Race Car Shocks

Post by **ACote** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:28 am

Steve49841 wrote:Okay....so....are we saying it's gotta be Koni's over adjustable KYB's? In the Wiki Tech section there are some part numbers for 80 series Koni's but I don't think thery are externally adjustable.

Don't let the name fool you. Koni's are adjustable, KYB are named "gas-a-just" but are not adjustable. I think it stands for "just gas?"

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:35 pm

Before I get too far down this road I'm going to try and figure out what I have on the car now. I'll bet the shocks have been on the car since th 80's, they have an adjuster on them but they are so cruddy I can't tell much about them while laying on my back on the garage floor.

jake7140 · Post by **jake7140** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:39 pm

I run old Konis that came on the car. Comp front and rear springs. Um, fine. Someone else we know runs some kind of Penske or Carrara I believe. Could check with him. Big $ whatever they are. I've always wanted to peruse the circle track stock for something that would work, but I have other work to do now. Would like to see a 3 or 4 roadster race next year though...

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:17 am

My car is never going to the run off's so I don't need to spend that kind of money, But I understand why he does. To be competitive at that level you probably need the really good stuff. To not get run over in vintage I think decent stuff will work fine for me. At this point I just need to get the shocks off the car and see what I have and go from there. A four roadster race sounds like a good time, I can think of three, are you talking about greatness himself being number four?

gpdatsun · Post by **gpdatsun** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:20 am

Hey guys,

The Koni's work great with comp springs (54010-25510, 55020-25510) and were sold through Nissan for many years. They were the 80-series red adjustables and were 80-1750 (front) and 80-1751 (rear). From Nissan they were 99996-1750A and 99996-17510. Used with the Delrin bushings (99996-C5000) and comp bump stops (54050-25510, 55240-25510), that was THE set-up. They can be restored and rebuilt by folks like Koni North America, Hebron, KY or Truechoice, Hilliard, OH.

I autocrossed my street 1600 using KYB gas-adjust's on stock springs. These are the KG5447 (rear) and KG4528 (front). The gas-adjust's aren't adjustable but tire pressure is and that was how I worked the balance in the car at the course. I still have them on the car and the ride is just hard enough for spirited driving without jarring your back teeth as on lowered comp springs.

Before I went to a full coil-over set-up on the race car, it was fitted with Carrera's at the front (three click adjustable #2340) and Monroe Max Hi-performance 4955 H 7075 at the rear on modified comp springs. Joe wrote a description here http://www.datsun.org/fairlady/JoeChassis.htm

Garm · Post by **Garm** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:32 am

^ Great information and thank you for posting part numbers.
Those 80-series Konis are unobtanium as far as I can tell (even though they are still posted on websites) -- that's why I turned to Lou for revalved ones from Australia.

jake7140 · Post by **jake7140** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:22 pm

jake7140 wrote: Would like to see a 3 or 4 roadster race next year though...

You, Me, Wierz, Veltum, and there was Jack Martin. He was written up in the McHenry County vintage Gazette, but that is now offline and can't find in archives.

gpdatsun · Post by **gpdatsun** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:49 am

Time was (2005) when Mike and Graham Ashby would turn up with their gun metal grey 1600. Kinda wondering what happened to those guys and the car?

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:35 pm

Finally got my shocks off the car today, what a mess. The fronts are koni reds, one is frozen tight and and the other has a broken stud. The rears are a mystery.. green in color, one works pretty well but has a frozen adjuster and the other is junk. Has anyone heard of Chris Billings and The Shock Shop in Portland?

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:05 am

Located a set of NOS Koni's for the rear, still working on the fronts. The old rear shocks turned out to be from and english company called SPAX. I have been in contact with a guy from Pedders Suspensions in Australia (another long story) and he put on onto SPAX. They have some very trick stuff in a custom made mono tube shock...don't know about the price though.

Garm · Post by **Garm** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:17 pm

^ I know about Spax -- they make nice shocks for the Ford Cortina, a car I flirted with for about a year.

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:59 pm

I'm still hanging on hoping you can solve my problem Garm....

Garm · Post by **Garm** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:58 pm

^ I can solve it -- whenever they get here.

Steve49841 · Post by **Steve49841** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:21 am

Looks like #103 is going to get a set of race valved Koni Reds from AU for the front end, Yippie! Due to this most excellent development I now have a set (front and rear) of stock valved NOS Koni adjustables for sale. Please note: the fronts carry a Volvo P1800 number which is 1/2" longer then the 80-1751 but otherwise identical after the dust shield was removed. I'm telling racers first, in a few days I will put them on the for sale forum...if anyone has interest PM me. Thanks.....Steve

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