Glliw Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I just picked up this 280z and first thing I noticed in it mechanically is just how garbage the brakes are. Sure, they stop the car, but it takes at least always more than half the pedal travel, if not more to do the job decently. I did some inspection tonight and the pads have plenty of surface left (look to be near new in fact), and the rotors within spec for thickness. I bled the fronts but that was to no help really. Though, in the process my "brake" light on the cluster is now off, probably due to now having an adequate fluid level. So should I just expect stock brakes to suck this much or should I start looking more at the brake booster, master cylinder, etc? Are the rear even worth my time looking into? Thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 If the fronts improved with bleeding, try bleeding the rears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) Also check for leaks around the master cylinder/brake booster. It sounds like that's the problem. or the soft lines are just finally going out. And the pads themselves could just be crappy autozone pads. I went from duralast cheap as dirt pads to some hawk hp+'s and its a huge difference. Well set up stock brakes are fine for track duty. Good pads, ss lines, and fluid will go a long way. Edited July 28, 2013 by BluDestiny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glliw Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) Ok, thanks for the tips guys. I didn't see any leaks coming from the master cylinder area so I think we can rule that out, but I'll check again in the next couple of days with more emphasis around there. Looks like SS lines and Hawk HP+ pads from MSA auto run a cool $140 together. I don't suppose there's a better deal out there than them on these that you guys are using? I know they seem to have the most stuff but I've heard in a few other threads that they price jack a bit. Oh, I meant to mention this in the first post, but the pedal makes a ratcheting noise on return from being depressed...not sure if that helps here or not, but doesn't seem right. Edited July 28, 2013 by Glliw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 There are other pads that are cheaper and probably less noisy than the hawk hp+ and if you have a hydraulic hose place close to you they can make the lines far cheaper than what msa charges. I think it cost me $30 for all 4. I'd do research on pads depending on what your goals are, how you drive, and what the intended use for the car it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 If you haven't done so, look at all of the brake FAQs and stickies and spend a few days in the brake section as many of your questions have been covered before in great detail. Be sure to study the posts dealing with booster and master cylinder issues. Things like a missing reaction disk or push rod adjustment can trip you up. The 280Z is about 40 years old. As with any car that old, just plan on rebuilding the stock brakes from top to bottom. As for SS brake lines, I recall that Summit Racing sells a set for the 240Z. Well maintained stock brakes with good pads/shoes are fine for most driving conditions. Download a Factory Service Manual (FSM) and purchase a Haynes Manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Adjust the rear drum brakes per the FSM and then bleed all 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 The booster has a big effect on effort. When they go bad, the engine idle speed will change when the brake pedal is pressed. The stock brakes actually work well when everything is adjusted right. In other words, it's not normal for a Z to have crap brakes. The brake light isn't tied to fluid level on the Z's (ZX's maybe), it's used to indicate an imbalance between front and rear systems. The light went out because you fixed enough of the imbalance when you bled the fronts to keep the switch centered. Check that the PO didn't put the calipers on the wrong sides also. Bleed valve should be up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glliw Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 The booster has a big effect on effort. When they go bad, the engine idle speed will change when the brake pedal is pressed. The stock brakes actually work well when everything is adjusted right. In other words, it's not normal for a Z to have crap brakes. The brake light isn't tied to fluid level on the Z's (ZX's maybe), it's used to indicate an imbalance between front and rear systems. The light went out because you fixed enough of the imbalance when you bled the fronts to keep the switch centered. Check that the PO didn't put the calipers on the wrong sides also. Bleed valve should be up. Bleed screws are facing up as they should. I just checked the idle and depressing the brake pedal makes no difference. I guess I'll check out the rears and bleed them sometime in the next few days and see where that gets me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 johnc also had a good point about mechanically adjusting the rears. They're supposed to self-adjust with parking brake usage but the mechanism tends to get gummed up and stop working. On my car I can tell when I get another notch, because the brake pedal gets a little higher. If the rears are out of adjustment you'll have wasted pedal travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glliw Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 I bled the rear tonight at the master cylinder and that seemed to help some. Also put some plastic-safe lube on the brake switch and that took care of the ratcheting sound on pedal return. I didn't get a chance to check the rear adjustment yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtreme_240z Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 One thing im not sure if anyone else has mentioned, but we seemed to have the same issue when we finished our 240. The pin that links the pedal to the push-rod was worn out. Only by about 1/16 but it made a enough of a difference to affect the travel in the pedal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 One thing im not sure if anyone else has mentioned, but we seemed to have the same issue when we finished our 240. The pin that links the pedal to the push-rod was worn out. Only by about 1/16 but it made a enough of a difference to affect the travel in the pedal Good point, and because of the leverage ratio, that 1/16" at the clevis is more like 1/4" at the pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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