Been looking at fun cars with just enough of a back seat for my 10 yo step son . That got me looking at z31 300ZX 2+2s, there's one local to me for $1,000.
The more research I did the more I saw owners complaining about the poor rear suspension design squating and how the cars are prone to spinning. So I started looking at other cars of the same vintage. E30s, 944s, etc all use a STA rear set up so how bad could it be? Is Nissans design just that much worse or are the owners just not taking care of their cars suspension and it's an age issue( worn shocks,bushings)
Also what are some proven driving techniques to get the most out of the z31 suspension at speed.
Thanks
Dan
10+ years ago, I remember a guy with a 300ZX that used to run at the street drags. I remember the back end about scraping when he'd take off. So, I have 1 confirmed account of them sitting on launch. I also remember the HUGE negative camber it would create when it would squat.
Sounds like a lot of weight transfer..
cars with rear semi-trailing arms are prone to spinning.. if you do something stupid. You will need to lift off the throttle mid turn or even more stupid, mash the brakes. The weight trasfer will lighten up the rear wheels and around you go.
That style rear suspension worked for two of the worlds best handling cars.. the Porsche 944 and the BMW E30 M3.. so how bad can it really be?
Qualifier: these are just opinions, I am neither an engineer nor an expert race driver. Just a guy who autox's an 85 Supra (SRTA) and DD's an e36 (Multi Link)
It comes down to 2 issues with Semi RTA. Camber and toe. You need to limit suspension travel to control both, the latter being the worst aspect of SRTA in my opinion. Under compression you get toe in, ok, that's good, under droop you get toe out, ok, that's bad especially if you are lifting a little to try and control a slide. If its softly sprung sometimes a little weight transfer can cause a large change in toe and voila you are in the grass or worse.
I find the e36 much easier to drive, I have never spun it and I have done some pretty dumb things in it. It is very forgiving. Maybe its just that the Supra has a bad design. I doubt it, it was designed by Lotus for Toyota and Lotus used it on one of their own cars. There is nothing obviously funny about it.
AquaHusky wrote:
10+ years ago, I remember a guy with a 300ZX that used to run at the street drags. I remember the back end about scraping when he'd take off. So, I have 1 confirmed account of them sitting on launch. I also remember the HUGE negative camber it would create when it would squat.
RX7s and Supras will do the same thing unless worked pretty good.
Having had an M Coupe (essentially same STA as the E30) and having raced a 944, and having a Miata to compare against... SRTA are a bit less forgiving, but not critical. They don't transition quite as well, or handle mid-corner lifting quite as well. Causes the back end to be a bit more lively. It's not a big deal though. At least not in those cars. I can't speak to specific issues with the design on the 300ZX.
Could have something to do with toe change.
I will put it this way.
When I bought my Ti, was on stock springs and worn out (read bouncy) shocks... It was a month into ownership that I had a tank slapper on a back road and wound up going backwards into somebody's front yard.
Since putting the coilovers on it and tightening everthing up with Poly.. it only steps out WHEN I want it to.
Yeah, with the M Coupe (stock springs but new Bilstein shocks), the throttle really felt wired to the rear suspension. Once used to it, it was like you could take the rear end, pick it up, and set it down another foot to the outside of the turn.
