510 suspension

[72_510_Austin]

I’ve been wrapping up the body on my restoration project now and I’ve been really confused on a suspension setup for the car. I would like to get the best bang on a decent budget.

Obviously I’d like to go coilovers, adjustable tc rods/lower control arms. But I’ve looked on techno toys and find if I spend 1000 on the fronts and another 700 on rears I feel that’s alittle to much.

Is there anyway you all are getting a similar setup for cheaper? I’ve heard 280zx coils work. But could I be walked through what process to fit them would take?

[Jesse C.]

Start reading here...

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/34171-280zx-struts/

[Noflers]

For the rear, you'd be better off buying the individual components from QA1 and putting them together yourself. Allows for dampening adjustment on a nice rebuildable shock.

 

I'll see if I can find some part numbers. IIRC, the total price comes out to under $400 for both shocks.

 

For the front, 280zx struts are you're best bang for the buck option. Stronger spindles and big vented brakes.

[Noflers]

These are the adjustable dampening ones. The non-adjustable ones are even cheaper. You'd just need tophats and springs.

[datzenmike]

I’ve been wrapping up the body on my restoration project now and I’ve been really confused on a suspension setup for the car. I would like to get the best bang on a decent budget.

Obviously I’d like to go coilovers, adjustable tc rods/lower control arms. But I’ve looked on techno toys and find if I spend 1000 on the fronts and another 700 on rears I feel that’s alittle to much.

Is there anyway you all are getting a similar setup for cheaper? I’ve heard 280zx coils work. But could I be walked through what process to fit them would take?

 

The zx coils are larger diameter so even if you can get then up inside the strut tower there won't be any room for camber adjustment. Why not cut the lower spring perches off and put your smaller diameter 510 spring and perch on the zx strut? Secure the underside of the lower spring perch with a set of 2" split collars. Use your smaller 510 top hat and it fits. Ride height is adjustable and you can do this for about $25. With some simple math you can select the spring rate you want by carefully trimming the spring length.

 

Trim around strut lower perch just above weld. Hack saw or angle grinder...

 

 

 

Separate...

 

 

 

Grind down weld...

 

 

 

Assemble zx strut with 510 top hat, spring and bottom spring perch and tighten one of these below it...

 

 

It's called a split collar and capable of supporting 4,000 pounds or about the weight of 1.8 510s.... each!

 

Push upward on the spring perch and the spring and perch slide up the strut (and why you grind away the old weld) tighten the split collar.

 

 

 

Do the other side evenly and lower carefully. Check car ride height and add or subtract from this initial setting till you get the ride where you want it. Unless you plan to adjust your ride height every day or a few times a week (who the hell does this???) or can afford $200-$1,100 for coil overs why tie up the money on them when you get the same thing for $25.

 

 

The 510 spring rate is 89 lb/in and by any account an bit soft. Insane 510 owners increase to 300 lb/in but 200 lb/in or so is the norm. When a coil spring is shortened it actually becomes stiffer, which is nice. With a few easy measurements of the coil wire thickness, the coil diameter and the number of coils, not touching and then multiplying and dividing you can work out a new spring rate before cutting them. Why pay $50 a spring to buy them when you can take advantage of the ones you already have? Keep in mind it's one way. you can increase the rate but you can't put back once cut. I carefully measured my 710 coils and trimmed to get 150 lb/in. and being elderly I find them firm enough for my liking. There is a formula needed for working out your present rate and by trial and error you can work out how much to remove to get what you want. I would say that this is a zero cost modification if you have an angle grinder.

 

One last thing. If your 280zx struts have the original oil bath dampers you can increase their firmness by emptying out the thin watery hydraulic oil and substituting a thicker one. Thicker oil is more resistant to being pushed through the valves. I bought a liter of 20W BellRay motorcycle fork oil for my 710, enough to refill 3 struts... about $17.

 

So in closing, you get adjustable ride height, increased spring rate and firmed up dampers or shocks on the front. The cost was under $50

 

Split collars ................ $25

Motorcycle fork oil...... $17

Cut off disc................. $4 you need a 6" angle grinder but a hacksaw will also work

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Eriks]

Datzenmike, thanks for the recipe. Split collars seems unobtainable over here, but by welding the lower perch at the desired height the strut would look somewhat original, which would be a benefit since coilovers are illegal for street use. Anyway, when lovering this way, or any other way, would you advice adding roll center adjusters to the setup ?

[datzenmike]

You could probably find them or order them at any fastener store or on line. Use them to get the ride height you want then weld the spring perches.

 

Yes, cars are set with the steering rod ends horizontal, more or less, and up and down movement doesn't affect their length much as they swing up and down. But when the body lowers, the rod ends tilt up at the wheel end and additional travel over bumps shortens them laterally, pulling the back of the wheel inwards causing a toe out. Any lowering or raising will require the steering to be aligned but adding roll center adjusting shims (we call them bump stop spacers) will keep the tie rod ends in their horizontal position more or less.

 

I made my own out of 1/4" aluminum...

 

 

 

I made 8 in case I needed that many but 1/2" was just right. The bolt length was increased by this amount.

 

 

Bump steer is an odd phenomenon and I had got used to it. So it was a striking difference when it was eliminated! I should have done this years ago. The bolts cost $8 and the rest I had already.

 

.

[G-Duax]

I've had a few techno toy products.

Sold them right away.

Piss poor design, and machine work.

I now call it TTT for techno toy trash.

 

I wouldn't put his stuff on a lawnmower.

[datzenmike]

Never understood spending so much on something that you set once and never adjust again. All that money riding around doing nothing.

[nvestor88]

Looking to do a front suspension refresh. The car feels loose up front. I think most of the stuff up there is original. What parts have members used?

[67_1600]

I ordered most of the parts for my '71 wagon through Rockauto. Most I received were Moog, some other generic parts. I didn't have trouble with any fitment issues and it felt good after replacing everything. I'd suggest replacing rubber parts with rubber parts as opposed to polyurethane but others might have different opinions. Another thing to check is your steering box - it can be adjusted to eliminate some of the slop you might feel. Also, be sure and get your front end aligned after replacing everything - the geometry will almost certainly have changed if you've been riding on worn out parts.

[datzenmike]

Well the original struts use oil bath dampers. If they haven't been replaced with strut inserts you can very easily disassemble and drain out the old thin watery hydraulic fluid and replace with something thicker like 20w motorcycle shock oil. Thicker is harder to push through the valves so the shock returns to it's firmer self. 

 

Definitely replace with rubbe,r you aren't driving a race car.

 

The idler arm is the part with the most slop when worn. Then all the steering ball joints.

 

Definitely get a sway bar  kit to replace all the rubber pieces. Hell I've seen the links rust through and break off and the bar is doing nothing and along for the ride.

 

Don't neglect the tension rod bushings. They stabilize the location of the lower control arm and wheel when braking.

 

 

With all new parts have it aligned.

[72_510_Austin]

So what I got out of all this is.... basically if I wanted front coil overs for my car . I can’t just order 280zx front coils, bolt them in? 

 

I honestly need kind kind of like a parts list/price laid out in order to see what I really need/have to get. 

 

Plan on the car handling well enough for the straight track