Zed Head

I think that I understand how the puller is supposed to work and I don't think it should break that way. The puller should pull the threaded end off of the spindle pin before that happens. It looks like the inner all-thread rod was being tightened along with the outer pulling tube, causing it to bottom out on the pin shoulder. There might be a technique flaw involved in the breaking of these tools. The inner rod should be held static while the outer pulling tube is turned. I don't know if the all-thread has flats for a wrench but they might help. Anyway, too late now. I don't see a mention of heat anywhere. Might have missed it. Anybody with a stuck pin should immediately go to heat. Probably more effective than PB Blaster or Kroil or whatever. The one pin that I did manage to get out intact would only move when the strut casting was hot. It became immobile when it cooled. I've had the same thing happens with exhaust flange bolts in the exhaust manifold.

This would help. With the strut towers level, measure the tire height, the gap between the top of the tire and the top of the fender well, and the distance from the floor to the top of the fender well. Post those three numbers for each side. No discussion about what's what, or what's worn out, or bent, or anything, just six numbers, three for each side. They will tell a lot.

It looks like "after adjustment" in the FSM. So #1 should look like "before adjustment". Implying that your #2 hole is as good as you can get between hole #1 and #2 choices. Are you sure that the tight side of the chain is tight? I always have a tendency to over-rotate the engine while watching the damper pulley mark. Then if I rotate the engine backward, I have to turn the timing chain sprocket backward also, independently, to get the chain's tight side tight again.

Did you measure the tires height? Hopefully you can see how tire height + gap = fender well height. You can't have the tire heights the same on both sides, and the fender well heights the same on both sides, without having gap the same on both sides. It's impossible. Fender well height = tire height + gap.

The only way to have the same distance from the floor to the top of the fenders, AND a difference in space between the tire top and the top of the fender wells, from one side of the car to the other, is if the tires are not the same size. Everything seems to point to that. When you take the weight off of the springs they don't matter anymore. I'm not sure if you mean the two sides were "the same difference" (meaning that the gap was the same side-to-side) or if you mean the problem of 1" difference side-to-side is "the same difference"/ Sorry, but it can be read two ways.

You'll have to remove the struts to measure from top to bottom, unless you're a contortionist and can fit a measuring device up in to the inside of the tower. BUT, since you have the car up and level, you can measure from the ground up to a point on the bottom of the strut. You already know that the tops of the struts are n the same spot, assuming that you can see that the studs are fully pulled through the mounting holes at the top of the towers. Then you'll have level strut tower tops, level fender wells, and the measurement of what the wheel is mounted to. If you get the same measurement to the bottom of the strut, then all that's left is how the spring is holding up the weight. Or the 1/4" or so that a gas shock adds to height. You never said if the driver's wheel is actually hanging lower than the passenger's wheel, as it seems to in post #16. It shouldn't hang lower. Are the studs at the top of the struts fully inserted through the holes and bolted down? Same on both sides? Just checking.

The simplest thing to do first would be to measure from the top of the strut, where the three studs are, to the bottom of the strut. Whichever point you want, bottom of brake drum, hub center, whatever. If both sides are exactly the same you'll have a real mystery. The key to the measurement is that the strut tower tops are level at the same time as when you take the fender well measurements.

This is a what you wanted. A good thing. The steel-box of a body appears to be in good shape. The problem will be in a part or parts that can be unbolted and replaced.

Since MSA did not label it as a special gasket it's almost certainly between 1.0 and 1.25 mm. You won't see big difference in CR in that range.

This is what I mean. This number, both sides.

Forgot to say that the floor needs to be level also, for the fender well measurements to work.

What is the difference between the top of the fender wells on each side, with the strut towers level? We're trying to figure out if the body is square/level/copacetic with the strut towers. Have you confirmed that the tires are the same diameter? Fully inflated? Sorry, just can't see these things that are probably obvious if the car is right in front of you. Just missing a key point or two.

Post the part number of the gasket, if there is one on it or the packaging. Call MSA and ask them. Measure the fire ring thickness with some calipers to at least get a before-compression thickness. Not much to go on here. Stone head gasket from MSA.

You forgot to put the oil pan back on.

They should just call it what is - "Sand blast, inspection and powder-coating". They're not really selling the part, they're just refinishing. No core, no part. Once you know that, you can check your local powder-coating shops with your original parts and decide what premium shipping to MSA offers. They probably farm it out anyway. Of course, the consumer should always know what they're paying for. I was just illuminating.

Sorry, it might just be me but I don't get a picture of what you did. You checked the level but don't say if it was level or not. You took some measurements but not clear when or exactly where. Sorry, not getting it. If you could put things in the terms of "the strut towers were level and the measurement on the driver's side fender was X, the measurement on the passenger side fender was Y", that would make sense. Or "the fenders were even height but the strut towers were X on one end and Y on the other". Something needs to be level though.

If you get the car level, and the measurements of the fender wells are close/same, then you can focus on the struts. If you find a big difference in strut tower to fender well relationships then some substantial body work has been done in the past. then the frame shop comes in to play. Just trying to separate body problems from suspension component problems.

I'm not sure what numbers were measured when, in your post. Can't tell. If you use the scissors jack that comes with the car you can raise one side until the strut towers are level. Then measure from the top of the fender wells to the ground

I actually have a slight difference side-to-side on my car. I've pondered all of this stuff before. I think that my spring rates, used springs, are different. But, your idea is a good one. Get the strut tower tops level, with the car on a level surface, then measure distance to the ground on each fender well. The suspension mounting points should be level when the car body is. If the strut tops are level, you should get matching numbers from each side of the car. Maybe you have mismatched tires? Who knows.

You might doublecheck your springs also. Front and back spring rates are different, but the springs tend to look similar.

If you decide to go to a shop I would go to a Z car shop, not a frame shop. There are so many modern mechanics and professionals that don't understand these cars, and do actual damage just trying to lift them to take a look, it's not funny. Plus if you get the wrong one, you can get spun down a trail of expensive attempts, with no solution, before you realize the guy knows less than you do.

Circled the stack of parts that determine, primarily, ride height, and tire gap with the wheel hanging.

No, I'm suggesting that somebody mixed 240Z and 280Z insulators on the back struts. If you did one strut at a time you might have missed the height difference. The wheels do not spread out as far as they will after rolling. You have to roll the car to get it down to ride height. Everybody does. There is no real frame on the car. It's a sheet steel box with frame elements attached. It's called a unibody, or monocoque chassis. You can't bend it or twist without having big problems like door gaps closing or opening and fenders not fitting. Edit - just saw your reply. I showed 280Z, not ZX, just to be clear. Regardless, it still looks like the driver's side is hanging lower. It shouldn't since the shock shafts extend the same distance. Measure the distance with the tire hanging and see if you have the same 2 1/2" difference. If you dom, that takes some of the potential away from the springs, since they're not doing anything when the tire is hanging. Hope I'm not being too blunt, just trying to get some thoughts across.

Something else to study.

Sorry for the sad story, I didn't expect that. Looking at your latest pictures, it looks like the driver side hangs lower than the passenger, which follows from the original pictures. Assuming that the struts extend to the same length, that implies that the insulator is too tall. Assuming that it's intact, they do fall apart. Here are some pictures I stole from MSA. The 280Z's is taller by about an inch apparently. One thing I didn't see mentioned is that when you lower the car back down after lifting, the wheels are held in by the ground and hold the body up until you roll the car back and forth to let them spread back out. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/23-4370 http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/23-4382