Front suspension renew and adjustment

[BDJeff]

I've gone thru and replaced all of the "soft goods" pieces of my front suspension ('71 Series II) and have finally got it all reassembled.  I should have bought L & R stamps and stamped everything as I took it off because, ultimately, I got it all mixed up but finally sorted in the end.  All back together now but a couple of questions.

The compression rods that locate the transverse link have tightened up at different locations. The left side is even with the nut, the right side is about a half inch further out.  I measured the distance between the lower control arm and the frame mount on each side and it's the same.  Is it possible the rods are two different lengths?  I forgot to check and it's too much work to pull them off and check.  Could it be something else I may have missed?  Second, when I torqued up the big bolt that secures the transvers link, I noticed the bushing no longer moves.  DUh!  So the suspension movement is only the flexing of the inner rubber.  So when I torqued the bolt, I first jacked the suspension up to it's normal operating point so the rubber in the bushing is sort of splitting the difference between operating position and assembly position.  Does this sound right?

 

Edited April 6, 2019 by BDJeff
Pushed wrong button

[Zed Head]

1 hour ago, BDJeff said:

The compression rods that locate the transverse link have tightened up at different locations. The left side is even with the nut, the right side is about a half inch further out.  I measured the distance between the lower control arm and the frame mount on each side and it's the same.  Is it possible the rods are two different lengths?  I forgot to check and it's too much work to pull them off and check. 

Could it be something else I may have missed?  Second, when I torqued up the big bolt that secures the transvers link, I noticed the bushing no longer moves.  DUh!  So the suspension movement is only the flexing of the inner rubber.

Left and right should be the same length.  carpartsmanual only shows one part number so no changes there.  Looks like you got a bushing jammed up or something.  The second one is correct, I have mine double-nutted.  There's room.  So you can focus on the other one.

http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/axle/front-suspension

With stock bushings what you're seeing is correct.  That's why final tightening is done with the car's weight on the suspension.  It's in the FSM.

[gnosez]

Might I suggest that the outer tie rod be inverted as in the picture it is upside down.

[BDJeff]

On ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:36 AM, gnosez said:

Might I suggest that the outer tie rod be inverted as in the picture it is upside down.

Yes, thank you.  I figured that out when I started to assemble that part.

Everything went back together with no further problems, I think I was over thinking the compression rods.

But OK, so what's going on here?  I replaced the original struts with Tokico Illumina adjustable struts, I found their recommendation here on this forum.  I think I got the last two available.  But now the ride height is a couple of inches too high and the tires angle in at the bottom.  It appears the shocks are too long and have jacked up the suspension to a much higher point.  I didn't compare the old vs. new, do the Illumina's come in different lengths?  Or have I cleverly installed something upside down?

[BDJeff]

I checked with the folks where I bought these and apparently, even though these are gas shocks, the ride height shouldn't be affected.  So the only other thing that would make this kind of difference is the springs.  Can they be installed wrong?  Is there an up or down orientation and does that make a difference?

[S30Driver]

 

On the end of the illumina box, does it have part number BZ3015.    BZ3016 is for the rear. 

This is the correct Tokico front strut part number.

[BDJeff]

Yes, I have the box here in my hand.  Definitely BZ3015.  Good idea though.  Anything else?

[Terrapin Z]

The lowering springs from Tokico are different front to rear as well. Some peeps have put them on the wrong ends of the car before. 

As I remember the springs have a number 50XX and a F for front, or R for rear on the coils. make sure you have these on the correct ends of the car, front to rear.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Terrapin Z

[BDJeff]

Still running the stock springs.  Is that a problem?  Should I have changed the springs and struts at the same time?

[Patcon]

Has the car been moved enough to settle the suspension? When you first set them down they tend to sit like this

[Terrapin Z]

Good point Patcon, The last pic does look toe'd in like it was not settled. Might be the pic angle?

 

The parts manual shows a different stock front springs for manual or automatic, with or without A/C, and even right to left, by part number.

The stock rear part numbers are different from both of the fronts, and had only 2 seater and 2+2 options  (plus an optional heavier weight spring)

 

Edited April 11, 2019 by Terrapin Z

[BDJeff]

I drove it around the block after I put it all together.  Probably about 1 mile. with a couple of bumps  That surely should have been far enough to settle the suspension.  All rubber soft goods, no polyurethane so it should settle in pretty quickly.  I guess my question is are the Tokico struts a direct replacement (I've not measured the lengthe difference, if any) or should I have done something else when I changed the struts?  Is the Tokico a direct change out?