cygnusx1 Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 I just finished installing the AZ car brakes, with a 15/16" ZX master cylinder, and bled everything with Super Blue fluid. I ran a new rear brake line through the center console and mounted the proportioning valve and line-lock in the ashtray. To check for leaks I set the line-lock to lock the rear brakes for about 12 hours. I had no leaks and the rear brakes held. When I step on the brake pedal, the lin-lock releases and pops up as it should. I repeatedly tested the line lock a few times over the course of the night as I worked on other stuff. All of a sudden, I can't push the line-lock knob down anymore! It is locked in the open position which makes it useless. All the calipers still work fine with the brake pedal but I cannot engage the line-lock. I even tried all my weight on the knob but it will not budge! I also re-bled the rears to see if that would help. It didn't. Anyone have a clue? I am baffled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolane Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 When converting from Drum to Disk, normally you have to remove the inline residual pressure valve (~10 psi). I am not familiar enough with the conversion, but is there anything that you are supposed to remove like this? My thought is that maybe the line lock cannot go down due to the residual pressure in the lines. Just a thought, Joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted April 9, 2005 Author Share Posted April 9, 2005 The thing that irks me is that the line-lock as working fine all day and all of a sudden it is jammed open. I suppose it could be defective. I thought it might be residual pressure so I bled the rear brakes. According to Dave at Arizonazcar, who sold me the kit, you don't remove any residual pressure valve. I also left the stock proportioning valve in place as per Dave's instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 To check for leaks I set the line-lock to lock the rear brakes for about 12 hours. I had no leaks and the rear brakes held. When I step on the brake pedal, the lin-lock releases and pops up as it should. Unless I am missing something or there is something different about your setup and intended use, this sounds wrong. A line-loc, as used for drag racing, is designed to be used on the front brakes. It can be used on the rear brakes, like I am doing, but it must be installed backwards and a different technique used for the burnout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Gad Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 Perhaps it is being used as an emergency brake... Anyway, it does seem odd that it would work for X amount of time and then just stop working... maybe the knob has to be in a particular alignment to depress, so you don't accidentally hit the button while driving. Try turning the knob slightly and depressing...just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted April 9, 2005 Author Share Posted April 9, 2005 Scottie, tell me more. I am using it as a substitute for a short term parking brake on the rear wheels. Note: not an emergency brake. I installed it in the rear pressure supply line between the stock prop. valve and the rear distribution block. I installed it so that the IN port points to the master cylinder and the OUT port points to the rear brakes. It was working as a parking brake all day yesterday fine. Now the button will NOT move down even one bit no matter how hard I push on it. I thought of trying to twist the knob but I didnt have to do that before. It dosen't make a difference when I twist it now. I guess I can take out the lin-lock and see if I can do anything to it.....arrrgh! I am Soooo ready to put the car back on the road. My goal was yesterday. I was about to put the wheels back on it and take ot off the stands and I did one more test of the line-lock and WHAM! snafu! EDIT: Scottie, I understand your deal. For burnouts, you PREVENT pressure from reaching the rear wheels by using the line-lock in reverse on the rear line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsommer Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Call Dave at AZ Zcar Monday!!! I had to call him Friday evening 5PM his time and I could not believe he picked up the phone!!! I did not install my line lock or proportioning valve yet. But I would like to point out the reason for my call. BAD brake shimmy in the steering wheel. Kinda "missed" the part in the instructions where you need to turn the brand new rotors .01 a few passes on a lathes to make it all come together. If you have not done this and you haven't driven the car you'll be in for a suprise when you drive, not a "happy" suprise either!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted April 10, 2005 Author Share Posted April 10, 2005 Yup I got the shimmy too. I noticed that the front rotors were not straight after I assembled them to the hub so I disassembled them from the Z hub a few times to make sure the mount surfaces were clean. No Dice. Like Dave said, if they have runout, they need to be cut while on the hubs. I still don't understand why they would be so far out since the rotor casting is machined, the hat is CNC machined, and the Z hub is straight. Oh well, live and learn. As for the Line-Lock, it is jammed and it must be defective. I will request a replacement from Dave tomorrow. By the way asides from the shimmy, the car stops nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted April 18, 2005 Author Share Posted April 18, 2005 I had both front rotors from the AZ kit cut straight to the hub and now it works great. My line-lock is defective but I am expecting a replacement shortly. The car stops great. I have much more confidence with these brakes when approaching a corner. It is also nice to be able to adjust the proportioning valve to get the perfect front/rear bias. I took a friend of mine for a ride in the Z this weekend and he was grabbing at the door handle pretty hard. He drives a modded Subaru STI daily. After the ride he called my Z a montser! hehehe. I guess he thought a 30 year old car was no match for the STI. Think again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaime240z Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 cygnusx1, looking at the pic in the first post, what did you use to connect the park lock with the prop valve? A very small piece of brake tubing? Just curious, I'm trying to do the same install... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted May 1, 2005 Author Share Posted May 1, 2005 Actually, I used a peice of pipe nipple with thread sealant between the prop valve and the line-lock. I figured even if it leaked there in the future, I would be able to see it. However, it does not leak. Works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxgtr Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 Does your knob have a twist lock on it? Did you try pusing on the brakes then pushing the knob (like it would matter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaime240z Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 Thanks , cygnus1. That's also what I ended up doing. Just wanted to double check. Looks like it should be fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 in reading this thread, am i right in saying that the arizona z brake rotors need to be machined after buying the kit??? Why is this so when its a new kit? Why dosn't arizona z do this? I am ready to upgrade my fronts and was ready to order but in reading this im suss. I dont want to be machining rotors after buying a new kit! Am i correct is saying this/ Grae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Lots of people are having this trouble with aluminum hat setups. I checked around and Wilwood's website suggested checking the rotor runout with a dial indicator, then using little shims between the hat and the rotor where the bolts are to true it up within .001". Personally I'll run the dial indicator and if there's a problem I'll just have the rotors turned. Not worth hassling with the shims IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Sounds like the manufacturer is cutting corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I think it's a combination of things. Instead of bolting the rotor to the hub and that being it, you are now bolting a rotor to a rotor hat and bolting that to the hub. All of these fasteners getting torqued twists things a bit. We know the hats are all CNC'd. I'd bet money that there is a very expensive piece of equipment machining the cast iron rotors, and the hubs were never a problem. Put all three together and then you get issues. I don't think it's cheap parts, but hey, if I was wrong it wouldn't be the first time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I think it's a combination of things. Instead of bolting the rotor to the hub and that being it, you are now bolting a rotor to a rotor hat and bolting that to the hub. All of these fasteners getting torqued twists things a bit. We know the hats are all CNC'd. I'd bet money that there is a very expensive piece of equipment machining the cast iron rotors, and the hubs were never a problem. Put all three together and then you get issues. I don't think it's cheap parts, but hey, if I was wrong it wouldn't be the first time... wow that actually makes sense to me! i too plan on using the arizona brake kit thanks for the post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Did you get this sorted Cygnusx1? Can you maybe post if the line lock was actually defective? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrumpetRhapsody Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I'm interested too. I've been considering this kit as an option at some point. Side note: Why wouldn't you keep the line lock on the front brakes? They could act as a parking brake there just as well as the back and still work for burnouts, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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