 (N10) here. Assume they have the usual 2" diameter strut tube?

 

Remove the strut and carefully release and remove the coil spring, carefully trim around the bottom coil spring perch and lift it away, grind the old weld down smooth, replace the perch and coil (which can now slide up and down lower) secure the perch in place with split collars. It's now adjustable for height and you have spent about $25 US on it.

 

At this time it's advisable to trim the coil spring to increase the spring rate. A stiffer spring rate not only improves the handling but limits suspension travel... always a good idea on lowered cars that travel closer to the ground. There are easy formulas to work out the present spring rate and you can calculate how much to remove. My stock rate on my 710/Violet was 100lb/in. (pounds per inch) I removed to increase it 50%. This is how I did my stock springs.

 

If you have the original strut it probably has the factory oil bath dampers inside. Dump the thin watery oil out and replace with motorcycle fork oil of about 20W weight to firm up the action. Thicker oil is harder to push through the orifices. Fork oil comes in a variety of weights and this is how motorcycle suspensions are tuned by their riders. Bellray 20W oil $17 per liter. Enough to do three struts. If someone has removed the original oil dampers they probably replaced them with a shock inserts. Nothing you can do be keep replacing them.

 

Total cost for adjustable ride height, increased spring rate and damping is under $50.

 

If you think about coil overs, you're buying something expensive to set your ride height and once you get it where you want it, it's simply along for the ride and probably never adjusted again. That's a lot of money for you to drive them around town once they have done their job. Now if you are only into coil overs for the look then spend the money. But if you are into a nice low ride height that is still adjustable, increased spring rate to limit suspension travel on a lowered car and a nice firm strut damper (that is also adjustable by changing the fluid) and all for less than a day's work and a few tools... then the above is a viable alternative to expensive coil overs. Anybody can spend money. You'll be able to tell everyone that you did it yourself and how you did it for so little.

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FWIW....B11 would be an early Sentra over here but thought they didn't start til 83 or 84 (?), car in the avatar really looks like a Sentra.

It's from the UK so your equivalent is the Nissan Sentra. But this is a Datsun Sunny 1982 model, it's one of the last models before Datsun changed name to Nissan :)

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Heres how I built mine:
 

http://www.nissanforums.com/b11-b12-kn13-82-90-chassis/176042-how-make-your-82-86-b11.html

 

Shortens the shock a good inch to allow for some travel when lowered. Hotbits suspension makes coilovers for the B11 but I have no idea on the quality of their dampers, and im pretty picky about those. Best bet is to go to the scrapyard and measure the lower bolt distances and see if one matches the b11.

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