Ride Height

[Seikoking]

Seeking some guidance please

Does anyone know what the normal ride height is for a UK 260Z? (2 seater)

Specifically, I am hoping for someone to provide measurements of floor to top of the apex of the wheel arch front and rear, and also the ground clearance measurement, at the lowest point underneath the car (not exhaust)? For reference, the lowest point on my car is fairly near the front of the chassis rail.

I’d be grateful If anyone is able access their car and provide the 3 measurements.

Thanks all and keep safe.

 

[Makesy]

Happy to measure mine up for you mate, though I couldn't tell you if it's normal ride height or not.

I imagine @AliK may be well positioned to help you!

 

[Seikoking]

Cheers Alex appreciate the offer. From what I’ve read the 240 differs to the 260/280 and there are also differences between US and Euro spec cars!

I believe the 280z in particular has a less ground clearance due to more substantial chassis rails, but I’m not sure if that applies to UK 1977 260z either.

All this to try figure out if my car is lowered at all or has beefier chassis rails, or both. It doesn’t look particularly low (arch gaps are fairly big especially at the front) but the clearance underneath already looks minimal...just over 100mm

 

[AliK]

Happy to measure mine up for you mate, though I couldn't tell you if it's normal ride height or not.

I imagine @AliK may be well positioned to help you!

Mine has definitely been lowered by PO so I’m not sure mine is the best example of what the ride height “should “ be.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

anything in the manual? Although it looks like you have no profile on your tyres also?

 

[Bazzateer]

I can measure mine tomorrow for you although it's a 4 seater but pretty sure it has the standard set-up.

 

[SeanDezart]

Does this help ?

 

[Seikoking]

anything in the manual? Although it looks like you have no profile on your tyres also?

Nothing I can see in the manuals I have, but you’re right about the tyre profiles. A bit too low and that is partly what prompted the question. I have a nice set of 15 inch wheels to go on to replace the 17s, 205/50 for the fronts, but the arch gap is too big and the front will need to be dropped to make it look ok. However the chassis rail underneath is already quite low (about 100mm clearance) and a smaller wheel plus a suspension drop will have it scraping on everything!

 

[Seikoking]

Does this help ?

Thanks Sean . It does help as a guide though this looks like a 240z rather than a 260z? Not sure if there is any / much difference? Does anyone know for sure?

 

[AliK]

There is a difference as the spring rates, wheel sizes and ride was changed between S30 models.

Below is a good deal of information - although as you can imagine there were differences between the US market spring rates and other markets which would dictate how much travel you need to clear the ground when compressing.


https://zclub.net/community/index.php?threads/standard-ride-height-240z.15433/

Here is another site talking about different springs between markets

http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/EuroSpecSprings.htm

https://www.jdmjunkies.ch/wordpress...mate-guide-to-factory-suspension-and-options/


Edit: here’s a page from the Haynes manual (a must have resource) that may help if you are able to jack your car up and measure coils on your springs:

Height “at kerb weight” of 1100kg was supposed to be 1283mm for an early 260z which is the same as a 240 I believe - although I’m not sure how you measure that accurately!

This is US specific but very useful info here ...


http://www.datsuns.com/Zcar/z-car_zone_N.html

 

[Bazzateer]

FWIW the apex of both front and rear arches on mine are 66.5cm from the ground.
Lowest point on the chassis is 12cm from the ground.

 

[AliK]

FWIW - my front (taken last year trying to figure out the same question):

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Show us a picture of your chassis rails and a decent side-view pic of your car.

 

[Albrecht]

Edit: here’s a page from the Haynes manual (a must have resource) that may help if you are able to jack your car up and measure coils on your springs:

I'd urge extreme caution when using the Haynes manuals for anything that was variable between markets, model variants and production dates (and springs/damping/ride heights certainly fall into that category). They seem to be a mixture of different market data sets, often defaulting to North American bias and - therefore - not necessarily applicable to other market models.

I'd also point out that measuring ride-height etc using bodywork - especially rear arches - as a datum point is reliant on it being untouched and 'as-factory'. I once inspected a 240Z which had rear arches that were at least 3cm different from one side to the other in the horizontal as well as the vertical....

ps: The wheel fitment/stance looked great on one side, but not the other...!

 

[AliK]

Alan, as always you’ve made brilliant points there.

I hadn’t realised the Haynes was a mishmash of data!! [emoji33]

Beyond the FSMs I find it a good way to pass the hours on the Royal Dulton thinking about the next job I’m about to embark upon.

All the downloadable FSMs that I have found also seem to be US focused - have I missed an obvious link somewhere to UK / European ones?

 

[Seikoking]

Thanks all for the input so far, really appreciated.

Attached are a couple of pics to give an idea...

The wheels are 17s. 275/35 rear and 225/45 front, and the main concern is the front.

 

[Albrecht]

All the downloadable FSMs that I have found also seem to be US focused - have I missed an obvious link somewhere to UK / European ones?

I'm not so fond of the 'downloadable' versions of factory service manuals. At the risk of seeming old fashioned, I much prefer to have the actual factory publications to leaf through.

I've got two that apply to the UK market RS30 and GRS30 models, one dated 1975 and one dated 1977. They are a great resource for owners of those models. Arming yourself with the correct FSM and factory parts list you are in a pretty good position to answer a lot of questions that the car will throw at you.

 

[Albrecht]

The wheels are 17s. 275/35 rear and 225/45 front, and the main concern is the front.

If your starting point is what the car looks like (stance-wise) and your target finishing point is where you're more happy with what it looks like (stance-wise) then - can I say - it might be a little bit irrelevant referring to factory ride height/spring lengths/strut spring perch heights etc etc...?

I think what you really need is a route to make the car sit how you want it to, no?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Thanks all for the input so far, really appreciated.

Attached are a couple of pics to give an idea...

The wheels are 17s. 275/35 rear and 225/45 front, and the main concern is the front.

Well it looks fine to me so if you want to change wheel and tyres you just need something higher profile.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Are your floor support rails ‘boxed’ over? Looks like they sit further from the car than std?