Questions For Those Of You Using Coilovers

[Scottie-GNZ]

I am planning on installing a set on the rear primarily to get wheel/tire clearance for eventually stuffing bigger meats in the fenders. I have a couple of questions:

 

- What spring rates are you running?

- How is the ride with that rate?

- What did you do to hold the threaded collar in place on the strut?

- If I adjust it to lower the ride height, do I have a concern about bottoming out the shocks? I asked this because I run the Illuminas at the softest setting and have major Z-car squat off the line. I do not want to reduce the squat because it is obviously working

- Any problems with your setup?

 

TIA,

 

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Scottie

71 240GN-Z

http://www.mindspring.com/~vscott911/gnz.html

[PaulR]

I am running 2.5" Eibach 175 lb/in, 10 inch

free length. This is probably as stiff as I

would like for a daily driver, stock springs

are about 110 lb/in.

 

I simply use a piece of 2.5"

(I think that's the dia) exhaust pipe

cut to length as a spacer to support the

threaded sleave. Just slips over the strut

housing after removing the stock spring

perch.

 

The new lower spring perch sits just above the

tire (275-50-15), so this allows me to run

a wheel with 5.5" backspacing.

 

I'm not running alot lower than stock, so

I haven't had any problem with the struts

bottoming out.

 

 

quote:

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Originally posted by Scottie-GNZ:

I am planning on installing a set on the rear primarily to get wheel/tire clearance for eventually stuffing bigger meats in the fenders.

 

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[Guest mattrp]

I have ground control coilovers. 175 lb front, 200 lb rear. I have kyb gas charged struts and eurethane everytwhere.

 

I cut the old perches off with a grinder and welded on the lower perch retainers. Bottoming is a huge issue. Right now my z has about 3 inches of ground clearance and 2 inches of suspension travel, which I consider minimum. If you want lower, section the struts.

 

The ride is firm but not bad, I am 18 though, so bare that in mind. Weight transfer, well, there is none at all. With my stiff sway bars, the car doesnt do anything but sit flat.

 

Any oother questions???

 

Matt

72 500Z

[Guest Anonymous]

JTR calls for 150-175lbs, 12-14" free length. I was looking at some coilovers from Jeg's, but aren't you guys talking about making your own? (don't feel like spending $150 apiece) If so, I understand the exhaust pipe for centering, but where do you get the threaded collar and the adjustable bottom perch/ring?

[Scottie-GNZ]

Here is where I am getting mine:

http://www.fonebooth.com/forsale.html

 

Scottie

[jeromio]

I have a dorky page that has some pictures at http://240z.jeromio.com. Hit the suspension rebuild link.

 

I bought my Ground Controls from CyberAuto. Worked out to around $100 per corner which I think is an excellent price. I've only done the fronts so far and I used 150lb springs in front and these seem plenty stiff. If you want squat for traction, I would recommend less than that - maybe 130lb. The new perch is "cut" and has a screw so that it can be firmly tightened once you set it to the desired height.

 

I'd imagine that swapping springs would be really easy - just jack up the car, undo the 4 bolts at the top of the strut tower, slide one spring off and another on. Haven't done this yet, But I think someone (Mike?) said that they drive to the track using one set and swap to the race set on site. And the actual springs are fairly cheap I think. In other words, if you find that the first rate you try doesn't work, changing will be no problem.

 

For the rear, you're supposed to be able to use front 240 struts which are shorter, if you're worried about travel. Of course you'd have to plunk down dollars for another set of front cartridges along with the junk yard trip for the struts.

 

I'm currently saving up money (and time) for the complete rear overhaul - including R200, bushings, coilovers, Ujoints.

[pparaska]

I think Matt's suggestion of shortening the struts (and using shorter cartridges on the 240Z is important if you lower the car more than an inch or so. On the 280 you can use the shorter 240 strut on the rear to lower the car and not lose bump travel - I didn't know that until this thread.

 

Lowering more than an inch without shortening the struts will have you hitting the bump stops for all but very stiff springs. I've been through this with the Motorsport lowering springs and it rode very rough - because lowering with just putting shorter springs on makes you have less bump travel and you start to hit the bumpstops which is bad for handling, ride, parts, and safety.

[Guest mattrp]

Exactly what I meant to say pparaska. Just for fun I lowered my car to the ground, and I mean like less than an inch of free suspension travel. Even with the really stiff springs it bottomed everywhere, and the corners were ugly because it bottommed and slid. I raised it to the 2 inches of travel and only severe bumps make it bottom now, but the springs are pretty hard, and the cornering is oh so much better.

 

It is sooooo much work to cut and weld the perches, while you have em out, jsut section um, I wish I had. Not that I can go any lower for a street car with no camber plates.

 

Matt

72 500Z

[randy 77zt]

i have a 77z -i run the gc 12" spring with 225 in front and 250 springs in rear.car will go real low but i found that isnt always the hot set up at sears point .

[Guest Anonymous]

Scotty,

I've got 225 front and rear. I have heard of guys running up to 300 rear. My ride is not too harsh but it is not a daily driver. I do some drivers schools with this car and will probably go to 275 or 300 rate springs next time I have it apart. Length of rear springs is 12 in. Mark

[Guest dankinzle]

Sweet. I just finished installing my groundcontrol coilovers. The guy at groundcontrol hooked me up with 175s all around to "keep it street compliant." I'm running these with the standard length tokico illuminas. The install wasn't too bad either.

It runs great! I love it, and it's not bad on the street, although I haven't done too much driving on cruddy roads.

 

Hey, for all of you with the adjustable struts, what settings are you using front to back? I'm trying to get the best handling, ie no drag racing or anything.

 

Long

 

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'75 V8 280z which is too slow.

[Mikelly]

Since I'm about to buy some coil-overs, where are you guys sectioning the tube and and how much are you taking out?? I need to get the nose of this car on the ground (Within two-three inches for aerodynamics...)...

 

Mike

 

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"I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!"

mjk

[pparaska]

Mike, I took 1.5" out about 5 or six inches from the top. You don't want to cut it off too close to the top for two reasons:

1) you get too close to the threads with the cutting and welding, and

2) you want a piece long enough to weld on so that you can lay the strut and the top piece you are welding back on in side of a piece of angle iron to align them. A short piece is harder to aling than a long one.

 

From about an inch and a half from the top, the wall thickness is the same, so anywhere is o.k. as far as that goes.

 

As far as how much to cut, if you are lowering the car at least two inches, I'd cut out 2" inches worth so that your bump travel will be that same when you set it at 2" lower than stock. The other thing to watch is what strut cartridge lengths are available. If you cut out 2" I THINK the Rabbit and MR2 will fit. If you go more than that, you may end up with custom strut inserts. IF you cut off less, you just have to shim up the bottom of the cartridge within the strut housing. I think the front 240Z cartridges are 2" shorter than the rear, and if you section the rear by 2" you can put the front 240Z cartridges back there.

 

The best advice is talk to Top End Performance, Ground Control, or Dandos, as they've been doing this for many years and know what would work for you.

[Mikelly]

Nope, it is easy, as I have installed them before, just never sectioned the tubes... although since I'm gonna go to 17s, I won't be sectioning them according to Mike....

 

Mike

 

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"I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!"

mjk

[BLKMGK]

Yeah, Mike is telling me it's easy and not to buy a spare set of struts. Okay, I'm convinced then! He says to run 225# springs in front though - wowza!

 

Mike's prices are reasonable and he was REAL good about answering my questions (many!) and shipping last time. Now if I could just pull it out of the box an dinstall it Mr. Kelly when I find the time and have wheels (may run the Mustang's wheels for a bit) would you be interested in an assist?

 

I wonder what camber plates Mike's using? I hadn't planned on doing this but perhaps it's worth looking into. Ground Control has them but perhaps Mike has begun doing those as well? Hmmm!

 

P.S. Seems Mike just won several regional races out West. Sears point and two others were mentioned to me. Sweet! He was selling a REAL nice Z awhile back but alas it was cross country and not a street car at the time (sob).

[pparaska]

Yes, I'm sorry I forgot about Mike (scca), he's from my area originally, so I should send some business that way, huh?

 

Anyway, if you look at his other thread, the issue is whether you use camber plates or not. I decided to not use them so as to keep the stock isolators for road noise isolation. I figure if I want more camber (than the slotted holes in the strut towers allow - not much) I'll get/make some custom control arms that can be lengthened, or change the dimensions of the strut top isolator.

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

I'm surprised at the 'long' springs I'm reading about up to 12" in length and the bottoming out issues. My experience is with my '80 280ZX substantially heavier than the 240's but likely lighter than some 280Z's running around (I'm lighter than an OE 280zx).

 

I have the www.ground-control.com setup on my car. I like their hardware but have been less than impressed (being polite) with their product support. Only reason I went with them and not Mike/fonebooth (I've seen and enjoyed Mike's hardwear/upgrades) was I'd already cut a deal on my 5ways tokico's and I'd had a hard time finding anyone experienced on 280ZX roadracing spring rates. Aside from that I'm running Eiback springs with 7" 350lb/in springs up front and 8" springs (can't recall rate) out back combined with Tokico 5 way struts. I told them my cars specs and uses (daily driver with emphasis on great handling the few times each summer I get out for a lapping day at a raceway roadcourse) and they spec'd the springs. I have it set just below stock height and have no bottoming out issues at all. I had 8" springs up front and the lower collar interfered with my 16x8 wheels/custom hub combo so I went to the 7" springs to raise this collar. I normally drive streetwise with struts set at #1. I use #2 satisfactorily for autox with enough weight transfer. I've been using 3 and 4 for roadracing/lapping events with success although it's a little tight for slow hairpins when set their but certainly tolerable considering other 120mph+corner etc.

 

I moved some rubber 'bumps' to the bottom of my struts to see what my max travel in daily use was and never had more than 3" if that of susp. travel which is fairly stiff but my roads are v. poor. I'd consider it fine on smooth roads and completely enjoyable on any highway conditions.

 

I just received a pair of front adjustable camber/caster upper strut mounts v. similar to GC's stuff but from a local friend. They offset the strut centre mounting point rearward and outward to account for the lowering of the car besides the adjustability of the upper plate.

 

I look fwd to installing these so I can lower my car a little more and still retain v. good susp/alignments.

 

hope my .02c made sense

[BLKMGK]

Pete - Don;t forget this Mike -> http://www.fonebooth.com/forsale.html

 

He's been pretty helpful to me in the past and has dropped his prices some on the coil overs. Chances are he's the guy I'll goto for this.

 

Since I'm not lowered terribly much should I skip the sectioning? I'm considering getting a replacement set of struts all around to do the work on and then swapping it all in. Is it much work per corner to do a coil over?

[Guest needwaymorespeed]

I too purchased my coil overs from mike-fonebooth- vey nice guy great service- he sent me out the hypercoil springs when I had paid for the inferior ones-asked him about this and he said that when he placed my order that the hypercoils had dropped in price so why not send them instead!!! very nice!!!

The hypercoils are very nice springs powdercated finish and very reputable. I decided with mikes help on 10 in 200 springs up-front and 225 10 in springs in rear.

Am still trying to decide if I want camber plates or not-dont realy want to transmit noise and vibration into the car but would like the adjustability of the plates- Has anyone ever seen a camber plate for a z-car with a rubber isolator???

have seen these on 5.0 stangs very nice

 

Another thing to consider is if you go over 250 # springs the tackico stuts cant dampen the oscillations-learnt this from dandos--have to go with high dollar struts-not for this boy..

Curtis