Options on Spring rates front and rear for a 71' 240z?

[Guest zbot43]

I have a 1971 Datsun 240z, which I put a set of coil over kits in years ago, but have only recently started driving again. I am looking for options on what people have used front and rear for spring rates, on street driven cars. I am not racing this car. Well, maybe just a little. I believe I currently have 400lb springs in the rear, and 300 lbs. springs in the front. And they are killing me! I orginally installed the coil overs to work with the fact I had wanted to shorten the strut tubes, and gain travel which had been lost when I lowered the car. When I had put the V8 in my lowered car I suddenly had a bottoming strut at the left front when I was on the gas making a right turn up hill.

So my question again is what have other people used for springs? I would like to just make one more change. Not keep playing around.

 

I cut a 2" section out of all 4 struts.

Koni shocks in the rear, which came from the front - 2" shorter then the rear shocks were.

Tokico struts out of a vw rabbit in the front.

 

I am so close to having this car as a daily driver again!!!

[CruxGNZ]

I asked the same thing a while back. Here is the post:

http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6890&highlight=spring+rates+using

 

Your current spring rates are spine crunching! You have to make sure that your shocks will work with the springs you use. On my Z, which handles VERY well, I have 175lb. in. on the front and 200lb. in. on the rear with Tokico Illumina's (5-way adjustable). This is for a street car. I actually think that the rear is to tight, but I can't go to a lower spring rate in a 8" spring .

 

!M!

[blueovalz]

IMHO a good street spring rate window of 160lb-200lb should give you what you want, but this will only exasperate the current problem of bottoming out on the curves unless you work with the anti-sway bars as well.

[Guest zbot43]

Thanks for the replies so far. You know I did a search but could not come up with anything. I must really not understand the search engine for this board. I entered in spring rate, and couldn't figure out how half the stuff I got had anything to do with it.

I now believe I have my answer though. 160-200 range is what I am looking at. And after I shortened the strut towers and gave myself back the 2" of strut travel, I then found myself raising the vehcile 1" from where it was before. I don't think there is much chance of it bottoming anymore. I knew my friend who helped get me set up with the coil overs was crazy. He was trying to set me up like I was on the race track. I kept telling him all I wanted to do was drive it on weekends, and maybe once in a while go for a quarter mile run.

Thanks again....Mab

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi

If you are interested in seel those 400 and 300 lbs springs ( if they are 2.5"0 please email or call me @541-410-0936

thanks

morgan