"BoulderZ" (BoulderZ)
06/25/2014 at 15:02 • Filed to: None
1
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"BoulderZ" (BoulderZ)
06/25/2014 at 15:02 • Filed to: None | 1
| 24 |
Took a vacation day off to get the car prepped for tech inspection (track day Saturday). Here I am test fitting my track tires.
No, the real order of the day was to address the "clunk" from the right rear on larger bumps. After this winter's ordeal of replacing the exhaust/intake header gasket, truck repairs, car repairs, and house repairs I was fearing the worst. For once, I caught a break. There's a known behavior on Z's where the strut cartridge retaining "nut" loosens a little bit, letting the cartridge just bump a little bit on large hits. I was hoping against hope that was the case. And I finally caught a break! Car up, wheel off, boot up, tighten nut, boot down, wheel on, car down. Took less than an hour from walking out to the garage to going on a test drive, even including doing the rest of my prep checklist.
Below, the little metallic line you can just barely see in the 4th coil spring gap up from the bottom was the culprit. A pair of channel locks fits through the spring perfectly, allowing for a quick tightening.
Nibbles
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:13 |
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I do love rake. We were replacing the fuel pump in my friend's 1993 Explorer this weekend, so the rear was up on ramps. Told him I was gonna get him some shackles and bricks so it stays that way. He didn't say no.
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BoulderZ
> Nibbles
06/25/2014 at 15:19 |
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I grew up a few miles from Maple Grove Raceway ("Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! $10 buys you the whole seat, but you'll only need... the edge !"), when rake was a huge thing. You've never seen so many Novas, Chevelles, and Mustangs driving around nose-scraping. The funniest part, in retrospect, is that it's hard to think of a worse setup for the SE PA roads (read: twisty, hilly, pothole-y) around the park.
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Nibbles
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:23 |
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Face down, ass up, something something internet something something
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BoulderZ
> Nibbles
06/25/2014 at 15:25 |
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LOL. Isn't that "rule 34" or something? I'm not gonna search that, even on my personal machine.
Rainbow
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:29 |
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At first glance, I thought that was a chunk of the rotor completely missing.
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Nibbles
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:30 |
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It's part of a song by 2 Live Crew. I had a hacked PSP back in the day, it had that particular part of the song loaded into my favorite application. I was constantly worried I'd accidentally start it with the volume up in a crowded place
I'd still like to find whomever made that app and slap 'em in the face
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BoulderZ
> Rainbow
06/25/2014 at 15:34 |
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Looks weird, doesn't it? 240SX calipers + ZX rotors = easy rear disc conversion. Parking brake still works even with the stock cable.
Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:34 |
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Nice 280! What year?
I've got a wicked squelching/squeaking/rubbing/idon'tknowwhatyet on my 78'.
Just replaced the front wheel bearings which one side was really bad. Didn't fix it.
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BoulderZ
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/25/2014 at 15:37 |
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Thanks! Mine's a '78 as well, actually is a Black Pearl, though I had to delete the louvers and pinstripes with all the body work it needed. You should have seen it when I bought it. Does the sound on yours come/go with any particular circumstances, like turning, accelerating, braking, bumps, etc.?
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 15:40 |
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Looks great even on stands. Stock motor?
Constant when moving. grinding/squeaking increases with speed. That's why I thought it was the front bearings. Now I'm wondering if I have a weird dust shield rub? I hate to think it's the rear bearings. That is a JOB.
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BoulderZ
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/25/2014 at 15:54 |
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Dust shield rub is very possible. Easy to check and they remove fairly quickly. Rear bearings are a giant pain in the ass, and you really need a press to do it. And you should do the "half-shaft" u-joints "while you're at it", 'cause they're known to crap out, too. I only did mine because I had all the bits apart for powder coating and new urethane bushings anyway. Check ball joints and control arm bushings, and the three nuts at the top of each strut tower. It's weird what can vibrate like that. Other possibilities: driveshaft u-joints (fix that with an aluminum shaft from MSA, it's easier), or diff mount/straps (that's usually a clunk under acceleration or engine braking, though). The resonance from those can seem to come from totally different places. Maddening.
Motor is not stock, but not super aggressive. Bored out 0.020", ZX flattop pistons from ITM (10:1 compression that way), camshaft reground to Web 94a profile, Pallnet fuel rail, 6:1 ceramic coated header (still too hot under hood in stopped summer traffic, though), Arizona Z Car baffled aluminum extra capacity oil pan, new rings, new main bearings, new rod bearings, ARP rod bolts, aluminum radiator with electric fan, 2.5" exhaust with resonator delete, higher amp alternator upgrade from that shop up in WA (can't remember their name... Z Specialties maybe?), Crane PS60 coil.
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 16:03 |
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Holy monkey nuts. You've been working! I'm copying all this into a word doc.
I've replaced the mustache bar bushings. Have a diff mount to replace the tired one. I've replaced the tierods. I bought the ball joints but haven't done them yet. Replaced steering rack boots too. So damn messy.
Driver side outer bearing.
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BoulderZ
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/25/2014 at 16:05 |
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Any chance of a stuck/rubbing rear drum shoe? I've heard of that one before, too.
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BoulderZ
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/25/2014 at 16:10 |
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I'd forgotten about the steering rack boots. I didn't put on nitrile gloves, 'cause somehow that extra 10 seconds was going to be a big deal in a multi-year restoration, right? Bad move. My hands smelled like that weird grease for two weeks, no matter how much GoJo I used.
Wow, nice catch on the bearings, that one really was toast! Looking at some of the rust, have you gotten to check the inner lower control arm bushings on the front? They dry out and can let the assembly vibrate, correlated with your speed. Would be an easy check while you're doing the ball joints. Also check the C/T rod bushings and torque, which should help control that motion as well.
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 16:11 |
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That's a great idea on the drum. I'll check that tonight.
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 16:18 |
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I've got the bushings for the LCA and the control rod. Will be doing those when I do the ball joints. I've read on atlanticz.ca tips that you should use a lower torque setting with poly control rod bushings. But not what that number might be.
Also replaced the steering rack bushings.
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/25/2014 at 21:57 |
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More pictures, please.
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BoulderZ
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/25/2014 at 22:57 |
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Will do! I passed tech inspection for the track day, so the pressure's off a bit. I'll try to get some photos together of the before/during/after work, as well as some of the excursions since then. I'd say "since completion", but it's a project car. I think we all know better. :)
bhardoin
> Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
06/26/2014 at 01:47 |
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Amen to checking u-joints, I just now had to replace my driveshaft because the transmission end joint failed terribly early on in a 130 mile drive. You'll feel a high speed vibration probably too, if they're going.
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bhardoin
> BoulderZ
06/26/2014 at 01:57 |
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Sweet Z! Are those the standard Z mag wheels, or something slightly different?
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Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
> BoulderZ
06/26/2014 at 08:00 |
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I'd be super interested to hear your history. I've only had mine a few months.
BTW, what size are your wheels?
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BoulderZ
> bhardoin
06/26/2014 at 11:27 |
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Thanks! I bought the wheels as part of the rebuild. I always liked the look of the "slot mags" on the early Z's, though these are actually modern, polished aluminum. They're 15"x7 ARE Ansen Sprint Mags on the 4x4.5 pattern. I have a set of 14" Western's (the "Dukes of Hazard" type looking ones) that came with the car from the PO, but they wouldn't fit over the vented-rotor 4-piston brake conversion I added. The Ansen's are somewhat period appropriate, too. Though all the early Z's came from the factory with steelies and plastic covers, most dealers had the mags as a dealer-install option (easy money, and customers wanted them anyway).
I love the 15's on there, because for me older style cars visually need a bit of sidewall vs modern low-profile setups, but the lack of track performance tires in that size is killing me. I think I'm going to have to get a set of 17's, put something like R888's on them for track, and then just put good summer-performance street tires on the 15s. That means I need to clean the garage, probably get rid of the Pontiac 400 ci V8 ("$50? Sure, I'll take that...") to make room for a TIG rig, so I can build a hitch and trailer to take the wheels to the track with me. Nothing's ever simple, is it? At least it'll be fun.
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bhardoin
> BoulderZ
06/26/2014 at 21:30 |
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I dig it. They look great on a black car, too.
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bhardoin
> BoulderZ
06/26/2014 at 21:33 |
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Also, trailer hitch for tires sounds sweet. Just attach it on to where the bumper mounts up?