Strut Housing Needed

[Ron Earp]

Jeffrey and I ran into a snag with the strut housings on the Z. The right hand housing had a stock strut stuck in it. After about 3 hours of cutting, welding pieces on for the slide hammer, heating, cussing, air impact, and lots of other things we got it out of the housing. Then we cut the housing to shorten it but once done we fould the new Koni yellow strut won't fit into the tube by 0.01" of an inch. The strut tube happens to be a bit undersized. So, we need another right hand strut tube. Anyone have one to sell?

[dickita15]

When I put a new strut in my Rx I have to sand all the paint the koni and then grease it. Don’t know if that would work for you.

[Ron Earp]

I'm not sure either. It is a hard stop and Jeffrey measured it at around 0.01". If it was something like 0.002" or so I could see sanding and beating helping out, but not sure it will here. But, it is something we should try.

[dspillrat]

Several pounds can be saved using the 240 strut tubes......if you aren't using it already......... Honing out may work, if it is clearing the threads...


David

[Ron Earp]

I'm not sure what we have right now, 240, 260, 280 - we don't care too much as the car is going to be overweight no matter what we do. Hard for a 225 lb driver to make weight in one of these things!

We tried honing but can't get enough material off the inside of the tube. We'll go back and look at sanding the hell out of the strut, but not sure that is going to do much. Anyone have any spare strut tubes let us know.

R

[spawpoet]

Ron, we probably have 240 strut tubes, but don't have 260z units. I wouldn't be able to check until probably Tuesday evening. Let me know if you want me to check, and I'll go through the warehouses.

[spawpoet]

I'm not sure what we have right now, 240, 260, 280 - we don't care too much as the car is going to be overweight no matter what we do. Hard for a 225 lb driver to make weight in one of these things!

We tried honing but can't get enough material off the inside of the tube. We'll go back and look at sanding the hell out of the strut, but not sure that is going to do much. Anyone have any spare strut tubes let us know.

R

Will the struts you have fit anything but a 260 strut tube? I can't remember if they all use the same cartridges.

[dspillrat]

Building new only comes around once.......................

Looks like you may have an 240 tube on that corner.......Maybe, or just a ton of rust in that tube......

But , anywhay......I have whatever tube you need, but there is quite a bit of savings to be made......compare the doors, struts, etc.......hatch,window, ...hell, call it a 240 and use the smalll bumpers, without those dang shock obsorber bumper anchor weights.....Why not??

[JeffYoung]

I think, but may be wrong, that the 260z used the 72 and up struts.

The "early" 240z strut had less material at the bottom of the tube. We ran into this one time before.

[pballance]

Hey Ron and Jeffery,

I got's what you need. :)

You need early or late? 240 or 280? Front or rear? I probably got it stashed away. FWIW, You probably want a 280 housing as the ID is larger than a 240 but it is otherwise dimensionally the same.

Ron, send me an email to my work address and I will measure and see what I have on hand.

Paul

[Ron Earp]

Hey Fellows,

Thanks much.

What we need is a "thin" bottom strut since we've already made one short one for the left side. Here is what we've made, and we need a stock right side one.

It'd be best to email or PM Jeffrey as I'll be out of town this week. Jeffrey, maybe PM email Paul and David and see what they might have around in the barns of spare parts.

Thanks a lot fellows!

Ron

http://www.gt40s.com/images/JeffZ/strut1.JPG

http://www.gt40s.com/images/JeffZ/strut2.JPG

[Mike Mackaman]

Oh, those are the super trick, light weight illegal ones that the fast guys use!!!

Back to reality
The 240 and early 260 housings are just a couple thousanths over 2". The late 260 and 280 housing are like 2.16x". The Koni's require the larger housings. You need a late 260 or 280 housing. I had to make all new ones when I changed from Carrera to Koni a few years ago.

Mike

[jrvisual]

Thanks for the info Mike. The strange thing is the strut tubes that are on the front of Ron's 260, which I know koni's fit, are from an early 260z, mine. He needed mine last year and now that I am building my car we need to replace them.

So I guess we better have them measured before we buy.

[mom'sZ]

The 240 and early 260 housings are just a couple thousanths over 2". The late 260 and 280 housing are like 2.16x".
This is my recollection as well. There are two sizes for the first gen Zcars. The 240s are smaller, 280s bigger. 260s are one or the other depending on if late or early 260


The Koni's require the larger housings. You need a late 260 or 280 housing.
This I'm not so sure about. Although my car is a 280 (so I have no direct knowledge) I'm almost positive the Koni can fit in the earlier 240 (smaller) housing. To make it fit you definitly need to sand all the paint off the outside of the insert. If the inside of the housing is crusty, it would need cleaned up as well. It is a tight fit, where as in the 280 housing, there is plenty of room. I seem to recall John Coffey (sp?) posting pictures on hybridZ dot org showing him installing them in a 240 housing.