74' 620 Lower your standard build thread

[Soundline]

Ok dudes and chicks this is going to be a pretty standard build that will be slowly evolving.

 

I picked up this beast as a Craigslist find for $1k. Runs fine, has an L20B swapped into it with the 4 speed.

 

 

I ordered 3" lowering blocks from summit racing, a carpet dash kit (because that's how classy I am) and some other random s***.

 

I decided that I'm f****** cheap and couldn't slap the benjamins on the counter for some Works or SSR's so I doubled down on some free shipping American Racing AR615883's 15x8, 6x139.7, -19mm backspacing with a 107.95 hub.

 

To contain my possibly triple digit horsepower I selected some Falken Ziex 205/60R15 tires.

 

 

I'm waiting on some jacks and stands to creep this wild beast into my two car garage and start the build that... pretty much... everyone has already done. The difference is.... ok there really isn't one.

 

Now I could talk about my previous S13's or whatever but doesn't matter. I've never owned a Datsun and a buddy of mine is building an 80' Toyota pickup so this is my answer to his project. I plan on taking it to local show and not shines and generally cruising around the desert in it.

 

The shocks/struts are pretty haggard so they're getting replaced at this phase with KYB ones.

 

I'd also eventually like to have the seat reupholstered and do a front disc brake swap. So, more to come.

[Leche]

Awesome man, you're going to have fun with this. Those wheels are bad ass bro.

[datzenmike]

Did you do your homework on the back spacing? 

[Ron1200]

"I ordered 3" lowering blocks from summit racing"

"... and generally cruising around the desert in it."

 

 

 

Generally mutually exclusive... Just say'n... and Welcome to Ratsun.

[G-Duax]

Did you do your homework on the back spacing? 

 

Don't think back spacing will be an issue, but they may stick out a little, like a 1/2".

My 7" wheels have the same back spacing, and they bring the tire (granted, slightly larger - 15x225-60) right out to the edge of the fender, to where I had to roll the sheet metal a little so they won't rub.

 

I'm looking at maybe going to 16X8, 0 offset (to clear my Z32 front calipers), and will end up with the same tire clearance on the fenders.

Had went out in the rain to measure rear inner clearance, and had 2", so no problem there.

[Soundline]

Did you do your homework on the back spacing?

 

I got the numbers off several build threads on different forums for backspace, width, bolt pattern, hub, and tire size. I checked the math and it looked like it would work.

 

That's not to say I'm definitely right though. I have been wrong before, just as my ex-wife...

 

I'm totally open to suggestions as I bought the parts off Amazon and therefore can return them before I mount them up.

[datzenmike]

Three inch lowering, or any lowering risks the fender coming down on the tire if the backspacing isn't enough. We've all seen vehicles with a groove cut in the treads or the side walls chewed up. The stock tire and rim clears no matter how low you go.

 

Simple. Mount the rim on and see if the fender will come down on the outside of it. Rims should fit the vehicle, not the vehicle made to fit the rims.

[Soundline]

Generally mutually exclusive... Just say'n... and Welcome to Ratsun.

Lol, yeah I know. Turning wrenches on this and driving it is more therapy than anything else. 15 years of fighting has left a few scars and wounds that are best healed in the garage and jarring your bones hitting a pothole on one of WA states "only the best" freeways.... in the HUGE ASS DESERT in the Evergreen state.

[Soundline]

Simple. Mount the rim on and see if the fender will come down on the outside of it. Rims should fit the vehicle, not the vehicle made to fit the rims.

Yeah that was the plan. That's why I only pulled one out of the box. There's math on paper, and then there's actually implementing it. If it makes it unsafe, it's back to the white board.

 

If I just need to roll the fenders though, nbd. I'll have to go to my connex and dig my fender roller out. I'm a little outta practice, but fortunately it's not rocket science. If I wanted to get deep into it and liked the idea... I could cut the fenders and run flares. But holy goat s*** that's a lotta work. If I go that far I might as well dig that Bomex body kit I have out and bondo that shit onto it... then run Nass. (I intentionally spelled it like that because that's how my accent says it... and NOS means something different on here).

 

In short put tire on wheel, check on truck, then decide course of action.

[sebpv]

Mike, sometimes I wish you would just let them learn on their own. If they put aftermarket wheels, that means they DONT want stock wheelies with stock fitment. Plain simple...

[Soundline]

Sebpv, arrêter de parler.

 

I asked for constructive advice, Mike provided it. You just posted to cause problems by creating an attempt at "forced teaming" and "exclusionary tactics". Neither of which are helpful or desired. I appreciate Mike's help and will continue to use his advice in the future.

[datzenmike]

Well.... http://community.ratsun.net/topic/70794-wheel-width-vs-tire-width-and-driveability/  ... I like to see the body not be cut up if rims and tires can possibly be fit properly. I know it takes some math and effort but it can be done. Sometimes the width is impossible to fit and sometimes flairs are the only way to get what you want.

[Soundline]

The one thread that I missed...

 

If I did decide to "cut to fit" I'd use Thai repop's. A custom bed would be slipped on the back and more ridiculousness. I've gone way... way down that rabbit hole before.

 

The other option is to change the bump stops and roll the inner fender lip, thus not chopping up the body just removing a potential point of failure. Using bump stops to limit suspension travel is... how do I wanna say this.. not the best idea for drivability.

 

 

But at least it's not spending 4 months in 2001 putting bondo to "blend" an actual Bomex body kit to a civic.. then having it crack as you back it out of the paint booth...

[Soundline]

Well.... http://community.ratsun.net/topic/70794-wheel-width-vs-tire-width-and-driveability/  ... I like to see the body not be cut up if rims and tires can possibly be fit properly. I know it takes some math and effort but it can be done. Sometimes the width is impossible to fit and sometimes flairs are the only way to get what you want.

Ok, read through that thread. At Formula D at Evergreen Raceway in 2006 I talked to several crew members for different drivers that were experimenting with extreme rear camber angles during competition drifting. This was my take away: "we tried it, it didn't work out so well, we stopped using it." Several of my peers saw it and started emulating what they had observed FD teams doing 10 years ago. I don't know if this is what started it, but in my circle it was.

 

I used to drift race, and I was no good. It takes a certain level of talent and... I just don't have it lol.

 

I have had a deep love for the Shaoktan style of cars since I first laid eyes on a 240z like that in Japan 2006/7. I dunno, it's hard to explain but it really resonated with me. When I came back to the sates after that vacation it changed the way I built cars. Just for reference I've never been a pro mechanic or had a car "featured". I showed twice at Hot Import Nights in Seattle and got zero prizes because my cars were too tame.

 

This truck will reflect that look in a tamer form. I don't like extreme camber, for the same reasons you don't. But I don't like destroying something just to make it look "on trend". I've done that and it was a mistake.

 

I'm not an especially loud person... so boso style isn't for me. I enjoy going and seeing those cars, but... I don't want one.

 

I definitely appreciate the helpful comments and advice even though you'd prefer not to have my style truck in your driveway.

[datzenmike]

The 620 has a solid axle so you are never going to have camber problems on the rear.

[Rhino13]

Jack it up and slap one on there, that'll give you an idea of what you're working with and it will give us more to see B)

[Charlie69]

Rims should fit the vehicle, not the vehicle made to fit the rims.

Boy Mike I guess we are old as we think alike on this.

[G-Duax]

The 620 has a solid axle so you are never going to have camber problems on the rear.

 

Unless you put a Nascar rear axle under it, that has full floating axles, and the wheel hub runs on it's own bearings.

Harry Gant's #33 was kicking ass in Nascar until the tech people discovered that the right rear wheel had a lot of camber......

They were machining the bearing holder so that the end the axle housing slid into was not strait with the bearing bores, and was tilting he wheel in at the top by several degrees.

This wasn't illegal up to that point because Nascar never thought of it.

But then they had to go spoil the fun, and make it illegal........

 

Love it when people think outside the box :)

[Soundline]

Sheds built to put the crap in the way out of the way, now I just need the ice to melt off tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

[datzenmike]

Boy Mike I guess we are old as we think alike on this.

 

Learned this from first marriage. You and your wife must fit and work together or one will have to do all the changing. Better to find something that fits than do all the changing.

[Soundline]

Learned this from first marriage. You and your wife must fit and work together or one will have to do all the changing. Better to find something that fits than do all the changing.

Yeah my first one was a mess too. But it took me ten years to figure that out.

 

I think maybe a few pictures I've pulled off the good ol' Internet might clear up a few things. None of these three pictures are of my truck, they were google found images yielded by looking at options.

 

 

This is an example of what I would like to avoid. No offense if this dude/chick is on here, this just isn't for me.

 

 

This is more or less the wheel fitment I was looking for. There's a slight fender roll and a mild lip.

 

 

 

Worst case, I order some repop Thai front fenders and do flares like this.

 

None of these have the excessive camber that creates problems in tire wear, cornering, braking, and initiating motion.

 

Good news is it's supposed to be 40 F tomorrow so the snow should be all cleared out of the bed. I just swept out all the powdered snow and saw my thermometer said it was a blistering 19 F. My neighbors came home to a guy in shorts dusting snow out of a truck bed and totally don't understand that positive F temp don't require jackets for short durations... but perhaps shoes next time. The other thing I noted is my 620 has been parked in the same spot for 7 days and there are no leaks. This I'm happy about.

[datzenmike]

Fronts will camber the lower you go... it's unavoidable as the adjustment range is far exceeded. But you can use modified lower or upper control arms. Also look at flipping the 'dog bones' to get lower without as much torsion bar adjustment on your '74.

[Rhino13]

I believe that first one is 3dmagicmike, and if so he's putting a 1uz in that thing along with a custom frame and everything else you can think of other than body panels.

[datzenmike]

Those pictures may be but the OP hasn't said this was the plan. Or did I miss this?

[Rhino13]

No I was just pointing it out because it is a very impressive build aside from it not being very much datsun anymore.

 

I've always liked the stance of the middle picture, 620s are just really good looking trucks stock, lowered or lifted.