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SWAP: truck w/ 510 Independent Rear Suspension


fisch

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An interesting study, but mostly for looks and to prove it can be done. When you realize that the stock rear end is more than adequate for what it does, then why an IRS? If you stiffen the springs to keep it a functional load carrying truck you would negate most of the IRS advantages anyway.

 

For a lowered and or lightened street, and or show truck, with mild springs, this might have more merit and would be an interesting addition. I do like it though. As I said, an interesting study.

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pretty sweet, but now-a-days, such a swap would be a waste of time. hell, it was then too. you're better off with corvette, Jag, or newer nissan technology. Seems like a lot of work just to give your truck "Datsun Squat" and rear alignment issues.

 

On the other hand 510 rear arms would be easy to bag

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One other thing. The shock absorber works best in the vertical position where it acts upon the most movement. These appear to already be at about a 45 degree angle and a severe 'bump' is going to tilt them almost horizontal where they aren't doing anything and just going along for the ride. I remember reading that the absolute most you should tilt your shocks is 30 degrees or it's a waste of time.

 

 

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/datzenmike/IRSin620.jpg[/img]"]IRSin620.jpg

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Yep, too much shock angle there. I remember putting 300zx rear in my old stepside Chevy Luv (V8 of course) and it rode really smooth when it was done. It's easier to just grab a whole subframe and suspension from a later one and put it under there. Good article though, it looks trick and my kind of tinkering.

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thanks Mike.

 

Alrite. I'll try it.

only my doner car is an 84 200sxt. in a 521

I want air bags instead of coilovers tho. never done any bags so I will need help figuring the setup.

I will try to get started after the holidays.

help with parts list and design is appreciated

peace

tc

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should be cool

I mean really I have nothing to loose. neither are worth anything as they are.

 

hopefully I can cut most of the mounting points out of the car and just fab from there.

are shocks still required with bags?

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I think anyone who has driven a truck knows the feeling of to much unsprung weigh. The semi trailing arms have shitty geometry when lowered drastically. If the rear suspension was set up for the trucks ride height I think it would drive nice. Going from my 620 straight to my 510 is crazy. On top of that the trucks front suspension design is far better than the 510's. I think any IRS is an upgrade from the live axle from a street performance aspect. Maybe its not as good for loads or tires...... Drag racing would also suffer with the IRS suspension, damn IRS having shitty anti-squat.....

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should be cool

 

are shocks still required with bags?

 

yes. to control the rebound of any type of suspension medium (bags, coils, leafs, etc) u NEED shocks to dampen them.

 

btw there are shocks that let u go beyond the 30 degree mounting angle but its always suggested to try to get them as vertical as u can regardless of what shock u use

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...

Just revisiting this thread y'all. So here is my question from a guy who has never as much as replaced a stock shock.

 

Would this setup allow you to lower (real low) the truck on bags or coil overs w/o having to chop up your bed? That way you could have a car like ride and then raise it up when you need to do something practical?

 

I think it is fine and good when folks remove their bed floor or tunnel it or raise it so it is only 5 inched deep, but I would love it if you could get low as hell but still have a stock, un-cut bed.

 

Don't plan on ever loading my truck up with gravel, but would love to be able air up or coil adjust up, to carry a few bags of cement, or perhaps some cinder blocks, or a few sheets of plywood in the back w/o bottoming out either. In other words it doesn't have to be a tough as a construction truck, but can't be useless for the occasional light duty home depot run either. All the while retaining a stock bed.

 

I know, prolly wishful thinking, and either would compromise the other. But a guy can dream right?

 

This is more for the sake of discussion than me running out to buy a 510 rearend. (Like I could find one in new england anyway! I love how in that article it was written in a time you could find 510's littering the scrap yards.)

 

521Lvr are you still thinking about doing it?

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Yeah I tried it. Some what.

I took the rear out of the 521 and the rear craddle out of the 84 200 turbo I had. Sat the truck on it. The 200 craddle was 7" wider wheel to wheel. And that was with stock 5.5 Z wheels. If I put the stock 200 turbo wheels on it, it was like 9" wider than the 521. The entire wheel sticks out of the bed.:eek:

I thought about narrowing the craddle.? But the trailing arms are still too long.

The 510 rear end setup would be the way to go. Can't even find a 510 round here. Let alone 1 to cut up.

I'de still like to see it done tho.

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Fisch: I don't know for sure, but I don't think you'd be able to actually lay out without cutting... you'd have to at least do a C-notch, and depending on the size of the differential you might have to cut a hole in the bed. Talk to Pac, he managed it without too much modification.

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  • 5 months later...

Makes it nice that I finally found a how too on this now that I have decided to just go with a 4 link suspension under my secret project truck when I decide to do it. I was posting on another forum a while back and everyone kept asking me why I wanted to go with an IRS that it would be alot of work involved when a 4 link would offer the same ride and handling with less of a headache and less hardware as well.

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I hear ya! The biggest thing folks seem to run to is the track width on most IRS's are a bit to wide.

 

But there are a couple really good swaps going on right now. One member did a supra IRS and another did a miata. Not on a 620 though but on 520 and a 521 I believe.

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  • 1 month later...
Where did ya get that scan from?

It looks very 70's :cool:

Reminds me of a Petersen book I have called the "Big Book of Datsun" or something like that. V8 swaps into 521's, Z car turned into a sport wagon...

 

I bet the original scan was done by me a few years ago from one of my old mini truck mags. I forget where I posted it but it shows up now and then. If you really need to know which mag and date of the mag I could go look it up.

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I bet the original scan was done by me a few years ago from one of my old mini truck mags. I forget where I posted it but it shows up now and then. If you really need to know which mag and date of the mag I could go look it up.

 

It would be kinda nice if some one could retype the article so we could read it :D

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