frank280zx

HAHA

i did it using parts from 3 models of z's !! and a 1,5" lowering springs ..

5 lugs and huge brakes .. tommorow ill upload some pictures and write up what i did !!


my camber now is -1 degree .. not what i like however good for now .. a controllable a arm will take this problem away

lww

Way to go Frank! We definitely need a full write-up with pics if you've got 'em.

There's a boat load more Z31 salvage out there to pick parts from...

frank280zx

dont worry i will !!! , tommorow ill bleed the brakes and make some final adjustments to see what it gives, and then ill do the write up .. !!

now haha i have 16" 5 lugs upfront and 15" 4 lugs in the rear

normal car's negative camber is something between 0.5 and 2 degrees. and i would like to be in the 2 degree region to be hounest .. from the size of teh springs a camberplate is not going to do much ( it IS tight as prom night !!)

anyway i might get that to work in a diffrent way ill update tommorow!

icice9

im intrested in this process too.. so will you be doing a Z31 rear suspension swap??

i belive this guy used the rear from a Z31 in his...

frank280zx

i think he he has a r32 rear set up if i can remeber right i have to find teh pictures ..
anyway .. no i wont.. im planning on just using the hubs, or modifie the a arms.. first the front as i needed brakes

SHADY280

all you need in the rear is the z31 axles and rotors and your golden. they slip right in from what ive heard from ross

frank280zx

That is the same i heard.. so i hope it works that way however that will be a next week or moths job.. now i just look funny with diffrent wheels ... lika honda

frank280zx

haha it worked .. im writing up a discription now!



See the diffrence !!!
nex is adding some progressife lowering .. but i had to test first!! well it works !



i know that black goo on the innerfender !! we need that in holland

these will be the wheels on her .. but i have to buy some new lugnuts



So i will be trying these rims first .. they are desinged to cool the brakes from what i have read ...

Anyhow .. next week some camber controll and lowering goodies .. and then the rear ..
If that works
Calliper upgrade!!

SHADY280

did you use the entire 300zx strut assy. on that frank, and are those the 300zx brakes?

frank280zx

Yes it is the entire strut assy, and these are 32cm euro turbo 2+2 brakes

lww

Wow! Those springs are HUGE in that little space! You're right, there's not much room for camber plates...

icice9

how much fab would it be to put the old 280ZX perch and spring assemby on that thing... with the Z31 front breaks on there you can also upgrade to the Z32 4 piston calapers and Z32 rotors... hmmm....

icice9

also did you have to modify the tension rod??? or was it a perfect fit??

frank280zx

well there is no modification whatsoever ... and yes the z32 or R32 swap has crossed my mind

It is all adjusting ( your alignments is off as you have exesive toe in ) so you need to adjust that.. but that is no biggie.


Im going to modify the spring perch with one of a BMW as i have a perfect set of lowerings springs .. and parts are easely avialable here .. or do the 280 swap!, also i have a z32 front strut assy ... and those springs are smaller too.. ( this will be next week.. doing some measuring before that)
My goal was to first see if it even remotly works ..if i would have +5 degrees camber there would be no way in hell it would fit.

Ill keep you updated .. as i want to loose 3" at least And with decent spring rates !

frank280zx

When you use the z31 plates .. no problems ... ( well apart from the fact that your wheels stand like this / \ )
The upper onse are the stock s130's

And i put new boots on the balljoints.. ( not on in the picture it was a test fit)

frank280zx

sorry THE LOWER ONE is s130 ..

PooFlinginMonke

Which year parts were used.

I ask this because the z31 changed most of what is being used in 1987 such as different length control arms.......etc.

icice9

any progress on this mod????

frank280zx

No im still working on it at this point but have had not much time for it this weekend

rxKaffee

Whats the advantage of doing this swap? Just the 5-lug perks of wheels and brake upgrades? Does it add anything to suspension quality? maby more choice of front coilovers??

frank280zx

Advantage:
* 32CM brakes to 21 on 4 lug.
* Bolt on GTR 4 pod calipers.
* More wheel choice as 5x114.3 is much wider available then 4x114.3
* Studier strut ( it is thinker than the 280zx strut)


But the main reason is BRAKES!!!! the stock brakes just dont cut it.. even on zandvoort they fade .. on the Nurenbergring .. well forget it!

I have reinstalled them with diffrent perches springs and camberpaltes.. an dit sits perfect now !!
now for the testing and last adjustments and fixating of parts... and ill post some more pics

icice9

it should also improve adjustments to camber and toe.. the 280ZX is prolly the worst Z to try to adjust the rear camber.... anyone with a lowered 280Zx knows what im talking about... im getting pretty tired of having to replace my expensive tires every 1 and a half years....

frank280zx

In a way yeah, but i have my camber set pretty drasticly anyway and i have intermediates on there ( rally slicks with a road legal stamp) My ideal settings would be 4 tot 5 degrees front and 3 in the rear .. the car sticks to the road like glue when you do that !

jmmorriso

Specifically what year(s) 300zx do I need to rob parts off of? I have heard 87 to 89 front struts, or 86 turbo struts. Will the shorter steering arms work on the 280? And you are using the 280zx upper mount? what about brake hoses? I have also heard that the 4pot calipers do not fit the z31 front struts directly. I guess I should just pilage the junkyards and keep bolting stuff together until i figure it out

rxKaffee

Yes, a full parts list with year model ranges would be AWESOME! I'd have to send you kegs and girls and kegs and etc... if you could hook us up like that :-D