My Island 710 Goon!

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datzenmike
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Posts: 6080
Joined: 24 May 2006 12:40
Location: Van. Isle.

Re: My Island 710 Goon!

Post by datzenmike »

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Canby had some great deals. I got this set of 2" drop blocks for 620? and all I had to do was hammer the U bolts in a bit to make them fit the goon. While I was at it I added a leaf. It was the second one up from the bottom from my parts car. (see the previous post) I trimmed a couple of inches off each end and used a longer through bolt.

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Held the spring pack together with vice grips. The stock through bolt will snap off and there's a lot of stored energy.

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Here you can see the shortened 2nd spring and a new through bolt.

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Finished pass side. May have gained a half inch with the extra spring but it registered a net loss with the block installed.

Finished ride height.... probably
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The before ride height.
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Well I took it out for a ride and immediately felt a difference. It feels more stable on the highway, like it's on rails. This may turn out to have increased my understeer. I had tools and didn't want to smash them around in back testing this out in a cul-de-sac. Next time I'll go empty and drive faster and faster in a circle and see which end breaks loose first. Tried some pavement in a downward curve with humps and dips in it. Before it felt like going off a ski jump followed by a deep sag into the dip. This time it was firm and didn't feel like it wanted to skate over into the other lane.
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
72datto
Posts: 21
Joined: 20 May 2011 07:53
Location: Armstrong/Vernon BC

Re: My Island 710 Goon!

Post by 72datto »

Great pics. I've been meaning to tackle this on my 1200 while I collect the parts for my engine.
1972 1200 Coupe - L18
1972 1200 sedan
1972 1200 sedan/convertable
datzenmike
Supporter
Posts: 6080
Joined: 24 May 2006 12:40
Location: Van. Isle.

Re: My Island 710 Goon!

Post by datzenmike »

I know how some find coil cutting makes the ride too firm and can only feel that maybe they got carried away. Mine might be too firm for someone else but I love it! In truth I am used to my old 620 truck which had F-150 leaf spring on all four corners, now that was firm. The back could be a touch lower but I would have to de-arch to lower and still keep it firm.

Previously I noted that the speedo was reading higher than my actual speed. About 58 MPH (on one of those roadside radars that said 81 KPH) Yeah I know my speedo is a US model. I removed the speedo cog and it's a blue 18 tooth. All I had handy was a red 20 tooth so tried it.

No way would it fit in even though the keeper slot for the key is in the same position and the cog offset is the same as the blue one. ???

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I'm aware that pinions before '80 will not swap into transmissions after '80. The key that holds them in is in a different position and the offset is opposite also. Here's the two types of pinions used on the zx.

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I took a good look and found something else that is different that isn't mentioned anywhere else. Luckily I had a second red pinion. Take a look where the pick is pointing and then at the one on the left. Different. It turns out the blue one is the same as the one on the left but the keeper slot is 180 out

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I test fitted it with the slot to the top and in it went. Only thing to do was use an angle grinder to cut a slot half way round and viola! Speedo now works. It does however, read lower than my actual sped by about 4 MPH which is closer than 8 too high. This is likely because I had to jump two teeth and should, if I had one, try a White 19 tooth.

This is all approximate. That radar may have been wrong and I followed my wife to work this morning at 'exactly' 80K. Need more accuracy. A two tooth jump from 18-20 should be an 11% difference which should have knocked almost 6 1/2 MPH off. So...
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
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