| The NISMO S-Tune suspension system is matched for the 350Z owner that is looking for more aggressive street handling and much improved track handling. It offers a slightly stiffer ride and a lower stance (20mm) for better tracking and stiffer sway bars to help eliminate the built it understeer (push) of the front end, making the car more 'neutral' to drive. This is the installation of the NISMO S-Tune shocks/springs/struts and anti-sway bars available from CourtesyParts.com on Michael(Dallas)'s 2003 Track model. All images of shocks/springs/struts are from the driver side perspective. The US version and JDM version of this system are the same parts, although some of the early JDMs need to have the struts re-clocked to fit.
Special tools:
None
Potential parts to replace:
| rear upper spring insulator | 55050-AL506 |
| rear lower spring insulator | 55036-AG001 |
| rear upper shock insulator | 56217-AM001 |
| rear lower shock insulator | 56218-AG000 |
| rear shock body insulator | 55338-AL500 |
| main exhaust front gasket | 20692-65J00 |
| main exhaust rear gasket | 20691-0P600 |
Installation:
1. Break the lug nuts loose (20 x 21mm lug nuts) a 1/2 turn. Lift the Z in the air and place on jack stands. Refer to the lifting TECH page for info on getting the car in the air safely.
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Installing rear shocks and springs for each side:
2. Lift lower control arm slightly with the jack to take tension off the bolts. I use a 2x4 on the jack saddle to keep from marring the suspension components (1.).
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3. Remove the shock absorber. Remove the lower shock bolt (gold) (1 x 17mm bolt) (2). Note the shock body has threads on the front side, so on reinstallation, made sure the orientation is correct. Remove the upper shock nuts inside first (2 x 12mm nuts) (3.). Push up on the shock body to compress it and then remove it from the upper studs and the suspension control arm. Carefully remove it from the wheel well.
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4. Remove the spring. Remove lower link bolt (silver) and nut (greenish) (2 x 17mm nut and bolt) (4.). Lower the jack and then pry the lower control arm off the hub assembly if required. Push down on the lower control arm until the spring can be pulled out from under the upper rubber spring insulator (5.). If the upper insulator comes out with the spring, replace it by placing it up on the 3 metal clips and then seating it on them solidly (6.).
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5. Install the spring. Check the orientation of the lower rubber insulator. The new spring's bottom end should be the one with the most space between winds, with the actual end of the coil facing inwards. The lower rubber insulator should match this shape. Notice the center hole on the insulator has straight sides to it that should line up with the center of the lower control arm (7.).
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6. Lift up the lower control arm with the jack on the front edge (1.). This helps to line up the bolt hole. Slide the bolt (silver) in place and start the nut (greenish) on it until it's finger tight.
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7. Build the new shock assembly (8.). Put the shock in a vice. My vice fits just right if I clamp it on the gold cup part below the very top and let the ears of the upper plate sit on top of the vice jaws. It only requires enough force to hold it in place, don't clamp so hard as to bend it. Use 14mm box end wrench on the top nut and a crescent wrench on the shock shaft end at the very top to remove the retaining nut (1 x 14mm nylock nut) (9.). Once the nut is almost off, hold onto the shock body and remove the nut from the shaft. The shock body and rubber dust shield should be free of the upper insulators. Put the rubber cover on the new shock body and slide it up into place. Use the new nut to secure the insulators to the shock shaft (1 x 14mm nylock nut). There should be about this much thread showing in image 10. Torque to 20-24 ft-lbs.
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8. Install the shock. Make sure the red paper gasket is on top of the assembly (10.). Compress the shock assembly. Carefully put the shock in the wheel well and position it on the upper studs and over the suspension control arm with the threaded side of the bolt hole pointed forward. Let it extend and position itself. Start upper nuts outside first then inside (3.), then insert lower shock bolt (gold) and start threading into shock (2.).
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9. Lift the lower control arm with the jack until the corner of the car tries to lift off the jack stand. The bolts need to be torqued with the suspension under a weight load. Torque the lower shock bolt to 74-88 ft-lbs (2.). Torque the lower control arm bolt to 48-59 ft-lbs (4.). Torque the upper shock nuts to 20-22 ft-lbs. (3.).
Repeat for the other side.
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Installing the Rear Anti-Sway Bar (ASB):
10. Remove the plastic splash shields just ahead of the rear wheels (2 x 10mm bolts, 4 x 10mm nuts) (11.).
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11. Disconnect the ASB from the chassis. Remove the end link nuts on the ASB (2 x 14mm nuts) (12.). Remove the two bushing brackets holding the ASB in place (4 x 14mm nuts) (13.).
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12. Slip the rubber hanger off the exhaust (14.). This will allow enough room to snake the sway bar out from over the exhaust pipe. The paint on the ASB might get a little nicked. If the install has to be pristine, remove the rear section of the exhaust just ahead of the muffler (4 x 14mm nuts) (15. & 16.). Snake the new sway bar back in place of the old one. Slip the rubber hanger back on the exhaust or bolt the rear section of exhaust pipe back in place (4 x 14mm nuts).
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13. Install the new ASB. Connect the end links (2 x 14mm nuts) (12.). Make sure the end links are squared up and won't bind as they move. Torque to 37-44 ft-lbs. Put the new bushings on the new ASB in the same locations as were on the original ASB. Install the bushing brackets (4 x 14mm nuts) (13.). Torque to 20-30 ft-lbs.
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14. Install the plastic splash shields (2 x 10mm bolts, 4 x 10mm nuts) (11.).
Front strut replacement:
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15. Remove the front strut tower brace. I used a crescent wrench on the large adjustment nuts. Loosen the 2 jamnuts and then rotate the center where the top rotates toward the back 1.7 turns (according to the service manual). Note there's a big black dot on the center part (17.). Use that as the reference for returning it to proper positioning. Unclip the 2 clips on the driver side of the strut tower brace with needle nose pliers (arrows in 18.), and the clip on the passenger side the same way (lower arrow in 19.). The clip for the other wire on the back of the passenger side is different. Use a flat blade screwdriver to push in the plastic tab and then pull the clip off the bracket (upper arrow in 19.). Remove the front strut tower brace itself (6 x 12mm bolts, 2 x 12mm nuts) (dots in 18. & 19.).
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Front strut for each side:
16. Disconnect lines from the strut body. Remove the brake line from the rear of the strut (1 x 12 mm nut) (20.). Remove the ABS wire from the front of the strut (2 x rubber grommets) (21.).
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17. Remove the strut. Remove the nuts on top of the strut (3 x 12mm nuts) (22.). Remove the lower strut bolt (gold) (1 x 17mm bolt, 1 x 17mm nut) (23.). Remove the cotter pin on the upper link to steering hub assembly (24.). Remove the nut on the upper link (silver) (1 x 17 mm nut) and disconnect the hub from the upper link. Be careful when disconnecting the link, the steering hub assembly will drop down and lean outward when it comes free of it (25). Bend down the suspension and remove the strut from the wheel well. A pry bar might be required to get the bottom of the strut off the control arm. Using the mounting bolt might offer the correct angle to get it off or on (26.). Be VERY careful with the ABS wire when the shock is coming out. It's easily dinged and will cause the ABS/VDC/TCS lights to all come on if equipped.
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18. Torque the inner bolts of the upper link to 37-44 ft-lbs (2 x 14mm bolts) (27.). On some 2003 cars, the looseness of these bolts causes the 'clunk' sound that happens generally on the passenger side front when the car is moved at low speed from forward to reverse or vice versa. Check the torque on these now when it's easy to do.
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19. Install the new strut. On the brake line bracket of each strut there is a L or a R stamped into the metal (28.). Compare the NISMO unit to the OEM unit of the same letter stamping to make sure the orientation from the 3 studs on the top to the angle of the bottom bracket is the same. If it's not, the NISMO strut will need to be 'reclocked' to match the OEM one to fit properly. Select the correct strut for the side and position it in the wheel well. Make sure the ABS wire is in front of the strut and the brake line is behind it. Start the nuts on top of the shocks (3 x 12mm nuts) (22.) a couple threads to keep the strut under control while fitting the bottom of it. Again, Be VERY careful with the ABS wire and using a pry bar and the mounting bolt might offer the correct angle to get it off or on (26.). Align the lower shock mount and start the bolt (gold) into the nut (greenish) (1 x 17mm bolt, 1 x 17mm nut) (23.). Attach the upper link to the steering hub assembly (1 x 17mm nut) (24.). Torque to 40-46 ft-lbs. Install a new cotter pin in the link's stud.
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20. Lift the lower control arm with the jack until the corner of the car tries to lift off the jack stand. The bolts need to be torqued with the suspension under a weight load. Torque the lower shock bolt to 52-62 ft-lbs. (23.). Torque the upper shock nuts to 26-30 ft-lbs. (22.)
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21. Attach the lines to the strut body. Attach the ABS wire to the front of the strut (2 x rubber grommets) (21.). Attach the brake line (1 x 12mm nut) to the rear of the strut (20.).
Repeat for the other side.
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22. Install the front strut tower brace (6 x 12mm bolts, 2 x 12mm nuts). Torque to 18-23 ft-lbs (dots in 18. & 19.). Rotate the center section where the top rotates forward 1.7 turns using the black dot as a reference (17.). The manual calls for a 10-17mm gap between the top of the upper intake/engine cover and the bottom of the strut tower brace. Tighten the jamnuts to 47-60 ft-lbs making sure the tightening direction is proper (1 of them is reverse threaded) (17.). Clip the 3 wires back to the brace (4 clips) (arrows in 18. & 19.).
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Installing the front Anti-Sway Bar (ASB):
23. Remove the front underpan (14 x 10mm bolts, 1 round black push button type clip). The black clip is found in multiple places on the car, simply use something to pry the center out a little bit and the clip will release whatever it's holding (29.). Remove the alternator splash shield on the passenger side (3 push clips) (30.).
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24. Remove the ASB. Remove the end link nuts on the ASB (2 x 17mm nuts) (31.). Remove the bushing brackets holding the ASB in place (6 x 14mm bolts, 2 x 14mm nuts) (dots in 32.). Carefully lower the ASB out from under the car.
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25. Install the new ASB. Put the new bushings on the ASB in the same locations as were on the original ASB. Raise the ASB in place and capture it with the bushing brackets. Finger tighten the nuts and bolts (6 x 14mm bolts, 2 x 14mm nuts) (dots in 32.). Connect the end links (2 x 17mm nuts) (31.). Torque to 59-70 ft-lbs. Make sure the end links are squared up and won't bind as they move.
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26. Torque the bushing brackets (6 x 14mm bolts, 2 x 14mm nuts) in the order shown in image 32.. Snug down 1 & 2, then torque them to 41-49 fl-lbs. Snug down 3 & 4, then torque them to 55-66 ft-lbs.
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27. Install the alternator splash shield (3 push clips) (30.). Install the underpan (14 x 10mm bolts, 1 push clip) (29.).
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28. Install the wheels. Finger tighten the lugs (20 x 21mm lug nuts). Carefully lower the car to the ground. Refer to the lifting TECH page for info on getting the car back to the ground. Torque the lugs in a skip 1 pattern to 80ft-lbs (20 x 21mm lug nuts). The wheels need to be re-aligned as soon as possible to avoid tire wear:
| Adjustment | Front | Rear |
| Camber (degrees) | -0°40'+-45' | -1°35'+-30' |
| Caster (degrees) | 8°10'+-45' | No adjustment necessary |
| Kingpin angle (degrees) | 5°10'+-45' | No adjustment necessary |
| Toe-in | IN 0.08" - 0" (2 - 0 mm) | IN 0.1" - 0.04" (2.7 - 1.1 mm) |
Originally published 7-2-2003
Dallas DamonZ
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