hi - this isn't exactly an EOI type thing, I haven't made htem or anything but I am about to embark on this (finally)

Basically what I would want to know is - if you could get camber tops - not the adjustable ones, but ones with a bush in the middle - so they are basically just like standard factory ones in look and function BUT they have a different centre bush and will dial in about 2 degrees less camber than the stock factory ones (that doesn't mean they'll give you -2 deg camber, but -2 from whatever you currently have - stock is probably 0-1.0 positive so probably somewhere around -1 to -1.5 neg camber.

OK - so if these things hypothetically existed - would anybody want them. The advantages over adjustable ones aren't massive - basically it'd be cheaper for one thing, and probably last longer (the top bearings are under a lot of stress to do what they need to on an adjustable top setup in some cases).

The disadvantage would primarily be one - that they aren't adjustable, you get what you get, and the amount would be limited by the available space to fit a smaller bush in there.

So - would anyone want some - and what would you be willing to pay for them. I'm ABSOLUTELY not looking to make this into a commercial venture, where I make a living out of it, but I may have found an option that will fit with about 1-2 hours of work (not sure on how long it would take - possibly less, though there would be a lot of down time as it could only be modified a bit at a time so that there wasn't to much heat getting to the bush and stuffing it up.

But basically if I can work out the up front materials costs, and the sort of time it would take to modify them, then had a look at what you guys reckon would be a fair sort of price, well I'll be able to work out if it's viable or not. If the price is enough to cover the time involved, I'll be happy to turn out a few sets for people here as needed, and if not, I'll still post up the how to for anyone else who wants to try it (in fact I'll post that either way - whether I end up just making one set for myself or a few sets for people here.

i'm interested,

a question though... the downfall of the adjustable ones in my eyes is that the top of the shocker mounts flat/level with the top of the strut tower surface essentially. the stock top mounts the shocker pin approx 2 inches above that as it is an inverted cup design.

that means putting in adjustable strut tops reduces your compression stroke by two inches... this is particularily bad if using stanza struts that arnt cut down... as this also reduces compression stroke by two inches

so with an adjustable strut top and full length stanza struts you have lost 4 inches of travel!!! (something i realised when i was half way through installing them in our rally car, i put stock tops back in)

this is something to consider in your design... and i would definately be more keen if they were cupped like the stock ones to give the additional two inches odd of stroke

im with 1200rally car they will more popular if u can still use on unshortened struts.ive got e few pics of some which do if u need some.

I'm def interested.

Just a few thoughts, if you make the plate a bit oversized and undrilled for the studs, then people can cut them down and fit the studs where they want, allowing them to choose the static camber/castor within reason? Also make it an easier job for you to fabricate?
And if they come without the hardware/bearing etc. installed, they can then be anodised if so wished?

Anyway, camber isn't a big consideration for me but travel definitely is.

Ok - to answer all questions so far:

- yep the height of the strut pushrod nut will be the same height as the original 1200 ones. That's acutally one of the reasons I want to do it at all - and why I decided to do a little bit of research on it - most of the adjustable tops position it a bit lower - and for the reasons you mention I'd like to avoid that. I initially tried VN commodore ones, they do allow an offset centre bolt so will dial in neg camber, but the strut pushrod nut is a good 2 nearly 3 inches lower than stock.

So yes - they will definitely fit the height to mimic the originals (well that is if it actually works - so far the measurements look very promising.

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Next - on the adjustable side - yes I could theoretically make them with slotted upper bolt holes to allow some fine tuning of the camber. Whilst it is possible, the reality is that even at the most inward location possible (where it touches against the big hole in teh strut tower) - you'll only get those couple of degrees. If anything, I suspect that even if they were adjustable, practically everyone would still end up adjusting them all the way there, so it might not be an issue anyway.

Like I said though, if it can be made to work, then it won't be massively harder to make them adjustable (albeit nowhere near as much range as the adjustable tops). What I envisioned was basically doing them 'as is' then if I personally wanted about 1 further degree of neg camber, then I'd follow the pics in the datsun competition suspension guide - basically opening up the 'big' hole a little to allow the strut top to move inward a bit further before the top section hits it and prevents further adjustment - and slotting the 3 bolt holes similarly.

If I could avoid slotting the factory strut tower bolt holes and ovalling the big hole, I'd be pretty happy, but worse case scenario it is a possible option. I suppose if someone really wanted to, they cut cut the strut tower 'big hole' but then weld a lip section back in, so it look factory, as if they had it like that to begin with and allows the extra degree of adjustment.

The strut tops themselves will effectively be factory ones, so I doubt that they'd be able to be anodised because the bush is already in them. Probably about the best option off the top of my head would be to look into getting a small tin of POR 15 paint in a colour you can tolerate? It won't be perfect aesthetically but (as far as looks go) it's only a strut top, not enough visible to worry most people.


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I may as well let the cat out of the bag here. Initiially I was going to just do like in the compeitition guide.But it didn't have quite as much range as I thought I would need.




Then this ute came up on carsales - it had strut tops out of 'something' in it. Another member here used to know the bloke but unfortunately despite him trying to get in touch with the seller, he didn't manage to be able to contact him. and the ute must have sold - as the ad disappeared from carsales, so I couldn't contact him direct.

I asked here but nobody recognised what they were from. Note how the 'bulge' is smaller and you could (if you altered the base) shift it inward a lot before that bulge hit the lip of the opening in the top of the strut tower. there ere a couple of suggestions (I think ford escort from memory) and I did some looking on the net, and they were similar but the bulge was too big to do well. Also looked at sigmas and others.

so I didn't want to wave a white flag, and I decided to dig deeper. SO I made a couple of cardboad templates that would show where 3 strut bolt holes were and also the size of the bulge in the middle.




And I spent a lazy hour or so at pick-a-part wreckers. Looked at sigma's ford lasers, suzukis etc - nothing.

Then I ended up in the Nissan section (I should have started the search there I guess!) - and lo and behold, there's at least 2 options. Both are from nissan pulsars - specifically n13 and n14 pulsars. Both are front wheel drive and imo both load up/stress the strut tops (and the whole suspension at the front) more than any datsun 1200 will by weight alone (don't forget they have the whole engine and drivetrain in there and are inside an arguably heavier car.

And they both have the strut insert pushrod nut(the centre nut whatver) at a raised location - quite a bit like the 1200 ones. But there's enough room that all that essentially needs to be done is make a new base to go underneath the existing one, then welded on, and a few small bits welded up above, so that it will mount flat and sandwich the existing base as well (so that it's not just relying on the welds to hold it, it just can't come apart

So I've now got to get back to pick a part and pull a couple of strut tops off (probably one from an n13 and one from an n14) to see if the bearing underneath will be able to fit properly.

Obviously also - although there isn't a hell of a lot of welding involved, I have to be sure I don't damage the rubber bushing itself, so I'll have to basically weld just a short section, then quickly quench it in water (or maybe using some heat paste, there is some good stuff available but I'm not sure how much it costs - muggyweld make some good stuff, but they are in north america...

But anyway - that's basically the deal - and if the 'prototypes' work, I'll do some more pics so that anyone could copy the process easily enough. And I'll then also get a quote for new rubber strut tops (might have to go genuine nissan?) - It's possible there are some ok ones out there at the wreckers, but I think the smart move would have to be new ones.

SO look - I'll proceed with them as best I can, and once I know whether it will all be compatible, I'll get back to everyone here. As I said I'm not really looking to do a bunch of them as a commercial venture, but could do the odd set or two for people here

hows the diameter of the bush casing John? is it small enough to fit in the 120Y hole? They're 80mm from memory

The new or the old? The template I made was for the 1200 strut tops, which are about 90mm at the thickest point. The n13 and n14 are thinner here. I don't have a measurement with me, but from memory it was enough to allow closer to 2cm shift in the strut centre, which (thanks to the pilot's small angle handy rule of thumb for navigating:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_in_60_rule

and the length of the strut from ball joint to strut top, when at ride height - equals about 2 degree change in camber.

could be very interested for stanza struts i would want to use.

Will stock 1200 strut tops fit on top of stanza struts as is, or is the centre hole a little different? (just trying to plan ahead whether we'd be lucky enough to truly have a sort of one size fits all solution, or there will have to be a few small changes for each combo, but still relatively all the same...

Do you happen to have stanza struts waiting in the wings?

I've got another pair (beside those on the car) of totally stock early 1200 ones I got from Heath Bruce (entire struts - tops springs the lot. So I'm going to use that to determine if they'll fit on that side of things, and then the blue shell to double check their fit into the strut towers. I'm doing what I can to make it happen this week, but I might get delayed till next week, as I've still got to finish the seat rail stuff, which has hit a small (but surmountable) obstacle.

i THINK the diameter of the recessed section(below thread) on a 1200 120y shock is 15mm,stanza 240z are 18mm.