ease or difficulty of suspension bushings upgrade?

[Sailor Bob]

By the way in reference to Urethane bushings being noisy (squeak, squeak) - I used the heavy grease supplied with the bushings (generously) and I have never heard a single sqweak. Lots of other Z noises... but no squeaks.

[Jeff G 78]

By the way in reference to Urethane bushings being noisy (squeak, squeak) - I used the heavy grease supplied with the bushings (generously) and I have never heard a single sqweak. Lots of other Z noises... but no squeaks.

I used the supplied grease as well and have lots of squeeks, but at the time it didn't seem like they gave me enough to really coat them well. What should I use to recoat everything? Can I buy the stuff they supply with the bushings, or is there something else that works that I can buy easily? Do they tend to squeek between the bushing and sleeve, or bushing and outer ring?

[Darrel]

I think some are over stating the harshness of the ride when they go to poly bushings.

When you go with different springs and tokico HP(ie) struts, of course you're going to have a harsh ride with the stock tokico setting on their HP's is about setting # 3 on their illuminas (5 way).

Get the Illumina struts and whatever springs you would be comfortable with be it tokico, stock or eibach. Look up the spring rate of each spring maker.

Again, it isn't just the poly bushings causing the harsh ride.

I have the tokico illumina suspension package and the #1 setting is plenty soft enough for the streets. Although I will be looking at the az zcar springs soon because I don't like the tokico springs.

Before you attempt the spindl pin bushings, make sure you need those. Unless the car has been used a daily driver for 30 years and has been well cared for, they might not need replacing. When dropping the rear suspension, if the strut flops down without resistance then they will most likely need replaced.

I sell a spindle pin tool, but beandip on this site loans one out, there is also a loaner program on hybridz. If all you have is one car you need to replace the bushings on then the loaner program is more cost effective.

If you want to replce the spindle pin bushings because you are in that area and want to do it anyway, get the tool. Unless the spindle pin is really rusted in there the tool will help tremendously and you will be able to salvage the pin.

[ktm]

I used the supplied grease as well and have lots of squeeks, but at the time it didn't seem like they gave me enough to really coat them well. What should I use to recoat everything? Can I buy the stuff they supply with the bushings, or is there something else that works that I can buy easily? Do they tend to squeek between the bushing and sleeve, or bushing and outer ring?

Jeff, I liberally applied bearing grease to all my bushings, and I mean liberally. I have not had a single squeak.

[Sailor Bob]

Hey Jeff, boy that sounds like a nuisance taking it all apart to regrease. I wonder if it is a particular bushing that is troublesome - if you could narrow it down you could save alot of time.

I found that the kit I got from Motorsport had more than enough grease to do it all - I still have a couple of small tubes left over (if I recall correctly). When I say heavy - I mean heavy - that stuff was like glue, very difficult to get off your hands.

When I was at it, I heavily coated all contact areas.

[Jeff G 78]

I ordered every bushing from MSA and got ONE small tube. How many did they give you? The rear appears to be the main culprit, but I can't say which bushing are making all the noise.

[Bruce Palmer]

There's a lot of good info on this thread kids. As an aside I thought I'd throw out the fact that we have a video that covers this. ZTV07 Street Racimg Suspension.

[xray]

I replaced every bushing on the car with poly, including steering coupler, and couldn't be happier. Taut feel (even on #5 setting of my Illuminas) and no squeaks. True, jeff, the supplied bit of lithium grease is inadequate. But NAPA or Pep Boys has containers of the stuff for like $5, and it's been well worth it.

If you want indivdual componentts of the Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushing, try this site:

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/categories.asp?cat=14

Zs are listed under Nissan, not Datsun.

Good luck, and beware of "while I'm at it"-itis. It'll bleed you dry!

[fuzze]

Good day all , another 2-71 in 920 gold I see in our midst ,I was 920-gold when I was born as well. Like most of the above info that has been given I have gone through my front end as well and have gone with poly . The one thing I was told about squeaking was liberal grease but the clerk suggested to avoid the Red poly from ES and go with black poly because they are graphite impregnated and do not squeak as bad as some have reported the red bushings do .

Any thoughts about this ? BTW , I do not squeak at all in black .

Still working away and having fun gettin er done !

Chris

[Poindexter]

Good day all , another 2-71 in 920 gold I see in our midst ,I was 920-gold when I was born as well. --snip--

Still working away and having fun gettin er done !

Chris

Howdy Cousin! I'm HLS30-23788, how about you? First question, what options- if any- did you come with? I'd like to confirm the stock trans, as I now have a 5-speed. I first saw an almost-new 240Z in this quite unique color in a school parking lot, and immediately fell in love. I swore that I would own one someday- among other "big-boy toys" too.

That was 1973, and it took me around 22 years to finally find a worthy partner in grime. Then being a further moron, I didn't put it on the street to truly enjoy driving this priceless object of my teenaged heart's desire until 2 weeks ago- early May 2008 at the time of this writing- although I had been doing a lot of mechanical work, on and off. Tons of wear items/hoses and belts- all OEM replacement parts- have been installed along the way.

There was just something about that color that really stuck in my mind. That being said I almost repainted her in Saturn Yellow, that hideously beautiful, attractive yet putrid blend of eye-wrenching neon yellow/green that some fire companies and offshore clothing manufacturers use.

Depending on the source- Europe, Australia or the US, it's been called plain 920 Gold, Klondike Gold or Safari Gold, and apparently was only available for part of 1970 and 1971- I really want to track down more production information- specifically I'd really love to find actual production numbers, especially the delivery information, which port, which dealership, etc. Anybody have any leads on how to proceed with this research?

TIA.

[fuzze]

Morning PD , 23215 is my vin # and as far as I know it arrived in Vancouver in March 71 and was sold in Kamloops on april 29th at Riverside datsun . My car lived in Kelowna until last sept when I drove her home to the Vancouver area .

Another member pointed out to me to look on the seatbelts for date of manufacture and mine say , lot # 0502 which I assume is feb 5th .

Car came stock with 4 speed , am radio , rear defrost in the vertical layout and all black interior . All my #'s match and the car is still stock except for the libre's wheels and a Alpine stereo.

When I redid my front end bushings , some of the one's I took out literately crumbled in my hand , t\c bushings for example . I replaced with ES throughout the front end and couldn't be happier with the end result . I took a lot of referance pic's as well so re assembly when real easy .

As far as the 920-gold , the second owner painted the car black so that he didn't resemble a manila envelope blowing down the street ,''No offense to current 920-paint jobs out there '' . I like the gold btw .

Have fun with the Z and enjoy this board

Chris

[ktm]

All, I would highly recommend that you do not install the polyurethane T/C rod bushings on both sides of the T/C rod. There have been quite a few reported instances (check Hybridz.org for one that just happened in the past month IIRC) of the T/C road snapping when using poly bushings on the T/C rod. A work around is to use poly on the front side and rubber on the rear. The rod needs some give in the bushing so that a bending moment is not induced in it.

Another solution, and one that I am using, is the delrin T/C setup that MSA sells.