When i upgraded my struts i worked through Stuart Wilkins motorsport.
I got my hands on a set of 180B struts (there are more than one type, the version i got had a thicker (read stronger) stub axle, which facilitated caliper/disc modifications later on). Anyway Just to make the 180B strut fit Stuart machined the tops of the inserts i'd bought to allow fitting onto the 1200 top piece. And then cut off the bottom spring support and rewelded it back onto the strut a bit lower down so i wouldn't be riding high on the front. I assume this meant i retained most of the full spring travel which is good since it's a daily driver. All that work wasn't toooo expensive. Somewhere between $100-$200. Something i couldn't do myself anyway.

The point is i suspect these mods at least may need to be carried out on the 1600 struts. The reason people use the stanza versions is because you can get big Girlock calipres on some of the stanza struts which have a pad area much larger than the 1200. From memory of looking at 1600 struts thier brakes are about the same size as the 1200 disc pads.

IF this is the case i reckon you could be wasting your time switching to 1600 struts. Mabey the 1600 springs are stiffer than 1200 yet still fit into the strut tower. I tried to squish the 180B springs into the front of my dato but they were way too wide. Fouled on the body and as mentioned earlier they jacked the front end up pretty horrendously.
Hope this is of assistance.
Stu wilkins: (02) 4577 2400
Will dispense free advice but he's always very busy.
Not the cheapest either but i trust him now and his works always been good for me.

don't the 1600s have those nasty Jap calipers with the angle cut pads?

There are other strut options that will bolt on to the Stanza lower control arms - 240K, 200B (similar Girlock brake to the Staza with a bigger disc), etc.

I think I remember hearing on this site that the Sunny 310 control arm has the same bolt pattern for these struts on its steering arms too. But you should confirm that with someone who has used them, or measure for yourself before buying anything.

Thanks for the reply.

Does anyone else have any experience with the 1600 jobs? Like I said, there's quite a few 1600's around here, and it might be a good alternative for the stanza struts.

Thanks.

Leigh

they are not identical to Stanza struts. Stanza struts are not even a real "bolt-in" because they will give you too much positive camber.

Best bolt-in available is the B310 strut. Brakes aren't HUGE, but better than the tiny 1200 bits. Also, replace the control arms, tie-rod ends, and strut rods (with B310 versions) at the same time. Gets rid of all the weak 1200 bits at once.

Guys,

Does anyone know if the 1600 struts are a bolt in fit to the 1200? I was under the impression that these were almost identical to the Stanza struts, but I'm probably wrong!

Has anyone used the 1600 struts? The reason I ask is that they seem to be readily available in my area.

Cheers.

Leigh