120y upgrade suspension

[crustywhip]

Is it worth me looking into upgrading my front suspension to the later model s13/a31 set up? I have been working on my a31 and it all looks similar and cant really be arsed reading the hundred different posts on the net.
Simple yes or no with a little advice would be nice.

[dirtyleppa]

is this just front, or front and rear? if its just front, you could probably adapt the front struts and brakes to suit. the rear would be a different story, but a 120y wags with IRS would be, as the rotor boys say, FULLY SEEK

[crustywhip]

Just the fronts. It looks fairly easy-ish and I know some one that would be more than happy to assist with fabrication. Any one in datsun land done this before? I have easy access to R31 struts which I know brocky has done on his sedan.
Looking for LSDs choices for the rear now also.

[dirtyleppa]

think the R31 setup would be the way to go, been done so many times before. maybe speak to brock and see what hes done and if he had any problems etc.

as for an LSD for the rear, would be cheaper and less hassle to fit the rear from a cefiro to get the LSD

[DylPhil7]

Looking for LSDs choices for the rear now also.

Locky

[crustywhip]

as for an LSD for the rear, would be cheaper and less hassle to fit the rear from a cefiro to get the LSD

I remember talking to brocky about the fronts and he said it was easy. I only said cefiro as I have a fairly good set of coil overs which need a home now.
Seen a few shortened down nissan sub frames but I want to keep the inside of the car untouched. Would be a strong rear end and I would love to give it IRS if it was easy.

Locky

When you get to my age young fella you tend to lean away from the kik kik kik kiking into parallel parks. Plus its illegal.

[dmitry]

I'm not sure what the 120y looks like in the front but i guess it cant be too far off my s110 in which i'm using s13/a31 gear. I used LCAs, coilovers, knuckels, hubs. Had to drill the subframe out to fit the larger s13 bolts (m12 vs m10 bolts i think) and have to make a bracket for the radius rods as i want to use after market ones, the LCA spacing for the radius rods is different between the s13 and s110.

[nick_m]

if you use s13 lower arms it'll increase track about an inch or more a side from memory. I believe 910 btm arms bolt up as they use the same ball joint taper. I can't confirm that though, i've never done it. Not sure which tie rods people use either. I gave up after i measured the track increase and it was huge with s13 bottom arms (on a 1200, so id imagine it the same on a 120y)
this was about 5 years ago so its a lot more common now a days, and i knew a whole lot less haha

[Bartman]

TBH, I wouldn't bother moving away from the standard struts.
You can adapt 250mm S13 front brakes to them easy as pie, which will provide all the stopping you'll ever need.
And it's not overly difficult to fit coilovers and camber tops to your existing struts. Although that said, swapping in something like an Avenger rear coil gives you a really nice spring rate. And you don't really need adjustable front suspention on a street car.
Whats your main ambition with the upgrade?

[85_Z31]

TBH, I wouldn't bother moving away from the standard struts.
You can adapt 250mm S13 front brakes to them easy as pie, which will provide all the stopping you'll ever need.
And it's not overly difficult to fit coilovers and camber tops to your existing struts. Although that said, swapping in something like an Avenger rear coil gives you a really nice spring rate. And you don't really need adjustable front suspension on a street car.
Whats your main ambition with the upgrade?

I like Barts plan

S13 brakes, Throw in some Bilsteins or Koni's , bang on a decent set of springs and you have all the upgraded front end you will ever need.

But then there is ...

Bushings
Sway bars
Roll Center Adjusters ( lowered cars )
Camber Plates
Adjustable Castor Arms.

and the list goes on forever....

In My massive heavy ass 300zx I only run a set of king springs and a Koni Dampers and it handles like a champion. I actually found that it was a HUGE combination of parts and setup that made the most difference. I skipped the coil over part In favor of upgrading the brakes, and looking more closely as suspension geometry, bushings ect.. My car is pretty soft and handles a rough road amazingly well at high speeds, but it also corners reasonable flat and is very well balanced when pushed. the biggest problem i found that upsets the car is the lack of LSD.

In fact I would almost go as far as saying do your LSD swap ( however you do it ) first and then look at the front end. After you know how it drives.