Possible better alternative to 280ZX struts found

[broke]

This is a C32 Laurel. These are still reasonably common in many countries, mainly the diesel sedans, but not always. I used to have one and miss it terribly.

[broke]

As we all know, 280ZX's which were once disposable; (and therefore their brakes and struts also) have become harder to come by of late.

The advantage of ZX struts brakes is their big vented rotor, and powerful caliper. They also decrease the 510 track width something like 30mm, which makes fitting your cool JDM zero offset 7" wide kyusha hotboi stancelife IG influencer yada yada wheels a lot easier.

One major disadvantage is the loss of negative camber due to the angle of the strut tube relative to the hub face being different, to the point where you almost max out the adjustment on your camber plates to get any negative camber at all.

I propose there may be another option. This here is a C32 Laurel front strut, part #54303 61L00. This one's off a rare V Turbo, but I suspect all the hardtops use the same strut tube and knuckle.

[broke]

The Laurel and 280ZX use the almost the same diameter and width vented rotor, (the Laurel rotor is slightly thicker) and a very similar caliper with about the same size pad and piston.

I stripped the hubs from some struts and measured as follows. Note the step in the 510 spindle seal area.

As you can see, the C32 spindle is somewhat narrower on its own than the ZX one - ZX caliper on the left, Laurel caliper on the right. The ZX inner seal area is also wider.

[broke]

This is where it gets really interesting. Note that the angle of the spindle relative to the balljoint mounting face is different on the ZX and Laurel struts compared to the 510.

Where you lose negative camber is from the angle of the strut tube to hub mounting face being shallower. The C32 Laurel spindle to ball joint face angle is the same as the ZX, however its strut tube, while not quite identical, is very nearly the same angle as the original 510 one.

In theory this should get the camber much closer to the 510's normal setting compared to ZX struts.

Actually, now that I look at it again, if you were to tilt the Laurel strut back slightly so that the bearing spindle was the same angle as the 510 one then I think the strut tubes would be at exactly the same angle.

From closest to farthest: 510, Laurel, ZX

(sorry, try looking at these sideways to see what I mean)

[broke]

Note also the Laurel backing plate is held on with three screws instead of four, it also is pressed to have an inbuilt duct directing air to the centre of the rotor, Bertvorgon style. The

L to R first photo: 510, Laurel, ZX

second photo: ZX, Laurel, 510

[broke]

So here are the Laurel and ZX hubs - yes they're very crusty, sorry.

Underneath them is a big socket which is sitting against the inner bearing.

Been doing some googling and the Laurel setup looks similar to what the yanks got in V6 powered S12s or whatever an "M30" is, except some of the information says the M30 struts can accept a Nissan 4 piston caliper. I'm guessing that means they had the 100mm bolt spacing for the caliper mounts like some of the Japanese R31's? At any rate these ones are smaller like the ZX ones.

Are these the same as M30 or S12 you think? The backing plate definitely seems unique to the Laurel.

What say you people? My aim here is to have the ZX track width (yeah I wanna run 14x7. 0et...) with camber more like the 510 struts, but with the calipers from either of these.

[datzenmike]

510 and 280zx strut angles are the same 10 degrees. Only one I know is different is the S30 struts.

Line up all the strut tubes...

https://i.imgur.com/JTTPlfv.jpg

... and the spindles will line up...

https://i.imgur.com/1eTp50V.jpg

[broke]

They absolutely are not in this case, and they don't. I don't know how much clearer I can make this.

[funwithmonkeys]

They are. I have the zx struts and they work just fine with 5° of camber. The Z struts are the ones that you cannot get enough camber with.

[datzenmike]

I think only North America got the L24 engine similar to the 240z in the 810 and the Maxima. Because it's a big heavy car the strut and caliper/rotor are just a hair smaller than the 280zx. I have a set on my 710 and it works just fine. Elsewhere the 810 and 910 were 4 cylinder, shorter and lighter cars. I don't think they got these struts.



http://the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?t=7213

[icehouse]

When I measured the strut angle every strut I found was the same. I think even the s30. It just has extra casting on the bottom
That if set on a bench makes it look different. There was a M30 at my local pick and pull. I didn’t grab the strut though. I never realized they were four lug.

[broke]

They are. I have the zx struts and they work just fine with 5° of camber. The Z struts are the ones that you cannot get enough camber with.

They are not. Here's where the difference actually is between them.

I borrowed a mate's ZX strut today, both his and mine are Tokico and part #54303 P6500

Friend's left, mine right

B577271B-1B3C-4EE3-8337-2570AF4205EB.jpeg (255.23 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

Friend's part #

44AEE9F3-10E7-4620-A160-FD1FB83A2479.jpeg (263.71 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

My part #

A2D2EEBC-CE2A-4547-8621-5BA946B79383.jpeg (225.73 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

As you can see, the tubes are at different angles relative to the base. So as I suspected, the bases aren't always machined perpendicular to the tubes. While my measuring method using an angle gauge and protractor isn't perfect, it's enough to measure two degree difference in the "back angle" I guess you could call it.

7E292E77-D3DB-42E6-BB32-40A3F665C92F.jpeg (154.93 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

97305261-9B63-465B-B9AE-BBDFBF63AFAF.jpeg (226.24 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

30142E50-45BC-4CD8-AFB1-08B8B8285125.jpeg (189.74 KiB) Viewed 1777 times

[funwithmonkeys]

The 510 and 280zx strut both have a 10° spindle angle. The 280Z is around 14 I think. I spoke to Andy a specialty engineering about it at length. The only time it is feasible to use the Z strut is if you want to significantly widen the track on the front of the car while keeping the stock upper mounting point. The zx one is interchangeable with the 510 one with no modification. I think someone gave you a z strut and said it was a zx.

[broke]

Not only is the strut angle different but one of the mounting faces/spindles protrudes further than the other one. It's hard to measure and even harder to photograph, the line is an exaggerated one to give an idea.

30B215B3-A6A2-4BBA-8CCF-660149352DEC.jpeg (268.91 KiB) Viewed 1775 times

[broke]

I think someone gave you a z strut and said it was a zx.

If that was the case then they would have different part numbers. And it would be 4° off instead of 2, if what you say about the 280Z angle being 14° is correct.
So no, they didn't.