Help with struts and shocks

[PoorPersonWithADatsun]

Hello all, I have an 80 510 that is riding quite low and it is very bouncy so I need to replace both the struts and the rear springs / shocks. trouble is, I can't find any complete strut assembly no matter where I go or what website I go to. Correct me if I'm wrong, but struts are supposed to have the damper, spring, and the mount on top right? I can only find struts that pretty much look like a longer shock. I've also had trouble locating springs for the rear. Anyone else run into this issue or is there a secret place to get suspension components that I don't know about? Thanks.

[datzenmike]

Has it been lowered? and how was it lowered? Were the coil springs cut? If a badly done job simply replacing the coil spring will raise it up so the shock absorber (damper) can do it's job.

 

Why do you feel the need to change the rear springs? Replacing the rear shock absorbers should be enough.

 

Let me know as this will change my answer.  Take and post pictures.

 

 

 

IF..... they need replacing.

 

OK the McPherson strut is a combination of a spring, and a shock absorber. Front ones also have a steering component. The strut and the spring do not wear out but the shock absorber or damper can loose it's ability to absorb. The ride becomes soft and floaty on highway dips and can be harsh on washboard gravel roads. There are two ways to fix the damper. First of all Nissan uses an oil bath damper inside the strut tube. So the strut can be disassembled, the damper and the oil removed an a dry insert (shock) put in. Or you can empty the oil out and keep the damper and it's valves and just replace the thin watery hydraulic oil with something thicker that resists being pushed through the valving.... like 20w motorcycle fork oil. This is what I did with my 710.

 

Replacement inserts are usually a generic one size fits many applications and is not specifically for your A10. They work. Keeping the original damper also keeps the valving for compression and rebound designed for your car. I paid $17 for a liter of BellRay fork oil, enough for 3 struts. You'll have to find out for yourself what a set of inserts will cost. The depth of the strut tube for an A10 is 376mm so look for an insert with a body that length or less. You can use a shorter one if you stack washers under it to make up the difference.      

[4perrev]

Here is the replacement insert for your front strut at Rock Auto:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1980,510,2.0l+l4,1210026,suspension,strut,7584

 

They also have rear shocks.  It might be difficult to find original springs or complete front struts.  If they're out there, they won't be cheap.

[PoorPersonWithADatsun]

oops, I thought I had notifications on for this post, sorry about not getting back to you guys. The front rides at about the height it should and the back is very low, low enough to where the exhaust hits the axle if I go over bumps of any decent size, and it constantly scrapes if I drive with more than two people in the car. I've been under the car a little bit while I was doing brake work to it and didn't notice anything that was obviously broken or modified, I'm the second owner of the car and the nice old lady I bought it from didn't seem to be the type of person who would run around cutting springs, especially on the rougher roads we deal with. I didn't realize I could reuse the old springs, I thought that the lower ride height meant busted springs and I had no idea that the shocks contributed to ride height. And to perrev, I've seen that part before, I just didn't know exactly how to replace it and I thought the more complete units I've seen in all the youtube tutorials was more preferable (with the shock, strut, spring, and all the mounts), but I guess you just can't get those off the shelf anymore. I guess I'll replace all the shocks then and see how the car feels after that, the old shocks have almost no life left in them. Is this a good video to follow? 

 

my car also doesn't have the dust guard this one has, but I can just buy those as well.

[PoorPersonWithADatsun]

On 3/3/2020 at 8:22 PM, datzenmike said:

Has it been lowered? and how was it lowered? Were the coil springs cut? If a badly done job simply replacing the coil spring will raise it up so the shock absorber (damper) can do it's job.

 

Why do you feel the need to change the rear springs? Replacing the rear shock absorbers should be enough.

 

Let me know as this will change my answer.  Take and post pictures.

 

 

 

IF..... they need replacing.

 

OK the McPherson strut is a combination of a spring, and a shock absorber. Front ones also have a steering component. The strut and the spring do not wear out but the shock absorber or damper can loose it's ability to absorb. The ride becomes soft and floaty on highway dips and can be harsh on washboard gravel roads. There are two ways to fix the damper. First of all Nissan uses an oil bath damper inside the strut tube. So the strut can be disassembled, the damper and the oil removed an a dry insert (shock) put in. Or you can empty the oil out and keep the damper and it's valves and just replace the thin watery hydraulic oil with something thicker that resists being pushed through the valving.... like 20w motorcycle fork oil. This is what I did with my 710.

 

Replacement inserts are usually a generic one size fits many applications and is not specifically for your A10. They work. Keeping the original damper also keeps the valving for compression and rebound designed for your car. I paid $17 for a liter of BellRay fork oil, enough for 3 struts. You'll have to find out for yourself what a set of inserts will cost. The depth of the strut tube for an A10 is 376mm so look for an insert with a body that length or less. You can use a shorter one if you stack washers under it to make up the difference.      

o wait oops

[datzenmike]

The spring and how it's mounted will set the ride height. The shock absorber itself does not.

 

Do you have any pictures of your car? How it sits. Some of the rear springs?

[banzai510(hainz)]

if you throw your weight on the front of the car and it don't bounce more than once in most cases the cartridge is OK.

So why you want to change it it. Is it boucing say you go over a bidge and it starts floting up and down if not then the shocks are good.

 

if you car is really low amybe your hitting the strut stops giving a rought ride and buying new isn't going to help

 

what is your exact proplem

[datzenmike]

On 3/3/2020 at 7:22 PM, datzenmike said:

Has it been lowered? and how was it lowered? Were the coil springs cut? If a badly done job simply replacing the coil spring will raise it up so the shock absorber (damper) can do it's job.

 

Why do you feel the need to change the rear springs? Replacing the rear shock absorbers should be enough.

 

Let me know as this will change my answer.  Take and post pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

This above. If too low and the strut is bottomed out or bottoms out on bumps then the only suspension you have left is the tires. Air filled rubber balls bounce uncontrolled. 

 

Need pictures of what you have front and rear. Previous owners do stupid things like torching the spring till the metal soften and the car weight deforms and squashes them down. Cut springs with no regard for how much this increases the spring rate.

[PoorPersonWithADatsun]

Ok I will post some pictures for you tomorrow 

 

[datzenmike]

Can't wait.