RebekahsZ Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Doing the billet stub swap and thought I'd show some comparison pictures of the parts. Other than metalurgy (which I know nothing about) you can really see the difference in the size of the splined portion of the stub axles. Also, the CF stubs are already drilled for both 4 and 5 lug conversions, so they are ready for future upgrades. See photo for show-and-tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duragg Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 You are a busy man! Great pix. Dirty job. Bearings all same/same? One could be tempted to drill and tap the hub for a grease zerk and expulsion hole for future grease changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 Yeah, I agree. But, the reason why I tore down the hub (the billets were an expensive "while I'm at it project") was because it was leaking grease on the rotor side. I would't have done it until this winter otherwise (there is a nitrous system in my future). The machinist who pressed my outer bearings that time used a red grease on them and it wound up being super runny. And, I packed the tar out of the hub with the same stuff. I wonder if we grease zerked it, would it leak like mine did? So, this time I used high temp (tan-colored) disc brake compatible bearing grease and packed the hub more sparingly. I packed the bearings using the palm of my hand to press them full and remove the old red grease. Then, I only packed the lower recesses of the hub. Hopefully it won't leak this time-even though I get better at this each time, I hate doing these hubs/stubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Using High Temperature Synthetic grease is the type to use. The rear stub axle bearings ACTUALLY turn at a lower RPM. The High Temp grease SHOULD NOT run under heated conditions. I used the original Datsun installed Factory grease and am not afraid to use it BECAUSE of the low RPM and how THICK the grease was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the advice! A friend came over and we finished up the install and got the axles back together and everything torqued up. We made a new metal brake line for the driver's side rear caliper-the factory replacement I got a few years ago from somewhere like Blackdragon or somewhere had a burr on the flare that trashed the male portion of the flex line. PERHAPS the one we made up and flared will seal better and not tear up the new flex line that is due in on Monday or Tuesday. Be advised: it took some persuading to get the longer studs of the CF axle stubs to line up properly so that the brake rotor can be installed. I bet this is an issue anytime one installs new studs. I almost never have help in my shop and it was super nice to have a second set of hands-we got a lot done. One other thing of note: the Z31 axle companion flanges from Chequered Flag were blued like a gun barrel and not anodized or powder coated. I de-greased them (they came wrapped in oily paper) and primed and painted them (they already had a little surface rust on them. Only scratched the new paint up a little when I installed the axles. Edited April 22, 2013 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74_5.0L_Z Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Be advised: it took some persuading to get the longer studs of the CF axle stubs to line up properly so that the brake rotor can be installed. I bet this is an issue anytime one installs new studs. What I did to make the job easier was to use the face of the brake rotor as a fixture. I have a spare 280ZX rear rotor that I clamp in my vise. I then place the stub axle onto the rotor and align the wheel stud holes of the stub with the wheel stub holes in the rotor. Now because the centering hole of the factory rotor and the pilot on the axle are concentric everything should line up nice. I then drop all of the studs through the holes and install hardened washers and nuts on the far side. Then a little at a time (working around the bolt pattern) I start to tighten the nuts to draw the knurl of the studs into the axle. Being careful not to exceed the torque of the studs, I tighten them all and use a drift and hammer on the back side to help then in. Then I tighten the nuts again and repeat until all of the studs are fully seated in the axle. The use of the rotor prevents warping of the axle flange face and assures that all of the studs go in parallel. I hope this helps. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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