What did all new bushings do for your ride?

[Wade Nelson]

My recently acquired 1980 ZX is definitely in need of bushings through and through. Every piece of rubber is either rotten or gone.

Right now the thing SEEMS to lean into a corner until something finally gets a grip or hooks up at which point it JERKS the car toward the inside of the turn. Takes a lot of finesse' with the steering wheel not to switch lanes or end up in the ditch.

or maybe the rear end is winding up and finally grabbing... saw some post about rear bushing being a rite of passage for Z owners...

Really feels like my new ride is trying to kill me.

On a recent trip through Northern Arizona (Salt River Canyon, and Beeline Highway to Payson) I had pickup trucks passing me in turns. Rather embarrassing.

And yes, I know how to drive. In my turbo-MR2 I'd be leaving those boys in the dust. It's lower, too.

When you got all done installing all those urethane bushings, what was the result? A greatly improved ride?

[Pop's Z]

Hi Wade, Your ride will be much firmer with urethane bushings. They will take all the slop out of your suspension. However, the down side is your ride will be more solid or even harsh which some find annoying. You will feel most of the road surface in your butt. They can also get squeaky when they need more grease. A new set of rubber bushings will put your ride back to stock. A new set of strut cartridges will also help your car reach the potential for which it was built...ie: to go around corners fast. Also I've heard that 280ZXs can have a butt sag the new springs can help. You can even get some that lower your car about an inch. You will be spending money, but doing the work yourself will help with the costs and you learn your car...oh yeah, I forgot the sway bars. Flat cornering is fast cornering. Consider doing a complete suspension upgrade. Costs less in the long run and those pickups? They won't see anything but your tail lights, and that not for long.

Good luck, and have fun.

Cheers, Mike

[GreenZZZ]

Since you are racing, you'll probably like the polyurethane. Z's handle great when all the rubber is fresh and you put an RT diff mount in. I suspect your control arms are moving too much. The outer rear control arm bushings on 240Z's are a PITA because of the dreaded pin that needs to be pulled. I went with stock bushings which makes the mustache bar replacement a pain. The transmission mount bushings (I used poly there) made a big difference on my car.

If you have the suspension that broken down, you'll want springs/RT/shocks/sway bars done at the same time like Mike suggests.

[Wade Nelson]

By a "complete suspension upgrade" I take it you mean:

KYB struts, Eibach springs. Poly bushings, MSA sway bars and strut bars???

What are these, fatter & stiffer sway & strut bars?

[Zed Head]

The ZX body and suspension is quite a bit different from the Z. Bushing comments about a Z probably aren't especially relevant to the ZX. It's a totally different car.

[cygnusx1]

There is definitely no differential mount problem in the ZX. Nissan addressed the differential mount issues that plagued the Z. I would definitely recommend poly in the ZX suspension, along with springs and struts, as it's a "softer" riding car than the Z, to begin with. That is, if you are after sports car handling.

[ZCurves]

Wade,

I too believe that Poly Suspension bushings will serve you well. I have them throughout my '78 model and love the tight feel. Make sure to take the silicone lube that comes with the kit and mix with anti-seize to coat the mating surfaces when installing - this will ensure a squeak-free experience.

Be aware of the 'ZX Squat' on acceleration! Many moons ago, when I had a '79 ZX and an '81 Turbo ZX, I had new rubber everywhere and the KYB struts installed, but the ZX's still would squat on acceleration. I finally had some custom springs made that had the same free-length, but 20% more compression - this way I got rid of the squat and maintained proper ride height. So, If you are considering springs/struts, choose a combination that would eliminate the squat and not merely lower the car.