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“You will continue building the Front Left Suspension of your model NISSAN GT-R (R35).”

Contents

Parts

Magazine – Issue 12

• The GT-R Story: NISMO Data Logger Kit
• Mechanics & Factory: Multiple Mechanical LSD
• Racing Legend: The 2009 Super GT – 2nd & 3rd Races
• How to Build: Model Instructions

Build

Front Left Suspension

Step 01

Fit the arms of the Upper Swing Arm between these tabs of the Upper Swing Arm Base and align the holes, as shown.

Make sure the L-shaped end of the Upper Swing Arm Base (marked below) is facing away from the Upper Swing Arm. The instructions say this may be a tight fit and require some force to move it into place, but mine fit just fine:

Also, make sure the stamped ‘L’ of the Upper Swing Arm is facing up here:

Feed one (1) EM screw through this side and secure the screw in place with a nut, as shown:

Feed one (1) more EM screw through the other side and secure it with another nut:

Step 02

Place Hinge A on top of the Upper Swing Arm Base as shown, and secure with two (2) HM screws.

One of the mounting posts on the Upper Swing Arm Base has a small key tab on it that aligns to a small notch in the Hinge A to align it correctly:

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:

Step 03

Retrieve your Front Left Suspension assembly from the previous pack. Fit the top of the Stroke (shock absorber) into the tabs of Hinge A (with the four studs on top of the Upper Swing Arm Base facing up), as shown:

Secure these together with one (1) FM screw and nut from this side, as shown.

This screw head is partially blocked by the Upper Swing Arm, so it took a little bit of patience to get this nice and tight:

Step 04

Align the large hole of the Upper Swing Arm over the top hole of the Knuckle Base.

I had to work the post of the Knuckle Base into the hole of the Upper Swing Arm by twisting it a little. The black paint makes for less tolerance here and I needed to basically remove a bit of the paint. This pivot point is critical to making sure the steering will work:

Secure these together with one (1) NM screw.

When this is fully tight, the Knuckle Base should still be able to easily rotate around this point:

From the side, this is how the Upper Swing Arm sits on the Knuckle Base:

Thoughts

I really enjoy the complexity and detail of these suspension components. I thought the front suspension might be more difficult than the rear, but it is about the same so far.

Next Up

Pack 44 – Suspension: Front Left Brake Disc/Caliper