i own a '79 sunny, im currently running the standard sunny struts with monroe gas inserts with 280zx springs. Im yet to upgrade the brakes but they pull up fine, well atleast for now lol. This setup has a vast improvement over the standard struts (springs are like No#2 gauge FENCING WIRE!!)

Im running bluebird rear springs the progressive rate ones

I then cut the thick end not the thin end

these have turned out well matched to the stanza standard rate inserts

DTW got back to me on the PM with some really good info on his setup (a couple of months after I asked but well worth the wait )

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Brake upgrade I did used 1981 stanza rotors and girlocks, and I just used them with a 200B (??) master cylinder. That was what I dropped off to have reconditioned and the brake guy that did it just supplied all new parts...so I assume that's what he gave me back.

When I first put it in I didn't have the remote booster (VH44) hooked up. Pedal was a little hard but I guess that was only because I was used to the one in my GTi.

I had that small original 1200 proportioning valve thing sitting around and since I did the brake lines myself I just included it in the system. Several "brake professionals" in town didn't know what the thing was, and others told me that I didn't really need to run it in the system.

In any case the 1200 ute drums I'm running on the rear don't lock, and the system runs well.

I've only just hooked up the booster/vacuum pump setup and it works very well. Pedal feel is heaps better...and still nothing locks up.

I did the same and ran the Stanza lower control arms atc and the track is about 25 odd mm wider. Egineer has just had a look at it all and measured everything and had no problems with it.

The only thing I had to do was to roll the lip on the guards. I'm running Yokohama C-Drive 185/55/15 on the front, and 195/50/15 on the rears. The fronts would have rubbed if I didn't roll the lips. The tyre only just clears the front edge of the guard at the bottom by about 3-4mm....and when reversing the car they do just touch if you turn the wheels to the right spot.

If yours isn't painted yet I'd probably trim the front edge of the guards just to be sure. I may end up doing the same.

I know the guys on the site talk about removing things from the master cylinders when running drum/disk combos but I just dropped it to the brake shop and told them what I was going to run in the car. He gave me back a new Master cylinder to match. It bolted up without modification, and only cost me $115.

The Stanza struts, rotors, callipers and lower control arms etc.. cost $125 for both. I trimmed about 75mm off the top of the struts and welded on a threaded sleeve to accept the top cap. Overall it ended up reducing the length of the strut (the bottom peice) by 50mm. I only did it that way to prevent the possibility of the strut bottoming out on the top part, and because I already had a set of adjustable koni's sitting around and that worked out to be the perfect length to fit them without any slack.

By the way... a small amount needs to be trimmed off the castor rod (if you use the 120y ones) near where the flat part bolts to the lower control arm. I think I used the stanza castor rods. That was a while back so I'm not too sure there.

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Update.

Got the stanza struts in. As datsic said they give about a 2" lift and sh!tloads of positive camber. no good.

the problem: 1200 struts are 615mm from hat to control arm, stanza & 120y are both 660mm, so you have 45mm to make up. When you combine this with with the stiffer stanza springs it blows out further.

I replaced the stanza springs (400mm free length, 11 coils) with the 1200 springs 325mm free length, 9 coils. this gave an approximately standard ride height.

I then cut down the stanza springs to 320mm (which is the shortest you can go on them and still maintain some pre load) and got a ride height that was a bit lower ( I have yet to measure it, but 2 1/2 to 3 finger gap between tyre and guard instead of 4-5 finger as standard.

All measurements were done using the stock rims. (brake calipers were not on the struts at the time)

I am concerned about bump clearance for this conversion. You are supposed to maintain 2/3 of original bump, so to keep this conversion legal, I suspect you would have to keep a stock ride height.

Not sure but the monroe gas struts that are in mine run right down to the bottom, so the spring coils would hit each other before the shock bottoms out.

a while ago now sum1 said that using ford laser strut inserts in the stanza struts will stop the struts from bottoming out when they are lowered can anyone confirm this. i have looked in the search option but i cant find the thread.
thanx for any help

5"max!!! ouch that hurts.

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poor mans 12 slotters there I was thinking that 12 slotters are what poor men put on their car

datsik said stock wheel width was 4.5, its actually 4inch... 4.5 was on 120y i believe and sunny, max width on 1200 legally is 5 inch.

Corona steel rims are my next choice... look like poormans 12 slotters

Thanks boofhead, I'd also be keen to hear about what people have have found worked/ didnt work.

There were monroe gas inserts in my struts. When I took them apart they were really soft and squelchy sounding on the bump and jerky on the rebound, so I figure they are shagged, but I dont have a lot of experience with suspensions...... that's not normal, is it

There was also a lot of oil in the strut, I figured it was leakage from the previous strut, but I have heard it is in there deliberatley for heat dissipation. can anyone confirm this?

tyre wall bulge often depends on tyre make, actual cross sections vary from tyre to tyre of the same size between different manufacturers due to different shoulder construction or block shape/configuration.
195/50/15's usally a good fit on a 6" and aside from a 195/45/15 theres not really alot of choice. can get a 165/50/15 from europe but the 6" could be getting a little wide ... there'd be no bulge though

as for shocks - pedders 8722 Comfort Gas Cartridge for the stanza aren't to bad under a 1200. the combination of the softer 1200 spring rate and the heavier rate of the stanza shock give a good comprimise between spring compression and dampening to have good, responsive handleing without being rediculously stiff.

be interested in what others are running - spring and shock combination, and what the rides like ???