snarpee

Hey there all, Well, Im now far enough along in my front brake design to start buying parts, so I thought Id share it with you all. Now keep in mind, I'm a little eccentric on some things in this design but bare with me please. Im using: 280z front steel 5 lug hubs Wilwood 12.19 x 1.25 Thick curved vein rotors Wilwood superlight 6 piston calipers Vintage wheel works 9.5" wide wheels 7" coil over sleeve (for 2.5" springs) The pros with this set up are: Steel hubs (no striped studs) 5 lugs (5 x 4.5) 6 Piston feel / modulation Heat dissipation will not be a problem (CFD / FEA modeled) 16" / 17" wheels not a problem Height adjustable suspension (I know, I know, one day I will section them) Weighs less than stock setup. The cons with this set up are: The front track will be pushed out about 5/8" (new hub would correct it) FEA shows a little more stress farther out on the spindle (due to 5/8" offset)(reasonable though) OK, no the car is a 1971 240Z with a SBC in it. Main purpose is spirted street driving, but I will be tracking the car in several road course exbition events for fun. I have done a lot of racing in the past, I wont brag, and say that I was great, but you stick me in a car with 30 other drivers and I would typicaly finish in the top 8-12 no problem. So Schumacher I'm not, but a racer with the appreication for the nice stuff I am. So this is why I doing this to the front of the car. In the past I have played with some brake systems and always had such great feel / feedback with the 6 piston claipers, cant explaine it, its a foot thing!!! Any how, I'll shut up now, I just wanted to share the progress I have made on the front brakes / suspension I have been designing and building over the last few months. Enjoy!!! P.S. Im going to try and attach a 3d drawing viewer to this post so that you can open it up and spin it around, and hide things for a close look. You may need to install the 3d CAD viewer to open it up, go to http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/ and click on the green "DOWNLOAD" box an dit will walk you through it. Cross your fingers I hope it works. I'll post pics too!!!

Clifton, yes Im using the Z31 5 lug hubs, sorry for the confusion. So, the AZC hubs push each front wheel out .5"??? If that the case, I'll stick with the Steel Z31 5 lug hubs, and create a Soliworks model for a new caliper bracket, cut in on the CNC and be done. By they way Clifton, your car rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Pete

Hey there fella Z Brothers, have a look at my new front suspension I put together from this and that... The car is a 71 240z, 350SBC, and 35 year old suspension (well, till now). This car will be my street / occasional road race track day car so I wanted to update the suspension and freshin it up a bit. Ok, here is what I have dont up to this point: Powder coated crossmenber, lower contriol arms, struts Cut off factory spring perch's TIG on new perch stops for coil over sleeve Installed Tokio 5 way's Techno Tunning strut rods Energy suspension poly bushings everwhere AZC 12.2" vented rotors AZC / Wilwood 6 pistion calipers (I know over kill, hehehe) 280ZXT 5 lug hubs 1-1/8" front swaybar Stainless brake lines Hypercoil springs 10" 200LBS New rack and pinion from 280Z So, where I need help deciding what to do is this: Originaly I wanted to go with the steel (STEEL) 5 lug hubs because they are STEEL!!! (being in the mechanical engineering world, I dont like 6061 for its fatigue strength on critical parts). I know they push the front out 3/4" but I thought that be ok. Note: AZC does not offer a brake kit for use with the 5 lug 280Z hubs, never the less I bought the kit with the parts they (AZC) suggested to get me as close as possible. AZC said that I may have to make new mounting brackets to fit the caliper over the rotor mounted to the 280z 5 lug hibs. Now, wanting to get the front done ASAP, Im contemplating calling AZC up and getting his 5 lug hubs (even though they are 6061 ALU) because they will keep the wheel mounting plane in the original location (no 3/4" offset), and I could just bolt everything together instead of having to model up new caliper brackets and go cut them on the CNC. So Im in kind of a funny spot, what would you do in my shoes??? Thanks ALL!!!!!!!!

Guys, Do any of you have a good source for coil over parts, ie.. sleeves, nuts, etc... Tried Ground control, but they wont sell the parts seperate, so Im looking for another source. Its going to be a custom setup. Searched the forum but couldnt find anything. Help please!!! Thanks all, Pete

Hey guy's, Found a guy parting out a 280Z (1977), a friend actually. I get all the parts I want for free. What should I snag to upgrade my 240Z ???????? My entire suspension (on the 240Z) is off, and I have a money to burn. I was thinking crossmember, struts, steering rack, what else should I snag??? Thanks all for you input!!! Pete

240ZTT, Hey there... My understanding from several other members is that the crossbrace is stronger, the strut tubes are slightly larger, the lower suspension arms are stiffer / thicker on teh 280Z as opposed to the 240Z. My cross member lower arm mounting holes are elongated, and my struts inserts are frozen. So I figure I will replace everything with that of the 280Z. Steering rack as well. The upgrades I speak of are coil overs, camber plates, 5 lug hubs all 4 corners, 6 piston calipers up front, disc out back, cv's as well. I have a potential source for new factory crossmembers and struts from a 280Z so I need to confim the factory part number for the 280z parts before I drop the cash. Thanks, Pete

Hey all, I'm in the middle of tearing my suspension off my 71 240Z, what time is better than now to up grade to the 280z crossmember, struts, and steering rack. Any chance someone might have the factory part numbers for a 280z crossmember and struts????? Please!!! Pretty please!!!! As I get farther in to it, I will post some pic's of my upgrades and mod's for you all to check out. Thanks again all for making this form the best of the best!!! Pete

Hey all, Looked but didnt find any info on optional upgrades of mods to stiffen the front strut tube assembly / front suspension, help me out here are there any? Will a 280Z strut assembly bolt right in? Are there any upgrade front suspension kits out there? Just wondering!!! Thanks in advance!!! Pete

Hey guys, Im torn over what to do with my suspension and rear end, thus need all of your great input. My goal is to have a nice solid suspension and rear end that will stand up to driving on our lovely CA pot'holed streets, and also handle lots of track days too. Id say 40% street / 60% track time. The car is a 71' 240 with a 350 chevy @ 400RWHP and 376RWTQ thru a 6 speed T56 tranny Some of my current parts on hand are as follows: ZG flare kit 280YZ flare kit AZC 6 piston front brakes Tokiko 5 way adjustable Illimunias All new ball joints All new tire rod ends Ground control coil over kit front and rear None of these parts are yet installed, which brings me to a cross roads and you to your suggestions / erperiances!!! I could throw thousands of dollars at this thing and have a fabrication nightmare on my hands and end up unhappy with the results, or keep it more bolt on and be happy with the extra dough in my pocket. What to do, what to do??? Things Im thinking aobut are: Beta Motorsports camber plates MMS 4130 steel 5 lug rear stub axles Wold creek racing CV conversion Beta Motor sports Koni shock conversion kit R200 CLSD AZC rear controll arms and mustach bar Will 280ZX front and rear strut assemblies fit??? Will a 280ZX front crossmember fit????? I would like to keep things under 2,000 and be done before the summer days arive (Track time). May be its just me, but figuring out what to do next just drives me crazy, I dont want to get anything wrong!!! If you have a moment to suggest or share thought, please chime in!!! Thanks all!!!!!!!! Pete

Coyotegary, Thanks so much for your help, and if you happen to know of a crossmember laying around, please let me know, Im interested. Nice pic. of you rcar by the way!!!

Does anybody know if a 280Z front engine / chassis crossmember will bot in to a 71 240z? I have heard of this being done, and would like to do it to my 240z, the previous owner messed up the crossmember, so I figured if a 280Z crossmember fits, hell, do it, because its stronger, and I could then use the 280z steering rack too!!! Please correct me if I' wrong, and if you know for sure what year 280z or zx crossmember will fit, please let me know ASAP, Im in the market for one. Better yet, if your in Northern CA, and have one laying around, I'll buy it!!! Please let me know, and thanks in advance for all your help.

Hi all, Who better to turn to than my fellow brethern at Hybrid-Z.org...!!! Brothers, I need your help in deciding on a front brake conversion kit for my 71 240Z. The car has a nice 350 in it with a t56 tranny, It will mostly be used for road racing, and street driving. The current front brakes are bone stock, I have read many of the post about the differences betweem MMS / AZC / 4x4 set-ups, and must say I am torn between MMS / AZC. However they both offer such nice kits, my goal is to swap over to a larger rotor (prob 12" aprox), do the 5 lug thing, and put coil overs on the front. If you have installed and raced either of the MMS / AZC set-ups please give me your .02 cents! I need to do this ASAP, got money set aside for this. You know how it goes, you save, you save, you save, then when it comes time to buy you just want to make sure you've bought the right stuff, and wont have any buyers remorse. {Worth mentioning, for what its worth} I happen to be an ex-machinest, and currently a mechanical design engineer, so Im looking for high quality parts, that will last. (sorry have to add that) The other considerations I have been thinking about is the availability of the kit / parts. I know the AZC kit is in stock, and since they use Wilwood, they rotors / pads are easly had thu them or summit. Any how, I'll shut up now guy's, thanks for listening to my rant, please chime in with your .02 cent's to help me make up my mind.

MMS, Awesome, you guys are still around and making parts, eveyone has great things to say about your parts. So, what Im looking for is "Front" 5 lug hubs (5 X 4.5"). And my questions are as follows: 1st - Which of your "Front" 5 lug hubs will work with the stock brakes? 2nd - Is there a option to turn a set out of steel? 3rd - Are the aluminum front hubs on the shelf ready to ship? I look forward to your response, and doing business with MMS...!!! Best Regards, Pete

HI all, I love this forum, thanks for all the great post!!!!!!! So, I have 2 questions for Modern Motorsports and they dont seem to ever respond, I have cold hard cash in my pocket and its burrning a hole in it. I just bought a 240Z with a 350 V8 in it, its dam nice, not as extreme as dome of the rides Ive seen on here, but she's my baby. Well, the guy I bought it from did a few silly things to her, and it time to correct them and make her right again. What Im trying to do is to replace some very chees'e cast aluminum front wheel 4 to 5 lug adapters the guy installed. Im looking at the 2 that Modern Motor sports sells and the pro's and con's are not jumping out at me. Id like to keep the stock brakes for now, cause Im going to upgrade closer to the end of the year on the brakes end of things (bonus from work). The car has 15" wheels with a 5 X 4.5" bolt pattern that I need to perserve. So, my dream would be to find out the pro's and con's of both of the Modern Motorsports hubs (is there an advantage teh the offset, will my stock brakes work, etc...), teh other option is for me to get some from Arizona Z car. If anyone has a phone # to Modern Motorsports please let me know, Id love to place the order in person over the phone. The other option is to make my own, but that would require more effort that they are pro. worth, Modern Morotsports please respond!!!!!!!!!!!!, wha, wha, wha, wha, wha, .... Hope to hear from you all...