Total Front End Rebuild (long)
03-21-2012, 07:17 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 903
Total Front End Rebuild (long)
Well, fellow Z people... It was time for me to do something about my front end. Some of you remember when I posted up pics from my rear end shock replacement and urethane bushing install. This go-round, I don't have the space or time to do the front end myself.
I wasn't just going to take the Z to Mieneke or Pep-Boys, I wanted someone who had intimate carnal knowledge of our S130s, liked working on them AND knew what they were doing.
I happened upon this guy when trying to recycle some oil. He said he didn't have his EPA card yet because he was just opening the shop. Well, his "shop" is the famous speed shop behind Lee's Auto Parts here in Alameda, CA. When I asked if he could install the parts I bought and told him that he would be working on a 280zx...he actually smiled. This guy works on all kinds of muscle car projects, and said he would love to work on my Z.
I'll try to make this shorter because I will be posting pics in a few days...
Anyway, I took the car in this past Sunday for the work to get started. I wasn't home 5 minutes when he called and asked me if I could come back to the shop. Usually not a good sign. No exception here.
When I arrived, the car was up on the lift and he gave me the nickel tour. Now, I knew things were bad under there... I just didn't know how bad. My end links had about an inch of play in almost a full circle and you could twist the steering rack up and down as far as your wrist can move. Everything else looked like it had gone through 3 wars and run over a few land mines.
Crap. Decision time. My decision: Let's do this.
The guy sourced an OEM steering rack in one day. The bushings for that rack... not so much. He found one and had to fab up the other. Right now almost everything is installed (KYB GR-2 strut inserts, urethane bushings all around, new end links, and the steering rack.). He also took off a lot of the parts, media blasted and painted them (no charge). Tomorrow, it all gets put back together and taken to another shop to hang out with some racing Porsches to get a 4-wheel alignment by a guy who used to do the 240Zs for BRE.
I pick up the car on Friday. With that, he took pictures of the before, during and after. I will post those as soon as I get 'em. I will also let you in on the proper name of this shop, the phone number, and the man's name. After that, I will have another update with how the car drives and performs.
I wasn't just going to take the Z to Mieneke or Pep-Boys, I wanted someone who had intimate carnal knowledge of our S130s, liked working on them AND knew what they were doing.
I happened upon this guy when trying to recycle some oil. He said he didn't have his EPA card yet because he was just opening the shop. Well, his "shop" is the famous speed shop behind Lee's Auto Parts here in Alameda, CA. When I asked if he could install the parts I bought and told him that he would be working on a 280zx...he actually smiled. This guy works on all kinds of muscle car projects, and said he would love to work on my Z.
I'll try to make this shorter because I will be posting pics in a few days...
Anyway, I took the car in this past Sunday for the work to get started. I wasn't home 5 minutes when he called and asked me if I could come back to the shop. Usually not a good sign. No exception here.
When I arrived, the car was up on the lift and he gave me the nickel tour. Now, I knew things were bad under there... I just didn't know how bad. My end links had about an inch of play in almost a full circle and you could twist the steering rack up and down as far as your wrist can move. Everything else looked like it had gone through 3 wars and run over a few land mines.
Crap. Decision time. My decision: Let's do this.
The guy sourced an OEM steering rack in one day. The bushings for that rack... not so much. He found one and had to fab up the other. Right now almost everything is installed (KYB GR-2 strut inserts, urethane bushings all around, new end links, and the steering rack.). He also took off a lot of the parts, media blasted and painted them (no charge). Tomorrow, it all gets put back together and taken to another shop to hang out with some racing Porsches to get a 4-wheel alignment by a guy who used to do the 240Zs for BRE.
I pick up the car on Friday. With that, he took pictures of the before, during and after. I will post those as soon as I get 'em. I will also let you in on the proper name of this shop, the phone number, and the man's name. After that, I will have another update with how the car drives and performs.
03-21-2012, 09:09 PM
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Monongahela Pennslyvainia
Posts: 520
Lol just wait. . . . . . .my front-end was just over hauled and brought into the 21st century car sticks like glue. . . . . No bullshit I tested "*** pucker" my 80 t top on a clover leaf on ramp pretty tight. . . Anyway 75 my pucker developed and I let off that and was pretty queezy. . . . Now my daily driver is a 2008 subaru WRX. . . . No bullshit 65 tires squeeled and pucker exploded . . . Holy **** moment. . . . Long story short it out runs the awd. . . . Have fun!
03-21-2012, 11:24 PM
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 903
03-23-2012, 08:37 PM
#12
Mr Z++ Wiki
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 2,195
Better take those urethane bushing out of your TC rods before they break on you. You can use one on one side but you need to have at least one stock one to have some give or your TC rod will break. Happened to quite a few people and it can be pretty devestating as you can imagine....
03-23-2012, 08:59 PM
#14
Mr Z++ Wiki
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 2,195
Better take those urethane bushing out of your TC rods before they break on you. You can use one on one side but you need to have at least one stock one to have some give or your TC rod will break. Happened to quite a few people and it can be pretty devestating as you can imagine....
03-24-2012, 12:04 AM
#16
Mr Z++ Wiki
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 2,195
You're messing with fire. Are you going to check the TC rod every time a force is exerted on it and hope you catch the fatigue before it fails? Do you have a portable Magnaflux or x-ray machine to detect the metal fatigue? Do a search on this and other S130 forums on TC rods. Having a TC rod fail can mean complete loss of control of your car and that's potentially at speed. I'm just harping about it because it's a safety thing.
03-24-2012, 05:31 PM
#17
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Alameda, CA
Posts: 903
I'm taking this rebuild slow. After 3 days, going back in the shop and up on the rack. If any of the bolts are starting to back out, the rods are flexing and I will need to do an upgrade. I'm not a newbie and I have done research. Blogs and Z pages are great, especially this one. People on this page have saved my *** more times than I can count. However, talking to people who actually work on cars much more expensive and engineered to a higher degree (and not your everyday shadetree or Mr. Goodwrench mechanic) have deemed this set-up safe for the road. I don't track my z...at least not yet. The car is no where near ready. Everything was taken off, scanned and deemed safe to use with urethane bushings.
Yes, what you see is stock equipment with urethane bushings all around and KYB GR-2 strut inserts, that you can't see because they are...well, inserted. But when your 2nd opinion comes from a mechanic that works pretty much exclusively on Porsche race cars, and his cohort who only does Ferrari suspensions (over 60 years experience between the two), I will be following their opinion to the letter.
I might not have the fastest car on 4 wheels, but I'm not messing around either.
Yes, what you see is stock equipment with urethane bushings all around and KYB GR-2 strut inserts, that you can't see because they are...well, inserted. But when your 2nd opinion comes from a mechanic that works pretty much exclusively on Porsche race cars, and his cohort who only does Ferrari suspensions (over 60 years experience between the two), I will be following their opinion to the letter.
I might not have the fastest car on 4 wheels, but I'm not messing around either.
03-24-2012, 05:42 PM
#18
Mr Z++ Wiki
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 2,195
Yea what would I know being involved with Datsuns for the last 19 years compared to a Porsche race car mechanic who would obviously be an expert on 280ZX suspensions... all those filthy liars posting about how their TC rods failed after putting in urethane bushings. Must be some sort of a conspiracy to sell stock bushings....
03-24-2012, 06:17 PM
#19
Mr Z++ Wiki
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 2,195
Don't read any of these threads! It's full of lies from other Datsun owners trying to sell stock rubber bushings! That was just a quick Google search - I'm sure there are more snake oil/rubber bushing salesmen out there though....
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...ots-of-photos/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...s-for-tc-rods/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...n-rod-snapped/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...n-rod-failure/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...10-tc-rod-faq/
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/s...thane-Bushings
http://dimequarterly.tierranet.com/a...ech_tcrod.html
http://www.datsun510.com/bbmail/2002-2/5725.html
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...ots-of-photos/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...s-for-tc-rods/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...n-rod-snapped/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...n-rod-failure/
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/...10-tc-rod-faq/
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/s...thane-Bushings
http://dimequarterly.tierranet.com/a...ech_tcrod.html
http://www.datsun510.com/bbmail/2002-2/5725.html
03-24-2012, 10:33 PM
#22
Big Poppa
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
Posts: 4,499
I'm kinda with fric frac on this one. They do break easy un announced with ureathane. I am a profession mechanic of 10 years and I specialize in suspension. It's all I do all day everyday at work. I do datsuns at home on the side along with everything else to pay bills. The t3 stuff is very nice and adds piece of mind. Heck I warned my buddy not to do ureathane on his 67 mustang and he snapped that rod just like a datsun. But what do I know
03-25-2012, 12:17 AM
#23
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Monongahela Pennslyvainia
Posts: 520
Hey I would take this warning serious. . . . The gang knows what they are talking about. . . . They don't like breaking things in the front end includeing tires. . . . At 35 mph my tire blew front passenger . . . . Dam steering wheel flung to the right with no control. . . . I got lucky and stopped 45 50 mph I would of nailed a tree. So do what ya like here the front end is something you kinda put your life on the line 
I'm not worried who ever your going smack is going to walk away since these lil soda cans fold up very well so yea just pray its under 40 when it goes other wise they're. Going to have to cut ya out of it I rarely run my t top over 75 and makes me think. . . . . Another blow out. . . . Ball joints tie rods a wheel bearing car is going side ways it flips bring the mop to soak up my brains all over the high way. I hit another car or solid object they're is 4 14 mm bolts holding down the engine so that's going to be in my lap. . . . . Hope this puts it in prosective 
I'm not worried who ever your going smack is going to walk away since these lil soda cans fold up very well so yea just pray its under 40 when it goes other wise they're. Going to have to cut ya out of it I rarely run my t top over 75 and makes me think. . . . . Another blow out. . . . Ball joints tie rods a wheel bearing car is going side ways it flips bring the mop to soak up my brains all over the high way. I hit another car or solid object they're is 4 14 mm bolts holding down the engine so that's going to be in my lap. . . . . Hope this puts it in prosective
04-04-2012, 06:26 PM
#24
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Tacoma, WA
Posts: 332
my tension rod with urethane bushings broke twice, and nothing really went out of control, the first time it happened going 60 down the highway but all it did was make my car veer to the left a little. but it did break in such a way that it might have still kind of worked in one direction.
04-04-2012, 08:40 PM
#25
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Monongahela Pennslyvainia
Posts: 520
Ok then that's cool . . . . Its just front suspension and steering items sheering off ahh who needs them.
whew lol ah I love the lil buggers how ever since I bought my first one had pap and his lil picture book " pennslyvainia state trooper" . . . . . . And he just had to show a 260 he responded to way back in 77 steering wheel broke. Lodged the column in the drivers chest deceased. . . . Car failed to round a bend 65 70 well hit a pole drivers side car folded up and the transmission decapped the passengers head. So with fric your playing with fire. When I do play I check everything down to tire pressure. Kinda like a harley odds are against you in a wreck
whew lol ah I love the lil buggers how ever since I bought my first one had pap and his lil picture book " pennslyvainia state trooper" . . . . . . And he just had to show a 260 he responded to way back in 77 steering wheel broke. Lodged the column in the drivers chest deceased. . . . Car failed to round a bend 65 70 well hit a pole drivers side car folded up and the transmission decapped the passengers head. So with fric your playing with fire. When I do play I check everything down to tire pressure. Kinda like a harley odds are against you in a wreck
