Zed leans to the right

[Roberto]

Hi guys,

 

My early 260Z has always leaned a little bit to the right.  Not much, about half a finger or so between wheel and guards both at the front and the rear.  I used to ignore it and assumed it was the driver always adding weight to the right side sagging the original right springs and bushings. 

 

Recently just finished my suspension upgrade, consisting of new King springs, new PU bushings etc and it has not changed the lean. Sitting lower yes, but lean still there :'(

 

One thing I did not change was the strut tops, but left and right looked about the same when off.  I also changed rear upper strut spacers to PU.  Any ideas?  Could it just be the way the chassis was built?  Is there simply more weight on the right from steering column and offset fuel tank?

 

I can live with it (just), but it would be a nice Zed mystery to solve. 

 

This is the kind of thing that would eventually make me insist on coilovers......

 

 

[C.A.R.]

I'd be checking for strut tops that are perished/compressed/collapsed.

The check if the spring perches are welded in on the strut tubes at the same height both side.

Failing that, I'd be checking for chassis twist...

[Quandary]

Has your Z ever been in an accident?

[chris240]

Roberto, Ive got exactly the same problem, mine leans the same way, when driving or just parked..

I assumed its saggy shocks, that i'll replace shortly.

[Roberto]

No accident that I know of, but I didn't own it for the first 20 years of it's life.  The chassis looks good underneath and at the strut towers.

 

I haven't  measured the weld height of the spring perches....Its a thought.

 

I could also reverse the strut tops L and R and see what that does....

 

Just wondering whether any one else has noticed a lean on their Zed, or is it just me :'(

[Roberto]

Hey Chris,  I feel better now. 

 

I wonder whether replacing the struts fixes the lean.  I  didn't replace the struts the time around,  I have koni reds that are about 10 years old and adjusted them to the max setting this time.  Car was in storage for 8 years though and I assumed they are in tip top shape, but maybe I am wrong......

[C.A.R.]

Oooooooooh, The fluid & seals in the Koni's turn to poo if they have been sitting for too long.

Best get them rebuilt...

[Roberto]

Yes, I must admit they don't seem as firm as I remember even now on the max setting.  They must have turned to poo.....

 

May be a good explanation of right lean since right side had additional load prior to storage.  When  I replace them, I will post the outcome.  Won't be for some time though.

 

As for rebuilding them, I won't!  I will sell them and get some externally adjustable ones.

 

 

[drifta1600]

all of my 1600s have done the same thing, always to the right, and my Nissan patrol was the same too! i always thought its just the UN Even weight distribution, or the right side springs sagged!

[limezed]

You could just fatten the little lady up a bit to even the other side up. Over here we just select a larger sheep  ....

[PeterAllen]

Place a copy of Marx's Manifesto in the glovebox!

[Zeddophile]

You could just fatten the little lady up a bit to even the other side up. Over here we just select a larger sheep  ....

 

Lol....

[skidmark117]

Funny stuff, mine did this too, and I always thought it was a saggy spring issue.  I owned the car for 2 years before I finally twigged that the different brand rear tires I'd bought the car with were actually different DIAMETERS, despite having the same rating.  I felt a right doofus at that stage...   New tires all round fixed that issue....  Sheesh.

[RB30X]

Two different diameter tyres on the rear is NOT good for your diff.

[Zeddophile]

Two different diameter tyres on the rear is NOT good for your diff.

 

Only with an LSD.  Shouldn't really have much effect on an open diff, but LSD's tend to wear out the clutch packs faster than they would otherwise, since they are always slipping a little (instead of only slipping in corners) in that situation.  Not that I'm encouraging different size tyres left to right, silly idea anyway (handling effects mostly).

[nat0_240_chevZ]

only the front robert??? or rear also??

nat0

[Roberto]

It had leaned slightly for years (probably due to worn springs).  When I upgraded springs to new King Springs, it still was leaning at the right rear by an even greater amount.    This was making the front left sit up a little also due to a see-saw effect, but the problem was with the rear.

 

What I recently found out when I changed the old strut inserts (as a possible remedy) was that the rear left new Kings spring had not seated correctly in the spring perch.  This was making the left sit higher than the right!!  I noticed during installation the rear King Springs were a very tight fit at the rear in the perches. Fronts were fine.  I am surprised no one else has documented this with Kings. 

 

Anyway, I had to get the grinder out and grind down the spring ends to ensure a correct seat into the perch.  Not happy about having to do this and possibly alter the spring somehow, but it has solved the problem.  Sitting flat now....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[240Z_au]

Just measured a 240Z I picked up here with yellow springs (look like Kings, but not sure)..Standard height springs installed years ago. Car leans to the right, same as you described above. (this is with new KONI adjustables' just fitted) I'm getting my mechanic to strip it all down this week and  re-measure/adjust. Looks like a common issue with Kings/240Z?