Rear suspension takes a lot of trial and error, fitting and refitting, assembly and disassembly. With no real order of operations, it's not hard to put things together, only to realize you can't get to certain fasteners afterwards... but, it also gave me an opportunity to really understand the engineering and design that went into this setup.
370Z front and rear hubs are used (for serviceability and availability), and with the rear all buttoned up, the front is next.
The front crossmember is designed to be a bolt-in affair. The more I installed and uninstalled, the more I realized I wasn't going to be happy with fasteners alone holding the whole thing together. As such, the frame braces and crossmember were carefully positioned, measurements checked, and welded in place. There's really no reason to need to remove the crossmember assembly later on (engine servicing provisions will be discussed later in the build), and I'm happy with the outcome.
I know, I know... my welds aren't pretty. I'm still learning. Just shake your head and keep reading.
Strut towers got some tackwelds, and in chatting with Ohm from AE, I suggested a plate to reinforce the inner strut tower from the underside. I wound up making my own, but wouldn't you know, a week later, he sends me a picture of proper ones that'll now be included with the kit.
The ones he makes are much nicer... I'm working with a plasma cutter, an angle grinder and an antique Miller welder.
The front coming together.... slowly.
Another area that has to be addressed is the front sway bar mount. The factory used a blind nut, welded inside the frame rails, with a very narrow spacing (for a skinny bar). This car would be getting a beefy front bar, and bolting a massive bar through those holes is a recipe for torn metal. So, the entire frame rail was boxed on three sides with 1/8" plate and redrilled to accommodate the larger bar and brackets. No chance of these fatiguing under heavy cornering!
Here's the front, complete with hubs, almost ready to flip and put on the ground.