Roadster Rear Shocks

Scyld · Post by **Scyld** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 8:43 pm

When I rebuilt my roadster about 5 years ago, the only rear shocks available had a shorter stroke than the origninals. They bottom out.

Help! I'm riding in a freight train!

Any advice on better shocks? ...Or how to beef up rear springs?

TR · Post by TR » Wed Apr 30, 2003 10:43 pm

Shorter stroke?! I thought the roadster had the shortest suspension travel of any car hands down!

There are a couple of places yoiu can get shocks. Rallye and Fairlady both have them. I have also heard you can buy truck shocks Check the main site for info. Here's links to each:

www.datsunroadster.com
www.datsunparts.com
www.311s.org

You probably do not want to increase the preload or springrate of your leaf springs unless they are really sagging. An increase might cause you to need some dental work...

Good luck! TR

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Thu May 01, 2003 12:39 am

Kyb has the Gas-ajusts and the GR-2s, Carrara makes some, Monroe used to (I just pulled a full set of those off when I replaced them with Konis) Koni made some but are now almost NLA. I think you have the wrong shocks all together, or they are really dead. The springs could be dead also. If your car sits as low or lower than mine (check out the car of the month) your springs are done. I have the comp springs and my guess is that you do not. A quick way to tell if your springs are done is to feel how much space there is between the bumpstop and the frame. You should have several inches.

Will

Post by **spl310** » Thu May 01, 2003 8:12 am

If you are just looking for shocks - not necessarily performance shocks - there is a Nissan/Datsun truck shock that works fine. I got a pair for $10 - new....

Minh · Post by **Minh** » Thu May 01, 2003 10:58 am

Matt Silvey's web site has your answer...
http://home.attbi.com/~mattsilvey12/datsun.htm

Footnote:
I found that the rear shocks off the 1965-1985 Datsun / Nissan 2 wheel drive pickup trucks were identical in all aspects to the Roadster shock with one exception. The fully extended length of the truck shock is slightly longer than the fully extended length of the Roadster shock (which allows for the longer suspension travel of the trucks). Compressed length, mounting hardware, diameter and all other aspects were the same.

KYB Gas Adjust Part Numbers
KG5447 (rear)

scyld · Post by **scyld** » Thu May 01, 2003 6:16 pm

Wow! Did I ever come to the right place!!!

Minh · Post by **Minh** » Thu May 01, 2003 11:56 pm

Matt Silver forgot to leave out one thing...

DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR ORIGINAL UPPER WASHER ON THE UPPER BOLT. The ones that come with the new shocks do not fit. I guess they are meant for the the Truck.

I purchased front and rear for my car from:
http://www.SummitRacing.com

The will be on backorder it took a month to get the rear ones without extra shipping.

kt · Post by kt » Tue May 13, 2003 10:39 pm

What are my options for the leaf springs in the rear?
I believe mine are sagging. How can I tell?

I heard ppl have turned their leaf springs upside down,
Its a cheap solution, but Is this really a solution?
I mean, does it really work?

Also, I noticed in Solvang a lot of cars had their leaf
springs mounted to the Upper part of the rear mounting
bracket. Looks cool, How is this done?

Minh · Post by **Minh** » Wed May 14, 2003 12:53 am

I have not had much experience replacing the springs on these cars, but I am aware of alternatives that can get some more performance or strength back into those leaf springs.

In one of the earlier posting someone mentioned that you can clean them up with sad blaster, repaint them, and buy a polyeurothane bushings for those springs. Further you can get some teflon (or teflon substitutes) insert in between those springs to allow alow for faster and smoother response.

You can go to JC Whitney and see what options they have for you. Try this links to view the leaf spring options:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/catsubpic.jhtm ... stid=92549

I know that the one thing about springs is that when you put some sudden torque or acceleration on them they twist. All leaf springs do. You can buy something to remedy that if that matters to you.

For $150 bucks you can buy some complete rear stabilizer kit:

http://www.nismoparts.com/catalog/?section=284

It all depends on what yo want to do. As far buying new ones I can only know of one place Rallye's their not cheap they come in both stiff, soft, and competition:

http://www.datsunroadster.com/SUB_SECTI ... rraxle.htm

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 1:01 am

KT,
What ever you do, do not invert your leaf springs. The upper mount is also a no no. The spring shackel should swing up when the springs are installed. That is a mistake that creates wierd handling problems. (found out the hard way) There are several options, you could get the early springs which are stiffer than the later ones, or you could go with the comp springs that arn't bad if you cut the bumpstops enough. Or you could find some new late model springs. Where are you? If you are close to San Luis Obispo, I have a set of stock rear springs that came off my car. They didn't sag, I just wanted the stiffer springs. The way to tell if your springs sag is if they look like they are bowing up whith the car sitting level. My car sits low in the back because the comp springs have no arc to them at all. ( I wish my front end sat lower but with the big oil pan I really wouldn't have any ground clearance.)
Will

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 1:06 am

The rear anti sway bar is unneeded for street use PERIOD. I have one, it will remain disconected until I go AutoXing. You will have the worst case of oversteer you can possibly imagine. Especially if you don't have the comp springs up front as well as the BIG front anti sway bar and a set of KONIs set full stiff. Sorry I should have added this to the previous post.

Will

70MTroadster · Post by **70MTroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 7:07 am

Just read all the posts regarding the rear leafs........mine must be toast. I installed new GR2's that came with the car and while under there saw that I had about 1.25 inches of travel. When viewed from the side on level ground the springs have no arch to them, in fact, they have a reverse arch

Since I had her up in the air anyway, I modified the bump stops via the PDF file from Datsun's dot.com for improved street and have been driving her since...made a heck of an improvement in what was otherwise a VERY stiff ride. Probably time to have them re-arched, eh? Montana roads are NOT for comp springs.....your dental work will be shaken to bits in short order

scott

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 10:14 am

Scott,
just from looking at the picture of your car, I think you have the comp springs like me. If it was very stiff to begin with, that further reinforces my thought. I think you are fine, you just have the comp springs front and rear. If you just had the comp springs in the rear, you would have a very noticeable tail-dragger. Look at the picture of my car in the Car of the month section and compair the look to your car and I think you will find that they are about the same.
Will

70MTroadster · Post by **70MTroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 1:33 pm

Uno, it would be cool if some PO installed the comp springs. I too like to go fast. This thing corners much better than my old 2000's did but they both had the rear shackles reversed for more rear heigth and tire clearance so maybe not a good comparison. Remember now that this car sat in a garage on flat tires for 12 years so that's why I was saying the rear springs are tired. So.........

Assuming you are right and I have comp front and rear, how do I tell? Count the leaves and mearure the wire size for the front and/or the number of coils? I have/had plans to get some front springs, heat 'em up, and drop the front of the car an inch.

Scott

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Wed May 14, 2003 2:03 pm

Scott,
be careful when you just heat and compress the springs. They retain the original spring rate so you will bottom out more easily. If you have a comp oilpan that is not good. I would buy a set of the higher springrate compititon springs if anything. I have about 4 inches from my oil pan to the ground

. As far as being able to tell the spring rate, the only way is to find the part number that was painted onto the springs. They both have 3 or four leaves per spring (I can't remember). I can measure the distance from the bottom of my diff to the ground and that should be a good way to gauge what you have. I will try to do that this afternoon.
Will

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