Info needed for struts

[Chyvv]

There's a set of DR30 struts available near me with 100mm caliper bolt spacing. I can't get any clarification as to whether these will work on my car or not.

I'm wanting to fit them to my '75 610 180B, (all late-style stuff; struts, brakes, etc.) I need to know:

Are the springs the same size? (the strut is about the same height from the bottom of the assembly to the spring perch, maybe 20mm difference max? And I just put new progressive rate springs in the 180B)

If not, are the top hat PCDs the same?

Will this strut bolt up to the steering arm on the 180B?

Is the stub axle/spindle the same angle?

What are my specific brake options (caliper and disc) for this 100mm caliper bolt spacing strut?

 

There are also 2 struts from an HR30 Skyline liftback for sale. Are these the same spring, spindle angle, caliper bolt spacing, top hat PCD and steering arm hole? 

And finally, there is a set of R31 struts for sale, which look to have the 100mm caliper bolt spacing, but the spring perch looks different and hence the top hat and PCD could be different. Same questions for these: What spring, top hat PCD, spindle angle and steering arm hole?

 

Thanks in advance

[datzenmike]

Skyline? No idea, we usually use 280zx struts for the slight lowering and the caliper and rotor up grade. Has someone done this before? Where did you get the idea to do this.

 

 

Your 180B strut tube is 2" wide so if the DR30 are the same but the coil spring too large a diameter to comfortable fit up into the strut tower you can cut the lower perches off and use the 180B perch, coil and top hat because you know they will fit your car. The lower perch can then be supported with an adjustable split collar.

 

The DR30 caliper bolt spacing doesn't matter much because I assume you will be using the DR30 caliper and rotor anyway.

 

Which begs the question.... will these DR30 calipers allow you to fit the 180B 13" rims over them???

 

For the record the 180B strut angle is 10 degrees so now you know what to look for with the DR30 struts..

[Chyvv]

It is being advertised as "Great for big brake upgrades as caliper bolt spacing is 100mm. Eg. R32/R33 4 pot calipers"

All the info I can find online about this is very 1200-centric, so all I know is that R30 and R31 strut assemblies require a certain type of spacer to mount on 1200 steering arms, but I have zero idea as to whether or not I'll run into the same issue with the 180B stuff. I'm not *too* fussed about the spring size, ultimately. If it's going to make my life easier to upgrade brakes by simply swapping R30/R31 struts in, and I can't use my new springs, I'll just buy another set of springs rather than start cutting spring perches and such. 

 

Of course, the easy solution used to be 200B/Bluebird struts, but they're damn near impossible to find these days. I know Datsport produce a coilover based on them, but that's about the only source I know of and I'd rather not spend upwards of $1k AUD before I even start thinking about what brakes I'm running when I really don't feel like I *need* coilovers and could save myself a lot of cash for the same result minus the adjustability.

 

Stock R30 and R31 brakes will clear with no issues, I'm running 15" R31 Pintara TRX wheels (something of a rarity).

The DR30 struts wouldn't come with calipers, the HR30 and R31 struts, on the other hand, could be had with calipers, and if I know R31 struts will work with minimal modification/adaption or I know where to get the parts to adapt them, I have my sources for R31 parts (a lot of friends who own or have owned at least one R31, plus they come up at wreckers and for partout online fairly frequently in these parts)

Supposedly Aus-assembled R31 struts are different to Japanese-assembled because of different parts sources for components such as bearings, brakes, etc.; in what ways exactly, I'm not sure.

[Chyvv]

Also for reference, my struts currently have ~140mm diameter springs and Akebono single-piston calipers, just in case there's a better or easier brake upgrade path I could be going down. Ideally I'd like to be running some vented discs if possible, slotted would also be nice but not essential.

[datzenmike]

What you may find is the RD30 coils are much larger diameter and if they do fit up into your strut tower you can't move them around to adjust camber. Also the top hat may not fit. Here you could use your 180B coils and top hat by cutting the bottom spring perch off and putting on the RD30 strut tube and clamp with split collars. This would work only if the RD30 strut tube is 2" diameter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did this on my 710 Violet? Our 910 was called a Maxima and had a six cylinder and large calipers and vented rotors. The springs were too large so I swapped the 710 perch, spring and top hat onto them.

[Icehouse]

We didn't get those struts.  We got the S12 V6 and the M30 strut which I've heard is the same.  We run the V6 S12 strut on our enduro car with the big sumitomo 4 pot calipers.  I've heard they are the same as the two we got but I can't confirm it.  Just take some measurements and double check things when you go to buy them.   

[Chyvv]

We got neither the S12 V6 or the M30 in Australia, so that still gives me very little frame of reference. The (810) 200B and (C110/C210) 240K struts were the common upgrade back in the day according to the only person I know who has experience with 610s. I doubt he's played much with R30/R31 stuff save for starter motors and gearboxes, his 180B race car hasn't even got rear disc brakes.

 

I'm not able to go and look at 2 of the sets of struts I'm looking at due to them being interstate, and the bloke selling the DR30 struts is asking for ludicrous money (though I haven't started negotiating yet) and I won't be able to look at the struts in person unless I buy them and have them posted to me or wait several weeks to be able to go to see them anyway.

 

These are my current struts and brakes:

 

 

These are the DR30 struts I'm looking at:

[datzenmike]

 Your 810/910 were 4 cylinder cars yes? Ours were 6 cylinder with longer front end and larger caliper/rotors so I doubt these would be on your cars.

 

Here is a set of '81 280zx struts...

 

Massive caliper and vented rotor for a 2,800 pound car. With a full tank and driver 3,000 + would be more reasonable.  With the same strut angle of 10 degrees these will fit almost all Datsuns 510/610/710/ 1200/B-210/B310/S10/S110 and A10. As mentioned the spring and top hat/bottom perches are too large. Can you secure any?

[Chyvv]

There don't seem to be any 280ZX struts advertised in any of the normal places, but there is a Z car workshop right around the corner from me I might be able to annoy.

A big plus for the 280ZX strut swap would be the ease involved in obtaining rotors when they need replacing, the most popular brake swap for the 180B (Commodore caliper / Verada rotor) involves obtaining blank rotors and custom machining them to suit the Datsun hub, which becomes expensive and/or a PITA if you ever manage to warp or crack the rotors.

 

As far as I can tell, the 280ZX springs are about 10-15mm larger in diameter than the 180B springs.

My biggest concern with swapping spring perches is making sure the setup will comply with Aus Design Rules and Roadworthy requirements. 

[datzenmike]

You don't want 280zx springs as they are a different spring rate and you won't be able to move the strut around inside the strut tower to adjust camber if needed.

 

You could use those 2" split collars to find the ride height you want. Once you have that, have the 180B spring perches welded onto the 280zx strut tubes and paint them black.