Stagea Suspension

[bayslideblue]

but is where you've got the stands supposed to bear the full weight of the car? Guess it's ok?

Well to be totally honest I wasn't %100 sure myself so I kept it propped on the trolley jack and had the stands more for safety, and only baring some of the weight.

The chassis rails seemed too far forward for the stands, seemed like it would've been too close to the middle of the car.

Can anyone confirm if this is an ok spot to prop it up?

[chef_stagea]

i go jsut infront of the rear wheel...

theres a flat peice the stand fit into nicley.

[bayslideblue]

ok, cool. CHeers

[JDM_Spirit]

Hey guys,

Heres my input;

I have a Late 99' S2 Auto RSFOUR

The factory front struts seized while at full stroke so it looked like I was launching it at a stand still and

created alot of uncomfortable steering. So I bought a set of TEIN Super Flex Wagon Coilovers from NENGUN.COM.

For the low look I dropped the rear so the guard tucks the tyre only a few mm and the front guard is about 5mm above the tyre. Over all it sits level, not sure about road clearance. Ill worry about the speed bumps when I get to them

I had 4.0 degrees of negative camber in the rear but with the factory arms was able to pull it back to about 3.6 degrees. I do plan on getting Adjustable Rear Camber arms and rolling the rear guards for some nice fitment... and tyre life. The fronts are 3.0 Degrees off the top of my head.

The only thing Im not 100% happy with is that the Coilovers came with 6kg springs all round. I am still running factory Sway Bars so the car still leans abit when cornering, so I'll get new Sway Bars and then I'll start thinking about stiffer springs if the "tipping" motion is still bothing me. But I do have high hopes for new sway bars I was thinking possibly 7... maybe 8kg springs all round? Again... I'll think about it more down the track if need be.

Ok, now I got a question... I know it probably would have been covered in this thread already.

But I got a REALLY squeaky front right Camber Arm Bush thats driving me NUTS!

Im wondering if anyone knows if its just a common Camber Arm Bush from any Skyline? ...and not anything too unique...

Cheers

Edited November 8, 2009 by JDM_Spirit

[QWK32]

Ok, now I got a question... I know it probably would have been covered in this thread already.

But I got a REALLY squeaky front right Camber Arm Bush thats driving me NUTS!

Im wondering if anyone knows if its just a common Camber Arm Bush from any Skyline? ...and not anything too unique...

Cheers

check this thred out. Link

It sounds like it quite common on the stagea. i had to grease up my front left upper control arm bush where it meets the hub.

[wolverine]

We fitted a grease nipple there.

[JDM_Spirit]

check this thred out. Link

It sounds like it quite common on the stagea. i had to grease up my front left upper control arm bush where it meets the hub.

Hey,

Cheers for that, I'll give it crack later this week.

If it saves me replacing the bush I'll be a happy chap...

Ok, Another question, this time about Sway Bars.

Ive been looking at the listing for White Line bars, I couldnt help but notice that all R32, R33 and R34

rear swaybars have the same part numbers, Give or take;

BNR11 - 20mm Non-Adjustable (GTS RWD)

BNR11Z - 20mm 2x Point Adjustable (GTS RWD)

BNR11X - 22mm Non-Adjustable (GTS & GTR)

BNR11XZ - 22mm 2x Point Adjustable (GTR)

BNR11XXZ - 24mm 3x Point Adjustable (GTR)

Now, as I do plan on towing/carrying some weight I was wondering what would be my ideal bar?

I did read ' Sydneykid's ' post and noted he is running a 22m rear bar set to the softer setting.

I was thinking maybe the 24mm bar, but going from a factory 19mm bar was wondering if the 24mm

would be abit too much or overkill?

Thanks

[KiwiRS4T]

Hey,

Cheers for that, I'll give it crack later this week.

If it saves me replacing the bush I'll be a happy chap...

Ok, Another question, this time about Sway Bars.

Ive been looking at the listing for White Line bars, I couldnt help but notice that all R32, R33 and R34

rear swaybars have the same part numbers, Give or take;

BNR11 - 20mm Non-Adjustable (GTS RWD)

BNR11Z - 20mm 2x Point Adjustable (GTS RWD)

BNR11X - 22mm Non-Adjustable (GTS & GTR)

BNR11XZ - 22mm 2x Point Adjustable (GTR)

BNR11XXZ - 24mm 3x Point Adjustable (GTR)

Now, as I do plan on towing/carrying some weight I was wondering what would be my ideal bar?

I did read ' Sydneykid's ' post and noted he is running a 22m rear bar set to the softer setting.

I was thinking maybe the 24mm bar, but going from a factory 19mm bar was wondering if the 24mm

would be abit too much or overkill?

Thanks

And the 19mm bar is hollow versus the new solid ones so it is a big jump but I am running the 22mm bar and was wondering about 24mm - I can't see any problem really. BTW I have not bothered replacing my beefed up front bar as it didn't seem to make any noticeable improvement.

[JDM_Spirit]

Hey Team,

Finally got the new sway bar, ended up getting the 22mm Solid Adjustable (BNR11XZ)

Went in rather smooth. Only hitch was I have a 3" cat back exhaust system and the bar

kinda clashes/rubs/sit on it, pushing down. In the air it had about a business card gap(I have coilovers

and they dont allow for the wheels to drop from the arch's too much. So when it drops on the ground it

pushes down on the system.

Im planning on dropping the system and 'massaging' it with a hammer to allow for clearance.

Other than that, made a HUGE difference, handles MUCH better

[JDM_Spirit]

OK, after abit of thought...

It just occured to me that the 'links' have a fair amount of 'thread'...

Ive got the Links wound all the way in/as short as possible. If I wind them out it should be enough to lower the Bar where they meet the Links/control arms and lift the Bar up to clear the exhaust if Im' thinking correctly...

Can anyone shead some light on the Links and how much of the Thread should be used etc?

Thanks

[DaveB]

OK, after abit of thought...

It just occured to me that the 'links' have a fair amount of 'thread'...

Ive got the Links wound all the way in/as short as possible. If I wind them out it should be enough to lower the Bar where they meet the Links/control arms and lift the Bar up to clear the exhaust if Im' thinking correctly...

Can anyone shead some light on the Links and how much of the Thread should be used etc?

Thanks

This is what SydneyKid said about the fittment of the whiteline rear bar (and specifically how much thread to have exposed) in post 54 of the original group buy thread:

1. It doesn't matter, the only thing you need to be aware of is the clearance to the exhaust system, where the bar bends in a "U" shape to clear it. If you have the links too short, the bar will hit the exhaust system on big bumps on a lowered Stagea. If you have the links to long the bar will hit the exhaust system when the rear suspension droops on normal height Stageas.

Edited November 21, 2009 by DaveB

[DaveB]

Can anybody tell me if the Whiteline KTA117 arms can be used as rear toe arms on the C34 Stagea? Somehow I suspect that I'm not going to be able to get enough toe adjustment when I lower mine as I'm already at + 0.3mm each side at standard height.

Here are the 117's... the reason I suspect they may be compatible is that they're specified as toe/camber arms on an R34 in a whiteline suspension kit:

link to Whiteline website PDF

Here's an image of the rear toe arm I mean (or, what I am *pretty sure* is the rear toe arm lol!)

I have 'borrowed' this image from SydneyKid's group buy thread, I hope you don't mind SydneyKid!

Anybody used the KTA117's here? Haven't had a chance to measure up stock length and compare 'cause car is at the workshop atm.

Also has anybody used KTA128's for the rear camber arms? They are adjustable arms but BUSHed not pillow ball/rose joint/spherical bearings.

Edited November 21, 2009 by DaveB

[Sydneykid]

Can anybody tell me if the Whiteline KTA117 arms can be used as rear toe arms on the C34 Stagea? Somehow I suspect that I'm not going to be able to get enough toe adjustment when I lower mine as I'm already at + 0.3mm each side at standard height.

Here are the 117's... the reason I suspect they may be compatible is that they're specified as toe/camber arms on an R34 in a whiteline suspension kit:

link to Whiteline website PDF

Here's an image of the rear toe arm I mean (or, what I am *pretty sure* is the rear toe arm lol!)

I have 'borrowed' this image from SydneyKid's group buy thread, I hope you don't mind SydneyKid!

Anybody used the KTA117's here? Haven't had a chance to measure up stock length and compare 'cause car is at the workshop atm.

Also has anybody used KTA128's for the rear camber arms? They are adjustable arms but BUSHed not pillow ball/rose joint/spherical bearings.

If you need to change the toe links you are lowering it too much, far too much.

The lack of tow adjutsment is the least of your problems, camber is #1, then bump steer, too low a roll centre and too large a roll couple. If you fix all of those problems then the standard toe links will have enough adjustment.

Consider the toe link to be like a rev limiter, if you lower the car too much it will hit the rev limiter. So don't rev it too far

Cheers

Gary

[DaveB]

Lol OK thanks Gary

Last wheel alignment I had they said +0.3mm toe per side was the best they could get with the standard adjusters. I was kind-of figuring on ending up with more positive toe when I lowered it as it's currently sitting over 390mm centre-to-guard at the rear; and I know camber is at the limit already at nearly 1.5 degrees negative (again apparently at max factory adjustment). Other guys have said they need more adjustment than two sets of bushes will allow at ~360mm in a series 2. So I guess I'll start with just the KTA128 adjustable camber arms; they're not much more than 4 sets of bushes anyway at about ~$330 a pair.

Just a by-the-way... apparently Whiteline aren't making the swaybars anymore, and I can't get the 24mm rear ones? The distributor I spoke to told me Whiteline sell only stagea-specific Selby bars (?) and the price of those is something horrid... nearly $500 each?!

Edited November 23, 2009 by DaveB

[Mr_RS4]

Hey just wondering if anyone with FAST can do me a huge favour (or if anyone knows the part numbers from doing this before). I fitted SK's bilstein/whiteline kit a couple of years ago almost now and when I did it all the rubber parts in the factory top mounts that I had to re-use were in OK condition but they have perished quite a lot and have split now. So I want to take the struts back out front and rear and replace everything with new items front and rear. So I'm basically talking about everything from the bump stops up (not including the actual top metal plate) and the part for the factory bump stops and dust covers too. As sorry to say but the generic ones that came with the kit were sh*t. The rears don't even fit over the shock body so have always just bunched up at the top of the shock body (which makes a squeaking noise going over speed bumps etc..) and the front did fit over but doesn't cover the whole shaft. And they keep comming off the bump stop (no I didn't cut the wrong end of the bump stop) I have had to glue them twice! From memory the factory bump stops and dust covers were on piece aren't they?

Anyway if some one could jump on FAST and give me part numbers so I can order from Nissan that would be awesome!!!

Thanks guys....

[Mr_RS4]

Oh yeah one more thing. I have noticed that the ride heights have dropped on the drivers side of the car too. About 10mm front and 15mm rear. I did install the kit almost 2 years ago now and I am really ever the only person in the car (and I'm about 98-100kgs). I am guessing this is because the car really only ever has me in it? So when I take the front and rear struts out I was going to swap sides front and rear, and I'm probably going to raise it up a little too.

[DaveB]

Would like to help but I am without a VIN for series 1.

[Mr_RS4]

Oh yeah that might of helped hey....PM sent! Thanks heaps!

[DaveB]

OK hopefully this will help... I'm not an expert so bear with me... the below is not guaranteed to be accurate but it has got me by before:

Here are two screenshots showing the rear and front suspension, in that order. Interestingly the rear suspension shows the forked shock option of the manuals.

Note that, to the best of my understanding, the numbers next to the components in these shots are *not* "part numbers", but "part codes" (ie. they tell the guy in the Nissan spares department that you're looking for a "shock dustcover" but not much more... not which vehicle it fits etc).

So, in this next shot, is a list matching "part codes" to "part numbers", of all the components which I thought (and which FAST told me when I highlighted them) were called something like "dust cover" or "bump stop".

I think that the dustcover and bump stops are integrated for the rear, although I have included the funny doughnut-looking thing above them (55248N) just in case because they were called something like "cover-bound bumper, rear". You can see the names in this diagram.

Here's a text version if the image above gets lost at any stage...

Part Code	Part Number	Description
54050M		54050-33P20-	BUMPER ASSY-BOUND
54055M		55248-15U10-	COVER ASSY-BOUND BMPR
54055		54055-33P20-	COVER-DUST
55248N		55248-0V000-	COVER-BOUND BUMPER,REAR
55240		55240-0V000-	BUMPER ASSY-BOUND REAR SUSPENSION
55240		55240-0V001-	BUMPER-SUSPENS

* I don't know why there is an extra "-" at the end of the part number, anyone know why? Is there a missing column or something? Is the "part code" supposed to go there? I'm pretty sure I just used the part number on the phone to the Nissan spares guy and he knew what part I wanted (after giving him my VIN / chassis number of course).

By the way, if ordering this way and giving your VIN, don't confuse the poor spares guy with the bit at the beginning - the Japanese VINs all start with the "WG..." part, the rest is added at compliance to make it into an Australian VIN.

Those part numbers you *should* be able to use to order spares direct from any decent Nissan spares staff (I have had success before).

In my experience, sometimes the part numbers are old and have been superseded by newer ones which are intended for the same purpose/car (being a series 1 you might find this a bit) but they should have a record of this, showing the newer part number.

Good luck

DaveB

Edited January 7, 2010 by DaveB

[Mr_RS4]

Thanks heaps for that, that's exactly what I'm looking for. But I also want to grab a few other part numbers off those screen shots. I have managed to find a (barely seeded) torrent for fast so I'm downloading it now so I won't have to keep bugging people! Thanks again Dave.