TTT Hub/Brake kit installation review (and woes)

[KyleG]

I decided to get some TTT upgrades, including bump steer spacers, and front sport brakes and hubs. I thought I would share my experiences of the TTT parts with Hybrid Z. My total came to 2080$ CAD + 600$ of duties as I carried it across the border. Not a small price to pay, but I wanted to get some high quality parts to get my 280Z's front end working right.

 

I purchased the Aluminum front hubs, with "Factory front and rear mounting faces". Unfortunatly, the "factory mounting" did not include the conical portion of the hub, and the hubs did not fit my XXR rims. I've used the XXR rims on the stock front hubs for years. TTT offered to allow me to return the hubs, or I could pay out of my own pocket to Remove tires, ship rims and hubs them to their facility for machining, and ship back to me, re-install tires. Spending a few hundred in tire mounting and shipping did not seem appealing, and sending them back left me with no hubs.

 

I wound up taking half a day off work, and sourcing a small local machine shop to do the work at my expense for 100$ (+time off). (2780$ now)

 

Next I installed the brake kit, and the SS brake lines. The provided lines and fittings did not provide an acceptable routing (see the pics below). I used the alternate hose -> caliper fitting (a 90 degree coupler) but the lines were too short for that configuration and pulled tight when the steering was at full lock, and rubbing on the tire at full opposite lock. Using the straight fitting led to very tight bends in the hose, that worsened as the steering was turned. Eventually I decided to run it using the straight fittings, and would keep an eye on the tight bends to ensure the hose didn't fatigue. 

 

As I tightened everything up, the seats on the SS brake lines cracked (!) and would not seal. I was very careful during the installation not to over tighten everything. I've never seen that before. On standard brake lines, I've stripped the hex off the nut with out damaging the lines inside.

 

TTT quickly provided me with replacement brake lines, but how can I trust the replacements after the first set cracked.... 

 

I wound up purchasing a 10mm flare -> NPT fitting to join the stock hard lines to the wilwoods, and some brand new rubber hoses to get a propper routing. I have no idea why TTT would not route the SS line to the strain relief on the strut, and use hard lines like the stock system. It seems to me like a reliable and safe way to route the lines, and would not leave any of the routing up for interpretation. Costs to install brakes: Fittings 25$ CAD + 20$ shipping, Brake Flex Lines 20$+ 30$ Shipping. New total: 2875$.

 

Overall installation of these components that should have bolted on cost me 195$ extra, and I am stuck with rubber flex lines instead of SS. Some pictures of the issues are below.

 

 

Lip machined into hubs to allow my XXR rims to fit. They fit the stock hubs fine.


Routing of provided brake lines. Note tight angles , that got worse as the steering turned.


Crack in the seat of the conical mating surface in the SS brake line. I took care not to over tighten the fitting during installation.


My version of brake hose routing:

 

 

1/8NPT -> 10mm Flare Fitting: http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/1-8-npt-male-to-m10-1-0-female-inverted-flare-adapter-fitting-diy-a-1-8npt-m10.html

 

PS. I have a set of brand new SS brake lines of questionable integrity for free, if anyone would like them.

Edited January 16, 2016 by KyleG

[kona41]

Any more pictures of the install? I have this set up and will be installing soon. I guess I should test fut hubs on wheels. Really struggling with the orientation of the top hats on the hub. I assume they mount to the back of the hub but struggle with what face mounts flush to the hub of the top hat? Thanks for the photos.