Snapped Tension Rod. Darn it!

Mr.F

Inactive
The 280ZX with forward facing rods is a bigger problem than the Z models. This is the first UK Z failure I've seen reported.
I have a few of the ball and socket version available currently...this uses one standard rubber bush at the rear on the Z.
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
What do they cost Mr Feeney!? I may well be in for a set after experimenting this weekend.
 

TimW

Club Member
Thanks very much for the support guys.

Not being 100% on the component parts, there’s something baffling me. From the picture below I think there’s a washer missing. I found the car with one on the bushings still on the rod and from its condition it looks like there was a washer in place. Checking along the length of the rod there’s no washer to be found. If indeed there should be a washer I would have thought it would still be on the rod.

There are a few posts I want to respond to, just soaking up all the info posted thus far and will post shortly, but thought I pop this up and see what peeps think. Could it have been a failure on the washer? Being a complete newbie I could be barking up the wrong tree.
 

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Rob Gaskin

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Guys, I may be 'up' for upgrading my rods.

I would like something adjustable for length - mine are currently 'spaced out' for max castor.

Group buy if we can agree on what to buy? Can you help us Mr F?
 

TimW

Club Member
There should be a washer. When was it assembled? Perhaps someone forgot it when they removed it.

Thanks Ibanez.
Possibly, but from the rust formed on the surface of the bush, I would guess there was one there. Unless after fitting the new bushes there was additional work done. I've just jacked up the car and taken the wheel off to take a closer look, def no washer.

but.. now having a having a closer look the wheel is sitting forward in the arch and the Track Control Arm seems bent to me (maybe caused when reversing out and applying the brake which is when i discovered the problem), but will need to look at the other side to compare to be sure.


Guys, I may be 'up' for upgrading my rods.

I would like something adjustable for length - mine are currently 'spaced out' for max castor.

Group buy if we can agree on what to buy? Can you help us Mr F?

Sounds good to me Rob. Will take me a while to gather all parts I may need,but def interest
 

TimW

Club Member
Quite high as it's possibly Metal fatigue that caused it to snap, so I would be worried about the state of the other unit still on the car.

Definitely, I think it wise to replace both sides if going stock option


Had both the near side and the offside go (at different times) around 2004/5 when going over speed bumps, sounded like gunshots

I was using polyurethane bushes

Have been using alternative solutions since then

Thanks Moriaty. What's the alternative you've been using?

I would imagine it would cause a problem under any braking as there is nothing stopping the suspension arm moving backwards. Under severe braking I would think you will lose the wheel as it moves back in the arch. Not something I would want to experience.

Mike has been selling the ball joint arrangement for a long while. IMO this issue is a much bigger problem on road cars with standard suspension which has a lot of travel. On a track car with much stiffer suspension, you don't get much travel at all so shouldn't be an issue. Those of us that run adjustable compression rods have a ball joint arrangement so the tension rod doesn't act as a torsion bar.

Thanks Johny. Fortunately I was taking it easy on the way home on the motorway, unlike heading down there. It was late at night, no traffic in MK, brakes hardly used really and roundabouts taken easy, counting myself lucky on this one


Not knowing much on the subject my concern is if fitting upgraded rods (quoted as unbreakable) with standard suspension whether this could cause other components to fail and if fitting upgraded rods if it is wise/necessary to upgrade any other components at the same time.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
........................

Not knowing much on the subject my concern is if fitting upgraded rods (quoted as unbreakable) with standard suspension whether this could cause other components to fail and if fitting upgraded rods if it is wise/necessary to upgrade any other components at the same time.

I can't think of an issue. You may notice that the suspension is slightly softer, especially on roll, that's all.
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I can't think of an issue. You may notice that the suspension is slightly softer, especially on roll, that's all.



Given what Jonbills experienced Rob's correct - hence I was saying you know you will want the uprated roll bars ;)

Replacing with the ball joint ones should reduce the stress on other parts. Even with those they recommend rubber at the back and poly at the front.

Put up a photo of the part you think is bent and let's see. My front wheel was connecting with the arches just by being half a nut loose so without a rod I would imagine it would sit quiet a lot forward. You may not have bent anything - but let's see a pic.
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Was just thinking about my T/C rods and having a tinker+ play, with my rods tightened to the correct torque, the wheel is crazy close to the body work when turning.

I have a theory: the poly bushes not compressing as much as the rubber ones means that the rods are sitting further forward than they would with a rubber set up. There is only one way to find out for sure but I'm running out of daylight and my wife's pre-supper patience.

Would this make sense? Any thoughts?

Really want to experiment with this at the weekend and post up finding.

57a3d294fff4797ee8f75d547d195d19.jpg
 

TimW

Club Member
I can't think of an issue. You may notice that the suspension is slightly softer, especially on roll, that's all.

Thanks Rob

Given what Jonbills experienced Rob's correct - hence I was saying you know you will want the uprated roll bars ;)

Gotcha, I’ve just re-read his post and its just clicked. I've a lot to learn.

Replacing with the ball joint ones should reduce the stress on other parts. Even with those they recommend rubber at the back and poly at the front.

Put up a photo of the part you think is bent and let's see. My front wheel was connecting with the arches just by being half a nut loose so without a rod I would imagine it would sit quiet a lot forward. You may not have bent anything - but let's see a pic.

Pic attached of the control arm, it's not great, hard to get the camera in place.

Great... Ali, given what you mention about your front wheel sitting forward, I think I'm ok.

I've taken a look at the offside control arm and TBH it's hard to spot any difference, although definitely the nearside (with the snapped rod) seems to angle marginally forwards if that makes sense. From rough measurements the nearside wheel is sitting an inch further forward.

As a btw, its the first time I've put the car on stands. Tenno kindly pointed me in the right direction for the support places (pic below). I've seen it mentioned in some threads that some use the Tension Rod Mounts. I couldn't get the car high enough to put my stands under the recommended spot so have used the mounts. I assume as others have said, this is ok?
 

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AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Thanks Rob







Gotcha, I’ve just re-read his post and its just clicked. I've a lot to learn.



We all do buddy but that's half the fun of classic car ownership, right!? ;)

Doesn't obviously look like anything is bent. But I leave that to the experts here to opine on.

So, one small word of advice, when I was doing mine last weekend, I found that if I jacked the front with the wheels off the ground, the rods were at an angle downwards and the bushes near impossible to get in with enough thread for the nut to go on.

But I then jacked the front high up (under cross member where there is a square area), put a wooden block under each wheel and lowered it down such that I could still get under the car but the wheels were nearly in the normal position and it was easy from there ... ok, back to the lasagna!
 

PeterAllen

Well-Known Forum User
Tension (Compression, Castor, Radius) rods are common on many vehicles. Down here we use the larger dia rods from early 80s Ford Falcons. The holes are the same centres as the 240Z and a long thread facilitates the use of locking nuts either side of bushes. The also allows for castor adjustment.

I appreciate you may have a more limited number of larger vehicle models but you might find a trip to a couple of 'Pick-n-Pay's might reveal an alternative rod.

Just a suggestion.
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Nice solution Peter - need to look into that as a potential option. Thanks for sharing.

Tim - another thought: when you jack up the car on the broken side, is there a lot of movement in the control arm bush itself?
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Rob, good point, can't recall off the top of my head but will poke my nose in the garage when I get home from work and post up.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
Ok so 14", but what profile 60?



I want to compare dia with my tyres - I had to go smaller at the front because mine actually touched!



That doesn't sound right - surely you should be able to fit 195/70 x14 under the arches easily? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
 
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