Suspension Tuning

[Roady]

G'day Everyone,

 

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with the "Front - Camber Adjustment Kit" from The Z Store?  Every time I send a technical enquiry regarding these kinds of things I never get a reply - so I am hoping someone out there has already installed them and has an idea how much camber adjustment they actually allow for..??

 

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic20e/23-4170

 

Cheers,

Roady

 

[dat2kman]

It was common to simply drill new holes on each side up 15mm and outwards 15mm this gave around 1 deg of neg camber and kept the lca at a desirable downward angle, when fitting lowered springs.

Fitting 12 mm of washers on the wheel side of the dompression strut would give approx 1.5deg more caster.

Combine then with a repositioned strut top, smaller diam springs, another 1/2 deg of neg camber, then bend the stubs upwards a bit,

You've gone from 1.5 deg positive camber to 2.5 deg neg camber.

 

These items as in your pist are only good, if they can be positevely locked into the final position, so they will not suddenly partially rotate.

 

Dont expect the mousture absorbing ( hydroscopic) polyurethan to last long.

Nissan used to supply stiffer competition rubber bushes, now NLA, but they can be remanufactured inn the harder rubber compound.

[Roady]

dat2kman,

 

My logic exactly, there wouldn't be any point if they keep slipping out of position involuntarily! 

 

There is another set up they sell adjusting the top strut:

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic20d/23-4188

 

But it does not look as user friendly to adjust.  Basically I am initially looking for an easy way to adjust the front settings that can be done on the go.  This way I can do 10 laps or so, come back make minor adjustments try it out etc etc.  I have already put the techno toy tuning rear arms on which are great just pricey.  Obviously as with everything you get what you pay for and I am happy to go down that road eventually I just wanted an interim way of balancing the front whilst I set up the rear...

 

 

[Riceburner]

I run those solid bushes in the the front of my car, I was told 1 degree negative. The brown sleeves are 'delrin'. It feels similar to hard plastic. The come with serrated lock washers to hold them in position once set, so far mine haven't moved in 3-4yrs.

 

If you alter them at the track you'll have to do an alignment as well as your changing the length of the control arm.

[dat2kman]

Need to bear in mind, in an "at the track" situation, if you say, push camber out, the rims will toe in, and caster will decrease.

Not ideal.

 

If wanting to get it right, do a track day with the car set to an adjustment, both front and rear.

Concentrate on how the car "feels" through your bottom, and what steer/throttle input is required, once you master the track, usually in the second last session.

Have a notebook, written in will be the suspension settings, now fill in tyres, sizes, rims, pressures, pressure when cold, and when hot.

Also make written notes on how the car "feels"

Think of a corner as being three parts, ie 3rds, Entry, Mid, Exit.

Note braking points, off the brake, turn in points, how wide from apex, where you actually apexedetc.

 

Then go home.

Change suspension settings next track day, repeat above.

That is the correct way to get it right.

 

35 years of experience and doing it, dont come cheap, i'll accept your payment via bank deposit!!!

 

Go buy the book, "How to make your car handle" by Fred Puhn. It may be old, but it is still very valud today.

[Roady]

Thanks Gareth - good to know.

 

dat2kman - noted, do you charge by the minute or the hour? haha

 

Sorry I realised re- changing camber would affect the other settings, so would make sure I only changed 1 thing at a time, reviewing tyre temps and pressures.  Plan was basically to set up a camera also so I could breakdown the corners as you mentioned, then review the footage post track day also and examine corner speed (in 3 phases also).  Obviously the footage would have to correlate to notes I have made from the day, as you mentioned viewing something would be useless unless I knew how it "felt" at the time.

 

Thanks for the great advice, will look into the book as well.

[d3c0y]

There are better solutions out there, what is your budget though?

[Roady]

Budget will be around the $500 mark eventually but for now basically looking for a cheaper alternative to play around with.  What are you thinking d3c0y?

[d3c0y]

Is this for track or street - what's your end goal here? Do you want castor adjustment too?

[Roady]

Combination of street and track, at the moment purely after a simple camber adjustment only. Looking to spend some time setting it up now then forgetting about it.  Not a pro racer or anything but doing track days regularly but car is still road registered and planning on keeping it that way

[d3c0y]

I would say either of these for set and forget plus the ability to go more down the track:

 

 

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=151/CA=191

 

 

http://www.k-mac.com/pages/newprods/datsun/datsun.htm

 

 

Kmac have castor adjustment built in so you can do that right away when you are setting your camber. Castor is a good thing for handling even on a road zed.

They are a little more though.

[Roady]

d3c0y,  thanks for the heads up on these items I will look into them and let you all know which way I go.

[d3c0y]

To complete the picture Techno Toy Tuning (T3) offer a weld in style camber top for even cheaper if you are ok with cutting the top off your strut towers and welding some plates in, but for most people that is a lot more expense and bother than the two options above.