I'm converting a 280ZX to a convertible with a new LS1 engine. With to much work already done, I'm now disappionted with choices I'm finding for the suspension and brake upgrades. I also don't like the angled trailing arm rear suspension.

Has anyone ever converted to the Z rear suspension to a ZX or any other good ideas?

 

Thus the reason few people convert the 280zx to a V8. Lots of issues. But I'll save the lecture since you're already doing it.

Since you are going all out with the body and motor, it's only suiting to go with some quality coil overs. MM (Modern Motorsport) has a good setup. You can also use Toyota 4piston calipers & bigger rotors as long as you upgrade to a bigger wheel (or + offset).

EDIT... oh, and see your other thread about the same question: https://www.zdriver.com/forums/280zx-brakes-wheels-suspension-chassis-81/would-old-z-rear-suspension-improve-zx-25354/

 

I would, personally, if you'r going all out with the motor and body like that convert to 5 lug, it's pretty easy, just get the whole rear end (diff, CV axles, hubs, brakes, etc.) and the front spring/shock assembly off of the front of the 300ZX.

Doing that gives you not only better wheel options, but also more brake options (Z32 brakes are nearly a bolt-on![and then you have EVEN MORE options as far as Z32 brakes go, with big brake kits, multi-piston calipers, etc.]).

Oh, and then you could get some 240SX coilovers, and either drill a hole in the upper support on the rear shock mounts, or make some adaptors to fit the 2-bolt style 240SX coilovers to the 280ZX 3-bolt style mounts.

On the fronts, use the 240SX coilovers again, but cut the strut tube off to about 5mm left, and weld on a collar that a company sells (can't think of their name right now) and thread the coilovers into them and VOILA! a track worthy 280ZX!

 

^^^ Ah yeah... I forgot all about the S13 / S14 / Z32 rear end conversions...

(Courtesy of ICICE9's Cardomain page: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/336708/6)

 

I wanna do that to my Z someday

 

arizona zcar has 13" brakes as well as modern-motorsports. the trailing arm isnt that bad unless your lowering it lots, then you can build in camber adjustments into the rear x-member and re-drill the front a-arm piviot. you can get full coils at modern as well. very good setup. camber plates can be bought for the front from technotoytuning and installed easily

 

Not really, it's just an expensive version of the ground control coilovers, which are just more expensive versions of the other crap you can get on Ebay... To me, a coilover means the spring comes with the shock setup and the whole thing is threaded, allowing for ride-height adjustment without compromising suspension travel, but to each their own, I guess...

 

If you haven't learned your lesson yet, you will someday... when you do it the cheap way, it's going to come back and bite ya in the @$$.

Why skimp on one of the most important parts of the car to save a few bucks? If you can't afford the real thing, don't do it.

 

Yeah Ian listen to what the Nismo has to say...

 

Skittle! Welcome back! I haven't seen you post in months!!!

< and... back on topic >

 

lol you're lucky Nismo :P (haha jk)

So yea, but if you're going to not cheap out, why get the crappy Ground Controls or whatever when you can get the REAL thing (240SX coilovers welded to the base of the spindle thing) with actual height adjustments? Of course, maybe I just overthink things because I want to be like undriveably low and bottom out all the time, idk... :P

Also Nismo, wouldn't you want LESS offset to fit bigger brake calipers? (Less offset=bigger lip/less wheel behind the mounting surface of the wheel)

 

Yeah I know I've been busy over on Zcar I'm one of the few that have MS on there so I get alot of questions. Plus I can access that one at work

 

Thanks for all the advice. I don't know which way to go yet but y'all have given me a lot more to consider.

ArizonaZcar had me really down. Then I couldn't get back online to get your answers.

I'm getting the car back in hand tomorrow to really get down to working it out.

Thanks

 

How much are you willing to spend on suspension upgrades? That will narrow down your options.

 

Not to say money is no object but at this point I'm not tying to cut corners.

What may make the decision is what can be used without changing strut towers. I really can't do anything that changes sheet metal now without going to far backwards.

At the same time, I have reinforced the frame rails all the way back so that I can weld anything to them.

I want big brakes, good handling and stay inside a 16" rim. Rear fenders are flared ready for 10" or wider.

Which will give me the best and still fit?

 

There's a thread on HBZ that has a lot of options for S130 brakes. I don't have that link handy, but the S30 brake options thread has it somewhere (17 pages... I don't have time to read them right now. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=104735 ).

If you get the right wheel combo, you can either go w/ Toyota 4piston, or Z32 piston calipers. The Toyota ones bolt right up, and you just need wheels that will fit. The Z32's allow for MUCH bigger rotors, but you gotta fab a crazy bracket to mount them. I have more info @ home that I will post tonight.


You have that backwards. If you have less offset, there will be MORE of the wheel towards the hub (inside), than towards the outside, which really doesn't matter anyway because what would matter in that case is how WIDE the actual wheel is. You can either get hub spacers / adapters, or different wheels that will allow the wide *** 4 piston caliper.

 

Sometimes dense but this time, uneducated. The pictures of the rear suspension you posted are from what car?

 

S13 / S14 = 240sx
Z32 = 90-96 300zx

 

Here's a Z32 caliper / rotor setup on a 280zx strut (from the S130 brake upgrade thread somewhere on HBZ).

 

moderns fit inside a 16" rim, just. he also has a 5 lug setup that allows any wheel to be used without spacers. he used to run 16" 3rd gen rx7 rims on his s130. very light rim, plus it looks good on the s130. the toyota brakes dont bolt to the s130 strut i thought. just the s30. i got a set of the sw12 calipers and ended up disapointed.

 

^^^ The S12W calipers are for use w/ the Z31 larger (and wider) vented rotor.

Supposedly the S12 and the S12+8 from the 79-85 Toyota's are meant for the solid rotor setup which is the same thickness as the 280zx vented. Someday when I have time I will mock up a 4piston setup on a 280zx strut.

In the mean time, here's two rockin 280zx front brake upgrades:

(from those 2 prev pics) http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.p...ic,2546.0.html

(setup #3) http://www.outlawbrakes.com/brakes.html

EDIT...

Just a side note, in doing all my brake research I've come to find out that building a performance brake setup can be quite complex. Since we're dealing w/ rotating force, and the rules of torque, the larger the rotor, the more torque applied to the wheel. It's like sticking your finger in the spokes of a bike tire at the hub vs your finger on the outside edge of the tire...

 

So that's why the positive offset wheels have hardly any lip at all while the negative offset wheels have big lips?

I would think that if the 4 piston calipers hit the wheels at the spokes that almost no matter what you would have to run spacers...?

 

Tire Rack seems to think otherwise.
http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/rim-of...-is-rim-offset

 

Did I miss something? I think you mis-interpreted my explanation. This is Tire Rack's explanation from that link:


If that weren't true, Honda 4 lug wheels wouldn't have about +40 offsets.

 

Ah... I get what you mean now.

Indeed my explanation makes it sound like I was explaining it exactly opposite.