suspension on 200sx

i have an 84 200sx and the suspension is horrible, the shocks are shot and the suspension is just all around soft, i was wondering what i can do to lower it and make it nice and tight on a low budget.

Try posting in the suspension section, you will got a better response.

Define cheap ...

Also, what motor/trans combo are you running? If you have the solid axle, this won't be the same ... but

Suspension Techniques has lowering springs we can use. You need 280zx front springs and 300zx rears. They are about $70 a pair.

KYB GR2 Gasadjust shocks work well with lowering springs in the rear, the front you can recharge your insert with a stiffer oil (if you still have the stockers), and that will really stiffen up the front.

I'll try and move some suspension posts from the archive for you.

Thx dude,

i dont know if its possible, but under 300$, umm, im not really sure whether it is solid axle or not, it is a ca20e 5-speed if that helps.

and what do you mean reachard insert w/ a stiffer oil?

I was thinking about clamping or cutting the springs that I have, and putting in some new shocks. A couple of friends thought that might work. Or maybe i could pull some springs off of some wrecked cars, are there any cars that have nice stock springs?

Springs control ride height, shocks control the bumpy parts. Under 300 bucks I'd say just replace the stock shocks with the GR2s and see how it feels. The front shocks have an oil filled insert. By changing the oil in it for something thicker, you stiffen it up.

you have a solid rear axle. It's going to be hard to do it for under $300.

check out this guys 84 http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/539246/2

Magnum, does yours have a solid rear axle or no, what did you do to yours?

im looking at the pictures of your 200sx, did you take out the whole intake system, including the (for lack of a good name) black box thingy that the air runs through first before hitting the intake manifold in the stock form.

Also, so you guys dont think i should try to cut the springs?, I really want to lower it but i am on a budget for college, so i cant drop much bank on it. Also, do people widen their axle's. Like, make the tires stick out further on the sides, ive always been curious as to how that is done.

that's not my car, but from what i gather he used drop shocks from a truck for the rear and kyb inserts for the front. I'm not sure what he did for springs. most likely he cut the factory springs (which is a no no). What I would do if I were you would be to get inserts that are 1.5" shorter than stock for the front like the 240z insert and the use a coil-over to set the height at what you want. Then for the rear I would use a shock that is 1.5-2" shorter than stock and do something similar to Barts rear suspension coilovers for your rear. I don't know what the shock height is for the solid axle so I couldn't tell you what you could use. You also have to do something about camber in the front. Camber plates from a 240sx would be best. the cost for all this would be inbetween $750-$1000. Do it right the first time or don't do it at all is my motto when modding cars.

im looking at the pictures of your 200sx, did you take out the whole intake system, including the (for lack of a good name) black box thingy that the air runs through first before hitting the intake manifold in the stock form.

Also, so you guys dont think i should try to cut the springs?, I really want to lower it but i am on a budget for college, so i cant drop much bank on it. Also, do people widen their axle's. Like, make the tires stick out further on the sides, ive always been curious as to how that is done.tire stick out further because of the wheels having a different offset or just a wider wheel.

If you want to pull out the black airbox, or bypass it, you will need a cone filter, or some type of filtrer to keep your engine from sucking in bad crap.

Yah with teh solid rear axle there is only so much you can do for 300 or less. If your springs are really bad you can prolong things a bit by buying aftermarket stuff, as long as the width of the spring is right, and you buy them for the amount you want the car lower. plus the aftermarket springs will be a heavier weight. As far as the front goes you are probably looking at about 200 or so. By advice would be take it easy on the lights, and wait until you have a bit more coin, and do it properly. Cuting the factory springs will lower the car, but will also make it handle like crap, and you will bottom out more often because those springs are probably really worn out, after all the car is 20 years old, and they are probably stock. 8)

Define cheap ...

Also, what motor/trans combo are you running? If you have the solid axle, this won't be the same ... but

Suspension Techniques has lowering springs we can use. You need 280zx front springs and 300zx rears. They are about $70 a pair.

KYB GR2 Gasadjust shocks work well with lowering springs in the rear, the front you can recharge your insert with a stiffer oil (if you still have the stockers), and that will really stiffen up the front.

I'll try and move some suspension posts from the archive for you.

so the 280zx and 300zx springs will work for the i.r.s. s12s, but for the solid axle guys, the 300zx springs won't work in the rear?

i remember some discussion that the solid rear axles in the 84 cars might be from a datsun pickup, like a 710 or something like that.

don't quote me but I thought I heard some were that a solid axel used 300 springs too and it worked out ok? but like I said DON"T QUOTE ME. Man, if your looking for cheap. get...

280ZX front springs $70 (jcwhitney)
GR-2 front struts $80 (tirerack)
GR-2 rear shocks $40 (tirerack)
*you could get gas-a-just rears for $64 (tirerack) (they are stiffer)

eventually you'll want some RCA's and camber plates for the front and some one will work out a way to lower the rear but for now...

So are you saying use 280 all around or just for the front and if so what about the back? And does that mean the stock ones, or springs that are meant to lower. Also, are sure you can get gr2 shocks and struts for our cars? And would the shocks have to have a certain height or travel distance for the lower springs so that I dont screw them up? I was looking and i couldnt find a place that had them.

What are rca's and camber plates?

RCAs and Camber plates are nothing you need to worry about right now. Rear Control Arms are for correcting the alignment in the rear, along with camber plates. Excessively lowering the car throws the alignment out past where the stock adjustments can bring us back from.

I have yet to run into a parts place that DOESN'T sell GR2s for us.

Just make sure

a) that you have a solid rear axle
b) that the parts guy knows what rear axle setup you have

Some computers list the solid, some don't. Just make sure you get the right ones.

Here is the reason you don't cut the coils on a car. Coil springs are a highly engineered part. Not only do you have to factor in spring rate and height, but the top and bottom of automotive springs are wound in a specific way to seat in some type of (for lack of a better term) spring perch. Usually that means that the top and bottom of the spring at the last coil colapses in on itself and is then ground flat though some cars have coils that sit in raised perches and are not ground flat. without taking a look at a stock 200SX spring I am not positive which type we have but my guess would be the first type. When you cut a coil spring you not only loose this specialized end you also a. reduce the height of the spring (although not nessesarily in direct proportion to ride height) and b. you raise the spring rate an unspecified amount. Unless you make springs for a living (in which case you would never cut them in the first place) or are an engineer, don't try it. Worst case senario look online or in the phone book for companies that manufacture custom auto springs. There are lots of these companies around and a custom set of springs is not as much as you might think, though probably more than your $300 budget would allow at the moment. I know of one company here in Seattle that can even make custom Titanium coil springs for the ultimate in weight savings that have a lifetime warranty on sagging.

Good to know, thanks.

I still want to know if the 280 springs will lower the car, or if I need to buy 280 lowering springs to do it, and if I need to then buy shocks w/ a shorter travel. :-?

The price I listed earlier was just for the 280ZX ST front springs. I'm not sure if the stock 280ZX springs will lower the car but I wouldn't use them even if they did. The stock spring rate of the 280ZX is quiet a bit less than our own. Any way, I know that just buying the front springs doesn't lower your whole car but I was just working with the amount of money you said you had. New struts/shrocks and front ST springs is probably the best solution for you for now. You could always do more later.

re-opening this thread for just a minute, I was hoping that someone could sum this up for me.
suspension
280z springs up front w/ refilled fluid
solid axle back?