1984 Datsun Maxima 910 Project.

[_UNKNOWN]

We gotta chill once you get the inserts!!! The bumper looks so rad lol I like my park bench though great for sitting ha.

 

Rear if it's metal will be like my Rawlla bumper choppin' 7 metal blades and no arm hair/burnt later but for that G effect!!!

[captaingamez]

Hahaha, Whatup mang!!

[_UNKNOWN]

Don't ever log your accounts out before surgery TEH drugs will make you forget emails and passwords or worst yet your emails password!!! Bahahahaha

 

The C-P-Ts Maxima and mine lurching DA strrrrreeeets of PHX.

[DatsunMotorSports]

Here is one Cap...

http://ozdat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=20283

 

A not so great way of doing it..

http://aussiebluebirds.com/index.php?topic=923.0

but notice the bushings!

 

But I think this is what I was thinking of.

http://www.aussiebluebirds.com/files/910bluebird_r30_IRS_installation.pdf

 

http://www.aussiebluebirds.com/files/

More helpful files here regarding the 910

[captaingamez]

Thats awesome stuff man. I knew it wouldnt be as easy as just throwing it in, but I have a lead on an R200 with axles for $200, thats only a dollar per millimeter!!. I think I could get the mount modded for less than $100.

[rjorgensen]

Captain,
 
Sorry for the delay. I finally visited my storage unit and found the console insert and rubber trim. There is a bit of discoloration on the insert that didn't seem to want to wash off.
 
Anything else you need? I have a set of M30 upper seatbelt bolt covers. They snap right on the stock Max hangers and are just a darker shade of gray.
 
Ray

 

 

[captaingamez]

We got the windows tinted yesterday.

 

 

[captaingamez]

I just realized I havent updated this since I put lower suspension on it and the door panels and fixed the door cracks. I have been so busy lately its ridiculous.

 

 

My new welding guy at WCD fab, since my last one is MIA right now, this guy does pretty good work.

New door panels in the front now.

I lowered her on 280zx lowering springs and KYBs in the rear, the front needs a bit lower still, but I will need split collars for that. Its stiffer than it was, which is nice.

This pic is before the tint, lol

[captaingamez]

The next thing I need to do is get the AC working propperly. Any opinions/experience with that are gladly welcome......

 

As soon as that is fixed, it gets wheels.

[HRH]

If you get the 280zx lowering springs, the Eibach pro kit I got lowers it substantially.  If you use camber plates and omit some of the original hardware, it lowers it quite a bit more in the front, fyi.  I have a pretty good rake going on now, which works fine since everyone knows rake means more stability at high speeds!  (Got her to 120 today, felt solid as a rock.)

[Z-train]

You need a condenser that is 134A "comapatible".THe rest nedds to be in working order...duh.

[Alchemist]

Looking great Cap!

 

Before you decide on removing any coils I highly suggest you put about a thousand miles or more on the springs because they will settle "down" after you put some miles on them!  I found out the hard way!     That way you know where the car will sit before you decide if you need to remove a coil or more.  And you don't have to buy another set of springs!!

 

When I replaced my first set of springs, which I cut prematurely, the second set of lowering springs took almost 1500 miles before it took a lower set height.  In fact, upon installation and driving around the block, I was pretty upset because it was slightly higher than the stock height.   But as I mentioned it finally settled to a lowered height and it was exactly at the height I wanted.  Good thing I didn't cut the springs again!!

 

Ernie

[captaingamez]

If you get the 280zx lowering springs, the Eibach pro kit I got lowers it substantially.  If you use camber plates and omit some of the original hardware, it lowers it quite a bit more in the front, fyi.  I have a pretty good rake going on now, which works fine since everyone knows rake means more stability at high speeds!  (Got her to 120 today, felt solid as a rock.)

I bought  280zx lowering springs that a Datsun store had available on ebay, The rate seems to be perfect for my current purposes, but the front sits just a bit too high.

 

 

 

You need a condenser that is 134A "comapatible".THe rest nedds to be in working order...duh.

I will not be using any 134a. My plan is to use 12a and test for leaks/fix any found leaks, then once no leaks switch back to actual R12. I want to be cold. lol

 

 

 

Looking great Cap!

 

Before you decide on removing any coils I highly suggest you put about a thousand miles or more on the springs because they will settle "down" after you put some miles on them!  I found out the hard way!     That way you know where the car will sit before you decide if you need to remove a coil or more.  And you don't have to buy another set of springs!!

 

When I replaced my first set of springs, which I cut prematurely, the second set of lowering springs took almost 1500 miles before it took a lower set height.  In fact, upon installation and driving around the block, I was pretty upset because it was slightly higher than the stock height.   But as I mentioned it finally settled to a lowered height and it was exactly at the height I wanted.  Good thing I didn't cut the springs again!!

 

Ernie

Thanks for the advice man, I wont be cutting any springs regardless now that I have seen the trick with the split collars and the perches, but I am definitely not gonna do anything for a couple thousand miles to make sure they are broken in. I have already noticed the rear got a bit lower, haha.

[Z-train]

If you get a condenser big enough,cold won't be an issue.I know more people than most and finding 12 is becoming impossible.

[nismosilvia]

Did you use 280zx struts or did the springs fit the factory spring perches? My 810 springs are like 2/3 inches smaller in diameter than zx springs

[captaingamez]

If you get a condenser big enough,cold won't be an issue.I know more people than most and finding 12 is becoming impossible.

 

Believe it or not R12 is actually very very easy to find, its all over craigslist, around $25-50 a can, to $400+ a tank. Then theres ebay, and theres literally tons of it on there, its just pricey. Its still legal to use, just not to produce. I can get a brand new condenser if needed, but I am probably sticking with my original since I have to spend money on a new receiver/dryer already (cause its old as piss) And if I go with anything other than a Maxima/910 condensor then I have to make custom lines, fuck that, I priced it out, and it would run a minimum of $200, and that is just not going to happen, stock lines are in excellent condition.

 

 

 

Did you use 280zx struts or did the springs fit the factory spring perches? My 810 springs are like 2/3 inches smaller in diameter than zx springs

Everything in the suspension is stock except the 280zx lowering springs which are the exact same size and fitment as the ones I took out

[Alchemist]

 

Everything in the suspension is stock except the 280zx lowering springs which are the exact same size and fitment as the ones I took out

 

That's good information.  Unfortunately, no one could confirm that for me a couple of years ago before I paid a premium to have custom springs made.  I'm happy with my spring though!

 

Cap,

 

The front bumper tuck looks great and really changes the appearance of the car.  Looking forward to see you addressing the tucking of the rear bumper.  

 

Last year I tried searching the yards for decent bumper covers but all were dried out and brittle.  Mine are getting brittle and I'm concerned that someone might 'tap" my bumper when parking and cause the cover to disintegrate.

 

Ernie

[rjorgensen]

Alchemist,

 

I'm looking to put stiffer sway bars on my '84 and am looking at the Addco kit. If that's what you used on your car, how was the install? I see a lot of extra parts (u-bolts, etc.) on the site link you gave in an earlier post, and am wondering how it fit vs. stock. Does it use the same mount points for the frame bushings and everything else? I could also have custom ones made (at $450 for each bar), but that's more than 2x the price of the Addco set. The 1 1/8" Addco Maxima front bar seems a bit extreme. If you used that, how is the front/rear balance in the curves? I see Addco lists a 1" 810 front bar. I'm wondering if that will fit.

 

Thanks,

 

Ray

[Wwildman]

You build is looking good man. You need to look at purchasing your own welder  for most of the metals work you can use a 130 amp welder with gas to complete pretty much any job on your car

[Alchemist]

Greetings Ray/rjorgensen,

I'm looking to put stiffer sway bars on my '84 and am looking at the Addco kit. If that's what you used on your car, how was the install? I see a lot of extra parts (u-bolts, etc.) on the site link you gave in an earlier post, and am wondering how it fit vs. stock. Does it use the same mount points for the frame bushings and everything else? I could also have custom ones made (at $450 for each bar), but that's more than 2x the price of the Addco set. The 1 1/8" Addco Maxima front bar seems a bit extreme. If you used that, how is the front/rear balance in the curves? I see Addco lists a 1" 810 front bar. I'm wondering if that will fit.

Thanks,

Ray

I'm am using only the rear Addco Bar and is a direct bolt on. I used the new hardware that was supplied. Where the rear bar mounts onto the rear subframe you will have about a 1/8" clearance between the bar and subframe. It's close but does not have any interference problems.

Depending on your driving style - my driving preference is that I like a little oversteer which is why I chose to run only the rear Addco Bar. If you choose to run the kit with the bigger front bar, your car will handle flatter but you will still have major understeer characteristics when you push the car hard into the corners.

I spoke with a Suspension Techniques suspension engineer back in the early 80's to inquire about the understeer, though I had replaced the factory stock bars with their bigger aftermarket sway bars. I was informed that understeer was taken into consideration when fabricating the sway bar sizes in their kits. That when the car started to "plow (understeer)" it would allow for the "Average Driver" (his words) with Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) to just let off the gas pedal and quickly get back on track instead of worrying about the rear end of the car coming around and spinning out.

It will also depend on the springs and shocks you choose to run - which can alter the handling characteristics. For example, if you put some very stiff rear coil springs with no other suspension change, you will alter the handling to have less understeer - the amount lessened would depend on how much stiffer the rate of the springs.

As I mentioned, I am only running the rear Addco Bar, with custom made touring springs and the car is lowered. I am also running KYB shocks front and rear - Front strut inserts are from a Toyota MR2 and the rear housings are stock KYB replacements. With Ultra LOW PERFORMANCE tires that are on the car at this time, the car handles almost neutral with just a hint of oversteer. There's an off camber sweeper that I like to take at a "spirited" rate of speed and as I approach the apex, you can hear the rear tires giving a hint of slippage and the rear end feels like it's about to slid a little but as I exit the car stays neutral. I really enjoy the way it handles.

When I'm back up to 100% in my health and I decide to keep my car, I will machine some nylon sway bar bushings, to replace the mounting and end link bushings. I really don't care for the urethane bushings that seem to be the "norm" in aftermarket sway bars. If you don't keep the urethane bushings lubed, they will squeak very loud. At one time when I had my Datsun 610 wagon, you could hear the squeaking from a block away and everyone was staring at me - what an embarrassment - ahhaa!

Oh! As a reminder, I used "anti-seize" compound on the inside of the sway bar mounting bushings to help keep the noise down and to reduce the pivot resistance of the bushing to bar contact. So, if I may suggest you use some type of lube - NOT WD-40, this is not a lubricant!

Hope this helps.

Ernie

[captaingamez]

This is all really good info guys, Thanks for adding it to the build thread, I am happy to see others getting these 30 year old beasts running and handling well.

 

 

You build is looking good man. You need to look at purchasing your own welder  for most of the metals work you can use a 130 amp welder with gas to complete pretty much any job on your car

Thanks. I cant weld worth a shit. I would rather have a professional do it.

[captaingamez]

In other news I went to do a valve adjustment today and found all the timing guides have disintegrated and flown through the valve cover are , with me mostly finding it filling the head bolt socketed caps with disintegrated timing pieces.  New ITM kit is on its way here, but I have to drive it like this until it comes!!!!!!! The timing chain is floppin around in there like a jump rope, lmfao! When it comes in  this might be a good pooprtunity to put my 280zx turbo oil pump on.

[rjorgensen]

Alchemist,

 

Thanks for the info. How does your car handle on high-speed sweepers? like 85+ MPH? I did the Addco front and rear bars on my old Datsun 610, and while it cornered flat, it understeered so much I went back to the stock front bar. I think I'll try to see if the 810 Addco bar is available or will fit. I measured stock front and rear bars on the my Maxima at 0.9" and 0.7", so going to front Addco 810 bar (1") and rear Maxima bar (0.875") should be a decent upgrade and decrease the understeer. It might not flatten things out enough to be right for my 205/50-17 tires though, so I might be forced to go up to the Addco Maxima bar and a custom rear bar.

[ggzilla]

280ZX rear springs are normal diameter.

280ZX front springs are large diameter.

 

What does the 910 use? Same diameter front & rear?

[Alchemist]

Hi Ray,

 

 My car handles great on long higher speed (80mph+ )sweepers!  The drawback I mentioned is that I have low performance radials which is the limiting factor for handling performance.

 

 

 

 I think I'll try to see if the 810 Addco bar is available or will fit. I measured stock front and rear bars on the my Maxima at 0.9" and 0.7", so going to front Addco 810 bar (1") and rear Maxima bar (0.875") should be a decent upgrade and decrease the understeer.

 

Running a bigger front bar than the rear on a RWD car will stiffen that part of the vehicle and still give you understeer.  How much understeer is gonna be trial and error since every car is different, even if it is the same model car, driver weight also plays a part.  

 

As a suggestion prior to investing in a front bar, you can also stiffen the front bar by a small degree by using stiffer sway bar bushings.  You can purchase aftermarket urethane sway bar bushings at your local auto parts store.  Urethane bushing have a higher "durometer"(hardness)  rating than the factory rubber bushings.  This will eliminate some of the "crush" rate that the rubber bushing has.  

 

The sway bar end link bushings and the bushings that sit between the sway bar and chassis mounts play a major part in determining sway bar performance.  The sway bar connects the left and right wheels by acting as a torsion spring.   When the car's body tries to roll, the bar twists to keep it flat. The factory rubber end link bushings and chassis mount bushngs degrade sway bar performance by taking up a bit of the bar's movement range (rubber compression/deflection) before it has a chance to control the wheels.   This means  a bigger/stiffer sway bar is required to control initial roll, which causes the independent suspension to act more like a solid axle.   Polyurethane bushing replacements don't deflect or compress, which means that  a smaller/softer bar can be employed for a more forgiving suspension setup that isn't as inclined to quickly break away at the car's handling limits.   Thus by replacing the sway bar bushings with better material you gain a little bit in handling/suspension control.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ernie