Guest flapjack Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Hey everyone. I have a 1975 280Z with a R200 rear end. I've heard mixed comments about the rear end being able to take the engine I'm going to put in it. I have a SB 350 from a '68 Chevelle. I plan on using a cam just a hair more radical than stock. Also, it'll be bored 0.030 over. The tranny is a 700R4. Some have said (including the JTR book, if I remember correctly) that I need the rearend from a ZX. Others have said the R200 would be fine. If I need to swap the rearend, I'm not going to fool around with a hard-to-find ZX rearend. I'd much rather put a GM rear end with a solid shaft in. Maybe at the same time put disc brakes in. Is this outrageously hard/expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 I put in a shortened 12 bolt Chevy rear, and it was a lot of work, and not so cheap. The good thing about it is I don't worry about breaking anything. With a slightly wormed over 350, with auto your R200 should hold up. Just don't try to use slicks, If you get great traction you will break ujoints, or half shafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flapjack Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 I don't plan on using slicks. So that seems to be the general concensus? ...that the R200 is ok for a mild 350? What HP would you say the R200 is good up to? Also, just how hard is it to find a turbo ZX rear-end? Are they a basic swap-out, or are modifications needed? How much would you say you spent total to put the 12-bolt GM in? Would it be something a shop could do for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 I would seam to me that how you are going to drive this thing is the bigest factor... Im sure you could destroy the r200 with a mild 2.8 Datsun engine if you were abusive. (droping clutch at 3000rpms repeatedly, lots of burnouts/doughuts, ect) Its the torque that'll kill the rearend, or the sudden aplication of anyway.. As for the gm solid axle, I would think thats a LOT of custom/fabrication work... a shop would probly rape you for it. FWIW:I put a sbc in an 85 Mazda RX7 and changed to a GM 10 bolt rear. Bought it ready to go in for $450 C. BUT: The rx7 was already a solid rear end, and had a factory 4 link suspension setup. The mods to the chev axle were just some flat plates/gussets with holes drilled to bolt on to the mazda 4 link bars, and in it went. And the funny thing is, I destroyed that one.. well, the posi unit anyway. There was no oil in it ( didnt check) and it locked up on a test run down the street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 MikeKZ gave you the correct answer. I would say you have a 1 in 1,000 chance of breaking the R200 with your setup but you could break u-joints. Go with an R200, the CV adaptor from Ross and a pair of 280ZXT CVs and you will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flapjack Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 That's exactly what I wanted to hear! I really wasn't excited about getting a new rear-end when the one I have is in good shape. Where do I get the Ross CV adapter? I figure I can still get teh 280ZXT CVs from the dealer, right? Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get it from the junkyard... If I got them from the junkyard, what is the best year ZXT to pull them from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dan0myte Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 The R200 is known as the "Japanese 9 inch". The differential itself can take a lickin' and still keep tickin'. I'd put my money on 500 - 600hp before the R200 would cry Mommy. The halfshafts, well that's a different story. Like Scottie said, the 280ZX CV joints will hold up a whole lot better and are a good bet to install in your car for reliability's sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Where do I get the Ross CV adapter? I figure I can still get teh 280ZXT CVs from the dealer' date=' right? Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get it from the junkyard... If I got them from the junkyard, what is the best year ZXT to pull them from?[/quote'] Get it here: http://www.modern-motorsports.com/catalog/default.php He's good to deal with I'll be buying his 13" Xtreme brakes for my car after the V8 swap this summer. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilRufusKay Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 I must say its nice to see a new guy ask a question and no one jumps all over him with "do a search"....Maybe because its the holidays? Anyway...the one benifit from a ZX rear end (turbo) is that it is LSD...and yes they are hard to find...I have been looking for a while now...when they come up they go quick. Good luck and welcome to Hybrid!! Rufus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 I must say its nice to see a new guy ask a question and no one jumps all over him with "do a search"....Maybe because its the holidays? Anyway...the one benifit from a ZX rear end (turbo) is that it is LSD...and yes they are hard to find...I have been looking for a while now...when they come up they go quick. Good luck and welcome to Hybrid!! Rufus Yeah, do a search!! (sorry, had to do it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilRufusKay Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flapjack Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help. I'm saving this page for future reference, along with the page for the CV adaptor. Now I just need to begin my search for the CV half shafts from the ZXT.... Maybe I'll get lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Everyone is throwing around ZX rearend here without a little more explanation. The 87.5-89 300ZX Turbo (not the white SE model in 88) is the R200 with LSD that everyone is looking for. The CV shafts you are looking for are available on the 280ZX Turbo and some 2+2 models. Those cars as well as all the 84-89 300ZX's had the R200, but it was not LSD. It seems like I remember someone working on adapters to use the 300ZX CV shafts, I could be wrong though, maybe it was Ross. I think I have my memory correct. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flapjack Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 So let me get this straight... I keep the R200 (non-LSD) from my 1975 280Z, get the CV halfshaft adapters from Ross, and look for the actual CV halfshafts from a 280ZX Turbo. If this is all right, what years should I look for on the 280ZX Turbo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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