Stock Car Mafia's '78 280z LS2 Build

[NewZed]

I was able to remove the driver side stub axle and flange but I am struggling with the passenger side. I have heated and slide hammered like crazy with no success. Any suggestions? I might just use a puller to remove the flange and then just sand and paint this one myself.

An oiled chisel, or a few of them, will work as ramps to lever out the flange.  Stick them between the housing and the underside of the flange and tap them in.  You might bend the edge of the oil seal but you're probably replacing it anyway.

[RebekahsZ]

Yeah, the companion flange needs to come off first. One side of mine always needs a puller and the other comes right off in my hand.

[NewZed]

Just recalled that some (maybe all?, 2 v 4 pinion?) CLSD's are open through the center of the diff.  So if you have one axle out the other can be knocked out from inside with a drift.  Don't get the point of the drift stuck in the lathe spindle point (whatever it's called) hole in the end of the shaft.

[Stock Car Mafia]

Thanks for the advise guys.  I was able to use a 2 jaw puller on top of the slide hammer to get it off. The flange was rusted on the splines pretty good.  I took an impact to the puller and broke it free.  Then would alternate the slide hammer and puller.  It was quite tricky!

 

I was a little perplexed by the axle grease in the axles...One is a white paste and the other seems light a high temp/bearing grease.  The one bearing with the white grease doesn't spin freely and I'm curious if it is cooked.  I will clean it up and see how it spins.

 

 

Do those thin square backing plates serve a purpose on the back side of the stub?  I don't see why they would need to be there.

 

On another note all of the studs are pressed out ready for longer ones. I ended up washing the Mustang tonight and covering it again, so I can paint the parts when they come back.  I am going to pocket the money from powdercoating.  Down the road this allows me to buy new aftermarket parts

[BLOZ UP]

Excellent build thread. Just went through all of it. I've know the feeling with the custom fitting of alternators, etc. Think I'll be doing turbo LS in the future.

[Stock Car Mafia]

Thank you sir!  I'm glad I started a build thread because its crazy looking back and seeing what I've been able to accomplish already.  And I don't feel like im close to finished.  

 

I've seen your car somewhere before but I did just find your build thread.  I will have to give yours a read through.  If you do a turbo LS build I will be watching for updates daily!  Looks like you already make good power though 

[RebekahsZ]

I think those sheet metal pieces try to keep grease from a bad seal from slinging into your brake drums.

[Stock Car Mafia]

On the inside of those axles it is a sealed bearing so I should be safe to remove them.  The only thing I could think of is it was used as a spacer for the studs.  lol  I am going to remove them when I put it back together.  

 

This week is pretty much shot.  I have some personal stuff to get together for next week so I don't foresee any work until next Wednesday.  

[Sam280Z]

Kbnknkbvbvc v cx

 

Sorry. Phone posted in my pocket for me.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Sam280Z

[RebekahsZ]

My billet stubs from CF don't have them. I think it's a safety thing from Nissan that you can risk living without. You'll be noticing things a more pedestrian driver might overlook. Plus, you are gonna be inspecting periodically to be sure you aren't slinging oil from a bearing for very long.

[Stock Car Mafia]

Keith, I was really hoping that CF would have the 39 splines stubs on hand but they were out.  It's not worth my time to wait.  From my reading, I should be safe with the 280z stub's since I will not be running slicks or dumping the clutch.  The 27 splines should hold but correct me if I am wrong.  

 

Just as you are, I tend to notice very minute details that the majority of people would overlook.  I just like to have a well rounded/though out/polished project!  That of course means I will never be finished. 

[RebekahsZ]

They either will fail or they won't.  I don't think it is unreasonable to run whatcha got for a while.  Worst thing that can happen is to throw a wheel off.  Its funny when parts fail-some folks have trouble with light usage and some can beat hell out of stuff and get away with it-I don't think there is always a rhyme or a reason to it.  I just didn't like the idea of having a wheel roll past me and for me to be scraping the bottom of my car down the road as I frantically try to get to the side of the road in a car I've dedicated 25 years to.  My advice is to run whatcha got, but save up for a pair and get on CFs waiting list for the next batch. I've got to do the same thing for his CV axle kit-I understand that he hasn't done a production run of those yet either.  We are a low-demand consumer group, so we can't expect vendors to have inventory waiting.  If I put a deposit on some axles and get them in a year or two, I need to be OK with that.  All the driveline carnage I have seen personally has been at the line, so zero mph.  Wfrittz broke a u-joint on a shift at least once at the strip once on street tires, my buddy cocked an open R200 differential cross-shaft at probably 70mph and destroyed a halfshaft at the strip (that is actually the final death of a worn-out part, not a traumatic breakage), I've seen posts of several other guys breaking stub axles at the starting line on a nitrous launch, and johnc discusses breaking stubs on road courses with L24-level power (and has a video of that).  None of the breakages have been fatal and all cars were returned to driving condition. 

[Stock Car Mafia]

That is my biggest fear.  Losing a tire that rolls and sets its own fate.  At that point I am more worried about what it would hit than my car.  The statement of breaking these on road courses kind of definitely makes my butthole tighten up.  I've read the metallurgy wasn't very consistent axle to axle.  

 

CF did mention he would take a down payment for a set of axles if I wanted, however I would have to wait at LEAST 5 weeks for them to get to him.  Then shipped to me.  Right now, since demand isn't high, he needs to pay for a batch all up front and it takes him x amt. of months to turn over that inventory.  My hats off to him for continuing this great service for everyone on here.  

 

I will be rebuilding the Z31T half axles I have with his axle kit.  He said in a week or two they should be back from being splined (same with the 27 spline companion flanges).  I'll then buy a set at that time.  

[Stock Car Mafia]

My brother finished the first batch of parts on Thursday so I had a spare of the moment urge to go pick them up on Sunday.  Being 2 hrs. away I wasn't phased.  

 

He used a high quality industrial primer with hardener in it.  I am not sure of the brand or makeup of it but he swears by it.  I guarantee my satin black paint will chip off and his gray will remain!  All of the parts turned out FANTASTIC.  He mentioned there was very little rust when he was blasting the parts which I am thankful for.  

 

 

Now for days and DAYS of scuffing the parts for paint.  That's the game plan for this week.  

 

Updated suspension/drivetrain goals:  

 

1.  Get struts sections and welded up.

2. Remove old bushing, ball joints, and tie rods.

3. Send parts off to powdercoater.  Still considering colors for this.  Black or a medium gray to change it up.  Have brother sandblast.

4.  Scuff and paint suspension.  VHT Rollbar & Chassis satin black.  

5. Install front wheel bearings.

6.  Replace one rear inner stub axle bearing.

7.  Install new bushings.

8.  Tear in to the R200 CLSD and check tolerances and install the new clutch discs.  

9.  Swap open R200 pinion flange on to CLSD R200 pinion.

10.  Wait for Chequered Flag Joe's shortened axles and 27 spline flanges.  Rebuild axles and assemble rear drivetrain.

11.  Cut front spring perch for camber plates.

12.  Reassemble.

 

This should wrap up this upgrade so I can move back to the motor swap:

 

1.  Install clutch MC

2.  Install brake MC and adjust push rod.  

3.  Weld up engine bay holes.

4.  Find firewall plugs or weld in patches.  

5.  Drop in motor.

6.  Fab and weld up exhaust.

7.  Find solution for steam vent.

8.  Mount and wire gauges in dash.

9.  Wire up engine harness.

10.  Make battery cables.

 

There's quite a few more smaller tasks but I won't list them,  I am going to keep this list going to bring some organization back to the project.  I am getting really excited by the thought of this thing running soon!  

Edited April 4, 2016 by Stock Car Mafia

[Stock Car Mafia]

No real updates other than blowing black buggers.  I have 2 rounds of parts scuffed and painted.  Most of the front suspension components are done and I have all of the rear yet to do.  My brother possibly is bringing up the front hubs, dust plates, and rear struts this weekend.  

 

I'll be placing another parts order shortly for odds and ends that are still needed.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by Stock Car Mafia

[Stock Car Mafia]

Parts order will consist of:

 

Porterfield R4-S pads

Rebuild kit for stock calipers

Drum brake parking boots

Rear Inner Bearing and 2 seals

CV Boots - Inner and Outer for axle swap.  Can someone point me to the best "kit" that is the most reasonable in cost?

Fender Flare Bolts, Washers, and nut inserts

More 3M tape

More seamsealer

 

The part I am struggling as of late is to find time to complete all of these damn tasks!  

Edited April 7, 2016 by Stock Car Mafia

[Stock Car Mafia]

What brand shocks are you gonna run? If you run Koni's, you may have some trouble getting enough droop out of the rear to achieve a reasonable ride height if you cut the tube to the length of the shock without inserting a spacer. If running Tokicos, you may be ok because they allow greater droop. I'm concerned that you may have sectioned too much from the rear tubes....time will tell and I hope I'm wrong. Damn nice work and welding!

 

Well Keith, I finally got in touch with Ground Control on the kit.  Another guy does belive I removed too much from the rear strut tubes...I removed a total of 3.15" from the rear and 1.42" from the front.  He mentioned I should have been told to remove the same amount from the front and add a spacer underneath the shock out of 1 5/8" O.D. tubing.  

 

I haven't painted the rears yet as I am replacing the inner bearings however I am open to some option to correct this.  I have the sections I removed and think I should just bite the bullet and resection them...I was hoping to avoid this!  S#!t!

[Stock Car Mafia]

Keith has been kind enough to give me some telephone time to discuss measurements for my rear struts.  

 

He was able to determine the rear strut tower for a 240z is 2 inches lower than a 280z.  Tomowow we are going to measure to see if the stock isolator for a 280z makes up for this difference in reference to where the shock bolts to depth wise.

 

It's been another long night of scuffing and painting.  I think I should only have one batch of parts left to do.  The killer part is I am waiting for the shortened axles and companion flanges to rebuild those and get on the car so it can be on all 4 feet again.  

[Stock Car Mafia]

I forgot to post this stuff up earlier after I removed the suspension.  I used the ole burn 'em out method for the old bushings.  It was quite nice to set the torch down and let it do the work

 

 

I was going to try to press out the outer steel collars but I was going to risk bending the lower control arms.  I ended up cutting four slits in the collar and hammering it out.  I did nick several spots on the LCA's but I don't think that will matter much.  I will just remove the burrs and call it good.

 

 

 

 

The main reason for doing all of this work is the bushings, tie rod ends, and ball joints were SHOT.  

 

 

I should get to assemble some of the front end tonight.  I might even start chopping up the strut towers to get my camber plates set in.  

Edited January 19, 2017 by Stock Car Mafia

[Stock Car Mafia]

The finished parts pile is really starting to add up.  I was going to reassemble the hubs and front uprights last night however I needed to paint the brake rotors.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I put the front LCA's together since those were ready.  The new ball joints bolted to 18 ft-lb. and the grease zerks were added.  The service manual says have these on only for greasing the ball joint and then to plug them again with the supplied bolt.  Is this critical or can I leave them in?

 

 

I then added the steering knuckle arms back on too.  The castle nut was torqued to 55 lf-lb. and then turned an additional few degrees so the cotter pin could be added.  I'll grease the ball joint up really good before I put a load on the car,

 

 

And right before bed, I pulled off the tape of the rotors so I could see the end result.  I used extreme high temp (2,000 deg.) VHT primer and flat black paint.

 

 

Tonight, I will either cut the strut towers up or weld up all my engine bay holes.