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Strut Sectioning


Guest dherde26

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Guest dherde26

Ok so I have done a search and I have read the FAQ and i am still a little hazy on the whole bit..i bought tockico illumina 5ways the one for the 240z rear and the mr2 front i beliave and i am goin to section them and i have also purchased t3 weld in camber plates and top hats and ground control sleaves and springs. So my real question is, is there actually an insert that comes out of the tockico strut or...and of ther is do i take that out section 2" out of the strut tube and then put the insert back in...

 

thanks in advance

Drew

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The Illumina is an insert. When you put it in the strut tube you'll find that it goes way down in there. You're sectioning the strut so that when the gland nut goes on it is tight on the top of the insert.

 

The rear struts for the 240 and the 280 have a steel spacer pressed onto the bottom of the insert. The struts that you bought will not have the spacer, so you don't have to remove any part of the strut, just section the housing to fit it.

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Guest dherde26
The Illumina is an insert. When you put it in the strut tube you'll find that it goes way down in there. You're sectioning the strut so that when the gland nut goes on it is tight on the top of the insert.

 

The rear struts for the 240 and the 280 have a steel spacer pressed onto the bottom of the insert. The struts that you bought will not have the spacer' date=' so you don't have to remove any part of the strut, just section the housing to fit it.[/quote']

 

thanks man

 

one other question so u are sayin that tockico strut tube is what i will use correct or will i use my stock strut tubes with the tockico inside...

 

sry for the misunderstand ment i just wanna make sure i got what u are sayin

 

thanks again

Drew

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I see you have a 77 280Z from your other post! Is this what you plan on installing the coilovers on?

 

I got sleeves from Ground Control and what they sent will not work on the 280Z tubes! I also got a complete setup from MSA and what they sent will not work on my 280Z tube! When I ordered I was told they would but they don't... I now have to find 240 housings if I stay with what I got because everything is for the 2.02" OD size. Did you get the little 4" sleeves from GC like I did?

 

I've been told a couple of diff stories from MSA so far... Section the front, section the rear, section both front and rear...

 

The MSA kit came with the BZ3015's for the front of a 240Z that go in the rear tubes, so I know they will be sectioned... They also sent the BZ3099's for the MR2 that go in the front (which BTW is about 1 5/8" shorter then the 240Z inserts).

 

Which make me think both Front and Rear will need to be sectioned. Like I was told the last time I called MSA. So before you cut up a good 280 tube see if you sleeves fit over them or if your going to be like me and forced to find all four tubes in good condition first. I glad I did not take my NOS 280Z loaded with OEM struts apart yet!

 

BTW I can email you a picture of the instructions MSA sent me if you want them!

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Guest dherde26
I see you have a 77 280Z from your other post! Is this what you plan on installing the coilovers on?

 

I got sleeves from Ground Control and what they sent will not work on the 280Z tubes! I also got a complete setup from MSA and what they sent will not work on my 280Z tube! When I ordered I was told they would but they don't... I now have to find 240 housings if I stay with what I got because everything is for the 2.02" OD size. Did you get the little 4" sleeves from GC like I did?

 

I've been told a couple of diff stories from MSA so far... Section the front' date=' section the rear, section both front and rear...

 

The MSA kit came with the BZ3015's for the front of a 240Z that go in the rear tubes, so I know they will be sectioned... They also sent the BZ3099's for the MR2 that go in the front (which BTW is about 1 5/8" shorter then the 240Z inserts).

 

Which make me think both Front and Rear will need to be sectioned. Like I was told the last time I called MSA. So before you cut up a good 280 tube see if you sleeves fit over them or if your going to be like me and forced to find all four tubes in good condition first. I glad I did not take my NOS 280Z loaded with OEM struts apart yet!

 

BTW I can email you a picture of the instructions MSA sent me if you want them![/quote']

 

thanks for all that guys it made a huge diff now i got how to do it...

 

I think i just needed a picture of it but i got it now and that would be awsome if u could email those instructions jsut in case....does anone else have that problem about the sleeves not fitting over or.....

 

thanks again

Drew

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I've been told a couple of diff stories from MSA so far... Section the front' date=' section the rear, section both front and rear...

 

The MSA kit came with the BZ3015's for the front of a 240Z that go in the rear tubes, so I know they will be sectioned... They also sent the BZ3099's for the MR2 that go in the front (which BTW is about 1 5/8" shorter then the 240Z inserts).

 

[/quote']

 

You should decide on how much to section the struts based on your desired ride height front and rear, rather than trying to make the inserts fit without a spacer, or just going by what MSA tells you. Obviously, you are limited by the length of the inserts that you are using (i.e., if you cut the strut tube shorter than the insert it won't work).

 

The whole point is to get the strut in the center of its travel at your desired ride height - nobody can tell you exactly how much to section without knowing what your desired ride height is, and a few other details such as the characteristics of the camber plates that you will be using. On the rear of a 280Z, for instance, just switching from the stock isolated upper mount to a Carrera camber plate results in a ~2" drop without ever having to touch the strut tube, since you remove the upper isolator completely.

 

The best approach is to decide on what your desired ride height will be - for instance, if you just want a 2" drop from where you are now (which might not be stock, btw), measure the current distance from each fender to a repeatable point on the wheel, like the center cap. Then, put the car on jackstands, pull the springs out, put everything else back together and use a jack to put the wheel in the desired new position. Take the wheel off, and check to see where the strut is in its travel. if your strut insert has 7" of travel and it is compressed by 5", you would want to section the strut tube by 1.5", so that the strut insert will be compressed halfway (3.5") at your desired ride height.

 

Does that make sense?

 

By the way, if you find that you only need to section the strut by 1" or less, I wouldn't bother.

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Guest dherde26
Drew' date='

 

Put the tools down and walk away from the suspension. The very next thing you should do is buy a shop manual for the S30 and read it.[/quote']

 

Well i would prlly do that if i had no clue what i was talkin about but i am an experienced welder/fabricator and i have been workin on cars for quite sometime i just was hazy thats all..but thanks for all the imput and johnc i understand where u are comin from about that but i realy am not in expereinced i just have never dont that specific thing b4

 

so thanks for all the help

 

drew

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Drew' date='

 

Put the tools down and walk away from the suspension. The very next thing you should do is buy a shop manual for the S30 and read it.[/quote']

 

If you don't have a FSM for your 77 don't buy one when you can download it for free in a PDF format!

 

If it says N/A just wait and it will rotate back to it shortly!

 

http://carfiche.com/manuals020/cars/

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My 240 had the larger OD tubes like fitted to the 280's, a guy I know took my struts, cut them at the hubs, borded the hubs out and fitted new steel tube with an outside thread cut all the way up. Much neater solution than welding slip on tubes over the top. It wan't hard for him to do, I think it was around $75 a corner and for that he made spring 2.1/4 spring platforms and the gland nut to hold the shocks in the tubes. Will post some pics if you'd like to see.

I also had some custom length fully adjustable shocks made....now these were pretty expensive. $735 for cash:o

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