gnosez

I use nylock and wire tie. I have the torque specs at the garage. Will post tomorrow.

Threaded 5/8 or 16mm bolts have been used for decades by SCCA and non-SCCA racers and track folks. I just sold a set of RCAs from an ex-SCCA car that was raced in the late 70s and 80s that had bolts installed back then. I didn't invent the use of a bolt and the first one I used came with the T3 rear control arms some 12 or more years ago. Since then I have replaced the bolts a few times and I have yet to hear of anyone reporting an issue with the use of said bolts. Once again, I understand why Datsun thought the locking pin was necessary I'm just saying my anecdotal experience with stock spindle pin bolts that have not loosened on any of my Zs nor have I found any on the dozen or so RCA arms I have collected over the years.

I'm well aware of the reasoning (over-thinking) regarding the locking pin and I reject their concern based on tens of thousands of miles on my street Z which is driven hard and tracked every once and awhile. Neither nut has ever loosened. Add to that the fact that 1 out of every 5,000 spindle pins come out by simply pulling on them.

You want the suspension to be able to move without ever binding. Imagine if you will that at as you come off the first portion of the "Bus Stop" at Watkins Glen and one of the rear strut is stuck in the up position. The result is a 3-wheel Citroen DS without the gyro. While not a Z the car in front of me lost control and nearly flipped over. The bolt and capture nut has never gotten loose.

I have had a 5/8 bolt in the rear control arm/strut for over 16 years and 250 track days with no issues whatsoever. I have not found one good reason to use the locking pin and I have several rear control arms from old SCCA EP cars that use either a through bolt or a spindle pin without the locking pin. It's not like I haven't put stress on the control arms...

Not all 2+2s had longer rails but rather different floor contours

A possible route for that floating brace

If you have the room I would get a second block and use it for your future track motor build while using the one you currently have in the car. A good tune-up and a few inexpensive mods should give you enough to both enjoy the car and add other non-engine mods to the car as you want. A second engine would extend the life of the track motor depending how much you get into the build (mild, mid and full race}. The closer ot gets to a track only build the shorter the life cycle (rockers, springs, bearings)

Jon Mortensen - do you get the same reaction (spinning the inside tire) on both tracks and autocross courses? I haven't autocrossed in years so all I have now is track experiences using a Quaife and I have not had the inner tire spin early. Perhaps this is a sharp, tight, high torque corner issue normally not found on a race track. Just wondering,,,

PM me and I'll give you my cell number. You might want to consider vintage racing as opposed to SCCA racing.

Aydin71 - I fully understand that you have certain regulations and rules limiting what you can and can't do. I should be very upfront and admit I'm a Quaife or OS Giken fan even though I have run an '89 LSD unit for years. The late John Coffey got me into OS Giken after testing a unit giving him a full second over the Quaife and 2.5 over the LSD unit. Quaife is good for life even if you race it. I'm on the east coast so shipping would be expensive but I would look for someone selling a Datsun R180 in the right ratio for you (3:90/4:11/4:38?) and then install a Quaife or OS Giken. You could stay with the half shafts and spend the money on the diff with no adapters needed. As to going with CVs over half shafts, the only reason I swapped them in was because I already had an R200 w/Quaife that had the CVs so it was a lo-cost event for me. FYI - the guys running GT2 Datsuns around my neck of the woods have switched over to T5 trannies with a GForce center section due to the numerous failures of the 280 and 280ZX 5spds. As much as I wish for a lighter car I know that better driver would be faster, so weight isn't everything.

A couple of things based on 17 years and over 225+ track days with a 240 race car: Stock diff mount welded with two steel bars (17 years and no issues) Engine HP ranged from 150 to 350+ @rw Ran stock half shafts for 15 years with no issues Used any number of R180 diffs (3:90 Quaife/4:11 Quaife/4:38 OS Giken) Ran a 4:44 R190 LSD (stump puller) Swapped in an R200 3:90 w/Quaife using 300ZXT CVs w/Modern Motorsports stub axles The swap to the R200 was in response to toasting two R180s due to the 250rwhp/250#storque/10 inch wide rear R7 Hoosiers. One went after just 45 minutes at VIR on the R7s. During use in my street/track 240 and again in the race car, the bolts on the CVs have never, ever gotten loose and they are not wire tied. I use Nord washers and blue Lock-tite instead.

Been there. My son never slept for the first three years. I offered him the keys to my Z with a full tank of gas saying this was a one time offer. He never responded in any verbal manner.

When did Mikunis have 45mm carbs?

Here's the RCA from the ITS car. There are three holes (one is under the stub axle. I believe one hole was used to funnel air into the back of the backing plate.

At least a year or so ago Carbotech will put any of their compounds on a set of shoes. I purchased Rockauto shoes and removed the material before sending them to in. As to keeping them cool I will take a picture of what an EP/ITS backing plate looks like after having a several holes cut to allow heat to dissipate. I ran steel drums due the amount of heat generated, I think with the holes cut I could have used aluminum drums instead.

Still interested? I have one. PM me

I could find no mention of a brake booster in your set-up and was wondering if you are designing one in or will you go with a pedal assembly, bias bar and dual MCs? Without the booster I needed to relearn how to brake using my whole leg (slightly off the floor) and not rotating from my ankle to apply pressure on the pedal. After 4 hours on the track I woke up with a leg cramp and until I remembered the new set-up was at a lose for why my leg hurt so much.

Not sure how much effect you would get from just moving a battery a few inches lower on braking or handling.

Should you wish to get the 280 then the zcardepot 240 rails won't fit your Z. The floors on a 280 are contoured not flat so a frame rail must be cut to match those contours. The ones sold by Zeddfindings are made to fit the floors they make which are also flat. Bad Dog Parts makes contoured rails specifically for 280s.

Cut holes through the engine bay rails, weld in a length of tubing and run a solid bar thru like they did in back in the day. The diameter of the bar and the length away from the bar to the attachment point would give you a wide range of adjustment while cleaning up the clutter.

Bonk cam?

....or figure out where the BDP rail stops matching up with the floor contour and take measurements of the width, height and length so a replacement section can be made... Figuring why there are 280Z coupes out there with 2+2 passenger side longer rail would be nice too.

The first three and 4-5-6 each connect to a 3 to 1 collector with each having their own exhaust pipe. This was built back in the day by the guys at BSR and it required some changes to the motor and diff mounts to clear the steering coupler,

Or individual legs...