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rear end lift


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What's the easiest way to add a little ride height to the rear?  My kids' hacked up drag racer is too low in the back and we have tire rub too often.  I'm assuming (at this point) it's mostly stock bits.  I'm thinking taller spacers (#13 below) might do it?  Adding another bit to the existing (assuming they are still in there) will give us the 1/2" or so we need?

http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Axle/RearSuspension/tabid/1731/Default.aspx

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What year and model?  And don't assume the suspension is all "stock bits".  Previous owners do the craziest stuff to these cars, and oftentimes end up making things worse.  They could have already installed lowering springs, swapped out strut isolators, heated or cut the stock springs to lower the car, etc, etc, etc.....any of those would lower the rear end as compared to stock.  I'd pull it apart and see what you have as a baseline before spending money or making changes.

 

Yes, the strut isolator (#9) is typically an easy way to adjust ride height.  If the car is a 240 or early-260, you can replace the stock strut isolator with a later version from a 280, and that will typically add 1-1.5" of ride height.

 

T3 offers lift blocks designed to achieve additional ride height:  https://technotoytuning.com/nissan/280z/240260280z-lift-blocks-factory-strut-mounts.  (Or you could just fabricate your own spacer of a similar design concept.)

 

 

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It's a '72 240, built into current form in '96 in Carson City.  ZZ4 crate motor, 700r4 automatic, flared, lowered.  He found it on craigslist last spring and we couldn't resist.  The wiring is a nightmare, the paint job pretty terrible, the interior trashed, it looks great runs great (now) and tears it up, pulls your spleen through the back of the seat.

 

240z.jpg

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Without any other info on what's in the rear suspension, I'd say your easiest way to lift the rear end is swap out the rear strut isolators with later/taller units (from a late-model 260 or a 280).

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The springs have probably been cut or it has aftermarket lowering springs.

 

The spacer, #13, is just a rubber donut.  You have to remove the strut and the springs to get to it.  So, not so easy.  But you could probably make a taller one or find something to stick in there.  you can still buy them from Nissan if you want to see what it is before you dig in.  It's small though.

 

You can get about a quarter inch by putting body shims between the top of the strut and the body, on the three studs that bolt it in.  I did that on one side of mine to level it out.  That's a tiny lift though.  Springs are probably the easiest way to raise it up.  Take a look and see what you have first.

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Check out the rear springs, take some pictures, and post your findings here.

 

The previous owner may have cut the springs, installed softer, or progressive rate, springs etc.

 

At some point you may want to rebuild/upgrade the stock suspension: shocks, springs, polyurethane bushings, insulators etc. Makes for a huge improvement in handling and ride.

 

Recommend stiffer springs that maintain stock ride height for a street car. The 240Z is low enough.

Edited by Miles
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  • 4 weeks later...

I think that Motorsport Auto used to sell their own brand of lowering springs that were blue.  Nissan/Datsun springs are black with a colored paint splotch on them.

 

The springs aren't really difficult to change.  The 240Z's have enough room to swing the strut out and take the top off, without disconnecting the control arm.  Once you get started though you usually find a bunch of other stuff that needs doing.

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With a ZZ4 crate-engine (in the "JTR" position, or the "Scarab" position???) it is unlikely that the swap itself introduced a significant departure from stock weight distribution... some weight gain, yes,... but this should result in a more even settling of the car on its springs.  If the back-end is significantly lower than the front, the likely culprits are (1) aftermarket tinkering, or (2) something really worn/damaged in the suspension.

 

If the car is cosmetically pretty, structurally sound and gets fantastic acceleration, there's ample reason to tear into the suspension, to give the car the vitality of suspension that it deserves!  So, the suggestion is to pull the rear (and eventually the front) struts, and perform the standard regimen of refreshment... new springs, new bushings, new shocks.  This would also be a good time consider the intended use of the car... street driving, drag racing, road-racing, etc.  The principal use would inform the choices for suspension-parts... lots of suggestions over in the suspension forum.

 

And congratulations on a good-looking, hard-accelerating car!

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 Sorry I don’t know the difference between JTR and Scarab. I’m a bit of a newbie. I can tell you it’s so far back the original hood catch had to be removed and now it has pins.

 I’m not sure what my son is going to do long-term to be honest with you. I know what  I would do if  it were mine, I would go over it from front to back and basically refresh everything make it a bit more Streetable and drive it everywhere  but I’m just his wrench.

 We’ve taken it a long way in the last year from barely running to running decent, stopping well and have done some maintenance to it and he’s driving it daily.

 I’m completely happy just listening to it start up and watching it go down the road, makes me smile; mission accomplished.

 Of course it’s fun to drive but I’m pretty sure I’d be arrested If I got too comfortable with it 

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Sounds like the engine is mounted in a JTR position, which locates the engine lower and more to the rear than other mounting positions.  It also usually results in the best balance between front/rear weighting.  You can google "Jags that run" to get more info on the JTR swap.

 

Glad you're having fun with it.

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