naviathan Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 My 81 ZX NA has drag link steering, I think that what it's called. Every other ZX I've seen has rack and pinion steering. My buddies 83 has rack and pinion, the parts car I pulled my transmission from has rack and pinion, etc... The 81 parts car was a 3/81 and mine is a 7/81 (which you would think would make it an 82, but it's not). Why doesn't it have rack and pinion? My 79 Fairlady is the sme as my 81, but it's a 79 and I would expect that. I'm confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger.svoboda Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 someone changed it OR it was some oddball sold not in the US. Like you every zx I've seen has rack and pinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted November 3, 2006 Author Share Posted November 3, 2006 Seems like a lot of work to go to an inferior system if someone changed it. I wonder why they would have made them different for other areas? There has to be something more on this subject. The carfiche.com site shows both, Power, and Rack and Pinion Power, steering systems, but of course there's no explanation of each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zcarnut Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 The 280ZX started out with a power-assisted re-circulating-ball steering box with the standard accompanying pitman arm, idler arm and drag link (or track rod) pieces. This was done because the 280ZX used the Datsun 810's (1977-80) suspension set up (both front and rear) and copied the steering arrangement as well. In 1981, when the 280ZX Turbo version was introduced, the turbo housing would have interfered with the re-circulating ball steering box so Nissan was forced to introduce the rack-and-pinion steering configuration. It remained a power assisted unit. The power assisted rack-and-pinion steering was then used in the other non-turbo 280ZX’s as well. When Nissan came out with the low cost, “no-frills” version of the 280ZX (4 speed, manual windows, etc.), they installed a cheaper non-power (or manual) version of the rack-and-pinion steering set up. BTW, all three 280ZX steering systems require a different lower front crossmember. An interesting fact of the 280ZX (and 810) steering systems is that early power steering pump was actually supplied by Saginaw (then a GM owned company). Nissan eventually switched to a Japanese vendor (Atsugi) on the later 280ZX’s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted November 3, 2006 Author Share Posted November 3, 2006 Interesting. So whoever bought my car originally didn't opt for the rack-and-pinion steering. Damn them...oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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