hi guys just got my car and find it to be quite wallowy in the rear, and if you hit a pot hole or lump in the road it seems to snatch and grab at the back, feels like the wheels are loose, ive had a look around but not 100% on what i need to check, im thinking its drop links and arb bushes, also ive been advised to check the hicas, there are no warning lights, but would like to lock it off any way, does anyone else have any ideas as dont want to pay out if i dont need the bits?

thanks

Hi Mate,

 

it could be your HICAS ball joints as they are prone to wear; they cost about £50 each side for the outer joints and roughly the same for the inner ones (plus labour to fit). You can get them from Mike Feeney - MJP in the traders section - but do have someone take a look before you go shelling out for parts....

 

....you can get the eminator kit, but IIRC you still need to replace the ball joints first otherwise it will still be as loose as a baggy arse!

 

The HICAS joints will be an MOT failure - when was it last tested? It could also be something so simple as the wheel allignment - you must get a full 4 wheel set-up done on the ZX; and the steering wheel MUST be 100% straight as it has the sensors for the HICAS steering. If the wheel is off centre, it does play havoc with the rear wheel steering during fast cornering....

 

Richard:cool3:

got it with 6 mths test and the 4 wheel alignment done, and the step out happens more in a straight line than cornering, and just if the back is jolted over a bump or something, just feels really odd, and the rear seems overly spongy on the shocks while driving, they are standard shocks and springs, but i cant see any weeping from them??

check these threads out which are in the FAQ Storage section

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?95683-Suspension-Tuning

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?92607-Replacing-Outer-Hicas-Ball-Joints

very handy threads, thanks, dont know if id trust myself with an angle grinder and my suspension, can see the outcome now.....one less finger, blood everywhere, and ball joint totally un touched lol...

get the rear jacked up and test for play in the rear wheels . give them a good left and right wobble . any play will be wear in the rear joints which would feel horrible when driving . if the rear shocks are original it stands a good chance that these will need replacing . another thing that can affect the feel on the back can be having a converter fitted to your speedo as this can affect the hicas (rear steering)if its a jap import . there are also the sub frame bushes that can give a loose feel on the back . the main thing is not to panic as we have all had similar issues with our zeds due to their age . they are all problems that are fairly easily fixed . my advice to you if you are new to zeds is as money allows fix all worn suspension parts and brakes before anything else . another easily fixed problem that it might be is if budget tyres are fitted . even if their tread is still plentiful they are not suited to a zed .

good luck with it and hopefully its just a small problem.

 

andyzx

get the rear jacked up and test for play in the rear wheels . give them a good left and right wobble . any play will be wear in the rear joints which would feel horrible when driving . if the rear shocks are original it stands a good chance that these will need replacing . another thing that can affect the feel on the back can be having a converter fitted to your speedo as this can affect the hicas (rear steering)if its a jap import . there are also the sub frame bushes that can give a loose feel on the back . the main thing is not to panic as we have all had similar issues with our zeds due to their age . they are all problems that are fairly easily fixed . my advice to you if you are new to zeds is as money allows fix all worn suspension parts and brakes before anything else . another easily fixed problem that it might be is if budget tyres are fitted . even if their tread is still plentiful they are not suited to a zed .

good luck with it and hopefully its just a small problem.

 

andyzx

 

cheers mate ill get it up on my day off, ive had 3 now but never had these problems before, but hey like you say im not along with problems and want to uprate all the busehes ect anyway, the tires are new bridgestones on the rear and kumho on the front so hope its not them, just do it bit by bit anyway, not too fussed with power yet as think there is enough for now, but do want it to handle as well as my money will allow first, then looks, then the hunt for power with a manual conversion in there somewhere.....

cheers for all the great help though guys!!

Also to note it could be your rear shocks!! Had this on mine when the backend was wobbly... Got rid of the ball joints and HICAS and changed for the Driftworks total HICAS elimination kit, still didn't cure the prob but it turned out to be the shocks... Especially noticable at speed down the dual carrage way... You would go over a bump or bit of uneven road and it felt like one side was skipping as it was not absorbing the bumps!!

that sounds exactly like what mine is doing, also sometimes a judder from one side, like the wheels are out of alignment? think ill just have to change it all for good measure lol....dont know which way to go for suspension as cant go low due to where i live, and not too firm......due to where i live lol, roads are shocking!!

that sounds exactly like what mine is doing, also sometimes a judder from one side, like the wheels are out of alignment? think ill just have to change it all for good measure lol....dont know which way to go for suspension as cant go low due to where i live, and not too firm......due to where i live lol, roads are shocking!!

 

Just go for some new OEM Shocks!! Z center are £60 each, don't bother with springs, just keep what you got a change your shocks for some nice new ones!

Sounds exactly what i'm suffering at the moment, looks like i'll be swapping over the tokigoshocks off the v8 this week.

 

Useful thread! :)