evest Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 The work continues to get all my bushes replaced and new Meister-R Zeta S coilovers set up. So far have managed to strip everything off the front of the car and have installed the power steering rack bushes other post: http://www.350z-uk.c...n-success-pics/ I'm fortunate to have a fully equipment workshop on the base where I live, and for a packet of biscuits the blokes in there helped me out with a 12 ton press to put the new Superpro PU bushes into the banana arm and lower control arm... upper control arm ones went in easily by hand. New bushes in: So... anti-roll bar off and took the opportunity to clean it up and get rid of some rusted paint, will coat with new paint tomorrow: Shiny new dampers and springs So tomorrow it will be setting up the ride-height (for now), the anti-roll bar to paint and re-install with new bushes along with new Whiteline drop-linksa nd put the rest of the undercarriage back together, Hosetechnik brake lines, clean up the calipers, bleed brakes and might as well t and then get the rear jacked up...! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Very nice bit of kit going on your Zed there. Kudos to the lads for helping your out too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Great work Would it not be worth getting some protection on those arches while it's nice a clear under there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Looking good, however surprised that you are not upgrading the sway bars which would make a huge difference to the handling. Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 They've been in and out of the 'shopping cart' a few times! To be honest I just had to draw the line somewhere money-wise for now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Great work Would it not be worth getting some protection on those arches while it's nice a clear under there? Good point mate, I think I have tin of waxoil in the garage so will get it in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT4 Zed Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 They've been in and out of the 'shopping cart' a few times! To be honest I just had to draw the line somewhere money-wise for now... +1 with Alex. If you are going this far them upgrade all the stuff that will make the handling tunable and therefore better. I mentioned the same with bushes for the diff at least if you don't want to go the full hog with the subframe. This will not improve handling directly but better launches from standing starts or out of corners. You will also need adjustable droplinks if you have not got these already unless you want to keep your coilovers at stock height or very close to stock height. 👀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) I agree too guys - just might need to leave it a month before doing the sway bars - and since they're relatively easy to get at I don't mind putting the stock one back on for now. Got the adjustable drops link ready to go. They've been in and out of the 'shopping cart' a few times! To be honest I just had to draw the line somewhere money-wise for now... I mentioned the same with bushes for the diff at least if you don't want to go the full hog with the subframe. This will not improve handling directly but better launches from standing starts or out of corners. Will likely drop the diff (necessary to get the bush out I believe?) when I do the rear end as I also had that previous err... issue with the filler bolt that I'd like to resolve ... When all this is done, it will be going in somewhere for Uprev... Edited June 6, 2015 by evest 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) Well after a full day's work the front end is almost done. The re-assembly was interrupted by having to drill/punch out the old cotter pins on some of the joints and also to clean up the rusty sway bar brackets and re-paint them. But after that everything was gradually re-assembled and I was lucky enough to have a keen neighbour help me out with an impact gun on the ball-joint nuts (also aided by ZMANALEX's tip of using a brace and jack to apply sufficient pressure on both sides of the joint - worked a treat!). So: sway bar and new bushes installed New drop links installed banana arms and brace re-installed Steering knuckle installed and everything connected and torqued New brake lines installed All that is left to do is bleed brakes (once rear is done) set up the ride height and drop links (standard settings for now) and put the wheels back on! Oh, and having caved to peer pressure.... get some new sway bars...! Cleaning up the sway bar brackets Whiteline drop-links (ended of stock sway bar rust free and painted - only had red Hammerite in garage!) Brake lines done! sway bar, brackets and bush (oops scratched it a bit) Edited June 6, 2015 by evest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT4 Zed Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Getting there😎. At least you've done the bushes on the OEM sway bars it will make a noticeable differenceðŸ‘. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Ok so rear bushes and drop links are all done - quite awkward as there are 4 bushes on the hub assembly which are difficult to get at. But I've hammered, drilled, burnt, sawed, sanded and heaved my way to completion. Everything back on the car so now all that is left is to set up the ride height the way I want it and then it's off to the suspension specialists (Northampton Motorsport) to do the alignment and corner weighting. Brakes Okay so had a few problems with the new SS brake lines - well not so much the brake lines as my bleeding of them! Looks like I let some air into the master cylinder during the first bleed, and oh yeah - put the front callipers back on the wrong way round Beware nipples that point south... So today I had to remove the master cylinder and bench bleed it - bit messy but sorted it. Callipers swapped over and everything reinstalled and bled again. Driving is satisfactory but there is a little play in the pedal, so I may need to bleed again. The handbrake is firm but making a 'clunk' when applied so something not right there. Also got some noise from the rear - at first I thought this may be the handbrake shoes touching the inside of the disc, but following a dual carriageway run I stopped to see if that part of the disc was hot - however it wasn't nearly as hot as I would expect be for that to be the cause, so I suspect the noise may actually be part of the dust shield touching the brake disc - they did get bent a little when swapping the bushes so just need a little more prodding back into the proper shape. Will investigate both when I jack it up for the ride height setting. Overall it's been hard work and I've had to do a lot of learning along the way, but despite a couple of schoolboy errors I seem to have mostly succeeded and hopefully when the suspension is tuned and the couple of brake niggles are sorted the car will feel great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Well done You'll love it when it's been set up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEUS Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Nice work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam B Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 and oh yeah - put the front callipers back on the wrong way round Beware nipples that point south... FPMSL!!! Thanks needed that, Spent best part of 4hrs pumping the pedal for a mate on his mini. Could not get the air out. Are the callipers on the right sides?? I ask, Yes he said. Been there done that. Respect & keep up the hard work, nothing worth doing is easy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeisterR Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 That is looking good, how are you finding the MeisterR coilovers? Jerrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hi Jerrick, I'm very impressed with them. It's still early days so need to experiment further with the firmness settings and ride height. I'm no expert - but the car feels superb in the corners and very planted - I'm a lot more confident accelerating on both straights and corners, just on roads so far, I haven't tracked it. The rear is nice and firm even on the softest setting - I still need to modify my rear strut brace in the boot so I can attach the adjustment cable to the top of the damper. I have the fronts set at about the 1/3 point between soft/firm (favouring soft) and this feels good so far. Steering feels more responsive than before, not that it was bad to begin with, and I've got rid a slight 'wandering' feel that was starting to creep in. As you can see, I've also done all the bushes and put a little more negative camber on the fronts. I've had the car corner weighted but following some further adjustments it needs to go in for a final alignment. This has no doubt also contributed to the overall improvement too, but I think the MeisterR coilovers have been an excellent upgrade. Sorry this short review isn't more scientific! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) Hi Jerrick, I'm very impressed with them. It's still early days so need to experiment further with the firmness settings and ride height. I'm no expert - but the car feels superb in the corners and very planted - I'm a lot more confident accelerating on both straights and corners, just on roads so far, I haven't tracked it. The rear is nice and firm even on the softest setting - I still need to modify my rear strut brace in the boot so I can attach the adjustment cable to the top of the damper. I have the fronts set at about the 1/3 point between soft/firm (favouring soft) and this feels good so far. Steering feels more responsive than before, not that it was bad to begin with, and I've got rid a slight 'wandering' feel that was starting to creep in. As you can see, I've also done all the bushes and put a little more negative camber on the fronts. I've had the car corner weighted but following some further adjustments it needs to go in for a final alignment. This has no doubt also contributed to the overall improvement too, but I think the MeisterR coilovers have been an excellent upgrade. Sorry this short review isn't more scientific! Which ones do you have/ scratch that just read back lol Edited August 14, 2015 by nissanman312 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Great work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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