Transmission and Diff Options for my 2JZ 280Z

[solitarysensei]

Apologies, I included a special character in my last thread title and it corrupted the page. I can’t seem to delete it, sorry!

See repost below

 

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Hey all,

Hope you’re good. I’ve been browsing the HybridZ forums a bit but I’ve not managed to find anything specific to the swap that I’m doing. I have a LHD 1977 280z and a 2JZ-GTE VVTi and not sure whether to mate with either a T56 Magnum F or a CD009. Please feel free to direct me to a thread which can answer what I’m outlining below!

These would be my two options both brand new. Grannas T56 Magnum F kit or the Collins/Autosports/SerialNine CD009 adapter kits..
 

Gear	T-56 F	CD009
1st	2.66	3.78
2nd	1.78	2.32
3rd	1.30	1.62
4th	1.00	1.27
5th	0.80	1.00
6th	0.63	0.79

I’m based in West Sussex, UK with a LHD 1977 280Z. Lots of twisty roads and sharp turns round here... Not really too fussed about cruising and fuel economy as this will not be a daily.

 

I’ll be looking to build my Z primarily for spirited driving and to be able to take on track occasionally. I will be doing a single turbo conversion and looking to push around 500-600 bhp max.

I have to say I am leaning more towards the CD009 because of parts availability, it is also cheaper too. But will need some work done to fit in the tunnel nicely, so I’ve read.

My indecision is when it comes to drivability. I’m really stuck between both CD009 and T56 Magnum F (close ratio version) and what would be better suited to what I want to build the car for based on the conditions above (I guess for the type of roads over here and the tracks we have, shorter gears are better?)

I’m also quite unsure on which diff I should go for that will get the most out of whatever transmission I decide on.

Do you guys have any thoughts as to what is the best pairing would be for the 2JZ in terms of transmission and diff? Can I stick with the long nose R200? Or do a SN R200 conversion, 8.8 conversion… etc. Just trying to really narrow down those options too.

There are a few bits that’s I’ve read about each transmission but I haven’t managed to find technical pros and cons/justifications that is specific to my chassis and swap. I’m not sure how much of that information I can take to crossover with my build so I just would rather ask to make sure.

Please let me know if you need any more info from me! Thank you very much.

Raman

[calZ]

I'll go one at a time on your questions. 

 

T-56 vs CD009

 

Size: they weigh almost the same, and both will necessitate removing the original mounting ears from the tunnel. Assuming the rear of the engine is in the same place as an L-series, you'll need a shifter relocate for the CD009. I think if you get the F-body version of the T-56, the shifter lines up nicely. That's what TimZ did with his T-56 behind an L. 

https://forums.hybridz.org/topic/126809-t56-behind-an-l-series/

 

 

Drivability: I've never driven a car with either of these trans, though I do have a kit waiting to put a CD009 in my car. If you're worried more about twisty roads and the track, I would lean towards the CD. 1st gear in the CD and 6th in the T-56 will likely both be useless in those cases, so you're basically comparing 1-5 of the T-56 and 2-6 of the CD. The CD has closer ratios over that span, but really what you want will be track/road dependent. The gears you use the most and the shifts you make the most would likely inform which one will be preferable. 

 

 

Diffs

 

5-600hp is a lot. The R200LN has a history of being able to handle that, but keeping it almost definitely means keeping the stock stub axles and drive axles, which are the weak points of the stock setup. You might be fine if you're just on road courses, but at 600hp I'd be a little worried about a stub axle snapping and your wheel departing the car. 

 

The R200SN and 8.8 conversions are both strong and easy to do. I'm in the process of putting an R200SN into my car with a swap kit from T3, but if I had to start from scratch, I might lean towards the 8.8 for a track car. The kit is cheaper from https://invincibleextremes.com/ than anything to put in a short nose. The 8.8 is a bit heavier, but the parts availability is so much better for brakes and hubs. It's impossible to get some stuff new for the R200SN setup, and even good used parts can be hard to find, especially if you go with the Q45/Z32TT versions of the diff. Mustang parts can be bought new and will be available for a long, long time. 

[solitarysensei]

Thank you calZ

 

I think I will stick with the CD then and use a SerialNine relocation shifter.

Which adapter kit did you go for in your application?

There are quite a few options for me and the JZ but I’m unsure, heard 50/50 feedback on Collins kits.

 

Yeah 600 is the absolute max but I would like to stick to 450/500 to be honest but my idea is just to overbuild. 

 

Ok cool. I was gona see if I were to keep the LN R200, could I then upgrade my stub axles and shafts using the Futofab kit? Not sure if this is a cost effective way to do it though… https://www.futofab.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=21&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=176&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=81

 

Or is going straight into a complete 8.8 rear conversion the best way in the long run? In case I do fancy going 600+ hahah

 

Also, do you know what ratio diff would be best paired with the CD009?

 

Thanks!

[calZ]

I have the Hoke kit, which is no longer produced. 

 

I have no experience with the Futofab axles. You aren't fixing the outdated design of the axle holding the wheel on, but if the axles are strong enough to not break then it doesn't really matter I guess. 

 

The 8.8 kit would be the most future-proofed way of going, but also require swapping out a ton more parts than just the axles. 

 

As for ratio, I'm not sure. My short nose is 3.54 which I believe is the same as the stock 350Z ratio. It really depends on what speeds you'll be running at most of the time and what the power band looks like. You might have to change it up based on how the car drives once it's running. 

[seattlejester]

500-600hp with a close ratio transmission on a boosted engine with a high gear is going to be a bit silly. I could see the use-case of a sequential or something at that point with how quick the gears would fly by if you could get traction. Usually short gears and high numerical value diffs are useful for improving sluggish engines like the stock motor, supra people usually just keep throwing more power until it feels right.

 

That could still be done if you wanted to stay around stock boost levels, I enjoyed my 7mgte with the 4.11 for a little bit. It would spin tires in the wet in all gears, but I could max out the gearing in a really short distance. It might give you more options for an optimal gear for a corner, but you would also be shifting quite a bit more.

 

With boost and higher hp you can get away with a taller gear set or a lower numerical value diff. As long as the turbo is sized for it you can ramp in more boost at higher RPM to compensate for any sluggish feeling with the downfall of maybe having to sacrifice some of the lower RPM. 

 

My combo was a 2jz single turbo with a CD009 and a 3.55 if I remember. Plenty of passing power even in 6th and fast cruising around 2200rpm on the freeway. I would say it was a bit much for something technical like an autocross or a track without straights as the power building can really mess with smooth transitions, but could be fun to master.

 

If I were to do it again, I think I would go with the 8.8 kit and not deal with antiquated suspension and axle headaches, I would also consider a BMW getrag option if you could tone the power down a bit. Cd009 is a big transmission and a lot of massaging has to be done unless you plan on hanging it pretty low in a 280z. If you hang it high you also have to deal with heat which was surprising.