markglasco Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 ok, so i have been storming my head as to what coilovers i can use for my 280z, first of all i have read that the S13 coilovers wont work because the the strut tube of a 280z is 1/8 of an inch thicker than the 240z, soo ive been thinking about the following option. since parts from the US are not easily accessible to me,i have read dans post about the the 280z conversion kit, it would be lovely but the shipping alone will be killing me already so im trying to find an alternative of doing a coilover conversion since labor and fabrication is very cheap here.and datsun 280z parts are very rare from where i come from, you can literally count how many z's are actually road worthy. These are the questions that i really am contemplating. 1. can i buy a set of s13 coilovers, have a tube fabricated to fit my strut tube and from that fabricated tube i will weld my coilovers? 2. Can i Grind that extra 1/8 of an inch from the strut tube and fit the coilovers. 3.what coilover choices do i have? assuming that fabricating and labor is very cheap here in manila, plus i have a wide array of selection for coilovers for almost every sportscar(JDM with the like of skyline,sylvia,mr2,celica,etc) and a wide array of brands (Tein,cusco,jic,HKS,etc) plus i can get them for cheap(straight from japan) were talking $300 for the whole set including everything. 4. can i directly cut and weld the coilover perches to the strut tube assuming the coilover perches are metal and it will directly bolt on to the strut tube? 5. what issues am i to expect regarding this conversion? 6.What is the measurement of the outer diameter of the strut tube for the 280z? 7.can i buy a set of coilover that already has slotted perches like this one and weld it directly to the strut tube assuming that the perches are steel and will slide directly to the strut tube? Thanks a lot guys, i really am looking forward to completing my project, this is the last hurdle that im trying to get over, any suggestions, extreme or whatnot are welcome and will be highly appreciated. if theres a thread that tackles this topic please give me the link and ill be more than happy.thanks guys! Regards, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Search the Vendor forum. Someone is already making and selling adapter tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 I have read about it sir(as indicated in my post), but the shipping cost alone would be a pain cause i am not a resident of the united states(im from manila), thus i am looking for an alternative without necessarily buying the adapter kits which sir azcarbum and 240zdan is selling at i think $350 a set.cheers. Best Regards, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) He's talking about the zccjdm tubes specifically for the 280z. They run $250/set. Edited February 16, 2011 by cockerstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashintar Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/87193-just-finished-s13-coilovers-into-s30/page__st__20__p__829019__hl__%2Bintegra+%2Bcoilovers__fromsearch__1#entry829019 you would need 2 get 2 addiiotnal perches but it looks like its been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 He's talking about the zccjdm tubes specifically for the 280z. They run $250/set. yes i did visit the site, i think the site is managed and owned by azcarbum, correct me if im wrong. but the problem is the shipping cost to manila, thats why im looking for an alternative to this.thanks. Regards, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/87193-just-finished-s13-coilovers-into-s30/page__st__20__p__829019__hl__%2Bintegra+%2Bcoilovers__fromsearch__1#entry829019 you would need 2 get 2 addiiotnal perches but it looks like its been done. i too, have read this post sir, but this conversion has been done for a 240z, not a 280z cause the 280z strut tube is 1/8 of an inch thicker so im having doubts if the s13 coilovers will work. im trying to find an alternative withour necessarily ordering parts from the U.S cause the shipping cost alone would be killing me. thanks for the link sir. Cheers, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4nsm0l3m4n Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 If shipping parts from the US is not an option for you I think the easiest route for you would be to find a set of 240z struts. These will have the 2" OD that will usually fit a lot of coilover kits. Then you can install them similarly to the s13 coilover thread. The rear strut towers on the 280z are slightly taller so be careful with your measurements so you weld them in the right place. The other option, you mentioned in your original post is having the threaded adapter tube fabricated for you. Talk to an experienced fabricator or machine shop about what you'd like to do. You will likely need to buy the coilovers first and bring them in so they can determine the thread size and pitch. The last option is a ground control-like coilover setup - buy a set of shock cartridges, section your strut tubes accordingly, weld a threaded collar of correct ID onto the strut tube and install springs. With all these options youll have to figure out some sort of camber plate. The s13 camber plates will probably not be able to be fitted on to the Z strut towers. You'll have to order some, make your own, or reuse the original Z top mounts somehow. I would say either way its a lot of work no matter how you do it so read as much as you can. There is a lot of information on here about coilovers and a lot of the issues have been figured out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Thanks for the information bro, i will research on it further before jumping the gun. Cheers, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Ok so i managed to find a set of coilovers for s13 but the thing is the dampers are getting in the way, the dampers SEEM to be welded on the perches of the coilover. how can i go about this? any input would be greatly appreciated.thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashintar Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 compare your coilovers to the picture you posted in your first post. Why did you choose this design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snailed Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 You need to find coilovers with a seperate preload and ride height adjsutment so the part that attaches to the spindle is not part of the actual shock body. You want steel ones, so you can weld them to the 280z parts. No one seems to want to talk about it on here, but it's probably not the best idea to take a coilover that is not designed as a strut and use it as one (S13 rears being a good example). If there is a single attachment point on the bottom of the coilover it's not designed to take pressure from the side and the shock shaft diameter is much smaller as a result. It does work, as many have done it already, but there is a reason for large diameter shock designs for a macpherson strut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 (edited) i havent bought the thing yet, the price is just irresistible like the guy wants $250 dollars for the whole set and upon ocular inspection it looks good to me, keep in mind that the coilovers are in manila, thus the cheap price. so im trying to figure out what option do i have inorder for these babies to work. What im thinking right now. 1.Cut the damper housing until the perch, insert the strut tube in it or insert it in the strut tube, make a hole in the strut tube for the damper adjuster nut at the bottom of the strut tube then weld. as for the rears, cut the bottom part insert the strut tube in it and then weld. 2.insert the whole damper in the strut tube(will bring the strut tube to the machine shop to fit the damper)make a hole at the bottom of the strut tube for the damper adjuster nut, press then weld. same for the rear. insert the bottom part of the rear coilovers into the strut tube then weld. Please guys, if you have any idea or theory as to how will this work, or how this setup wont work, please tell them to me so that i can gauge the difficulty of this setup. i will scan my drawings on how the supposed procedure will go. Best Regards, Mark G. Edited February 19, 2011 by markglasco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markglasco Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 You need to find coilovers with a seperate preload and ride height adjsutment so the part that attaches to the spindle is not part of the actual shock body. You want steel ones, so you can weld them to the 280z parts. No one seems to want to talk about it on here, but it's probably not the best idea to take a coilover that is not designed as a strut and use it as one (S13 rears being a good example). If there is a single attachment point on the bottom of the coilover it's not designed to take pressure from the side and the shock shaft diameter is much smaller as a result. It does work, as many have done it already, but there is a reason for large diameter shock designs for a macpherson strut. The car will not be subjected to extreme track or drag race, im gathering all the possible options inorder for these to work.thanks for the suggestion sir, it is highly appreciated. Best regards, Mark G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixzen260 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hey Mark, I PM'd you last week, I would be interested to know where you can get coilovers in the Philippines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed069 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Mark G. Have u looked at the CNS360-KP Ksport Kontrol Pro Fully Adjustable Coilover Kits. I believe the come with all the parts to install them IE. welding is required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidannn Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 im in the same boat as the op only im located in australia. you guys in the US have all the good z parts. to the OP when you find a solution keep us updated. As in aust we can find coilovers for any car very cheaply. if only tein made bolt in coilovers for the z.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ33 Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 why not just get 240z parts? they should bolt on the same and they shouldnt be too expensive... then you have just use the 240sx coils and not worry about that 1/8th of an inch... thats what im going to do when i actually do this... and i know you said that parts are hard to come by where you are but im sure most, if not all, of us on here would be more than happy to help with that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d3c0y Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) You dont have to even use S13 coilovers. Have a look around and do a bit of research yourself. I'm using HKS Hypermax Performer coilovers from a GDB Impreza. You just need to find a pillow ball type top and 2" diameter body with a height adjustable body (dont confuse that for spring preload adjustment). From what i saw in the wreckers at Japan is that most coilovers are esentially the same - they just bolt different tops and bottoms on the bodies. If you look at the picture these HKS coilovers have much thicker shafts than most of the S13 dampers too. Edited July 23, 2011 by d3c0y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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