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Strut mods. How far off base am I


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5 minutes ago, Kbhead said:

 you can not use a 280Z (36 mm) shock in a 240Z strut (diameter is too small and no room for outside cooling fluid in the strut.   Some people put 280Z struts on their 240Z, to take advantage of the size difference which give them more shocks options.   

 

Isn't the "cooling fluid" thing just a myth.  Some strut manufacturers recommend against it.

https://www.kyb.com/knowledge-center/shock-tech-for-pros/installation-tips/strut-cartridge-installation/

 

The same struts are often spec'ed for both 240Z and 280Z.  The difference is the length in the back.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1978,280z,2.8l+l6,1209260,suspension,strut,7584

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1972,240z,2.4l+l6,1209169,suspension,strut,7584

 

If a person considers the basics of what the gland nut does when a cartridge is used, things get simpler.  It just centers the cartridge and applies clamping force.  Shims and collars can be sued to make gland nut cavity smaller, or a lathe to make it bigger.  

 

Just some thoughts.  It's just a shock absorber in a tube if you use the original strut tubes.

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On 1/1/2019 at 10:58 AM, jhm said:

Also, be advised that if you do decide to replace the stock strut isolators with camber plates, you will not be able to take advantage of the camber adjustment unless you replace the stock-sized springs with smaller diameter springs and top hats as well.  The stock springs and top hats interfere with the inner portion of the strut towers and severely limit camber adjustment.  (You can achieve roughly the same amount of neg camber by simply slotting the three holes on the strut tower to allow a small inward adjustment of the strut assembly.  2.5" diameter springs are probably one of the most common ID spring used for adjustable coilovers on the S30, but there are certainly many other options to choose from.

 

And don't forget the trick of taking the isolators apart so you can remove the gap in the rubber to make the top solid rubber.  This will reduce the amount of camber loss from the rubber deflecting under cornering and can save you dollars that can be spent elsewhere.

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3 hours ago, NewZed said:

 

Isn't the "cooling fluid" thing just a myth.  Some strut manufacturers recommend against it.

https://www.kyb.com/knowledge-center/shock-tech-for-pros/installation-tips/strut-cartridge-installation/

 

The same struts are often spec'ed for both 240Z and 280Z.  The difference is the length in the back.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1978,280z,2.8l+l6,1209260,suspension,strut,7584

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1972,240z,2.4l+l6,1209169,suspension,strut,7584

 

If a person considers the basics of what the gland nut does when a cartridge is used, things get simpler.  It just centers the cartridge and applies clamping force.  Shims and collars can be sued to make gland nut cavity smaller, or a lathe to make it bigger.  

 

Just some thoughts.  It's just a shock absorber in a tube if you use the original strut tubes.

 

Re: "Cooling fluid".  I was working from old information when installing my Koni's.  You bring up a good point, always refer to Manufactures recommendations.  

 

Struts spec'ed.   Let me clarify,  my intent was just to point out that 280Z struts and 240Z struts have a different diameter size, et alone the difference in lenght.  OEM Shocks may have different diameter size than what you might get from a third party manufacture.   So, when sectioning your struts, note a shock for a 280Z might not work for a 240Z strut due to the different in the diameter size.

 

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8 hours ago, jhm said:

Jon, besides the larger shaft body (36mm vs 30mm), what are the differences/advantages of the larger Bilsteins?  I'm currently running the 30mm, and always interested in ways to improve the setup.  Thx.

I think the main advantage is in the pistons. You can get digressive 36mm pistons. In fact I think that's what you get out of the box. 30mm is linear, and you can't swap them out. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks to everyone for supplying all this information. I will certainly be able to make better decisions going forward. 

The info below is what another Z enthusiast is using since the discontinuance of the bilstiens

F4-P36-3022 Rear- 1992-1995 BMW 530i/540i (front HD inserts)

F4-P36-0262-H0 Front- 1984-1989 Nissan 300ZX Turbo HD Inserts

 

 

 

 

Quote

 

 

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On 1/1/2019 at 3:50 PM, Leon said:

 

3000GT Bilsteins fit fine and allow for plenty of room to section (as do the VW Rabbit ones), it's the gland nut that's the problem. I'm not sure you can get them anymore.

Is this for the larger diameter 280 tubes or the 240

Thanks

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I have used the Bilsteins for VW in both my 280 and 240 struts.  The old part number is P30-0032; the new part number is 34-184530.

 

I've had no luck finding the Bilstein gland nuts, so I've always machined my own out of OEM gland nuts.

Edited by jhm
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