SandW

Ok, I bought this really good running stock 96 N/A 2+2 for a good price knowing this would be a $1500 or more piece of the repair action for it. I've got these issues (NOTE: has 184,000 miles on the chassis and I'm assuming none of the suspension parts have ever been replaced from the looks of them and how it drives)
1. Severe inner tire wear on the front and maybe back tires (not sure if all 4 because not sure if tires were swapped front to back by previous owner)

2. Pulls/drifts to left when driving over 20mph (DOES NOT get worse with braking, so I concluded not a bad brake caliper, etc). Does not get worse as I gain speed--stays pretty consistant.

3. Really hard/ride--like I'm riding in a go-cart.

4. When hitting bumps of any size it swerves or grabs in either direction as if the wheels just woke up from a nap

Took it to a shop to see what they said about the issues--specifically the inner tire wear. Manager told me it couldn't be aligned until the tie-rods were replaced due to worn-out. He shook the tires and showed me the play in each front tire. He also said the struts looked old/worn out and could be contributing to the ride issue and also the springs.

He didn't mention bushings or anything on the rear.

I don't plan on racing or tracking it so I know even though I could put a sway bar on their I really don't think I'll get much use out of it. So unless there are other benefits I'm not seeing with it I'd rather not go there.

Questions:
1. Are there front and rear struts or struts on the front, shocks on the rear?

2. Coil springs on front and rear or only front?

3. What are all the parts that could be, and mostly likely are contributing to my problems?

4. What economic parts would you use and from where? The shop said they'd use my specialty parts if I wanted to bring them in but I don't know what parts to pick and if extra hardware would be needed specific to those parts. I don't want to go overboard with cost but I want it done good at the same time.

5. How difficult is this stuff to replace---could I do it at home with common tools? I know in theory the stuff is simple but everytime I crack into a car project I promise it seems to go weird with complications! About the most I've done on cars is replace brake pads/shoes, rotors, spark plugs, cap/rotor, and electronic tinkering. Never pulled major suspension parts and I don't have any air-powered wrenches to break free rusty/seized parts.

What I really want to avoid is paying someone a lot of labor costs to do just half the job and when something else could be have been replaced to make the ride better while the suspension was apart.

thanks!

snwbrderphat540

1) tire wear....its the knuckle joints...they are old and bent in so the car has un adjustable camber on it right now....you basically can do it the cheap and dangerous way and find soemone with a frame puller and straighten them (not recomended) or buy a new one.
2)all cars will slowly drift...but your is most likely an alignment issue that if the steering wheel is HELD straight and the car goes straight...you probly shouldnt worry about it
3)hard ride...could be from upgraded suspension mixed with teh low pr tires (they are struts and coil springs rear and front) or the shocks could be blown...
4)the hitting good dips and the steering wheel feel is just positive feedback...thats how the Z's are.....bottom line, mine did it...others that i drove did it...even the older ones.....so...live with it....

so replace the struts and knuckle joint.upper tie rod w/e that assembly all is that holds camber....and its all hard to change....expect it to be a couple days....but if you have changed struts on any other car this one isnt much different...not to hard, i would have help though....and it can get expensive

SandW

So the knuckle joints hold the camber right, and when folks suggest to put adjustable camber parts on it what are they talking about--a whole new knuckle joint assembly with adjustable parts?

Are you using struts and shocks interchangably when you said shocks?

So the steering is normally really sensitive on Zs? I mean it feels like one tire wants to go one way and the other tire wants to argue or is indecisive. Have you hydroplaned and came out of it? Know that weird slippery feel it gives--that's how my steering response feels except kinda jerky instead of slow/gradual.

b300z

have you not inspected your Z yet to know what kind of suspension it has?


it is not normal for a car to drift

i would reccomend some new shocks, springs, tension rods, and tires
heres the suspension tidbits you should replace
http://www.courtesyparts.com/z32/oe_shock-front_na.html
http://www.courtesyparts.com/z32/oe_shock-rear_na.html
as far as shocks, springs, and tension rods...shop around

it could be a pretty tough job to replace all that stuff. some tearing apart and could be very time consuming. heres some write ups
http://www.ttzd.com/tech/tensionrodstech.html
http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg...&msg_id=941241

snwbrderphat540

a car will drift if the roads arent perfectly even...

js9krcr01040

I dont have "drift" issues but pulling to one side, bad. Wide tires do that. Find a groove in the road and go there.

Is the car lowered. I didnt see anything about that in the original post. A lowered car without the adjustable camber kit will also cause the inside of the tires to be worn out quicker due to an abundance of negative camber.

SandW

Car is all stock and setup other than the 17" rims and 235/45 R17 tires. They're not really wide, in fact I don't think any wider than the stock sizes when I compared them side by side.

Are you folks using shocks and struts interchangably? Aren't they different technology?

SandW

hmmmm, no. I knew it had 4 wheels and all the usual looking stuff was there when I crawled up underneath it for a pre-buy inspection. I don't have much experience with suspension stuff (or fixing major stuff on cars in general).

snwbrderphat540

well if you dont see leaf springs it must have coil springs.....and shocks and struts are the same i thought...

SandW

yeah it must be coils as has been mentioned because I don't recall a coil spring like the old vettes have across the back.

I'm not sure what the difference is between shocks and struts--will look it up online.

b300z

haha then the road needs to be replaced


the early 90s vettes were inferior to the Z32 anywayz

snwbrderphat540

haha...the local roads here are finally being replaced....you could see a good 4 inch dip in the tire lines on soem roads here....nuts as ****.....and yeah f the c4 vettes.....

SandW

What I hate about the learning process of a new type of car is relying on paid mechanics that can't seem to agree on 3/4 of the issue. I'm glad I have you folks with no $ agenda to chat with.

I've taken it to 3 shops and won't waste my time anymore until I'm ready to put stuff on.

***Which reminds me, if anyone wants to install 4 struts and springs (which I'll supply) and show me how it's done (me looking over shouder only) please speak up! I live in the Chicagoland area. I'll pay you what one shop told me they'd charge for the labor of $200 and maybe more. I'd rather pay a hobbiest and have no warranty on labor than pay a shop that will probably scratch up my paint, leave it filthy inside and out, and gouge my rims in the process!*** Does that irritate anyone else when they do that and seem to care less (the shops probably don't even notice)???

Here is summary of what I was told by the 3 shops of what was causing my out of spec camber/alignment issue and how they differ:

1. Alignment/tire and wheel shop: bad outer tie rods, total cost with parts: $400

2. Specialty shop: bad upper control arms, bad shocks and struts, said outer tie rods looked fine (not new, but certainly within op specs) total cost with parts $1200

3. Another all purpose shop: just struts are bad and should fix camber issue and will allow proper alignment. According to them and a parts store I consulted with the springs rarely go bad unless heavy/abused 4X4/work type vehicle. Total cost just labor (recommended I get Eibach struts and bring in) $200
_________________
Tech Q 1. What does the upper control arm really do with these Zs and how can I diagnose them as really being bad? I went to a parts store and one rep, after looking at the Nissan provided diagram (and showing me) said my 300ZX doesn't really have an "upper control arm" but several seperate members that he thought the shop might be referring to but wasn't sure.

Tech Q 2. Also, anyone actually measured their springs to see if they are sagging? I'd like to do this and rule out/in my springs conditions.

snwbrderphat540

I would replace them....wiht the help of my expert mechanic dad....but, i dont know how that would fly with the space, plus we encountedred a problem with the bump stops supplied for the rears, the rear just bottomed out when you pushed on it, they were the wrong size had to go get soem oem bump stops orderd.....umm...i dotn know any one else in the chicago area that would do it....and seeing as hwo its just a garage if we did replace the springs and struts finding the time, getting spring compressors and....know what...nvm. our jack stands are being used by the 280 so thats outta the question......umm....ok ok, beofre you start going to mechanics about your Z dude, just take the trip to stream wood and go to ultimate Z....great place, i know for struts and springs now big most are all the same process on cars. if you have jack stands i can still do it though.....MABYE.....lol

edit: for 200 bucks ill look for jack stands myself from buddies....and i doubt your springs are bad....most likely just the struts....but umm, im not a profesional....in internet diagnosis. changed struts before on all our cars and my Z, isnt hard jsut timely....you will need to provide spring compressors...autozone or pepboys or murrys should all have tehm for rent, you put down a deposit on them when you return them i believe you get ALL your money back...its like 60 bucks though....murrys gave me all my money back at least....

double edit: any place should be able to align your car with the rims, BUT the real reason i brought this edit...do your rims have the key lug nuts on them? you know where you need a special socket for one lug per rim or even all...mine did, and you NEED the key....just wondering....

91zxtt

^^ You're off your rocker if you think his coil springs are fine after 184k miles. The springs are worn out and are sagging; which is partially causing the tire wear. Bent knuckle joints? I think,...you mean that the front upper and lower control arm bushings are likely shot; which is likely another cause of the excessive tire wear. I highy doubt that they're bent....the handling of the car would be far worse if it was bent. Upgrading to adjustable control arms is the best way to go, but I doubt anything is bent.

Once all of the shocks and springs are replaced, it will need an alignment.

snwbrderphat540

woah....184k? i mustve skipped that....and yeah sorry about knuckle joint....i was lazy and didnt feel like thinking. plus i think whats what some D-bag said to me at this wheel alignment place said so it clicked in my head...