Z31 -> S13 Front Coilover Conversion
This mod converts the stock shocks/springs of the Z31 into the S13 Coilovers. For those that cannot afford the cost of importing proper Z31 coilovers from Japan or the US.
Difficulty: 2/5
What you need:
2x S13 Coilovers (Cusco Zero-1′s used)
2x S13 Lower Control Arms
2x SR20 Brakes / Hubs
2x SR20 Discs
How you do it:
Firstly: pull the front wheel off, then disconnect the steering arm and LCAs and remove the bolts from the engine bay holding the shock in and it all comes out.
What the wheel well looks like without a wheel or anything in it.
This is what you remove. Note the LCA isn’t connected, but remove that too.
Then you fit all the new parts together to form something that looks like the old stuff:
The new coilovers, with brakes, discs and LCA attached.
To fit the new coilovers into the old holes you need to file/drill the third hole. What we did was fit the new coilover into it, and 2 of the 3 bolts came through the existing holes. Then just took a rough direction and measurement to file to to get the last bolt to fit through.
The filing job i did on the hole.
All fitted and tightened up!
New bits in the wheel well.
And that’s it. Rinse + Repeat on the other side. Bleed the brakes, put the wheel back on and your done.
The full assembly that was removed, with the LCA this time.
The car initially had 27mm bolt-on spacers to get it to fill the guard out, now without the spacers:
Final look, without the bolt cover on the wheel.
Hi Matey,
Thanks for the right up, helped alot of Z31 owners out big time im sure, im just wondering will the 5 stud S13 bits fit? Hmmm.
As far as I know it will. S15 stuff fits, and that’s 5 stud.
Hey great write up! i was wondering if i went to the junk yard and pulled off LCA, hubs,brakes, and struts(cant afford coilovers yet) from a s13 they would bolt right up to my z31 correct? oh and I’m in the US so it would be from a s13 with the KA24 not the SR20….would that matter?
The LCAs will bolt up no problems, the struts should bolt in with modification to the mounting holes. Either file them larger (as I did) or mark the new positions reference one mount point and drill new holes, though this will require a decent drill bit.
As far as I’m aware the only difference between the two are the different engines!
Best of luck with it.
sweet thanks for the info man!!
so are the r31 rods better?
The only reason I went for those was because a fully adjustable R31 set came up cheap. The only reason they’d be better would be if the manufacturer was better imo.
So will a adjustable s13 tension rod bolt right up with the z31 LCA?
Yes, they will. Though I used R31 Skyline rods instead in this build.
once again thank you so much im doing my Z this weekend. are u using z31 tension rods or s13??
I think initially I was using Z31 tension rods, but soon after switched to R31 Skyline adjustable tension rods. Z31/R31/S13 should all fit the same, though the R31 did need an adapter bracket (came supplied with the pair I bought)
Yea it bolts straight up. I’ve circled it from a photo I had lying around. Disregard the fact it’s upside down:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/Vorian_Hyatson/47d2daec-1.jpg
And that’s correct, I didn’t need to cut and weld. The only thing that needs modifying is the strut tower.
the sway link bolts right up to the S13 lca?? im doing this in like 5 days and i need to know for sure what i need thanks.
you didnt have to weld or cut anything correct? if so what did you cut and weld?
Hey sorry mate I don’t have one. It should mate up with the mount for it on the inside of the castor rod on the LCA.
hey can i get a pic of the sway bar connected to the lca? thanks great looking car thou.