Miles Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 I recently purchased the Toyota vented 4 x 4 caliper kit from Ross at Modern Motor Sports. I finished installing the MM vented rotor 4 x 4 kit and the brakes are awesome! The pedal is high, firm and modulates well after properly adjusting the booster push rod and taking some slack out of the brake pedal travel. The car hauls down confidently at every stop. Here is what I did: -New (remanufactured) Toyota calipers from a local dealer: $117.00 ea. I clear coated the calipers preserving the clean looking castings. -1979 280zx MC (bench bled) with the booster push rod adjusted to 10mm past the aluminum spacer. -Recent rebuild of rear drum breaks with MSA shoes (look like KVR shoes.) -Adjusted slack out of the brake pedal travel. -3/8†wheel spacers were required because the caliper cylinder blisters just rubbed on the outer edge of the hub of my 15†Eagle rims. I may be able to go to a smaller spacer. I had considered grinding the blister, but I was not sure how much material surrounded the cylinder. Only the fronts lock up in a hard stop. I could never lock the wheels on either of my stock 240Zs. Miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dtsnlvrs Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 Way to go, gotta love Ross's stuff. I did the same swap but used the 86 caliper (slightly smaller) or was it the 87...whatever the caliper that they used the first year of vented fronts, and kept the 72 master cyl. (could not use the ZX one due to interference with my ITG air cleaner.) Love it, pedal is plenty firm enough with good modulation and they never get hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 I recently purchased the Toyota vented 4 x 4 caliper kit from Ross at Modern Motor Sports. I finished installing the MM vented rotor 4 x 4 kit and the brakes are awesome! The pedal is high, firm and modulates well after properly adjusting the booster push rod and taking some slack out of the brake pedal travel. The car hauls down confidently at every stop. Here is what I did: -New (remanufactured) Toyota calipers from a local dealer: $117.00 ea. I clear coated the calipers preserving the clean looking castings. -1979 280zx MC (bench bled) with the booster push rod adjusted to 10mm past the aluminum spacer. -Recent rebuild of rear drum breaks with MSA shoes (look like KVR shoes.) -Adjusted slack out of the brake pedal travel. -3/8†wheel spacers were required because the caliper cylinder blisters just rubbed on the outer edge of the hub of my 15†Eagle rims. I may be able to go to a smaller spacer. I had considered grinding the blister, but I was not sure how much material surrounded the cylinder. Only the fronts lock up in a hard stop. I could never lock the wheels on either of my stock 240Zs. Miles Same with my Z the fronts ans stock rears. Rears never do lock up either interesting hmmm. I wish they did. Stock 71 master only difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismo280zEd Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 my fronts lock up pretty easy with stock brakes. installed an 83zx master cylinder and I run green stuff pads. I used to wear 17" all round and I could lock them if I needed too. My rears wouldn't lock, but that's because one of the mechanisms for the rear was worn down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 Not to hi jack thread so I am sorry and apologize, but I am a bit confused on how the rears fucntion. The drums are just at max inner dia. Does that matter? The parking brake is the adjuster right? So everytime you operate the parking brake it clicks over the adjusters? Think I used to hear that noise in the wheels but it went away a while back. Or does backing up in reverse and applying the brakes do it? Or both? Parking brake not adjusted properly maybe? I'm confused. The car is so basicly light the rears to me seen like they should lock oem. Sorry for ramblins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCchris Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Follow along in the JTR manual section on brakes where it is stated that the iron drums from the 510 supposedly work better than the alu Z car ones. I don't have my JTR at work but do remember reading this. Could the iron drums be a fix? Anybody experimented? chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zguy36 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 In regards to grinding down the face of the calipers, there is quite a lot of material that you can remove before you reach fluid. I ground down the middle rib on the toyota calipers almost flush with rest of the caliper. I did grid too far once (removed material below flush) and ran into the balance passage that allows fluid to flow between cylinders. Nothing a quick weld up couldn't fix though. I'm still running that caliper with no problems or leaks (two years and running) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 ...So everytime you operate the parking brake it clicks over the adjusters? Think I used to hear that noise in the wheels but it went away a while back. Or does backing up in reverse and applying the brakes do it? Or both?... Basicaly, you have to adjust them by hand once in a while cause, those automatic adjuster stop working about 15 feet from the dealer's door. The only system that really works is like the one on VWs, it's like a cam that turns a bit more each time you pull the e-brake lever and spreads the shoes a bit a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Thank you alexideways and NCchris! Very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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