DJZ's DR30 Skyline

[DJZ]

Looks like the front has dropped about 20mm after settling overnight, pretty good for free! Mucked around with the back today, turns out the Z rear springs are longer and the struts are actually longer as well so I didn't even try them. I tried the old JIC coilovers I've had for ages and the ride height is more like where I want it, doesn't look like it but the front is actually 20mm lower than the rear still measured at the sill.



I'd like to use the coilovers but they need to be rebuild, there's some chrome missing off the pistons and all the bushes are pretty average.



Better than this!

[DJZ]

The rear struts were actually circlip adjustable so I moved the circlip to the lower setting and chopped ½ a coil off each spring, it's come down a little bit, maybe 15mm, could possibly remove another coil and have them still captive but it can stay like that for a while till I do the 5 stud swap I think.

[DJZ]

Thought I'd start preparing for swapping the gearbox, bought some Nolathane bushes to do the gearbox mount with but they aren't quite going to work without machining so I'll take them back and try some others.

I got out the LD28 C series box and what I was told is an RB20DET box and though I'd have a look at the difference, Mike (NZeder) said the LD box is just a B series gear set in a C series housing which it does infact look like.

I measured up the front gear including the thin secondary gear piece (whatever it is) and there's about 4mm difference in the thickness of the gear, all of the gears in the RB box are beefier than the LD one so I guess I'll fix the RB box and use that behind the FJ. LD box probably isn't much use for anything with any power.





This is what needs fixing, I'm almost certain this is what's wrong with the FJ box as well. When I bought the box the guy told me it just needed a new front countershaft bearing (and he'd even gone so far as to buy a new bearing for it) but when I got it home he'd obviously had it apart and saw that it wasn't the front bearing, it was the middle bearing and must have been too hard for him.

[Bartman]

If you want a hand to pull that box down Dan, I can rock over some time and we could give it a nudge. I have a sweet three legged puller. (It has quite long legs)
What are your plans for the LD box?

[DJZ]

Sweet man, sounds good. No plans for the LD box at the moment, it's got no bellhousing. I've got the 280ZX box with the RB bellhousing as well, I'll need to keep one of them to put the 2+2 back together, swapping the bellhousing back on the Z box is probably the easiest way, but I do have a modified mount for using a C box in a Z!

[Bartman]

I'm looking for a box to fit an SR bell housing too. 71C boxes are just too expensive for a frugal soul such as myself..........

[DJZ]

The C series box would be the one for you, it's already got the right size shifter rod size and bigger countershaft front bearing. Swap you for a 1600?

[Bartman]

I can make a "B" box fit.
I think I'll hang onto the 510 for the moment. Thanks anyway though.

[DJZ]

Yeap, she's definitely rooted.



This is about where you need to get to to get the counter shaft out. Hopefully I can remember where all those little bits and pieces in the background go! Just have to wait for somebody to open up that will have the bearing(s) I need in stock. Also need to get a new main shaft lock nut as I can to grind the staking off to get it undone.

[DJZ]

Ordered some Z31 wheel bearings for this today, pretty keen on getting the 5 stud conversion done soon, Saeco had no bearing kits and only 1 inner bearing in the country but he was going to find another one for me. Had some know it all guy there try and tell me there are heaps of different types of "R32 rear wheel drive gearbox" and they all have different bearings, ignored him, ~$223+gst for a gearbox bearing kit that comes with the new shaft nuts which is more expensive than a dude on Trademe had them for.

There's a couple of sets of GTR wheels on Trademe, I'm waiting till it goes in for a warrant on Tuesday (hopefully it passes) before trying to buy a set. Drivers side electric window stopped going up today so I'll have to pull that apart sometime soon.