Hey guys. Im planning on building a datsun 120y drag car and Im trying to find suspension information. I know the standard suspension isnt the greatest cos my friend rolled his datsun120y about 2 weeks ago(He being drunk didnt help much either). I want to replace the standard suspension front and back with another datsun's suspension. Which suspension would be the best ? I heard that the 280ZX will fit with a bit of modifications. Any sugestions PLEASE!!!!!

honestly, the stock suspension is brilliant! yeah, it's too soft, and yeah, it's too high and yeah, everyone who buys their first 1200 cuts the front springs down dangerously low and understeers in to a curb or bounces uncontrollably off the road but the only real problem is with the brakes...
I cant understand the fascination with jamming in struts from the larger datsuns, the KPI is wrong, they're heavy, they're tall and they still dont have decent brakes...
Assuming it's just a drag car, put in a set of metalking pads and shout it a decent set of shocks. Fit springs of your choice, done deal...
Ute diff is the easiest fit in the back, with tramp/lift bars and maybe lowering blocks...

I would concur , there is nothing wrong with the stock Datsun suspension other than the spring rates are to soft. Currently I have the coil over kit in the front with 280ZX rotors and brakes , the rear springs are Nissan Comp with track rods. Most everyone who drives the car remarks at how well it handles. When we orginally began racing the car I simply used the hillbilly method; Cut down 240Z springs in front and lowering blocks in the rear.
For brakes keep in mind Wilwood makes a 4 piston caliper that will work with the stock rotors , the are $125 U.S. , keep in mind you will have to fabricate a plate to mount them. the will also fit inside a 13" wheel.

Tom Grossmann

if you don't plan on driving on the street AT ALL you can remove the front swaybar this will allow more front suspension rise and load transfer to the rear.

The front suspension wil lbe fine. Most Pro Stock cars run struts and many of the serious cars have alloy ones. Stock 120Y are about as light as you will find. The shock insert you want for drags is a 90/10. Ring around the local suspension shops for advice, you won't get a specific listing for the Datto.

dont fit lowring blocks, they are horrible and will cause wheel tramp, get your leaves reset

std struts are fin if you have a look at most of the strut conversions have been done to race or rally cars due to the punishment the get

go stanza struts. they come with 10 inch vented disks, good callipers and you can get bilstein inserts for them. they pretty much bolt straight in. and i dont think they weigh enough to cancel the vast improvements youll get from using them. and I agree with rotorace on the rear suspention.

i have two inches worth of lowering blocks on my red coupe and an a-15 and never had axeltramp really, so i dunno where you guys are coming from?

i have a h190 diff if that makes a diffrence???

So the 1200 struts are fine ... but if you want modern-size brakes, you can change struts to something that uses big rotors.

Don't the Stanza (1978-1981 A10) struts need the spring cup cut and welded back in a lowered position?