Is this rear suspension part bent?

[rscottm]

This is the rear-most cross member that secures the back bushings of the rear control arms on my 240. Is this part supposed to be curved or is mine just bent? It looks like it might have been curved from the factory to clear the differential's drain plug, but it looks even too pronounced for that purpose and even has a kink in it. Maybe someone tried to pull the car by this piece. I can straighten it somewhat, but want to know if it is supposed to be totally straight.

[Zed Head]

Show a picture of your differential housing, from the back. Maybe someone hacked an R200 in there.

I don't have a 240 but that looks abnormal to me.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Zed Head

[cygnusx1]

Yes it's bent.

Does this photo of a mid 1972 help?

Edited January 6, 2011 by cygnusx1

[jfa.series1]

Definitely a bent suspension part and big time impact to your alignment. Here are a couple of shots from my resto project. The "before" image shows the part very clearly with no LCA attached. The "after" image is a bit busy but the part is visible.

Hope this helps.

Jim

[cygnusx1]

Is your 240Z an early model? Wasn't there a change in differential position in the later years? Mine is a 72 and has a curved support. Yours looks like it is supposed to be straight. Maybe someone tried to use an early straight bar on a later car and "made" it fit with a hammer.

[rscottm]

cygnusx1,

Your photo shows that yours is curved. Mine is too. It definitely has a "factory-looking" curved lip to give it strength. I now just think it also took a hit or something that put a small kink in it.

I have seen photos of both straight and curved ones. I am thinking that maybe someone swapped in a R200 and changed to the curved piece. I am almost positive this car was auto-crossed as I found old race papers in the car and the car has Suspension Techniques springs, Tokico struts (fronts are adjustable), Weber conversion, engine from a 260, no emissions, header, 15" wheels, and who knows what else... It does not have a rear sway bar, but it could just be missing as this car was an absolute mess when I got it.

What else can I look at to determine if it is a R180 or R200? I think this car is a fairly early model '71, but I will check tonight. I will also put up a photo of the diff.

[brownclee]

The bushing saddles are not parallel and the weld nuts are not in a straight line. There is doubt that it's bent. You should also check to see if this caused any damage to the mating components.

[240znz]

That's one hell of a good impact. Time to find a new one.

[rscottm]

After looking at it again and the diff, it does look like it is straight model that is quite bent - possibly from someone pulling the car backwards by it. No other parts are bent. It looks like the distance between the saddles is about 1/4"-3/8" less than those on the front diff mount.

Here are two photos of the diff that someone had asked about to see if it was a later model '71 that would have had the curved link. The production # is 33383 so I guess it was built in early '71.

[cygnusx1]

That is a serious amount of rear toe-out! Did you drive it like that? You need a new bar, and check the verticals that attach to that part too. They may be leaning inwards at the bottom. I think they should be perfectly vertical if not bent.

I don't know what months/years had the curved bar versus the straight one. Microfiche with part numbers, or the voice of experience would help here.

Edited January 6, 2011 by cygnusx1

[LeonV]

That's an R200 diff, not standard for the 240Z. You need a curved transverse link mount. Looks to me like the PO did a bit of work on the original link mount to make the R200 fit.

[Zed Head]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that that is not an R200. Maybe the grease and grime is obscuring the view.

Here is a picture of mine, from a 76 280Z manual. Bigger and bulkier with a more rounded shape, fill plug is more offset and so is the breather vent.

There is a big difference between cygnusx1's curved cross-brace with transverse link caps and rscottm's combined cap and cross-brace. I assume that rscottm has the early forward-mounted diff, with the potential vibration issues?

I'm a 280 guy for now so can't really speak to how the 240s are supposed to look.