BleachZee

Looks like you put a 280ZX 4-lug hub on the 300ZX strut/spindle. Is that the 300 caliper or the 280 caliper? Are the 280ZX and Z31 wheel bearings exactly the same? When I got to do this I'll be using all 300ZX parts so I can just buy 300ZX wheel bearings I guess.

They start talking about colors later on... check out page four. Yellow 240Z in background... probably trying to lap the vetts.

I won't be able to make it this year. maybe I'll come back later.

Good news actually, although I just purchased bump-steer spacers for my S130 struts. Now I won't need them and I need some front Z31 strut inserts. I would love to see pictures before I begin. When I do the swap I will document the entire process with pictures and an article writeup.

WOW! I had thought of that, but never mentioned it or asked because I figured that was the easy way to do the swap and if nobody else had done it then it obviously would not work. Hahaha! ok, if you say it bolts right up then that's what I'm doing. So much easier and no hokey caliper adaptors needing to be made. I'm replacing bushings, tie rod ends ect, so I'll definatly get an alignment afterwards. How about strut inserts? I have new 280ZX inserts I wanted to use. Will those go into the 300ZX strut assembly or do I need Z31 front struts now? Anyone know how the Z31 and 280ZX front springs compare? Are the Z31 springs more stiff? maybe cut one coil off them for a slightly lowered and more firm ride?

...so you're doing this swap tomorrow? Take pictures please! Do you know what years had the black painted dust shield companion flange? I've got an 87 non-turbo 2-seater I'm pulling parts from. I'm still leaning towards just drilling the 280ZX hubs in back.

Yes the spindle is part of the strut assembly. The strut assembly is all I have off a car right now. If you need other parts too, maybe you should talk to the guy above that said he had a parts car ready. My parts car still needs to roll for now. (for another 2 weeks or so)

Not to repost stuff, but here is some info I found in one of my searches I did. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the front hubs and rotors off an 84-89 300ZX Turbo, or an 86-89 non-turbo 300ZX. Remove the hubs and rotors off of your 280ZX struts and slide the 300ZX hub onto the spindle. You will note that the spacing for the rotor does not match the caliper. You will need to make or fabricate a spacer to match the difference between the rotor and where the caliper mounts to the strut. Another way to do this is to seperate the disk from the rotor and make a spacer that fits between the hub and rotor. This is also an excellent opportunity to upgrade to a better front brake caliper. The 300ZX disks are 11" diameter and vented-- even bigger than your 280ZX disks. One swap that I saw that worked really well was the use of Toyota four-piston truck calipers on the 300ZX disks. The Toyota calipers are very common and easy to find. They are however, very heavy as they are made from iron. Another brake caliper to use is the one off of the 86+ Mazda Turbo II's. This is an all-aluminum, four piston caliper, and can be found quite easily. The RX-7 caliper is very light, and there are plenty of performance pads to be found for them. This is the setup that I am using on my 510. You will have to build a spacer to use these calipers (but you have to do that anyway) and you will need to match the RX-7's caliper bolt pattern (easy to do). ** note from Ross: these pads are ~4x3", a huge pad by any standards!** The rear disks are easy to convert to five-lug. I am using 280ZX rear trailing arms so I have direct experience with this part of the project. First remove the four-lug disk, caliper, and stub axle from the control arm. You will need a large impact wrench to remove the stub axle, they have a single, very large nut that requires an impact to remove it. Slide the stub axle out of the control arm and use a press to remove three of the four studs. Since the four lug pattern is 4x4.5, and the 5-lug pattern is 5x4.5, one of the studs is in the correct place. I had a spare 5-lug disk that I used as my pattern. Slide the disk over the remaining stud and center the disk onto the stub axle. Once you are sure that the disk is centered, mark the other four holes. Use a drill press to drill the holes just barely larger than the new studs that you are going to install. You want the studs to just fit through the hole. Using the press again, press the other four studs splined ends into the stub axle. One of the studs will be close to the edge of the stub axle because of the 5-lug pattern. We determined there is enough material to support it, but if you are concerned you can easily add more material. You can redrill your rear disks for a 5-lug pattern, which would be nice because then your rear caliper would work, or use the 300ZX turbo rear disks and calipers, but they are a larger diameter so you will need to make a new caliper mount. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This sounds like you only need the front hubs. I have not found any info saying you need rear 300ZX hubs. Just re-drill.

Excellent! Yes I have an 87 300ZX parts car. (note, signature pic) I was planning to use the 300ZX hub, rotor, and caliper on the front. I did know about the 3/4 inch extension of the hub. I was going to consider that in fitting my wheels. I may just be able to take my car in and get some fitted to see what spacers I need. I have a 1982 280ZX. On the rear I was told to just re-drill the stock hub and rotor. I thought that idea was fine and I would use the factory rear 280ZX brakes. Will that still work? I could set up a proportioning valve if the front brakes were too strong.

Ok Glenn, on your front 15x8 wheels, what offset are they at exactly and what if any spacers are used? What is the tire size?

REALLY? Show me. I've ran a few different searches on this subject over the last few days and read thorough many informational posts and got a lot of good info but NOTHING on my exact question. That is why I posted. The tire I had in mind is not very wide. 225/40/18 From the information I gathered, it looks like zero offset is the way to go. Then if I need to push the wheel out to gain a couple mm on the inside I just throw a 2-3mm spacer ring over the lugs.

What do you mean by early? Do you mean the 1985-88 SOHC RB20ET? There is one on eBay right now too for $500, no reserve.

What is the correct offset on a 280ZX? Is the hub surface exactly centered? Meaning if a 8 inch wide wheel in front is close to rubbing on the inside and outside, do I just need to get the offset set to zero or should I push the wheel a tiny bit to the inside or outside? How about the rear? I know there is more room back there. Should I push the 8 inch wheel outward a few millimeters? 3-4mm maybe? Running stock 14x6 inch wheels doesn't really matter as much because there is so much room on both sides. I'm planning to buy 18x8 wheels with +30mm offset. (because thats the lowest offset I can get) So basically the question is on the front do I get 30mm, 32mm, 40mm spacers? any other suggestions for front and rear? I can order adaptors in pretty much any thickness I want but I have to know exactly what to have made.

That is excellent. I will try the wheels I wanted which are 18x8 on all four corners. They are 30mm offset which gives a decent lip. I will have custom adaptors made once I figure out just what offset I really need. oh, and I'm doing the 5-lug conversion too so that throws the hub up front out a little.

I did that search yesturday too (note my recent post) and also I found tidbits on the subject. Mostly promoting Modern Motorsports and telling people to run a search! However, someone posted a quote on ZCAR.COM that had a short article written by C Ross of Modern Motorsports. Is there a tech article or a specific post telling the entire process here too? I saved the article on my home computer Likewise, I know the Toyota calipers bolt onto the 240Z/280Z struts, but nowhere did anyone mention how the Z31 rotors are a larger diameter. Isn't that an issue with bolting on the toyota calipers? Yes the 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z suspension is all the same. For me its only slightly different as I'm doing this on a 280ZX. From Ross:: The 5-lug swap is quite easy, the most difficult part will be getting the caliper-disk spacing correct. I have done this swap on several 510's and it works really well. Get the front hubs and rotors off an 84-89 300ZX Turbo, or an 86-89 non-turbo 300ZX. Remove the hubs and rotors off of your 280ZX struts and slide the 300ZX hub onto the spindle. You will note that the spacing for the rotor does not match the caliper. You will need to make or fabricate a spacer to match the difference between the rotor and where the caliper mounts to the strut. Another way to do this is to seperate the disk from the rotor and make a spacer that fits between the hub and rotor. This is also an excellent opportunity to upgrade to a better front brake caliper. The 300ZX disks are 11" diameter and vented-- even bigger than your 280ZX disks. One swap that I saw that worked really well was the use of Toyota four-piston truck calipers on the 300ZX disks. The Toyota calipers are very common and easy to find. They are however, very heavy as they are made from iron. Another brake caliper to use is the one off of the 86+ Mazda Turbo II's. This is an all-aluminum, four piston caliper, and can be found quite easily. The RX-7 caliper is very light, and there are plenty of performance pads to be found for them. This is the setup that I am using on my 510. You will have to build a spacer to use these calipers (but you have to do that anyway) and you will need to match the RX-7's caliper bolt pattern (easy to do). ** note from Ross: these pads are ~4x3", a huge pad by any standards!** The rear disks are easy to convert to five-lug. I am using 280ZX rear trailing arms so I have direct experience with this part of the project. First remove the four-lug disk, caliper, and stub axle from the control arm. You will need a large impact wrench to remove the stub axle, they have a single, very large nut that requires an impact to remove it. Slide the stub axle out of the control arm and use a press to remove three of the four studs. Since the four lug pattern is 4x4.5, and the 5-lug pattern is 5x4.5, one of the studs is in the correct place. I had a spare 5-lug disk that I used as my pattern. Slide the disk over the remaining stud and center the disk onto the stub axle. Once you are sure that the disk is centered, mark the other four holes. Use a drill press to drill the holes just barely larger than the new studs that you are going to install. You want the studs to just fit through the hole. Using the press again, press the other four studs splined ends into the stub axle. One of the studs will be close to the edge of the stub axle because of the 5-lug pattern. We determined there is enough material to support it, but if you are concerned you can easily add more material. You can redrill your rear disks for a 5-lug pattern, which would be nice because then your rear caliper would work, or use the 300ZX turbo rear disks and calipers, but they are a larger diameter so you will need to make a new caliper mount. - - - - - - - - as you can see this is a good article. Not every detail is there and this was written for the 240Z/280Z suspension. If or when I ever do this swap I will document with pictures and write up my own article online. At least then you guys can point people somewhere to see what to do on a 280ZX. If I make brackets to hold a caliper on, maybe I'll make duplicates to sell. ?

Lowering: You use the stock strut assmebly. Just buy lower springs (kit of four) and the front strut spacers that go under the ball joints. I have both struts from a 280ZX already out of the car and ready to ship. I had them advertised on a 510 forum for sale but nobody was interested. (they use them to upgrade the 510 to ZX brakes) Do you need only one? No other parts right now? I also have the tension rod out of the car. You should replace that too. I do not have the lower control arm though, except in my parts car which is not ready for disasembly. also, you'll want to buy one or both new strut inserts. Get those new from a store. (basically that is your front shocks) send me an email directly if you're interested in any parts right now. I can get them to you real soon.

So because I'm obviously up against making a custom mounting plate, should I go with the single piston Z31 caliper or should I get the 'late' (86-89?) Toyota 4-piston calipers which are made for vented rotors? The pad surface area is simular in size I think, but do the 4 tiny pistons have more braking force than one large single piston? I'm going to be runnig stock 280ZX rear brakes drilled to 5-lug. I'm going with big wheels and a spacer so I'm sure that caliper clearance wont' be an issue. (unless I get a flat and try to put a spare wheel on!)

When swapping on the Z31 hubs, I want to keep the rotor the full 11" and use the Z31 calipers. Does the Z31 cailper bolt on? (I would bet not) Is there a bracket made to bolt it up; how do I make one myself if I can't buy one? The 280ZX mounting is not the same as the S30. I can't use a Toyota 4x4 caliper. If someone else did this exact swap on a 280ZX and made their own bracket... would you make me a duplicate?

It looks like 8 inch wide wheels will fit in the rear of a 280ZX. The front might rub. Does anyone have wide wheels in a 280ZX and are there any issues? What tread width is recomended. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=81589&highlight=280zx This one post above says 15x8 front and 15x9 will fit. 225 width tires on front will be less width than 8 inches, right? I'm talking about 18x8 so the rim edge is right up near the fender. Yes the car will be lowered the standard 1"

Here's some cool stuff to look at.

I've got those Mercedes springs. Got them real cheap 1983-88 (or so) 300D or 300 series is what they come off of. Remember, Mercedes FRONT coil springs fit on the REAR of your ZX. The rear Mercedes coil springs are even smaller diameter like a Honda's or something. I've got a 280ZX 2+2.... so maybe the tiny bit longer frame and slightly heavier build will help not make the ride so harsh? ...or maybe not. I'll try them anyway.

has anybody found that you should put some grease in there where the spring goes for the parking brake cable? I had my rear caliper start leaking fluid from that park brake lever area. When I pulled it apart I found that the internals had been grinding themselves away every time I pulled the parking brake cable. Eventually something wore through to the fluid chamber. I had to replace the caliper as the housing was trashed.