PLEASE HELP......

[ANDREW5373]

ok so i have a 1980 210(b310)..and i just pulled out the rear springs to cut them(..i know its not the best way!) but now im in need to find a rear shock with a shorter comressed lengh that is easily found at a auto parts store as mine oem shocks are all special order...saw that possibly the mazda rx7 rear shocks might work...any ideas i need a shock with at least a 2 inch shorter compressed length....thats my main concern and if some one could advise me what is intailed with pulling my front struts to cut the spings up front....thank you...why im in a rush is cause my wife gives me one day only to work on my datsun...FML!!! :) thanks for looking

[ANDREW5373]

ha...thanks for anyone that looked...took me alot of diging but i found that like 1989-2002 camaro rear shocks fit the 1980 datsun 210(b310) the only issue i had was the lower shock mount bushing on the camaro shock was a little to wide and i mean ever so slightly i just finagled it in there...the comressed length of the oem shock was like 14 inches and the compressed length of the camaro shock is around 11...huge diffrence..i cut two coils off and put shorter shocks on and to top it off it only cost me $15 total plus 30 for the grinding wheel..easy...it sits close to 4-6 inches lower now..sry did not messure before hand..

[ANDREW5373]

now for front....im dreadding it

[datzenmike]

Remove caliper and tie up out of the way.

 

You probably have to remove the sway bar link usually to allow the control arm (LCA) to be pushed down enough to get the strut out. Certainly having both wheels off the ground also helps by letting the LCAs droop down.

 

You may have to remove the tension rod bolts to the LCA to also allow more downward travel of the LCA to get the strut out. The tension rod is the bar pointing inward slightly and bolted to the front end by the front bumper.

 

Undo/remove the two bolts that hold the steering knuckle arm to the bottom of the strut tube.

 

Pry down on the LCA and allow the strut to extend down and outward and hang there.

 

Now under the hood, remove the three mounting bolts on the strut tower and the strut should drop out.

 

 

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES remove the large nut in the top center of the removed strut just yet. The spring is compressed and very powerful and  must be compressed and held to make it's removal safe. You can rent coil spring compressors.

 

 

 

Note: Removing two coils from the rear is maybe extreme. Any metal removed from the coil increases the spring rate, effectively making the spring, and the ride, stiffer. Unfortunately once removed it can't be replaced. It may be all right like that but better to remove less twice than too much once. The same goes for the front strut coil. I worked out my 710 front coil rate and it's just over 100 pounds per inch and this agrees closely with the manual. Removing one coil increased the rate by 50% and I left it there.

 

Also removing a front coil from a stock strut will stiffen but may not lower it. I trimmed the stock spring perch below the spring off, ground away the weld and installed everything but with an adjustable split collar to support the under side of the now loose spring perch. I have what I did on my build thread. http://community.ratsun.net/topic/24412-my-76-710-goon/page-5 It costs only what the 2" split collars cost me, about $25.

 

Just like the too long rear shock.... there is a limit to how low you can drop the front or you risk bottoming out the strut and damaging the valving inside. 2-3" is probably safe maybe a bit more if the spring rate is proportionally increased to resist travel..