Coilovers and strut tops- questions

[datsfreak]

Im look at doing a coilover conversion on my 240z.

 

Grinding off the spring platforms and either using noltec (about $300 pair- mild steel) threaded sleeves , or cheaper alloy ones.

Its a street car so prob use 10 inch 250lb springs all round and tokico adj inserts-that should be a lot stiffer then standard but not too hard.

thats if the au to us dollar improves soon anyway.

 

Depending on cash amount maybe even sectioning both front and rear with mr2 inserts.

 

I want the rear to have some negitive camber, to help with the tyre and guard clearance and to help the handling. SO---

 

I was going to use the standard strut top ,

pull the guts out of it,

weld a plate on the bottom of it, then drill a hold thru this plate at the new position for the strut,

then weld on the bottom of this new plate a short piece of 2.5in pipe-centered to the new hole- to hold the coilover spring.

Problems with this are

1) solid strut mount are noisey? because of no rubber insulation.

2)Should the top hole and spring guide be on a "ball" type mount ,to allow for the new angle of the strut?

Could this damage the insert?

 

I know- I should just get adj premade strut tops ,but they are a bit costly and Im not a racer so its hard to justify.

 

Ideas and thoughts guys?

 

scott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[C.A.R.]

It won't allow movement of the insert & you'll most likely bend the shaft. Sounds like a real dodgy thing to do...

Spend the money & get a basic spherical bearing strut top mount.

 

You do realize that when you lower it, you'll gain a degree or so of camber anyway?

How much camber are you wanting?

[NZeder]

on the rear it also depends on how much you want as stated by Lurch when you lower a zed the rear gets some negative camber - in fact on a mates racecar it is too much so he has tops to move the camber positive so he can take out some of the negative.

[datsfreak]

I thought standard zeds rear are nearly 1 degree positive(like 50 min pos),

So I was wanting to get to about 2 degree neg, which should mean the strut top center being moved in by approx 12-18mm- depending on what extra I gain by lowering . I want this kind of camber on the fronts as well.

Is there a cheaper way to do a pivoting type top?

Will a moded s13 coilover top work? I suppose the thread/shaft would be different in the pivot.

 

 

 

 

[NZeder]

see here http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/suspension.html

See question 11.