510 front strut id help

[Stitebunny]

Hey guys,

My 510 wagon has these front struts on it. I'm trying to figure out what they are. As well as the spring rate. I can't see any marks on the struts or the springs.

The aluminum and wood spacers, yes, wood spacer, are sitting in the bottom of the strut tube. Why? I guess the insert is too short? I don't know. I'm hoping you guys can help me. Part of the reason I want to know what they are is so I can get proper inserts if there are some, and to know what spring rate I have, as well as to get some new rubber spring pads if I can. They are bent, creased, torn etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hobbes_the_cat]

Those are probably 280zx inserts in a stock 510 strut tube. Stock 510 length inserts are very hard to find so lots of guys make spacers just like that to fit shorter ones.

[banzai510(hainz)]

that so cann wood spacer might be fine.

Was it clunking???????if not I would reuse the spacers. Maybe its a formica of some short

 

You need to x ref the part number to see what they cam from . Most are the short 280zx cartridges as the 510s had 3 sizes and most are not avalible anymore.

 

classicgarage.com might have koni inserts but its been awhile since i been on that site.

 

 

The rubber spring pads?????? You mean on top of strut? I think people cut those to get the car lower also.So it more like a coil over set up(tophat)

[datzenmike]

Very roughly I worked out the spring rate. Its about 137 pounds per inch. A more accurate number can be given if you accurately measure the wire thickness for me. Looks like 3/8" or 0'375" but hard to read the tape measure due to parallax. The width center to center across the coil is 3"? ...And a better side picture of the coil would help

[Stitebunny]

Thanks for info. I will try and get some more measurements and pictures when time allows. They are back on the car now.

[72dyme]

So you could cut the rubber piece on the top hat. Is there any drawbacks.

[joek]

The post is a few months old but maybe I can help someone. Spring rate is the pressure in lbs. it takes to compress a spring 1 inch. I use a drill press and racecar scales to check spring rates.

Just use any scale, bathroom scale or a digital racecar scale, put in drill press then compress the spring about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch and write down the reading,then compress 1 more inch and read the scale, the difference is the spring rate.

[its_karl]

springs themselves look like Tein green to me...