I recently downloaded the Datsun Competition suspention file from the downloads section and found it very interesting.

What do you racing guys think about some of the stuff in it?
As I understand most of you don't use the stabilizer bar at the back of the cars but in this manual they do.
I am very curious also as to what the racers on this website have done to their Datsuns to improve overall handling on their Datsuns.
I want to upgrade my front brakes as the GX discs are not available anymore.
Stanza up front I have read is the easiest but here in South Africa the Stanza stuff is not readily available anymore.
I am thinking of putting the utilities brakes up front but just crossdrill the discs and also use DOT 4+ brake fluid.
I already have 185 tyres on but want to fiddle with the suspention now to get better handling in corners.
Any advice on what to do to get nice street handling?

Does anyone have the proper blueprints for it? Has anyone used any of this info? 1200GXman are your gx discs the same as the 1200 coupe/fastback discs?

yeah Ive read this manual, and alot was good in there. If I did some of the mods, I'd comply with FIA rules but not with our own Improved Production Rules. Alot of the mods can be easily achieved and bettered by todays suspension tuning techiques for less money. ie Stanza strut upgrade, which help achieve extra track, camber and caster, a luxury the writers of the manual didnt have back then.
If the car is for street...then I believe that most of the mods are unecessary anyway.

WhiteSedan

I think they are the same as the GX coupe's front discs.
I have contacted quite alot of places.
Even ATE and Alpha (they manufacture brakes and drums here in South Africa for cars). They cannot supply anything.
The 1400 bakkie (A14 utility) is still in production but their discs are about 10mm smaller in radius than the GX discs.

My GX discs tended to brake fade when driven hard and braking hard about 4 times.
I talked to the guy that was a mechanic for the datsun racing team in the 70's and 80's as they used a 1200GX sedan in the class they where competing in.
He informed me that this happened to them aswell. Class restrictions prevented them in upgrading anything.
He suggested that I must use the highest DOT brakefluid and use harder brakepads.
They used Ferodo DS11 brake pads in their racecar.

If you can find some stanza/A10 control arms and steering arms then you can bolt in whatever struts you want providing for the different spring sizes, strut lengths and castor/camber and track increase. Im using 280zx struts, they have pretty large vented discs, I have welded on coilover sleeves because the 280zx uses very wide springs, also allows me to get these, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DATSUN ... 63QQitemZ8028978320QQrdZ1

But i suppose it depends on how hard the car is to be driven, daily commute, weekend warrior, track car, how often, and how much $$$ you have.

I'm kinda hesistant to install a 28mm (1inch) front swaybar on my 1200.

I run 280ZX struts with the vented rotors and tokico inserts. 7/8 front bar 1/2 rear with Nismo springs in the rear and the anti-tramp bars. Koni rear dampers. Also all of the rubber bushings have been replaced with aluminium or urethane. Plus the control arms use spherical bearings. This stuff was bought over a ten year period as it became availible cheap.


For my first race weekend this is the set-up that was on the car which would work well for the street: 2" lowering blocks in the rear , 240Z rear springs cut down installed on stock struts , Repco metal master pads and Addco 7/8 front 1/2 rear anti sway bars. Run 185/60-13 tires. For more camber we made the mod that's in the book. Car handled well and was fun. I veiw this as a good street set up.


As for brake fade we had a near stock motor at first and in a 12 lapper they were no problem.....15 laps would be a problem. If you're getting them to fade on the street with a mildly tuned motor then you are driving way to fast for public roads. Worst case get some air to them. Unless you have some monster motor in the thing or are driving down steep mountain passes every day you should be able to get away with good quality pads and brake fluid.

Tom

1200gx I hope you're not modding the car in your avatar?

You do realize the 1200 comp. susp. man. was written in the 70's for USA SCCA racing?

They use 240z front brakes which I'm guessing was legal for IT class back in the 70's.

But things may well have changed. Rally, what is your race club and class anyway?

matbighat

No need to worry. I will never chop and change my 1200gx except when it is required to get rid of rust in the body.Basically I was just curious what the racers did to their datsuns to get better handling and braking. Other people like to get monster motors with monster power and some people like to see how fast they can get through the 1/4 mile.
I am interested in handling of a car.
There is nothing like chasing a bigger motor car and in the corners you are pushing him because he has a bad suspention setup.
This happened to me once when a friend and I went through town late one night from a friend's house.
There was alot of cornering involved.
When we finally stopped at his home he could not believe that I was pushing him in corners. On the streights he was pulling slight gaps on me, but in corners I was catching him.
He drives a 1600 Nissan Sentra carburettor.
I was quite pleased with the handling of the GX's stock suspention.
Since then he has installed a sports spring setup and I think it would now be a different story.

Rallytwit

I am not going to argue with you.
We where driving too fast for public roads.
Something that I thought of while reading your post is that the braking was done quite frequently during the fast driving.
I think the brakes did not get decent time between braking points to cool down.
It was through a rough guess only 100m to 120m between each braking point and then I would have about 100 to 130km/h due to the fast corners from which to slow down again to about 70km/h and sometimes to 0km/h.
I am currently running DOT 3 brake fluid and the discs up front have been skimmed for the last time. According to the brake guy they cannot be skimmed again.

The other thing is that the GX brake discs I am unable to find here in South Africa.
Due to the utility still being in production I will change to these struts and brakes for better parts availability.
I am then thinking of crossdrilling the discs and removing the plate that is at the back of the discs.I think it is a splash guard so that water does not splash against the hot discs and causing them to crack when hot.
My car now never drives in the rain and only sees water when being washed.
And also use DOT 4+ brake fluid.
I was also informed that I must use harder brake pads.
I think this will make a difference.
What do you guys think?

1200GX....wasn't looking to argue, just firgured you guys were driving real aggressive on a tight twisty road so maybe this particular instance you experianced brake fade which would be a rare occurance.
What you can do is get more air to the brakes in addition to the harder compund pads and DOT 4 fluid. Take the backing plate and instead of removing it cut out about 1/3 of the plate and make some air scoops to direct air onto the brakes. We suffered brake fade in my old single seat sports racer , it used early VW Golf uprights with a Wilwood 4 piston caliper. plenty of stopping power but non vented discs. The body work was such that underer braking the abs plastic air dam would seal the nose of the car to the ground.....made for 3G's under braking but also no air to the brakes. We installed to NACA ducts in the nose of the car and that ended the brake boiling.
For driving on twisty road I always find that if you driver a little faster than the corners , say 20 KPH then you still get the satisfaction of trailing the brakes into the corners and accelrating off without being to far over the speed limit.....read you can have fun without getting noticed.
Matt the mods in the manual were for SCCA's C/D sedan. Improved Touring , sadly won't allow the 240Z brake upgrade. We started with the thought of running SCCA's I.T.C. class but then were given a GX motor so that bumped us to GT5. GT are tube frame silhouette cars so in 91 when Nealy Motorsports had some close out's on stuff for tub cars I bought up the 280ZX suspension and brakes. For the Vintage I run H-production which also does not allow the Z car brakes but unlike SCCA no one will say anything. For SCCA these days I fall into Radial Sedan which allows a host of mods I.T. and Production don't.
So 1200GX get some better parts and cooling back it down just a notch and your toubles should be over.
Also I argree with Matt , very nice car.

Tom