The 510 Realm

yes, Duke is right, it is getting the car set up that takes many, many tries, specially if you do the racer's credo..."Change one thing only at a time" otherwise, you don't know what change really worked, and may confound things. Better to always have a base setting you can go back too. It's too tough, and likely not even remotely optimal, to "GUESS" at a setting, and then find that it is not good, or, your left wondering.....Could it be better.


Believe me....I have been there.

No two cars are the same, neither are any two owners. Most people want something very specific out of their cars handling, there is no "optimal" set up that covers all or everyone. So here we are; we make them adjustable, get them to where we want them, and sometimes lock it’s setting there never to be changed again.
Honestly, you can still slot the cross member, like days of old, align the car, and weld the washers in place so that nothing moves. If you are not into finding that "optimum" set up, and just want the car square again, just slot the original cross member mounts, and tack the flat washers in place after the alignment is done. This method has worked for 510 guys for 30 years, and is nothing new.
I just like the fact that there are people out there willing to put in the time and effort to really improve the breed. There has been some ideas posted that will work well, and people have taken the effort to do so.
That’s the cool part about this community, if not about "The latest JDM doohickey, Yo" (sorry Rob, it fit so well), but the fact that people out there put some real time and effort into doing a job that's a bit above what's needed.
Keep it going, keep it coming, and keep posting the results!
Byron

Hey I'm not knocking anyone's work or reasoning, just trying to determine what I want to do through public discussion . Maybe I use the term "optimal" too freely and perhaps should use "all around" or "good street" setup. I'll just sit on my thumbs for now, I'm not in a rush anyways.

No, there was no offence in insinuation implied.
If you are looking to just correct the alignment situation, and are never planning on adjusting it there after, the old slotting method works great, has for years.
I was just congratulating the guys who've chosen their own path.
The beauty about our group; we're all free to do as we wish, some just choose to go all out! That's where it gets interesting.
Byron

I want one of these kits so BAD!!

I guess that's why i'm looking at your Forum.
I'm from Australia, but it's always good to see what everyone else is doing and why. Plus our ideas help you guys out, and likewise your ideas help us out. Either way you look at it, we all benefit. Even if someone doesn't have an adjustable rear end, it doesn't matter, because if they drive their car, and it does something undesirable, many of us can give them feedback to improve their existing setup, OR suggest to go down the adjustable route, etc.

...and we like that you have parts we can't find anymore here

Yeah, I paid shipping on ALOT of parts for my FJ20 project...cant find much for them in these parts.

so If this makes sence to me tell me where in screwy in the head.. If I want to use Heim Joints, wouldent it be better to hack the ends of the control arms off plate the end and thread the heims joints into them? slot the inner one to move up and down and simply by threading the outer one in and out control your toe? thus leaving your cross member alone and instead modifying your control arms? there would be NO binding anywhere with heims joints, I understand this might be noisy and rough but itll be precise. sorry if im out of line here most of my suspension exsperiance is with monster trucks.. we used ALOT of heims joints.. only seen 2 ever fail.. and if you concider the stress they are put through i dont think a 510 could ever brake one of = size.

That is exaclty the way I was thinking of going silky. Heim joints do seem to be the best option in my opion also. I talked with byron about it and he said it could be made to work. Seems like a lot less work than getting spherical bushings machined or buying them. Heim joints are readily available and fairly inexpensive. I am going to tear my rear end apart and just go for the heim joints on the control arms.

It would be a lot of work though to adjust just the heim joints without removing the whole control arm from the cmember. I think what i plan on doing is getting the brackets byron is making and using heim joints on the control arms and just lock them down to the factory position.

Hmm I have never seen that done yet. I wouldnt mind exploring this.

I don't think it would be to hard, and as silky said he used them on monster trucks. What would be the best type of heim joint?

As stated previously, I have absolutely no problems with Heim joints, but in Australia it's just not street legal. Don't know what rules you guys have over in the states, but for us, it's impossible, hence making the most of what we have!
Rare FJ20 parts hey? Tell us about it. FJ's are getting hard to find parts for all over the world...

Stewart Wilkins motorsport has a heim joint adjustable for Datsun 260/240z's.
http://www.swmotorsport.com


You can possibly look there for inspiration?

Arizona Z car also builds tubular heims jointed rear control arms for Zs, ide love soem for a dime..