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How to install S13 Coilovers on 280zx (and poly bushings)


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i prefer the shock and spring/less work approach....

 

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jp9a91.jpg

 

But if i cared about slamming it any lower (its only about 3-4" from the ground up front) i would go coils, but i care more about wheel gap/being flush with the fenders WITHOUT rubbing/rolling/and stretching girly sized tires on wide wheels...kinda defeats the purpose of running a wide wheel when you could run 225's on the stock 14x6s :rolleyes:

Edited by sticky280zx
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Mighty maxx and Pontiac kidd:

 

Love what you guys did with the coilovers and all. But now what are your options for 5 lug swaps?

 

Just figured with 5 lug you would have more options for wheels and you could do a Z32 TT brake swap.

 

Any ideas or thoughts on that?

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I'm not too worried about bigger brakes and whatnot, I'm not ever going to run bigger tires than what I have and I can already lock the fronts up.

 

Z32 brakes don't work on our spindles anyways, so you'd have to have adaptors made if you wanted to use them, and then figure something else out for the rotors.

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I did this swap years ago no using HKS coil overs for my ZXR, the track zx i use Ksports for now.

On my ZXR i use a z31 spindle and z31 steering knuckles, it makes the 5 lug z32 tt swap a walk in the park ( and works great for my car)

only disavantage on it is that i had to extend my a arms, to make up for the diffrence in camber between the z31 and s130 spindels ( did that with a heim joint so i can adjust them)

And i mounted reinforced strut tower tops where the mounting points are located further to the engine bay.

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  • 6 months later...

I did this swap years ago no using HKS coil overs for my ZXR, the track zx i use Ksports for now.

On my ZXR i use a z31 spindle and z31 steering knuckles, it makes the 5 lug z32 tt swap a walk in the park ( and works great for my car)

only disavantage on it is that i had to extend my a arms, to make up for the diffrence in camber between the z31 and s130 spindels ( did that with a heim joint so i can adjust them)

And i mounted reinforced strut tower tops where the mounting points are located further to the engine bay.

 

 

Again, Frank, any pictures of this? Seems fairly straight forward other than the extensions to the a arms.

 

Thanks,

Lindsey

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  • 3 months later...

i have some d2s that i took off a buddys car and i noticed the mounts were too wide for the struts is there anyway around that i know that there is serial nine strut tubes i can buy but i really dont want to go and spend 280 bucks on i a peice of metal with some threads in it

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  • 2 weeks later...

I put a set of rear Tokico S13 struts and Tokico 280ZX springs in my '83 280ZXT. I just pulled the top hat from the 280ZX and the springs and swaped it across - it's a direct bolt in....

 

Yep, I did the same thing. Not using coilovers in the rear yet (money) but the 280zx top hat fit nicely on the s14 rear strut. When I finally drop the money for coilovers I may redrill the strut mount to accommodate for two holes.

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  • 5 months later...

Guys I need your expert advice here. I have a 81 280zx 2+2. I can't decide between the basics of a custom coilover setup vs. a Tokico setup similar to what FricFrac describes in this discussion (assuming the Illumina adjustable struts for the S30 F&R and the Tokico springs for the 280zx). Another source with years of experience in Nissan racing told me the the Tokico approach with 280z adj struts and 280zx springs is a relative easy setup for a S130(with cross member slotting in the rear, and can't remember if he said camber plate in the front will be required).

 

I also heard from another source that the Tokico's springs are too soft for the heavier 2+2 ZX (especially the rear...one need at least 200F, 250R rates for the ZX) and the struts on the firmer settings are too hard for street driving. Especially in my situation I am concerned , I have a srong stroker motor in it, and the amount of squatting is unreal. Unfortunately there is no one in the local Z club that has a Tokico setup on a ZX that I can ask to drive the car and get a feel. The car is mostly street driven, never autocrossed, and maybe at most see 50 fast laps at CMS a year just for the fun of it. I do want a firmed ride, lower by 1-2 inches, but not a harder ride than say a newish stock M3 or Subaru STi. Sorry these are about the only real world comparisons I can make.

 

Not to hijack your discussion on S13 coilovers, but the coilover setup I had in mind is basically the same as the 510 kit from either Troy Ermish or Arizona Z or Technotoytuning. All kits I believe can be configured with Koni inserts. My sense is that long term a coilover setup may have benefits = when your goals change (where and how you drive) the setup may allow easier adjustment. And from a resell perspective, potential buyers may consider that the coilover allow more options for changing to different struts. However from an installation ease and cost perspective the s30 Tokico's may be the way to go on a ZX.I just don't know how complex it will be to install custom coilovers on a ZX. What other factors need to be considered? If you go with coilovers, does it limit your options for bigger 12.2 brake kits and how would it limit your wheel/tire specification?

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First of all, tokico makes a set of struts for our 280zx's so you don't really need to use the S13 ones. He used struts from a 240sx s13, not an s30.

 

All s30 shocks are inserts, so they won't even bolt to the rear, I don't know what you're talking about using 280z struts.

 

That's complete BS about needing stiffer aftermarket springs for the 2+2, although I had my 2+2 gutted so it weighted 2600lbs. The stock factory springs are stiffer, but when you go aftermarket they are much stiffer than stock anyway.

 

You will get squat with the tokico spring and strut setup, it just plain isn't stiff enough and the rear suspension is designed like that. I still get some with some S13 6k shock/springs in the rear of my car, but very little compared to the tokico stuff.

 

Coilovers will not limit how big your brakes can be. You're rim size will. They way I did my coilovers, similar to Mightymaxx, it uses the same control arm and strut tube, just cut, so it doesn't change any dimensions.

 

About halfway down in my build thread you'll see how I did my front coilovers.

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/103629-base-model-280zx-project/

 

And my rears:

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/99716-s13-rear-coilovers-in-my-280zx/

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  • 2 years later...

This is a great thread! M1ghtymaxXx! Thank you for making it clear for simple car guys like me. I am going to start this mod very soon. My 90sx is a beast and has the multi way adjustables on it and it holds the road really well with a small block Chevy mild racing mototr in it. VERY GOOD THREAD! Aloha from Hawaii! BOLO

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