I know the dodgy way to lower the rear of your datto is to flip the rear leaf springs. What exactly does this entail, and how much lower does it make the car? Obviously blocks would be a better idea, but yeah, just wondering if it is easy to do?

Thanks,

Leigh

well i tried this once on my datsun 120y, with no success mind u!, basically i tried to remove the rear spring( easy as, just jack up car, support blocks, then undo evrythng) then i flipped the spring over, Q? have u ever tried to turn a thick metal strap, which is curved, inside out? with my limited engineering gear avail at the time, i gave up. easy option, take a "U" bolt to ur local engineers, tell them that u want it X inches longer, and thy should b able to use a high tesile rod, threaded, shaped, sweet as, just need bloks, VIOLA! CAUTION: This is how we can do it here in nz, not sure weather u need a report from th engineer or wot, i kno tht in aus, it can b harder

Lowering blocks don't require certification yet ??? but they will be noted on a Warrent of Fitness inspection sheet. The only way to safely flip rear spring is to get a blacksmith or springmaker to recurve it.

Yes, I wondered how you would bend them back the other way!!, but yeah, wasn't sure. I reckon I can get some u bolts that are long enough to hold blocks that I use for lowering. I wonder how tall the blocks have to be to lower it 2"......anyone?

Quote:

Actually, everyone should probably ignore that...I just looked at it and was thinking how stupid that questions really is!!

with using lowering blocks, wot u r doin is placing th blocks between the spring and the axle, so th axle is lifted. 2" blocks, lower by 2", it cant get much simpler. thanx stirlingmac, i wasnt sure how legal it was

haha, LOL!! sweet as man, u asked a question tht i culd even answer!!LOL!! check ur PMs man

when people talk about reversing a leaf, they mean a single leaf out of the set of springs. On the coupe with 3 leaves, if you take off the shortest leaf, flip it over and put it on top, clamp it all together and put the centre bolt back through it will lower the car at least 2". On a sedan, I reckon that would make it too low, and on a ute there are many more leaves so it would not lower it as far. But I'm not advising you to do this. It really is dodgy. And it will probably induce axle tramp as well.

The other thing that people talk about (but is not dodgy) is reversing the eyes of the main leaf.

Lowering blocks are not legal in QLD as far as I know. so if you do fit them, at least paint em black so they don't stand out like the proverbial. They are available off the shelf for about $70 bucks - listed as 120Y lowering blocks in 1.5 or 2".

any kiwis kno where thy are avail off th shelf?? cheers, sam

I ran mine without one of the leaves for a couple of years. It didn't cause any problems, except that it lowered the back a little (didn't look as good, since the front wasn't lowered to match).

My goal was to make it ride a little smoother, which it did ... but only just a little. Not worth it in my opinion. I also cut new rubbing pads out of polypropylene to replace the worn-out abestos (?) pads that go between the ends of the leaves. It didn't help that I could tell.

For a smoother ride, apparently new springs is the way to go. Those fibreglass mono-leafs are supposed to make it ride more smoothly as well, too bad they are No Longer Available.