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Rear disk kit from Zcar Depot Anyone using it.


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So I bought a Rear disk kit from Zcar depot. No instructions of course because that would make it all too easy. They have a video that is pretty close to worthless .  Brake install If you want a laugh while you are in quarantine watch it and see if you can figure out the E-brake. 

 

I also purchased one of their replacement E-brake cables.

 

So here is my question for anyone who has done this. How did you get the E-brake cables to work. The E-brake brackets leave a lot to be desired. The bracket material is too thick to use the original clip system to retain the cable housing so it basically flops around. They supply 2 U clips but since there is no groove exposed it won't work.  But that doesn't matter because they aren't designed for clipping. I called them and  the person told me that the bracket is basically universal and they supply the U clip to weld on the bracket. Now not only was I not aware of that since there were no instructions it still will leave the cable sheath flopping around in the bracket.  Plus at that point the cables were already in the car and although I have a TIG welder that mod will be my last choice. The angle of attack on the bracket is not really proper for the motion and after rigging it up with my best guess, because you know no instructions, There does not seem to be enough travel between the clevis and the sheath to allow full actuation of the brake.

 

I bought this kit because I didn't want to do the engineering on something I was not going to produce and sell and now it looks like I have to do the engineering after all.  Now it's very possible that I am fully missing the concept of how this should go together but so far I'm at a loss.

 

Thanks

Derek

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Looks like that kit uses either a 240SX or Maxima calipers. 

 

You could use stock 240SX or Maxima parking brake cable brackets. But why go to that trouble. You paid for a turn-key kit. The person you talked to blew you off. 

 

Other companies sell this same kit: MSA, Silver mine etc.

 

I have done the Maxima and 240SX caliper swaps and used the 240SX/Maxima hangers (cable brackets) with stock parking brake cable. The only issue was that the hole in the 240SX/Maxima bracket was a little bigger than the 240z cable end so the cable was loose in the hole. 

 

I have also made custom cable brackets. See picture. The end that the cable attaches to is off my 240z. I cut off the cable end of a 240SX bracket and welded the 240Z cable end onto it. So the 240Z cable end  fit perfectly into the bracket.

 

What ever you do don't try to modify the parts they sent you so you can return the kit.

 

Send the kit  back.

 

If you really want one of these kits try MSA or Silver mine.

240SX E-BRAKE BRACKET 4.JPG

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17 hours ago, Miles said:

What ever you do don't try to modify the parts they sent you so you can return the kit.

 

Too late :)

 

IMG_2892.JPG.4bdf02d8b1c1d39f8970fee366aab288.JPG

 

Kind of ugly but it will work. Took the supplied U piece of metal and stepped it out .375". This moved the cable end far enough away from the caliper to get full travel on the cable before the clevis bottomed out. Really should have been .4375 or .5" but it works. I ended up using up a lot of the adjustment  in the E-brake system. The U piece is 3mm thick which allows the use of the factory clip.   I made .5" thick spacer blocks to improve the angle of attack on the caliper lever. This completely solved that issue.  

 

Other than this everything else wen't pretty smoothly. I would not recommend this kit though until they correct this issue and develop better instructions.

 

 

Based on my experience with this "kit" I've decided to offer the KN20 head in kit form. Here is the first one ready to sell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_2893.jpg.c421230fdaf13408b1b4b7b66a115218.jpg

 

 

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Well isn't this just the icing on the cake. Worked my ass off all day to get the car back on the road.  Backed it out of the shop for a test drive, puled up on the parking brake I feel tension then POP no more brake.  Back up on the lift and this is what greets me.

 

IMG_2896.jpg.d77b5f2b26510d98fd1110eb1c26387f.jpg

 

Blew the crimp end completely apart.  Since the amount of pull is dictated by the factory E-brake system there is no way in hell his should have broken. What a disappointment.

 

I don't know if Zcar Depot makes these or not but this is a bit alarming to say the least.

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

So I ended up re cabling my old set. I think some of the problem is with the brackets they sell you end up using a lot of the effective travel of the mechanism by the time you get all the slack out.  I ended up making the cables a little too long and I'm still using up too much adjustment.  It's better but there is no way the brake would slow and stop the car in any kind of emergency. Maybe with every bit of the throw available it would but I'm still not sure.  I think the travel on the caliper lever is longer than the available travel on the lever.

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13 hours ago, calZ said:

What's the lever arm on the caliper look like? Could you drill a hole further down it to reduce the required travel? 

Possibly. I'm going to try shortening the cable first since I have the equipment. I may end up designing and fabbing new cable holder brackets at some point. 

 

I have 15" wheels so that limited my kit choices a little bit.  

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  • 1 year later...
On 3/21/2020 at 4:21 PM, NewZed said:

 

Apologies for resurrecting a dormant thread but it would be nice to know if there was ever a resolution here.

 

I think it's a shame this zcar depot dude hasn't responded to this. His lack of a prompt response I indicates he doesn't want our money.

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I am doing a 240sx rear caliper conversion and I was able to buy a bracket. The special bracket had the correct dimensions and size holes to mount the OEM Datsun e-brake cables to 240sxcalipers...supposedly it is bolt-on. i think i got them from depot or MSA.

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  • 2 years later...

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