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78 datsun 510 upgrades?


Andres131313

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With my engine project almost complete I am looking to upgrade my suspension. Since the car sat for 20 or so years before I got it the original suspension is non existent.

 

I don't really have a budge I mind. I plain to keep this car for life. The shocks don't leak but are extream lay weak and bottom out on a speed bump at 4 mph. I want the car to be drive able but also be able to go sideways easily when I want to have some fun. Since I never really messed around with suspensions I'm coming to you guys for some help, recommendations, and explanations. What do I start with first?

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Guest Rick-rat

If you plan to keep this car for life, put new stock shocks on it and drive it and don't worry about "going sideways". If you want to have a beater for having fun get a beater just for that. You can't beat your Datsun and expect to keep it for life

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...have you seen my car? It is a beater at the moment. What mean is im never going to get rid of her. Even if she ends up smashed more then she is now. The car is more of a sports car to me. I will fix her up and make her look really nice but I don't want it tobe a show car that is locked away like most guys do or something that only goes a few miles a week. What I want out of this car is fun on occasion and speed all the time.

 

I hope this helps with understanding my intention.

 

Thanks I'll keep the stock parts in mind.

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buy some cheap gas shocks maybe cut a spring(front) and a half a spring in the back when bored to give it that cool look. put soem NGK stickers on there and just roll it and learn about the car more first before thinking sideways

 

lets be honest here the L motor is great but dated and not that fast compared to a new mini van with a kid in the back giving you the finger under" Baby On Board" sign next him

 

 

If this is staying a SMOG emission car just leave it and do the above

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Guest Rick-rat

My Datsun is a nice looking truck, not for show only but for reliable driving, I do plan to keep mine until I can't drive it anymore or I die, whatever comes first. If I needed to go across country I would just jump in and go and not even think about having any problems, I have had mine for 7 years and have put on over 100,000 miles on it. You can have a nice looking and reliable fun car if you take care of it. Mine is only parked for a couple of months because of the salt they put on the roads here whenever it freezes or might freeze or snow. But everyone has different ideas for their Datsuns, hope you get it fixed up and have a good time with it  :thumbup:

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Fuck expensive strut inserts. Just replace the oil with something thicker.

 

 

 


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.


Trimming the spring for increased stiffness and the perch and using split collars gives you the same as coil overs without the look.

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