m1ghtymaxXx

I installed the ST 240Z kit on my 280Z and would recommend it. It comes with new drop links to mount the sway bar behind the axle which is a much better location in terms of accessibility and exhaust clearance, and it looks good too. It was a bonus for me as the previous owner broke the the stock sway bar off running over a rock, I welded it back it but couldn't access all of it so it was likely flexing. The 240Z kit is also a bit smaller diameter, which is likely better if you're running higher than stock spring rates. Also the green is no longer, they're a metallic grey now.

I believe that's the early (79-81) caliper. I have a pair of late ZX calipers, but it doesn't seem like anyone makes S30 brackets for them anymore.

I've got the Ziex 912's in 225/50 on my 15x9 Shakotans. They were dirty cheap and for the the price I can't really complain. I've autocrossed on them many times, and of course they won't be competitive, but they exceeded my expectations, especially in the rain.

Well 79-81 calipers and 82-83 calipers are different. A good start would be to see which they fit. If they're for 82-83, let me know if you'd be interested in selling them!

What if your welder is yourself?

Interesting idea, I wonder is this method of camber adjustment in beneficial for performance in terms of camber curve, since the camber curve should stay the same, but allows you to change the static camber. A couple friends have KW coilovers in their FR-S' which have a slotted hole at the spindle to allow (IIRC) 2 degrees camber change in relation to the strut. Also it should be noted that this won't work on S130 rear suspension, which is basically the same as the Z31 design but with with a coilover shock assembly.

Don't forget your chrome as well. My stock 280Z bumper is peppered with tiny rust spots after building my exhaust right in front of my car. Not that it will be used much longer of course.

Are fender mirrors actually good for visibility? I realize the line-of-site and can be better, but in practice, I would have thought moving the mirrors significantly further would decrease visibility unless they're ridiculously oversized

Why would you want S130 suspension in an S30? It seems the S130 crowd struggles to make the the semi trailing arm work in racing applications. I did find the rear suspension in my ZX to be a happy going sideways. My S30 when it had an open diff was very unpredictable and challenging for sideways hoonery where the ZX would rarely only break traction at one wheel, do to the dynamic toe change I believe. That is little reason to go to the trouble of swapping in semi-trailing arm suspension though. Your rear assembly has undesirable U joint axles as well, so no upgrade in that department. If you want to punish yourself with a subframe/suspension swap, I'd look at something with more benefits. The S13/S14/Skyline multilink has be done, but many members will agree it's just not worth the trouble when the stock setup can be made to function pretty well.

Like JMortensen said, It was the issue with axle length and hit or miss flipping of cages, not the adapters themselves.

Carefull with 9" wheels fitting "under" the fenders. I have 15x9, 0 offset Rota Shakotans with a 225/50 Falken 912's which I would imagine run narrow compared to more performance oriented tires. The rims poke about 1/2"-3/4". Note I have stock diameter springs but tucking the wheels into the wheels wells won't happen with 0 offset. The rears still have a decent bit of a clearance at the spring perch and could probably be brought in a about 10mm as is (+10 offset), more with coilovers. The Front I had to add 8mm spacers, thought with coilovers you could probably get away without them.

Woops, just a typo! meant 1.25

I used S14 studs as they were available at the local parts store, and if memory serves me correct, they were 42mm in length, plenty for the 8mm spacers I was running, not sure if they'd cut it for your bolt in spacers. I was actually in search of a certain year, I believe rear Nissan quest stud which I believe is the longest OEM 12x1.25 thread stud that fits our hubs,and comes in somewhere around 50mm/2". They weren't available local to me, but if you don't live on an desolate island in the North Atlantic you could probably find them at your local parts store/dealer.

^ I'd go that route. We did install as much of the interior as possible in our Evo III Targa Newfoundland Rally car. This included the carpet, center console, door panels (trimmed to fit door X's), and a bumpin sound system. The reason was that Targa involves basically living in the race car all day every day for a week. My only concern (aside from a bit of added weight) is the additional flammable materials in the cockpit. Unfortunately we ended up a losing the motor in the very first prologue stage and spent an all nighter prepping my teamates old AE86 rally car which was completely stripped and loud as hell (but carried us to 3rd place in Open divivsion!). Definitely made us appreciate the "Cadillac of Race Cars" Evo we'd put together. Here's an interior shot taken right after we had it back together, racing buckets, harnesses, rally computer, comms, and roll cage padding was not yet installed: https://flic.kr/p/fpo6wz

I won't comment on the symptoms, but as far as replacing the carrier bearings, it's pretty straightforward. I put the carrier in the freezer warmed the bearing in the oven to 200 degrees F. One side literally dropped into place, the other required a slight bit of coaxing with a hammer and appropriately sized socket. I replaced mine as I was installing a chinese LSD so a re-shimming was necessary. Since I don't own a dial gauge or collection of shims I paid a driveline shop $150 to shim, check backlash and wipe pattern.

My inner ricer always wondered how red halos would look on our cars. I assume the pink hue is just the camera? I wonder if they could be dimmed a bit with a resistor or something as well. Also, are those Racing Beat wheels?

Well whether it's done upon arrival or by the vendor, all S30 coilovers either require a retaining ring welded to the strut housing, or a strut housing welded to a threaded tube. No regularly attainable coilovers are made with new spindles.

Figured I'd chime in with what I thought were some of the best dollar/fun ratio mods I've done...drivetrain. I only have an S30 because my 83 NA zx 2+2 succumbed to its rust and I needed an new chassis. I swapped in the 3.90 diff (should be able to find one for next to nothing, comes in 280ZX 2+2s) along with an OBX helical LSD ($400). I also swapped in the close ratio 5 speed found in 82 & 83 zx's. All together that combo completely transformed the car and made much better use of the available power, and you could probably assemble all the parts for under a grand.

Looks like you have some reading to do before making a purchase. All coilover options for the S30 require welding in some regard, not sure what you mean by "if one of them goes out". Bump steer spacers correct control arm angle when lowered, front only, and as mentioned, Tokico is NLA.

You will definitely want to replace the bellville washers and case bolts with higher quality ones from R Bryant or Mcmaster & Carr, check to make sure the gears are properly orientated, and many, including myself opt to file down any rough edges or casting flash that could break off later. All of this is covered earlier in the thread. You will have to press carrier bearings onto the OBX case, removing the old inner races intact can be tricky, but if you are able to order straight from the bearing manufacturer, the bearings are very cheap to replace (think I paid about $12/ea straight from SKF). When it's back together, check back lash and shim accordingly, and finally check the gear wipe pattern. This might be best done at a driveline shop if you don't have the tools and a collection of shims. I paid about $150 to have it done.

Are the plastic prints not adequate to use for badges?

Any possibility of being able to run the steering shaft through the mount? A friend of a friend was doing a turbocharging an E36 and in order to solve a exhaust to motor mount interference, made a new motor mount with a section of heavy wall pipe in the middle, big enough for the exhaust to pass through. Unfortunately I can't find a picture, but perhaps just an outside-the-box idea to play with. Unfortunately it seems it's the u-joint that's in the way though.

When we did our Evo rally car we went all out and masked the whole car before priming and painting with an HVLP gun. The first time we primed the cage, the primer stayed tacky, it turned out Napa sold us the wrong reducer, so we spent hours wiping it all off with acetone. Once all redone, our semigloss paint ranged from full matt, to full glossy and runs everywhere. Aside from operator error, I attribute this to a lack of an air dryer, and a gun that was too big for spraying 1.75" tube. If I were to do it again, I'd just go with a rust inhibiting enamel paint. Muuuch cheaper, easier, less prep, equipment and knowledge required, and I'm positive I could do a better job. http://www.flickr.com/photos/87466467@N04/9456362284/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/87466467@N04/9453583407/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/87466467@N04/9456385428/

Any time you free up a restriction you can overboost, the question is whether the wastegate can be adjusted to compensate, otherwise porting the wastegate passage would be the next step.

I'd say your belt is stretched and perhaps glazed. The second last belt I put in only lasted 2-3 months before it stretched to the end of it's adjustment. When it was tight, it sounded like a supercharger whine, I ended up thoroughly inspecting the alternator for worn bearings, but the sound when away when the belt was loosened/replaced. If you still have issues you can try sanding the pulleys with ~220 grit sandpaper where they contact the belt, and try belt dressing spray, though it has a tendency to make a mess of your engine bay.