luseboy
-
Posts
599 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Events
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Posts posted by luseboy
-
-
Ya I think +4's would be fine. Before I decided to go with ZG flares, I was gonna get some 0 offset rims and clearance the inner fender. Really wouldn't be too bad to do, just a sledge hammer and some patience. You just have to watch for wiring as the rear harness runs through the passenger side where you'd be smashing it in, and the antenna wiring runs on the driver's side. I'd say run some 225/50/16 tires, whichever ones you want. It shouldn't be too hard to find those, at least not as hard as it is for finding 15" tires.
-
Whoops sorry, just caught my double post
-
1
-
-
The +4 will be pushed out more than the +10, which will be more "sunk" into the fenders. You may need to roll/clearance your inner fenders a little bit, but otherwise these should fit well. As for tire size... the "right" width for an 8" wide rim is 225. The aspect ratio is up to you, but a 45 would be a tad short IMO. The +4 offset will clear the brakes and suspension easier than the +10 would. I would think you'd be fine with the +4's, but you could get the +10 just in case and buy some 5mm spacers, getting you to +5. I don't have any experience with these wheels in particular so the rest of the equation is up to you.
-
Swap in a ferrari engine and trans and you could put one in. However I think there would be a lot more excitement than just the gated shifter...
-
The business about weight is pure bull. Whoever you talked to didn't know what he was talking about. Use whatever diameter strut insert will fit inside the tubes. If your tubes are 240, then you need 240 diameter inserts. You might try calling Tokiko tech support. Maybe you'll get a tuner on the phone who can help you see what your options are. I've even heard of guys using VW rabbit inserts to shorten the tubes way low. I just know what fit my car as stated above. I bought used tubes from an IT racer that were already cut, so I had to use the inserts that he cut down for. Send a PM to ComicArtist and he can probably help you with some of the crazy combinations that CAN be done. He just went thru this and he is dragging the street. He's a young guy and is into the low-at-all costs scene/fashion/style/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Just know that the lower you go, the less you will want to actually drive your car. It really starts to be a pain. You will start rubbing here and there on your chasssis, you will have to space your swaybar away from the frame rail and you'll start going thru ball joints and u-joints. You will find that there are fewer and fewer driveways and parking lots that you can get in and out of. Don't worry about "blowing" a shock. It just loses gas and stops working-it is not like your car will collapse, the spring is what holds it up. Don't try to go very fast in a really lowered car, you'll find that even crossing a seam in the pavement rocks your world.
I couldn't agree more. I don't think a couple hundred pounds will make the shock blow. In a 4-seater do you tell people they can't sit in the back seat because then your shocks will blow? Haha maybe as a joke or because you don't want them sitting there. The shop was most likely either un-educated in the actual weight difference, or trying to cover their ass so you didn't come back with blown shocks and blame them (people have done crazier things and shops don't need lawsuits). And you must have 240z struts in there anyways, have they blown prematurely? I'd do the Mr2 shocks for the front and the front Z shocks for the rear. It is the "standard" job, and there's a reason for it: the Mr2 shocks come with a gland nut that bolts right into the Z strut tube. I did have to do some honing to my strut tube and some sanding to the shock to get it in there, but that may be normal for illumina shocks, regardless of whether or not they're designed for a Z or not. I have yet to section my rear struts (or remove them) so I don't know how the rears will go together, but plenty of people have had good success with that, and I would assume you will as well! Honestly though, if you're looking to go that low, you may be better off to go with an s13 or an integra dc2 coilover. Thats what the Z "stance god", yuta did to his Z.
-
Spring rates are the same on a 280z.. I don't believe it's a big enough weight difference to make it any different. If you buy the GC coilover kit through techno toy tuning, you can choose your spring rates ( I chose 225 for the front and 250 for the rear). Not sure if handling is important to you or not, but many knowledgeable, super experienced Z suspension experts on here will tell you again and again that a Z will not handle as well when it is that low. But if stance is your thing, go for it! I'm not sure if the mr2 inserts are short enough to effeciently get you that low... it sounds like he's using ae86 inserts. I do not know if they will fit a stock Z strut tube.
-
The 240z can use a full size spare too, you could always get like a 15x7 xxr wheel and put some cheap 15" tire on it. I'd also check with your local tire shop and see if they have a single useable used wheel that they're willing to sell with a tire. The xxr wheel would at least keep weight down, which may or may not be worth it to you.
-
Well looks like your best option is gonna be KYB gas struts. MSA has them on sale for 95 bucks per pair right now ( http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/PSDC02A ) I wouldn't personally run KYB's but that's pretty much the only thing you're gonna find for that price I'd think. Be warned though, I have heard bad things about them wearing out prematurely.
-
Welding more than a tack weld with a strut in the tube was the most dangerous mistake I've ever made in the shop!
The strut ruptured spraying a fine mist of damper oil onto a red-hot weld. This ignited and the stream persisted for a good 3-5 seconds which made a giant (ie. 4-6 ft.) sustained fireball. I got hit right in the face with it when it erupted, but luckily didn't sustain any burns as my welding hood took everything as I jerked away.
And I thought those old gas shocks were dead and okay to weld on... boy was I wrong!
Never, ever again!
Be safe, always have a fire extinguisher on hand, and think through everything you do in the shop/garage!
Wow thats scary! Mine already had a hole in it (drilled too far when it was stuck in the bottom of the strut and I drilled a hole to hammer it out). I'm sure it leaked some oil out of the hole from the heat though.
-
Why are you extending them? Did you section too short or something? Or are you extending them farther than stock? I know they say not to but I had good luck welding my strut tubes back together by just putting my old strut in the tube and welding.
-
I thought about it,and went to the speed shop and was quoted 40-70 bucks.. So I'm gonna take it back apart with a frown and a pile of salt on my shoulder. Lol New bolts and gaskets also..
That's not too bad! Heck we have charged people more to extract broken bolts off bike parts. No need for the frown and the salt, just look at is as one step forward. Forget about the three steps backward haha. Maybe the gasket you have on there now would have blown after a couple days anyways, and now the one you will be putting on will last for a long time
. Haha positive thinking is key. -
Well I did a compression test yesterday which turned out to be at 125. For the coilovers yes I am using the springs out of the box spring rates are 8/6. That was the style of strut bar I was looking for too. As for the wiring I plan on ripping it all out, replace my dash with my uncracked one and go from there.
Testing compression and compression ratio are two different things... but that sounds a little low, I may be wrong but I believe a "healthy" L series will measure out at at around 160... is your head gasket good? What about your valve seals? Those are going to be really really stiff for a Z. 8k is equivalent to 448 lbs and 6k is 336 lbs. I am using 225 and 250 lb springs with my coil overs and that's considered stiff for a street car. You may be fine but I was told that anything over 275 in a fairly stock chassis (no roll cage) will be too stiff. Just warning you in case you go to drive the car and it feels too stiff. Summit/jegs sells 2.5" springs in many lengths and spring rates for pretty cheap... Might be worth doing.
-
Thanks! For now I will probably change out my head because I have a n42/p79 combo. I'm still waiting for my coils to come in, I hate fedex
they keep coming to deliver when no one is around so now they shipped it back to Apexi. so now I have to play the waiting game. I already have my Zccjdm camber plates in, I think I will do a custom strut bar like the ones on the new 370z's still not sure yet though. I am only paying (well borrowed) $2800 for all this to get done with paint taking up $2k of that cost haha. The rest is for the supplies for the wiring and bodywork.Link to the energy suspension pieces?
I think I have a link somewhere showing you how to paint your car for around $500.
Do you have flat top or dished pistons? The P79 is acctually one of the best N/A heads. It has larger valves, a smaller combustion chamber, and I believe larger ports than the early heads. The only head that's 'better' is the P90. I've heard people say that the N42 is the best... but I disagree, I think the P90 is the best and the P79 is the same thing except with exhaust runners. You may want to use an early or aftermarket cam though. The P79 is only bad for turbo motors, and some even claim that it's good for turbo motors. I hate packages that have to be signed for! Are you using out of the box springs with those coilovers? If so they will most likely be way too stiff for the Z chassis, but I believe you can just get some normal 2.5" springs from summit or whatever in a softer rate and put them on there. I really like these strut bars: http://www.racetep.com/zfront.html I plan to get them for my project. What are you doing about wiring? I'm ripping all my 40 year old crap out and putting in a universal harness and fuse block from ez-wiring. Here's the link: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-718101G . It's a lot of work to put them all in, but you might as well just buy it and then use them as you need them. Or just take everything apart now. Also when you go to install your s13 coils, don't mess with the gland nuts at the top of the struts, just cut through the whole thing, insert included. It took me a week to get each one off (a few hours a day with heat, oil, hammer/pipe wrench). You don't need to do that so just cut haha.
-
Jeez I thought I was young to be restoring a Z at 18. Glad to see another young gun working on one of these things. I know your pain on the limited budget but just keep at it, you'll appreciate it a lot more when your done. I say keep that motor... for now at least. Maybe do a triple carb conversion, but there's nothing wrong with an L28. Doing an engine swap is just gonna tie up a whole lot more money and time... and is only gonna give you a bigger headache. L series engines are nice man! Definitely my favorite engine...
As far as that front swaybar issue goes, it looks to me ( I could be wrong... I hope so anyways) like you've got something else going on there too. It could just be the angle of the photo but it looks like that wheel has positive camber which is not so good for performance haha. Lowering and camber plates will help that I'm sure. Make sure you get an alignment afterwards. You might be able to shim the sway bar mount downwards to get it away from the inner fender. I'd think a couple washers under each mount bolt would do the trick. Also if you're doing all this, I'd recommend to replace all (or most) of your bushings. That will make a huge difference. The energy suspension stuff is really nice and really cheap compared to stuff for newer cars. Anyways just keep moving forward, you won't regret it. Haha you've got a leg ahead of me... I'm spray painting my whole car
but I'm also dumping all my money into suspension... -
I own a mini (currently trying to sell it) and a Z... And coming from the mini community, I wouldn't recommend this swap. Wiring will likely be more difficult than you'd think, and headlights cost a fortune for minis. The dapper lighting kit would be a better option IMO. At least that's what I'm planning on getting for my Z.
-
Have you tried anything to get it out? New headgaskets aren't that expensive... I've heard that headgaskets aren't that bad to take out... I'd see if you can get your hands on a left hand drill bit and just give it a shot. If your running a turbo, then I'd think it would be even more important to have all the headbolts in there. The fact that you put anti seize on the bolts in the beginning gives you a pretty good chance of extracting that thing... I have a feeling it wouldn't be that hard. Don't use an easy out, those things are crap. Left hand drill bit is what you want. Your friend might have one, you might be able to borrow it. Then it's basically like trying to drill a hole in the bolt but you put the drill in reverse, and the idea is that it will catch eventually and screw out the bolt. That's the first thing I'd try in your situation.
-
Yes, you need them. I reccomend the energy suspension polyurethane ones.
-
You get really excited and wave when you see a Z on the road but you get a funny look back from the driver of said Z. Only later do you realize that you were acctually driving your daily driver and that your Z is nowhere near road worthy.
-
Use whichever shock you'd like in the rear. Just make sure you take out the same amount from the rear as you did in the front. If you sectioned out 1.5" from the front, take 1.5" from the rear. If you took out 2", then take 2". You want to remove the same amount so you'll have the same amount of drop front and rear when you have the suspension adjusted to have the same amount of travel. Then you'll use whatever size spacer you need under the shock to make the gland nut fit correctly. With the BZ3099 the spacer will be longer than the BZ3015/BZ3012.
Does that make sense?
Ah I see. I was more wondering about using the 3099 without a spacer. But you've kind of answered my question already... so I want to be sure to section by the same amount. I guess there must have been some engineering thought that went into the strut tube lengths. Ok I will go with the 3015. Thanks!
-
Ok so I'm about done with my front suspension, just need to finish up my wheel wells and engine bay paint and then I can put in all my shiny new parts. I have sectioned my front struts for the bz3099 (mr2 aw11 rear) and will be doing the rear suspension soon. I haven't bought shocks for the rear yet and I was just looking into the front 240z shocks as is standard... But I got to thinking that maybe I should just go for another bz3099 for the rear. I know most people seem to run a longer shock in the rear and I was mainly wondering why. I will probably just go for the front 240z shocks like everyone seems to do... but can anyone tell me why I shouldn't run a shorter shock? The only thing I can think is that perhaps the rear end would sit too low that way? But then I could just turn up the coil overs and give myself more travel. What's the right thing to do here? I am using the gc kit from techno toy so I do have the longer threaded sleeves (7 in). I still have a while before I will be buying shocks so i'd like to figure out what the best option is.
Thanks!
-
Right so I got a fair bit done so far. Finished stitch welding in the driver's side front wheel well, and sprayed some new undercoating under there. It looks fantastic. Words of the wise: undercoating takes about 3 days of heavy washing to come off of skin and out of hair. I also found my reaction disk floating in my booster so I glued it back in place, and painted the booster body. I've been working more on stripping the paint out of the engine bay. It's being pretty stubborn but I've got the majority of it out. I need to strip the undercoating out of the passenger side wheel well and then weld that up and deal with some rust, as well as filling in the holes where I drilled out the pinch welds for the battery tray. Then I need to make a new battery tray. After I finish that and the engine bay, I should be able to put the front suspension back on and get the car into my driveway for a few hours so I can clean all the crap from underneath it. I will then put it back into my garage backwards so I can get the rear suspension out of there. Hopefully I will be at that point in the next couple weeks. If I can sell my damn daily driver it will kick me into gear. I will then probably buy a 521 pickup and drive that/get parts with that. Anyways I'm beginning to see the light on the horizon. Haha is anyone even reading this anymore?
As a bonus, here's a random pic of my engine bay. Oh and I got my X-member all assembled today with the TTT LCA's and all the parts. I don't have a pic on the computer but I can get one on here soon. You can also follow my progress (and other random pictures) on instagram. Big surprise, I go by luseboy on there too!
-
God I love aleica's haha. Would you happen to have a picture of the back of the wheel? I'm interested to see what a 9" wide one looks like and how they deal with offset. And if possible, a measurment of the diameter of the wheel at the hub mounting surface? That would be very very helpful if you have a chance to do that
. And ya, are you planning on doing a rear disk conversion? -
What about the dapper lighting kit? I'm planning on going with their hid kit. They make one that looks like a typical modern hid. I do not know if the halos work or not, but they make great lights. These lights are the ones I'm talking about. They also make one that looks similar to a stock headlight, which is what I will be using. You can also look for miata headlights as they are 7" as well.
-
Any lowering spring/traditional (if that's the right word...) coil over kit like the ground control kit has a gap when the car is unweighted. It isn't necissarily ideal but isn't that bad. People who slam their cars just take out all the collars and screw the body in as far as it will go so the spring just rests on the coilover mount.
. Haha positive thinking is key.
they keep coming to deliver when no one is around so now they shipped it back to Apexi. so now I have to play the waiting game. I already have my Zccjdm camber plates in, I think I will do a custom strut bar like the ones on the new 370z's still not sure yet though. I am only paying (well borrowed) $2800 for all this to get done with paint taking up $2k of that cost haha. The rest is for the supplies for the wiring and bodywork.
. And ya, are you planning on doing a rear disk conversion?
Ordering Wheels Tires for 280Z
in Brakes, Wheels, Suspension and Chassis
Posted
The 10mm offset is a less aggressive offset than the 4mm. It will be closer to the strut and have more room between it and the fender. One point of offset is one mm, so if you got 6mm spacers on your +10 offset rims, you'd effectively have a +4 offset. The width of the tire is also the width of the tread in mm. 205 will be a little stretched on an 8" rim, 215 will be about flush and 225 will be balooned a tiny bit. Some say a little bit of stretch has the best performance, I personally believe a little bit of a bigger tire has the best performance. I'd think you'd be happiest with the performance of a 225 or 215. If you like the stretched tire fad then you might want a 205 though tire shops might charge you more to install it. There's a lot of info on wheel and tire specs and what they mean. A simple google search will tell you lots!