Modern Motorsports Ltd

Thankyou very much for the emails a few of you have sent. Some fine inputs and some led to some fine contacts we're following up on. Turns out the representative for the other side took holiday for one month!! argg! anyhow I've got another 4 weeks to gather additional data...

we're not disagreeing entirely Jon, but this is far from apples to apples.. "Wasn't trying to cut down the MM products at all, just trying to point out that brakes need to be big enough to dissipate the heat from braking." ....and prevent rotor temps from exceeding pad limits...allowing users to use pads they want and not overly aggressive pads if not suitable to their purpose....leads to far greater rotor longevity amongst many other factors " Any more and your lugging around extra weight. They WILL require bigger than 15" wheels, and I always try to run the smallest diameter wheel I can get away with." yes, I understand the diehard competitive racer, many of my customers are running 16's/17's/18's in OE to 10 or 12" wide rims with 350-500 hp routinely.....their closing gaps and other requirements are different from your braking requirements Jim "John C thinks my JSK brakes are bigger than necessary. He has quite a bit more hp and quite a bit more suspension than me and uses a smaller setup with 11.5 x .81 rotors." ...and far more aggressive pads and well executed ducting, two items typical street/track fiend isn't fulfilling typically "MM setup is a lot bigger than what I have. I'm sure you could adapt some crazy 14" rotor road race setup from a Viper or similar and get even more brakes with 18" wheels, but it isn't necessary on a Z was my point." OK, I think you're really missing my point. The mass in my rotors I've TAILORED to meet my calculations and observations to suit desired heat sink for Z's.....the diameter is great for many reasons.....you see this growing on many OE vehicles as well....they're not doing it for looks alone. My rotors actually weigh less than the heavy duty 1.25" wilwoods.....with our greater swept area and other details we can do this quite effectively, in two piece rotors you can't simply compare OD's/thicknesses....many specifications I can tailor and arrive at my desired mass for design purposes. "And as for weight, my hat weighs nothing compared to the rotor, I'm not sure of the difference in weight between a 12" rotor and a 13" rotor, but I'm sure there is a lb or two at least," - not in apples to apples...those are 9" OD hats on mine!..ours are 1.1" thick overall, ours weigh more than wilwood ultralight but that's also a marketing stab they took at selling a product much cheaper to make with thin rotor sidewalls that isn't near as thermally stable as more stout castings with thicker sidewalls " and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the 13" rotor weighed 13 or 14 lbs. " I have done a set at that weight but it was for an extreme high speed road racer with 500+hp in a 2200 lb chassis who's requirements were more demanding than 99.9% of us. "The Wilwood UL 32 vane rotors weigh 10 lbs without the hat. I doubt there is a lb of aluminum to be lost from scalloping the rotor hat or taking it from the inside." Be surprised I know specs I saw on 'other' hats (I don't want to get into mine's bigger than yours etc etc) showed ~1.5 lbs difference on 5lug hats alone. 4 lug hats are a flatter profile but will still yield similar percent weight reduction in comparing apples to apples. Engineered package.

A vented 4x4 front setup may fit, if not only a nominal (ie. 5/16" perhaps) slip on spacer with Nissan Quest wheel studs would get you quite an improvement, pad quality is key to any brake system (OEM or otherwise) with rotors also important but can be sacrificed somewhat on tight budgets if pad quality is still adhered to. OEM with KVR pads and high quality rotors or vented 4x4 setup with KVR pads would treat you well.

Nice pics Juan, glad our package is installed just fine for you! We look forward to hearing your drivers seat impressions Georgia "Hey Ross if you are reading this it would be a big help if you had a customer's install on your coil overs like you do on the rear disk upgrade." I actually sold a set discounted some time ago to a fellow site member who was going to do an install web writeup.........never did come to be, I know he's been busy but... anyhow, agreed, it would be helpful but it is an infrequent question. I send out install instructions with each set that meet most all needs. Drop us an email directly sales@modern-motorsports.com and we'll let you know if we feel a non-coilover setup suits your needs or alternately, which coilover specifications would be suitable for your desires. I discussed the same questions with Juan and his subsequent answers led us to full agreement on his final setup.

Here's a link to a similar discussion not long ago with some good advice from various members, http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=31573&highlight=brakes here's another recent thread/not so different subject http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=29771&highlight=front+brakes I'm surprised at Jim noting our setups for bling over function and will have to strongly disagree (strong function statements by customers in link above!). I'd put them at tops for function for a list too long to type here, and others can rate for bling. 16" wheels typically clear with ease on our Xtreme setups, didn't know 16's were blingy these days. Tucking max. diameter rotors within 16's gives you max. swept area/optimal cooling, weight directly under brake pad in the firepath etc etc. The setup speaks for itself with lightweight aluminum PBR DOT seal calipers, highest grade rotors fully balanced and stress relieved etc. Our fully profiled rotor hats are nearly one half the weight of some competitors investing less R&D efforts with basically profiled flat hats. Our lighter rotor hat weight keeps rotational inertia minimized where possible while keeping required weight in the rotor directly under the pad where of greatest benefit. With an exponential force relationship on centripetal forces this is same principles as lighter wheels make for a faster car given all else equal. Our aluminum hubs at 50% of OEM weight further enhance our rotating (far more responsive than just unsprung non-rotating weight) weight savings benefits. R&D on profiling pays off in reduced acceleration AND braking. High end lightweight pulley sets come in notably less than the 'best buy' lightweight aluminum pulley sets.....best buy sets (ASP etc) are typically flat without much profiling or lightening efforts vs. unorthodox (better brand) fully profiled and lightened where R&D proved it allowable. Enough babbles.....engineer back to zleep now

Got yours fine Bob, thanks.

Thanks Bob and others. I'm aiming for 20k US as dexamples/data easily supports this so no reason to shoot lower. I've got a lot of GREAT 510 examples come in today but only 4 Z writeups, more the merrier, looking forward to yours Bob

They're US customs laws, only the non-direct fees are UPS items. Those referenced and what you paid are the US fees required to be paid regardless of the shipper.

You found grit inside the rear strut housing? or only surficially outside the sealed bearing? If it's inside your bearing housings are likely scored and I'd suggest different struts. I assume though that it's grit outside which is normal and alright.

Great to hear your package arrived from the brown santa in fine shape and timely Ronnin The US customs duty is annoying but as noted you do get a far better deal in this odd 'free trade' crap than us Canuck's do. Enjoy your install, any q's at all just email us directly

No! Not in a safe functional manner becoming of an upgrade or even OE replacement! Bias valves are for fine tuning ONLY, not gross adjustment. Their are many factors for balancing a brake system for appropriate function, all excluding bias valve. Some have done what you suggest and learned their lesson.

Hello, update on my stolen 280ZX....thanks for the many inquiring emails......it was spotted about one hour away from us twice after it's theft (one lead was due to paper ad placed/thanks IZCC member, you know who!) but cops never got 'em till it was done. Some 4 weeks after it's theft Jan. 21st it was in a horrid crash: -100yds plus of 4 black stripes, then, -concrete barrier shattered -flew 40 yards/landed -lit up due to ruptured gas tank -cop risked life to save driver by pulling him out of hatch window -driver fate unknown, cops have not updated me, driver did have broken leg/broken arm, severe burns to 80% of his body. -car did extremely well considering what it went thru, one rear spindle sheared right through, all stub axles/hubs/wheel adaptors (both bolt on and slipon) remained bolted up perfect to wheels, one wheel went half to paper-like remains due to heat of fire. Chassis essentially complete with front right corner wheel well crumpled (same side header looked like flat pancake stainless!). Provincial insurance company came to a ridiculous settlement at their 'desk jockey' level, I'm proceeding with arbitration on good advice and my great representative has urged me to seek 'testimonials'. Essentially he wants email notes from any and all who've ridden (their are many of you), or are relatively familiar with my car's buildup/quality performance etc. notes such as " I'd gone to this level of effort/cost for these modifications (expand if you can) on my car and know it was on par (or not yet, or .. ) at the level of Ross Corrigan's 280ZX fully modified car. You can get into as little or as much detail as you'd like. Feel free to tie in Modern Motorsports if you like as I've taken many customers on rides or sent pictures to aid their understanding of our system/packages and I've tied in this link with my claim. This is NOT limited to 280ZX's alone, 510's, Z's etc are all welcome respondents as this is a Datsun/Nissan issue. We've got one example of a modified 510 that went for 19k US not modified to the extent of my 280ZX etc.. In a nutshell I've found examples of fully modified Z cars that have sold and/or been appraised at 20-25kUS, and other examples of some partially modified (even parts cars/non-assembled) that had major system upgrades remaining (ie. brakes/suspension/interior/paint) that have sold for 10-15k US. My claim is essentially about proving these cars have value and adding to my examples I have already. The 'other' arbitrator just needs additional examples to help raise my final award to justify his position and aid my representative holding out. Any submissions you send to me are in complete confidence, will not be passed on to anyone but my representative. (thanks to those who's data I already have!) THANKS IN ADVANCE!! Please reply DIRECT TO ME, timeframe I need them ASAP (within a couple days ideally/late is better than none if that's the only option) Other very useful tips I'd love hearing are of any other Z's, 510's, ZX's etc that you're aware of with reasonably attached value in ranges noted above. Sales/ads/trades etc. Thanks! Ross C

"What is the difference between the Speedway Engineering shafts vs the Moser units? Aren't the Speedway ones more expensive? " Moser tested them all and Speedway units failed at lower levels than Moser pieces (as did Mark Williams/Strange as well), unrivalled quality in Moser. If you're going with an R230, keep the other parts of same quality. Their are a couple different geometries out their with these adaptors, our own adaptors are minimal thickness and sheared mating pocket to eliminate the weak smaller OEM bolt pattern. In addition we have the critical axle end stops. OE shafts do not respline properly for a perfect set as they don't have adequate OD for proper pitch engagement. Summary, we've nailed the spec's with Moser for use with our adaptors to offer an easy complete package that is very fairly priced when one considers the extra benefits included. We've got 3 sets of our R230 adaptors remaining at present until we do our next machining run.

Adlashwa, what did you do for your exhaust system? Any pics at all? I'm curious on noise levels etc.....thanks!

You're welcome, good luck with your move!

Whew! I knew it'd be quick but didn't know it's be THAT quick JC !

Understood Let me pose this question to anybody eles though. Which springs do you guys prefer? The 8" or the 10"? Thanks again!! I know I'm not 'anybody else' perhaps but each has specific purposes and thus I match them to your intended use. No point running longer springs than you have to due to weight and other issues but the suspension travel/bump/compression/height etc all have to be considered. I have specific information I request from customers buying coilovers so I can match their setup specifically to their needs. IF you don't need to clear max width wheels/tires then 10's are fine....but if you're going into very stiff spring rates then no point using heavier 10" springs when 8's will do the job...... HTH

Evil, they're $25US for 240Z tubes but the 280Z units are full custom precision machined pieces and as such are a $100 option. Drop me an email with any other order q's or questions

Longer sleeves an allow you to swap from different length springs without any other required mods. ie. you're using 8" springs on a Z with max width tires/rims for clearance but get tired of the stiffness and go to slightly less stiff 10's for a cross country road trip or overall a softer autox or similar setup. Or perhaps you become more drag racing oriented and want a lower spring rate in a longer spring, easy spring swap/no sleeve length issues. Longer sleeves will accomodate any range of adjustment you want to make with various springs, while looking very good. Functionally they leave your options wide open for future spring choices. HTH,