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Help! What brake options are available for S30 Z cars?


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hello all, read through all 15 pages, great reading by the way with all the different options. Had a quick question about brake clearance for watanabes. Fronts are my main concern, i'm running 16x9 -13offset. I know these wheels will clear with stock set up... I was thinking of going with the s12+8 calipers for the solid rotor set up but dont know if they will clear my wheels? Should i just stick with stock setup? has anyone had experience with the watanabes? it would be awesome to know what others are using with the "wats" and what clears with these wheels. I know 240hoke's has wilwoods but i aint as ballin as him. Any suggestions?

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  • 2 weeks later...
I use the '82-'83 200SX rear caliper on my conversions. It bolts up to the Maxima bracket. The stock S30 ebrake cable connects to it and it comes out at a much better angle. Pad area is same as the '82-'83 280ZX calipers.

 

200sxcaliper.jpg

 

What discs are you using ?.

 

 

 

Rob

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Maxima bracket/280zx caliper swap

 

Description: Using '85-'88 maxima rear caliper brackets, 280zx rear calipers and rotors to convert rear to disk. Source of parts would be mainly junkyard, and you would have to either remove the stub axle (don't do it unless you absolutely have to) or cut out the drum backing plates to install. The downside is sourcing your own caliper brackets at the JY, and then REMOVING them. You will likely need cordless power tools to do so.

 

85-88 are the flat brackets right? Ive read this needs machine work- but this post makes them sound nearly bolt on- And i keep seeing various answers to this. Can anyone with some experience chime in? What does it take to really make the flat brackets work? Are there any bolt on options for the flat brackets or no?

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You would need to cut and weld the flat bracket and bore the center hole to fit around the hub of your Z. Not worth the effort in my opinion. Better bet is to buy an aftermarket set of hub brackets and part your rears together with reman parts from the auto part store or buy a full-on complete aftermarket package.

 

Or if you're junk-yarding parts together look for those years your interested in and pull the Maxima hub brackets. This bracket is the better of the two OEM Maxima hub brackets that are "bolt-on" in my opinion.

 

44155-04S10.

 

maxima_bracket.jpg

 

Don't forget the dust shields and stock OEM hardware that are not pictured here. The bolts are longer then the stock drum brake set up so you will need the longer bolts. The dust shield just keeps junk out of the back of the rotor, a good idea in my book.

 

You will still need to mount them which means removing your stub shafts but that is really just an opportunity to service the rear bearings and seals that most likely haven't see the light of day since installation at the factory well over 30 years ago. That isn't a easy job, not like servicing the front wheel bearings and seals. But that is just my $0.02.

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I recently installed a Arizona Z big brake kit. At the end of the day, once everything was hooked up... I'm very disappointed. Do they brake well? Yes. Do they look good? Yes.

 

It stops there. The rotors are significantly out of balance, the machining and casting on the rotors resembles low end made in china components. Coleman rotors easily outclass whatever rotor are in the AZC kit. While verifying fitment I assembled the front bearings dry, when i let go of the rotor after thumbing down the nut, the rotor took off and immediately the heavy spot past dead bottom, went quarter of the way past and came back, volleying about 4 times.

 

The interference with the front control arm and the recommended solution is weak to say the least. In some cases a significant amount of material needs to be removed, causing me to actually worry if the control arm ball joint mount remains strong enough. Further inspection of the AZC kit leaves me to feel as though the errors were treated as though they were not worthy of the additional engineering to overcome them and produce a superior product.

 

I also installed the AZC short radius aluminum steering knuckles... also junk. first thing they did was split the boot on brand new Nissan tie rod ends when the suspension was loaded. The instructions included with the knuckles were a complete joke so I called and spoke with Dave personally. While he did answer my question, I hung up the phone feeling like he didn't actually care about my issue.

 

If this BBK is truly the best available for the s30, then someone needs to step up to the plate and produce a better product.

 

To be fair the quality of the machining produced at AZC is not in question, simply the choice in rotor suppliers and the overlooked engineering issues.

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I went with a Ford rear vented disc 11" diameter and 1" thick and caliper and the pads are 3 times as big as the 300zx calipers. And I am running 4 pistons (42mm each) calipers with Q45 11" (1.1" thick rotors) brakes on the front. I haven't run them yet but will post the results

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I went with a Ford rear vented disc 11" diameter and 1" thick and caliper and the pads are 3 times as big as the 300zx calipers. And I am running 4 pistons (42mm each) calipers with Q45 11" (1.1" thick rotors) on the front. I haven't run them yet but will post the results

 

4caliper_vs_stock_240z

300zx_caliper_mine

rear brakes showing the beefy pads

rear_side_view

This shows the thickness of the rear rotor and e-brake included

 

I will need a proportioning valve

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Just for info... carrying on from what brokebolt says when fitting the maxima brackets (44155-04S10) that longer bolts are needed to fix these on than the old drum back plate bolts. I just brought the Maxima bolts (08184-0251A) that hold the bracket in place, so I knew they would be right length/grade/pitch. Maybe worth ordering these when the brackets are ordered....

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The spacer from MM comes in 2 widths, depending on your hubs. 240Z need a thicker spacer (16mm ??) while the 260Z and 280Z take a 9mm spacer. Modern Motorsports supplies the correct spacer with the correct length and grade of bolts to install the rotor to the hub with the spacer in between. I installed this spacer on my 260Z with the vented toyota S12-8 calipers and '84 300ZX rotors with no problems.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Do i really have to pay $495.00USD for the Billet '4x4' Aluminum Hub? i looked on m and m and i didnt see anything about a spacer. I have a 240z and the front s12 and 300zx rotors. all i need is the spacer. So am i stuck paying 495 for a spacer?

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