Suspension for the rest of us...bolt on options

[streeteg]

Well, over the past few weeks I have made my way though the different suspension threads on the forum and am getting overwhelmed with a lot of information. Some is fact mixed with opinion, other is just processes that are well above my skill level.

 

My question is this. Outside of the 3k options such as the AZC setups (Which still require the weld in camber plates) and all that jazz... is there a bolt on suspension setup that provides adjustability for the s30z?

 

For those not sure what I am asking...is there a "Tein Flex" or similar for the s30 that doesnt require cutting and welding?

 

Also please note that all "grow some balls" type comments will hopefully be disregarded. I know my skill level when it comes to cars, and I also know my budget.

 

What type of bolt on setups are you guys running?

Front Drop:

Rear Drop

Front Spring Rate:

Rear Spring Rate:

Dampening adjustability:

Type of usage: Street only, Street/drag, Street/Autox, Track only

[tube80z]

Start here, http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=114630. It should have most of what you're looking for.

[JeffGarcia77]

Streeteg,

There is a company who makes totally bolt-on, remove-and-replace upper strut mounts which allow adjustment of camber and caster. Their name is K-mac (k-mac.com) and they're in Australia. You can use stock diameter springs (retaining the upper and lower spring perches), or 2.5" inside diameter "coil over" springs, with appropriate upper and lower spring perches. K-mac camber/caster adjustors allow up to 2 degrees of positive camber adjustment, or up to 2 degrees to the negative side. 4 degrees total. Unknown what the caster adjustment range is.

I am not using these K-macs on my '77 coupe, but I would like to try them when money allows. In fact, my suspension and steering are all stock, except for the Nissan European springs (122 lbs./in. front, 142 lbs./in. rear), urethane anit-roll bar bushings, and g-Machine ball-and-socket compression rod kit. I also installed all new rubber bushings in the control arms.

Yeah, I have a long wish list of suspension parts, but for now the car is relatively quick, and is fun to drive.

 

Jeff

[EMWHYR0HEN]

 

For those not sure what I am asking...is there a "Tein Flex" or similar for the s30 that doesnt require cutting and welding?

 

 

http://www.betamotorsports.com/products/products.php

 

click on the complete strut kit for the S30.

[Spooler]

The AZC setup is only 1600 for all the parts not 3k.

[NZeder]

Streeteg,

There is a company who makes totally bolt-on, remove-and-replace upper strut mounts which allow adjustment of camber and caster. Their name is K-mac (k-mac.com) and they're in Australia. You can use stock diameter springs (retaining the upper and lower spring perches), or 2.5" inside diameter "coil over" springs, with appropriate upper and lower spring perches. K-mac camber/caster adjustors allow up to 2 degrees of positive camber adjustment, or up to 2 degrees to the negative side. 4 degrees total. Unknown what the caster adjustment range is.

I am not using these K-macs on my '77 coupe, but I would like to try them when money allows. In fact, my suspension and steering are all stock, except for the Nissan European springs (122 lbs./in. front, 142 lbs./in. rear), urethane anit-roll bar bushings, and g-Machine ball-and-socket compression rod kit. I also installed all new rubber bushings in the control arms.

Yeah, I have a long wish list of suspension parts, but for now the car is relatively quick, and is fun to drive.

 

Jeff

 

I have a set of the K-mac units - however my car is not on the road yet. But they might have changed their design a little as new units now go from stock to negative camber only for the fronts with more positive caster that can be added in too. They now make some rears units that go positive on the camber to correct too much neg on the rear of a lowered zed.

 

Also they have a new coil over setup that is claimed to be a bolt on call a coil jackers or the like check their website - email or call them up they are very helpful

[janaka]

http://www.betamotorsports.com/products/products.php

 

click on the complete strut kit for the S30.

This is what I long for to install on my Z. I'm hoping late spring I'll have the $$ for it. Well worth it for what you get in terms of products, completeness and time the vendor puts into preparing it all.

Solid setup.

[svr240]

My question is this. Outside of the 3k options such as the AZC setups (Which still require the weld in camber plates) and all that jazz... is there a bolt on suspension setup that provides adjustability for the s30z?

 

For those not sure what I am asking...is there a "Tein Flex" or similar for the s30 that doesnt require cutting and welding?

 

No Direct experience with it, but saw this some time ago. You do have to cut the spring perch however and its only for the 240Z/early 260Z. Let us know if you get a price quote.

 

http://store.datsunspirit.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=73

[streeteg]

As for the faq thread posted at the beginning... trust me I have been over it...as I am sure plenty of aspiring z tuners have as well... its just tough because a lot of us are coming from the bolt on world particulary in regard to suspension. 1600 is doable for the azc setup but for my usage 4k for the betamotorsports setup just isnt worth it. It would be a waste of a great product as my car will not be able to use the full potential of the setup.

 

Is the AZC setup already sectioned etc? just bolting struts in as you would tokicos? Anyone have direct experience with it?

[nullbound]

You'd probably be more interesting in the $3,165 Beta Motorsports kit. You should look again at what you're getting for that price. Stop by a shop sometime and ask how much they want to change out all your wheel bearings. Then start adding the other pieces you're getting. I'm not sure how to put a price on "knowing it's done right", though.

 

The AZC setup is not just a bolt-in. It requires cutting and welding. Check this page for installation instructions: http://www.arizonazcar.com/coilover.html

[janaka]

You'd probably be more interesting in the $3,165 Beta Motorsports kit. You should look again at what you're getting for that price. Stop by a shop sometime and ask how much they want to change out all your wheel bearings. Then start adding the other pieces you're getting. I'm not sure how to put a price on "knowing it's done right", though.

 

The AZC setup is not just a bolt-in. It requires cutting and welding. Check this page for installation instructions: http://www.arizonazcar.com/coilover.html

Bingo.

The BM kit is more than just struts and coilovers. Its way more. What condition is the rest of the car in ?

[Clifton]

You can run coil overs sleeves without cutting and welding. Just let the sleeve sit on the old spring perch. You don't "have to" cut off the excess. Actually you will need to weld a piece of tube to the front upper spring perch to center the 2.5" spring. The rear you can leave it out and grind some on the isolator and the spring will seat. Is it the best way to do it, no but it works.

[Daeron]

So let me get this straight....

 

You don't want to get into any heavy duty fab work, but you want to know how to go about low-dose, bolt-on modification to improve suspension handling.

 

Step one under midifications of jmortensens suspension FAQ:

MODIFYING A Z CAR FOR BETTER HANDLING

 

If the goal is to stiffen up the car for better handling, then a lot more can be done. I'm going to attempt to show "Stages" of modifications. These are loose guidelines and parts can be mixed and matched, but these are what I feel are typical mods on the Z's that I've come in contact with over the years.

 

STAGE 1 replaces all old parts with stiffer components. This will give you a firmer sporty ride.

1. New outer tie rod ends

2. New ball joints

3. Polyurethane bushings

4. Repack/tighten front wheel bearings

5. Replace rear wheel bearings if needed

6. Aftermarket front and rear swaybars

7. Lowering springs (Eibach, Suspension Techniques, Tokico, MSA, AZC)

8. Aftermarket shocks (Tokico HP, Tokico Illumina, Koni Red)

9. Bumpsteer spacers

 

That not enough for you? believe it or not, it makes for a fun ride compared to a soggy-bottomed 30 year old stocker.

 

you want bolt on, yet at the same time want coil-overs?

 

Do some research on spring rates, decide how much you want to lower the car, and get some springs in the rate you want. buy some illuminas or some konis or something, get some new bushings, and be done!

 

That IS the bolt-on option for suspension; there is a reason you aren't finding much more. "Much more" requires cutting and welding; at least a little bit.

[Rustyfriend]

I think I have an answer for inexpensive suspension....

 

Two months ago I purchased the Cosmo Racing coilover kit for the Z and worked on it little by little in my buddies garage. The kit comes with everything to put the adjustable sleeves and springs onto a stock strut setup. The other thing I purchased was adjustable camber bushings for the front and rear of the car which can be bought through MSA.

 

The cosmo kit was about $200 and the bushing total was about $1~~. something. Other bushings that were a good idea while the suspension was off was new mustache bar bushings, tension rod bushings, and new sway bar bushings; make sure to grease the areas needed.

 

Just finished two days ago and the end result it great. The car is lowered close to 3 inches with no rub anywhere, no body roll has been noticed, and the suspension is a LOT stiffer. You do feel every bump in the road, but the handling of the car is worth it. So for less than $500 I am left with a pretty sweet budget racer.

 

thoughts? Hope that helps.

[johnc]

The car is lowered close to 3 inches with no rub anywhere, no body roll has been noticed, and the suspension is a LOT stiffer.

 

Hopefully you shortened the strut tubes.

[Rustyfriend]

Hopefully you shortened the strut tubes.

 

enlighten me...

 

and I might be exaggerating with the 3" mark, I honestly don't remember what the ride height was before because the car was up on jack stands for so long.

[EMWHYR0HEN]

enlighten me...

 

and I might be exaggerating with the 3" mark, I honestly don't remember what the ride height was before because the car was up on jack stands for so long.

 

Your probably riding on your bumpstops.

 

When you lower the car you loose bump travel. If you lowered your car 3'' you lost 3'' of travel and you need to regain some of the travel back by shortening the strut housing and replacing your struts for shorter ones.

[cd1105]

For those not sure what I am asking...is there a "Tein Flex" or similar for the s30 that doesnt require cutting and welding?

 

actually tein did just this year have a special order suspension service. its aimed toward older cars, you send in your stock suspension assembled and they work with you to customize it. heres the link http://www.tein.co.jp/e/products/spd.html

[johnc]

enlighten me...

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=103860

[Racer Z]

As we all know, the 240z was not built with any suspension adjustments except for toe-in at the front wheels. I am not familiar with the 260/280, but I suspect there is still no adjustments.

 

It is my belief, that the BRE Team adjusted their SCCA winning car by grinding the mounting hole at the body just (oblong) enough to allow for the adjustment they wanted.

 

I have seen replacement lower control arm bushing kits that include an eccentric bolt to allow for some adjustments. I don't remember where now, but it was not expensive. No modifications to the car were needed, purely bolt on.

 

The "weld-in" plate for the top of the strut tower is probably your best bet though. The plates don't cost a lot and most welding shops can do the job for not a lot of cash. After that, you should be able to use any shock/spring setup you want. note: some coil-over kits will require further mods anyway.

 

There is also the idea of custom control arms with built-in turn-buckles. I have helped friends adjust their cars (Alfa Romeo) at the track and it was sweet. I have seen these new control arms advertised for the 240z. Although it is "bolt-on", it is not "low-budget".

 

The weld-in plate is probably the best compromise and is probably what we will do to our 240z when the time comes. Rustyfriend's post sounds like a good way to go after deciding how to get some suspension adjustment working.

 

Just in case you missed this thread, http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=138753 , it is a very good suspension replacement documentary. Excellent photos and descriptions.