Coilovers for R30

[OLD SCHOOL R30]

Sorry if there is already a thread relating to this, but I cant find one anywhere. Can any one help me? Is there coilovers available or what is involved in adapting s13 ones to fit. All advice and help is great. Cheers

[Boof]

I rekon if you look about 3 or 4 posts down its there...Do a search it has been mentioned in great detail

[rsx84]

ask around different suspension places they might be able to help? or for about $3000 you could import some from www.jenesis.co.jp....

[discopotato03]

Std R30 struts are coil overs . If by this you mean spherical top joints and threaded height adjusters you can build your own .

1) Take strut and remove spring seat , now grind the weld flush with the tube .

2) Cut the threaded section off the top of the strut tube .

3) With the correct mandril press it down the tube to expand it for 36mm inserts

that suit early Commode Doors . I used HDT spec Bilstein P36 0303's .

4) Buy the threaded adapter from Sydney Suspensions and weld to strut tube .

You have to trial fit and cut tube to the correct length .

5) Buy the threaded tubes and lock nuts and weld to strut tube .

6) Weld modified lower spring seat to upper threaded collar .

7) Buy and fit spherical strut top and assemble the units . Option Noltec are

Making R30 camber/caster adjustable strut tops - better for road .

I personally don't like the Silvia struts in Skylines , the damper section is much shorter and severely limits bump or upwards suspension travel . Decent brakes

can be fitted to early struts , DR30 or R31GTS preferably because of the four inch

(100 mm) caliper mount centres . Making up new hubs with the flange in the right offset for over stud type discs is a simple machining operation as is re drilling five stud disks .

None of this is dirt cheap but neither is the result . My modified DR30 struts owe me around $800-$850 and the car came with spherical camber adjustable strut tops . My brakes are std which is fine for stock car performance on the street .

Cheers A .

[Adam_RSX]

Adrian did you get my pm last week? Cash ready and waiting

[DR30RULES]

Re: do it yourself front brake upgrade for the r30

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Can someone who has actually had the S13 converstion done and driven around while, tell me what it is like?

I have been talking to discopotato about the whole thing and the guy does make some very good points (mainly bump & upwards travel I think) about why this is not an ideal set up. (as far as I know)

I am having it properly sit up by a suspension specialist so hopefully this will minimize any problems, Yes?

Surely the lighter strut bodies of most aftermarket coilovers would reduce unsprug weight much more than converting std struts to height adjustable coilover?

I have heard that reducing unsprung weight is one of the best things you can do to improve the way your car handles.

Cheers

I dont know shite :confused: but I am learning

[rsx84]

from what i can make out so far, travel would be no different than if the coilovers were in an s-13, keep in mind that a good road height to have them at is close to full height, springs would be next, i'm still waiting on the rear coilovers to arrive then i'll be talking to some s-13 guys to see what lb springs they are using to get a better idea.

[discopotato03]

Just to give some idea what I set out to achieve .

The front struts I use were carried over from my last car (S1 Bluebird) and my No 1 priority was to get acceptable damping and spring rates . The man who developes most of my car mods has spent many years building and fabricating rally cars and their systems and is very switched on with suspension .

As club rally cars evolved the need for good dampers and damping rates became mandatory . Getting springs of nearly any rate wound up is not difficult but controlling the energy absorbed by the spring is . The spring is really the shock absorber , but if the energy in the compressed spring is not controlled it tries to launch the vehicle off the ground ie no traction or directional stability .

Back in the early 70's the works MK11 Escorts used Sport Bilstein dampers re valved to suit higher rate springs . The damping rates were about 290/90 and the gas pressurised oil resisted airation (air moves through the valve body with less resistance than oil - bad) .

The struts used on RWD Nissan/Datsun cars generally take I think 30-32mm diametre inserts and are not available in the damping rates I wanted . Bilstein did do a rally rate insert for 1600's (510's) with larger strut tubes . Their rate was similar to the Escort version (cars of similar size and weight) . These are no longer available so the next closest thing was the Sport Bilstein that HDT used on the lower V8 Commode Doors , rate 274/70 something part no P36 0303 . They don't fit the std strut tube so they need to be extruded with a mandrell or the strut foot bored out and a larger tube welded in . So my dampers were designed for a heavier vehicle (cast iron V8 deluxo Barge Dunny Door) to suit its higher rate springs and heavier wheels/tyres . In the lighter Bluebird (and now DR30) it works quite well and the dampers are rebuildable .

With regard to unsprung mass , the more weight you hang off the strut ie big brakes big boots , the more critical the damper rate becomes . Its more mass the spring has to throw when the spring extends .

I'm not keen on Japanese aftermarket suspension , they always set cars up too low , spring rates too high and damping rates merely hard rather than controlled .

What looks the part does not necessarily work real well .

Silvias use a later development of the macpherson strut with the clamp type upright and a much shorter damper body/strut tube . Their geometry and strut to ball joint centres hub/wheel offsets are different to R30/910/R31 . Its a lot to hope that its all compatible let alone the spring/damping rate being suitable for your car .

[DR30RULES]

Anyone heard anything about, or used HD coilovers. (link below)

http://www.sharifcaraudio.com.au/index.php...roducts&pid=176

I've heard they are good quality and are afforable.

The 'HR' type have stroke and 12 point damper adjustment and the height can be altered without changing spring pre load.

Hopefully using fully adjustable coilovers will minimize some of the problems when using S13 parts and allow the car's suspension to be tune propely (accurate? :confused: )

Can someone who has done the S13 convertion on a road car please comment on how it has changed the way the car handles, any problems that you have had etc :wavey: .

They normally come with 7k spring front and 6K springs rear but can be got in any spring rate. What spring rates would people recommend for a road DR (firm ride but not uncomfortable) that will sometimes be taken on to a track.

I'm about spend quite a bit on these coilover so any advise would be appreciated.

Cheers

[Adam_RSX]

Group buy on the R31 forum might still be open?

[rsx84]

Group buy on the R31 forum might still be open?

is that the buy with the brakes and s-13 steering rack? all for like $2000 or something?

[Adam_RSX]

Way less than that isnt it?

[rsx84]

the full kit is $2090, thats with the s-13 brakes, s-13 hubs and r32 steering bits aswell, the coilovers are $1490 buy themselves. for $600 extras you may as well get the other bits to finish the job.

[DR JOSH]

Well on my DR I still have full s13 shock absorber stroke I dunno if it's less then an R30's stroke but it's more then enough for usual street needs. The springs in my setup are stupidly stiff but thats what my setup comes down to. I havent really set it up for street needs more for drift but thats just me, s13 coilovers can be had in pretty much any spring rate with decent shockers, I or any of my mates running them havent had any problems, maybe if you were setting up a fully track prep'd car that may be a different story.

[DR30RULES]

the full kit is $2090, thats with the s-13 brakes, s-13 hubs and r32 steering bits aswell, the coilovers are $1490 buy themselves. for $600 extras you may as well get the other bits to finish the job.

I can't find were the above stuff is listed for sale. Can you guys help. :confused:

By R31 fourm do you mean R31 skyline club

http://forum.r31skylineclub.com/

I did a search both here and on R31 club but could not find anything.

Please help.

Cheers

[rsx84]

here ya go, i posted in there 2 days ago and as yet haven't got a reply??

http://forum.r31skylineclub.com/index.php?...p?topic=24398.0

[DR30RULES]

here ya go, i posted in there 2 days ago and as yet haven't got a reply??

http://forum.r31skylineclub.com/index.php?...p?topic=24398.0

RSX84, I just call the guy orginizing it and the group buy is still going. He does not know if anyone has installed the kit in R30.

Contact Pete

[email protected]

0409226626

Will the full kit (designed to fit R31) fit into an R30? I've heard the steering set up is quite different. If it does fit, does that mean I can also fit the R32 steering rack too as some of the guys on that fourm are talking about? (converting to rack and pinion :headbang: ). I've heard the R31 crossmember and streering rack do not fit R30. Is this true? I would really really like to improve the steering in my DR30.

Cheers