Ben's Z

I disassembled my front struts and spindles tonight. In the near future I plan on going with the Toyota 4x4 front calipers. Getting the backing plate phillips screws out was tough on 2 out of the 4 and 1 of those required a bit of heat to work loose. I sort of f'ed up the screws getting them out. Could I just go without the backing plates? Is there a safety issue with this? I don't plan on every driving the car in the rain, unless I get caught out. Thoughts?

I am putting my suspension back together with the energy suspension kit and I am about to install the rear sway bar. I thought I would just use the bushing from the kit but go back with my OE link. Does anyone foresee any problems with doing so? My car will be lowered with Eibachs if that matters.

I have looked at numerous threads on this site and others and just want to make sure I have all my parts before I start on this project. 1) 81-84 Maxima Caliper Brackets Nissan Part # 44155-04S10 a)Will these fit over my stub axles installed or do they need to be installed first? I have an appt. to have all my new seals and bearings installed on the rear so I don't want to do this twice. 2) Which year 280zx caliper do I need? I see all this talk about brakes being different 79-81 and then 82-83. I have an 83 turbo parts car. Can I use these rear calipers? This swap used 79-81 http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?36414-My-260Z-build-%28Brake-upgrades-and-Mods%29&highlight=280zx will my 83 parts car calipers work? Is there a difference between turbo and non turbo calipers? 3) Which year rotors? 4)Swap the e brake cable from left to right and right to left to take up slack? 5) Is the 15/16" Master Cylinder recommended for just the rear disc swap? I may do this now anyhow because I will be putting on the Toyota 4x4 calipers soon. I will take pictures when all done I have repainted most all my rear suspension and I am starting on the front now.

Anyone removed the engine cradle before? I want to take it out to media blast and paint and was wondering how safe that is? Can the engine be supported by the bottom of the oil pan? I was thinking of the engine of the oil pan where it attached to the block.

Any ideas why they did this?

So I got most all my rear chassis parts media blasted and painted. I put most of it back together today: diff, diff mount, mustache bar, "L Brackets", control arms etc etc. Today for the first time I kept looking at those control arms thinking "it looks like I have two lefts or two rights" I had to go back to my before pictures I posted on another thread to look; but it appears from my old photos that the control arm on one side "looks" like it is in upside down,if you put it in the way the other side is the spindle would be way towards the front of the car and vice a versa. I don't have two left or two right control arms do I? I can't imagine the car would have been normal at all like this. I wouldn't think Nissan did this as a cost savings measure because one side of the inner control arm bushing tube is longer than the other.

I will go get the one I rented from O'Reilly's again to put these on. As far as the bump stop, the new bump stop and boot came with a plastic ring that snaps over the bump stop and then the outside of that plastic ring fit in a groove in the rubber boot. The boot also seems awfully tight inside the coil spring.

I thought I saw somewhere that with lowering springs you didn't need a strut spring compressor. I can't get the strut mount to compress enough to get the lock nut started on the strut shaft. Also my new strut boots included these new yellow bumpers. I installed them on the new boots as instructed on the strut boot box but didn't recall seeing any sort of bumper or bump stop when I took the suspension all apart last month. Should this be installed? I thought originally I saw a zip tie holding the boot to the spring cap?

I was looking at rockauto.com. I didn't see any outer rear wheel seals. I am painting all my chassis and wanted to do my bearings and seals while I had it all out. There are outer rear wheel seals right? I am on the road and can't look at my parts right now.

I bought a 83 ZXT today for the engine for my 77. The car has no fuel tank, pump or sending unit. I just need something to pull fuel out of to get running. Can I just wire up a fuel pump and put the supply line and return line in to one of my lawn mower gas tanks for testing purposes? I hate to buy something for the car when it is going to scrap when I am done getting the engine running then pulling it.

$750. The motor is going in the '77. Owner said it does not run, keeping my fingers crossed. Want 250-270rwhp when done.

How would I know if I have original u joints on my half shafts? My u joints have what looks like screws where there should be zerk fittings. They are in fine shape with no slop. I want to media blast my my half shafts, would doing so harm the u joints? They too have surface rust... Same question for media blasting my diff carrier. Would media blasting that harm it in anyway? Oil Seals? If I directed the blast gun away from the seals would that suffice? I scrubbed most of the grease off last night with a screw driver, scouring sponge, brush and simple green. I'd rather paint the carrier with the diff cover on, it appears it was painted after it was assembled at the factory. I intend to duplicate all paint markings I have found on the suspension components and differential. The blast cabinet I am using has glass media if that matters.

Sorry guys, I found them they were in the hardware boxes. Like I said I have never dealt with cartridges before, it is new frontier for me.

They are not used. No way the are in the KYB boxes, wouldn't have fit. I put the new cartridge in the tube and put on the gland nut back on. Arne what do I need to check for, for fit?

I didn't get a gland nut with my KYB's.

Do I reuse that gland nut with my KYB's? I am very much a rookie in the strut cartridge world.

Well I got the gland nut off. I think I mentioned in one of my very first posts that from the original receipts I found from the original owner these were purchased on 2/21/79 for $144 for all 4. I think this is kind of cool!

Spindle pins are out, took me about 90 minutes a side.

Thanks my man. Yeah I know that the brakes are adequate. For me it is more about aesthetics when the day comes I go to the Rota wheel. That is why I don't feel the need to have the stainless lines etc. etc. "Low Budget/High Value" you get what I am saying!

Tried MAPP gas and a hammer with large screw driver, not even close to budging. These things don't look like they rust, why are they so tough? This made my spindle pins seem like a brake pad change. Hopefully when I borrow a pipe wrench that will do it.

Arne I was born in '81 this is all I know. This car is older than me!

Would an air hammer work better? I will try some heat tomorrow too.

Some jagoff used a 1600 ft lbs. torque wrench apparently to put this POS gland nut on this crappy Datsun designed strut tube (heaven forbid you actually you use a real strut instead of this cartridge) assembly. I have big arse set of channel locks and the strut clamped in my vise below the spring perch and this sonofabitch is not turning. Do they make a socket for an air impact to get this nut off? How do you get these off without destroying your tube and spindle? How deep does this thing go in to the tube? My struts I can put by hand in to the tube and they don't pop back out, would it be safe to apply heat? Whoever thought of this at Datsun is a retard.

I have my rear suspension all out of the car and I want to knock out my stub axles to remove my backing plates for a rear disc conversion. At this time I want to replace my wheel bearings and seals. How in the hell do you get those stub axles out? I used my air impart to remove the axle nut, and beat on the stub with my dead blow shot peen hammer last night, and they would not budge. Would PB Blaster loosen them up enough to beat them out? Bigger hammer?

I looked over at HybridZ about the maxima rear caliper brackets for disc brake conversion. Two stickies give two different answers on what years I need. One says 1981-1984 the other says 1985-1988. I cannot find OE salvage yard brackets anywhere, so this requires me to buy new ones. Modern Motorsports sells them for the 240zx brakes but not the 280zx brakes. I want to use 280zx brakes since I am buying a 280zx parts car this weekend. What are my options for brackets? I refuse to buy the ones at Modern, as the cost is way too high for what you get. You don't need all the other crap they are charging you for in the kit, you just need brackets. I would post over at hybrid but that site is so f*cked up it says you cannot start a new topic in the brakes and chassis section.