JMortensen

Yep, and the reason I'm so sure is because I sold a friend some struts from my 240 for use in some 280ZX struts, and he needed the gland nuts to go with them. I sent them down to him and he thanked me and didn't say "Hey! These don't fit!"

A little background. I bought my second Z, the currrent project, the year I got married. It was 1997, I was 22, and my wife wanted "a car with some character". The plan was to build a nice handling street car that I could autocross for fun and that she could drive daily. That's what we built the first time around. Here is a list of what the car had after the original build: GC coilovers and camber plates 200/250 in/lb springs Illuminas Gmachine bushings in back and TC kit in front poly front LCA bushings L28 with dished pistons and E31 head SU's a very small cam upgrade 280ZX EI MSD 6AL header 2.5" exhaust full carpet kit 80 280ZX 5 speed 3.70 Z31T LSD diff Toy 4 piston calipers 79-81 ZX rear disk 240SX ebrake cable 79-81 ZX master cylinder Autopower roll bar Recaro seats Autometer gauges MSA anti-roll bars H4 headlights on relays and a really bad but still expensive paint job This combination was fun to drive and did OK at the local autox, usually placing in the top 15 or so. As time went on my wife was driving the Z less and less. Neither one of us can really figure out why that happened. She loved the car, but she just seemed to lean towards our 93 Toyota P/U, and when we bought a new Subaru it was all over. She would drive the Z maybe one day a month or so. That's when it became my car, and that's when I started to modify it to be more serious about racing. 4 point harness rod end TC rods rod end front LCAs slotted the front crossmember for bumpsteer adjustment larger cam 44 Mikunis electric fan strut tower bars front and rear L28 bottom end with flat top pistons and Euro damper 15x8 circle track steel wheels Yokohama slicks, front take offs from Toy Atlantic cars I raced it pretty religiously at the local autox until they lost the space. Then I started trying track days at Buttonwillow, but they were very expensive so I couldn't go as often as I wanted. Later I found out about NASA's autox in Marina, CA, and began to do the 2 hour drive to go to that event every month. After a couple years the NASA site was shut down, so I was relegated to only doing track days at Buttonwillow and also at the Streets of Willow. The car was pretty competitive. I was racing a lot of the same guys I had been autocrossing against, and was coming in the top 5 overall. Rust started creeping out of every seam in the body and bubbling up under the paint on every panel. The car was flexy, really flexy, and everything was just tired. Here's an autox video from about this time period: http://videos.streetfire.net/search/autox/0/3B512F0F-8AD1-4DAB-BD8E-0AE1768FB642.htm. The sig pic is from about the same time as well. Next step was the current build. My wife wanted to move from idyllic, beautiful San Luis Obispo to trafficky, rainy, crappy Seattle to finish her Masters degree, so off we went. This was supposed to take 2 years and I figured that while we were here I could devote some time to the car and get some things taken care of. On my list were a brake upgrade, fuel cell installation, 4.11 diff swap, new roll bar, and maybe a CV swap, but the biggee was to FIX RUST! I was going to try and do the whole project for $2000. 4 years later my wife is supposed to finish her thesis in 6 months, and the project has gone surprisingly not so far over budget, maybe double at this point. The "while I'm at its" have gotten me big time, and here's what I've been up to in that time. Sectioned the struts, but didn't consult here or take pics, so no link for that one. Also installed new rear wheel bearings and 280Z stub axles with MM CV adapters, no link here either. Used longer ARP studs. Also installed long studs in the new 280Z front hubs that work with the JSK Wilwoods. Made a Simon De Groot style front diff mount: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=92546 Made a rotisserie: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=105319 Fixed rusty doglegs:http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=102470 Fixed cowl rust: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=106849 Stitch welded chassis: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=95739 Cut off the drip rails (not finished with this one): http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=107679&highlight=drip+rails Swapped LSD into 4.11 diff and shimmed the clutch stack: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=92629 New roll bar (which is going to turn into a roll cage project pretty quick): http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=102715 Somewhere in here I had the talk with my wife about the car and it's future. It was decided that it will be a race car, and the build will proceed on that basis, so basically no more concern about comfort, no passenger seat even, no roll up windows, etc. Ultra-Shield seat: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=103817 Decided to fix the TC rods I had. The old ones were binding horribly, and I had never noticed. I also wanted to adjust the anti-dive characteristic of the front suspension. This project also led to installing bad dog subframe connectors and some mods to my seat bracket: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=106974 Made a toe adjuster with blueovalz and jeromio (already needs a repaint): http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=89111 Bought new rear ST swaybar, and in the process of installing it and trying to make it adjustable, went to a pretty crazy full rod end solution: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=105596 Bumpsteer adjustable tie rod ends were in here somewhere. This was done so that I could raise the inner pivot of the front LCA higher and still adjust bumpsteer at the tie rod. This also lead into moving the steering rack to add Ackerman: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=111435 Modified rear frame rail for suspension clearance at seriously low ride heights: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=110536 Realized in testing the clearance for the frame rail, that the poly bushings were causing a lot of friction, so modded the rear control arms again for monoballs/rod ends: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=110536 I have most of the parts assembled for a JSK brake upgrade, have 280Z stub axles and Z31T CV shafts with http://www.modernmotorsports.com adapters, and a new Ultra Flo muffler to install. To do list: Dual master cylinder upgrade (have the parts, this should be starting next week). Fuel cell install rebuild zx 5 speed Finish roll cage make some sort of aluminum dash to hold gauges reseal front of engine bodywork new tail light panel - thinking of cutting it all out and installing round trailer lights in a sheetmetal panel, my rear panel is rusted pretty badly. flares of some sort roll on some rustoleum paint rewire car with circuit breakers instead of fuses new airdam or fix current airdam I know I'm forgetting other little things here and there. I guess I'll have to add them as I remember them.

99.99999999999% sure they're exactly the same, or at least interchangeable without any ill effects.

I love my MM135, but if I had 220 I would have gone MM175. I think the 175 is an EXCELLENT machine. Only used the 175 once, but was very impressed with it compared to my 135.

I don't really think synthetic oils have as much to do with that as regular maintenance. When I worked for a Volvo dealer we had a guy who had 700,000+ miles on his car, he brought his car in every 5K for dealer servicing with regular old Castrol, and the head had never been off the block at the point when I was working there. He had a job where he had to travel between LA and SF every week, and that's how he put the miles on the car. I think the record holder is a Volvo P1800 owner who had 2M miles on his car. Volvo gave him a new 960 when he hit 2M, but he was still driving the P1800 last I heard. I don't think you could buy synthetic oils during the time when most of that mileage was done.

Probably works for both, but these threads on other forums backs my theory up: http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37568 http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee9516f/560

I would be shocked and amazed if you couldn't find a cam grinder anywhere in NZ.

I always thought the flap on the back of a Blazer was to prevent the rear window from getting dirty.

It's hard to use a rod end on the inside because there is nothing to attach it to. I think the monoball is easier to install and requires less modification to the control arm. The advantage to this type of joint vs a bushing is the reduction of friction and the accuracy of the movement (lack of deflection). Comparing one to the other I don't know that there is a particular advantage to one over the other. It's the same type of joint, it's just attached to the suspension differently.

Actually we just started to consider it. Just give us a day or two to look at the pros and cons...

I think in practical application there is quite a bit of bushing deflection.

I don't have very many pictures of my engine, and it wasn't much to behold. I'm not really about making things look good. My car is a 70 with a L28/E31 head combo. Triples, cam, ported head, etc, puts out about 240whp by some drag racing calculators, but I've never had it on a dyno. You might think of it as Brian's motor's baby brother. Mine is a poor man's engine, his is the real deal. The gear ratios for all the transmissions are in this site that I linked to previously: http://www.geocities.com/z_design_studio/ I have the 80ZX transmission and I had 3.70 gears. They worked well with SU's but when I switched to Mikunis the gears were a big problem. I am now installing 4.11 gears, but that's just one part of a pretty major rebuild that I've been into now for about 3 years. My car has been on a rotisserie for about a year and a half now, and I'm expecting to take it down just in time to move in April or so. Then I can move it and finish the other 970,000 projects I've got going on it. The car was OK before, should be quite a bit faster when its done. I don't expect to drive it for a LONG time yet. I've been into EVERY part of the car, I can't think of anything that is going to be left as it was before I started. Literally nothing on the car will be untouched... As to your earlier 0-60 question, you can't really "adjust" the gear ratios. You can choose ratios, and then build an engine that makes enough power to get you from 0-60 under 6 seconds. I don't think it will be very hard to do, even with an L24. If you were to get the low geared rear and and the ZX transmission and not be able to meet your goal, next step in my opinion would be to put a bigger engine in it. L28 is 15% larger than the L24 I think, so that is a 15% bump in power that you could expect on a similarly built engine. There is a hell of a lot of information about how to buid a hipo NA L series engine on this site. I suggest you search and read some threads, I know you'll find the info you're looking for...

Why is this thread reminding me of a friend who was recently given (yes, given) a 30 something footer teak sailboat that is in need of repair???

The control arm outer pivots and the strut top are what prevent the suspension pivoting. But they're trying to stop a rotating force that comes from the tires hitting the pavement. If that force didn't exist, the brakes wouldn't be doing any work at all, right? If the suspension pivots are inline like on the bicycle or a motorcycle, then the rotating force coming from the tire can affect the suspension. If the mounts are perpendicular, then the force coming from braking will stress the mounting points in a twisting manner, but it won't compress the strut.

This is, I'm sure, what my vague recollection at the start of this thread was about. Brake jacking in single pivot mountain bikes explained (if you care): http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=35572 I've read about the floating brake solution and I still don't understand how or why it works... (?) I don't think this has anything to do with caliper placement at all, and I think Cygnus is right that the ZX would do the same thing regardless of where the caliper was placed. I don't know why Nino with the Ducati was convinced to relocate his calipers. Still haven't decided 100% that he was full of it, but I'm getting there. I'm thinking that this is not a factor in our Z suspensions because the control arm mounts are perpendicular to the braking force.

I think I just figured out how to prove Cygnus right. Pull the ebrake and step on the gas and load the suspension. I remember my auto shop teacher did this in high school with a 280ZX. Semi-trailing arm suspension IS affected by braking, that was his point. He kept putting it in drive, then reverse, and the back end of the car was lifting up and setting down. It was pretty funny actually. I don't believe that our strut suspension is going to move at all, other than bushing flexing and that sort of thing.

Maybe they just don't know the answer... (that ought to flush them out!!!)

Or you could just post your build thread in the non-tech or miscellaneous tech forum here and then link that in the sig. Doesn't have to be located somewhere else, and doesn't necessarily require it's own forum. I kind of like the idea of the project forum, but my concern is that people will post to their project thread rather than posting to the forum that fits the part of the project they're doing. What I mean is if you're working on a brake upgrade should you post to the BWSC forum, or your own project thread in the Project forum. And if they're intended to be separate, well I shudder at the thought of trying to round up all of the pictures and crap from my build for the last few years and putting it into one thread. That would take forever, and it is redundant too. Maybe if the proposed project forum were more of a show and tell and less technical in nature it might be OK.

It is a rebadged Nissan LSD sold by another company. Good LSD and cheap.

I heard 1.5x the diameter years back, and I've stuck to that recommendation. I don't know that it is a recognized rule of thumb so much as the recommendation of the particular guy who made my TC rods and front control arms. It seems a little strange that you would have so much less available adjustment as the rod end gets larger. Maybe that's in anticipation of more loading, but your larger rod end in the same position on our control arms should be able to adjust at least as much as the 5/8" end safely, because it has a lot more thread engaged due to the larger diameter. At least that's my gut feeling. The other thing is that the longer the rod end is the more of a bending moment there is on the threaded part of the rod end. This is typically considered a no-no, and many engineers would look at what we've done and shake their heads because it is a "bad" idea. The longer you make the control arm the worse the idea becomes.

Looks like you already have a plan for an SR swap. We have a forum for that swap a couple searches there should keep you busy for awhile, tons of good info in the other forums too. Welcome aboard!

You can always create a Hybrid Z member account in the photo album and upload them there: http://album.hybridz.org/index.php

What size tube did you use? 1.5" square? Looks a bit bigger than what I used, and I chose the tube I used because the tube ends just met flush with the other side. Yours looks like there is something sticking through on the inside. You must have had to add some tube to the inside of the tube end to get it to go all the way through or something. I think mine added 1.5 lbs per side or thereabouts, took the weight of the arm from 8 lbs to ~9.5 I think. I also have all the sway bar attachment points on my arms as well. I weighed the arm after I welded it all up, but I can't find where I wrote down the weight. I thought I posted it here, but I can't remember where, and I don't see it in this thread anywhere. I'm not too worried about it really, as I think the freedom of motion from the monoballs and rod ends is far more important than a lb of weight. I did struggle with the idea of using the G Machine bushings on the inside, and I think that's a decent way to go, especially if you don't want to make the toe adjuster that Terry and I have. One thing you might want to check is for bind at the top of the strut with the toe setting you want. In order to get any toe setting other than 0 you will have to adjust the front and back bushing differently. This will lower either the front or the rear bushing, and that will tilt the whole control arm. I think that you'll probably be OK, but you may end up running into that major side load on the strut that I was so worried about. Something to check for anyway. Looks good though! I really love seeing other peoples' interpretations of these ideas.

ARP has their own special lube. You should use it and torque to their specified values or use their bolt stretch method.

True enough. I'm following your lead, but I'll be a few years getting to the LS swap yet...