Upgraded front brakes 300 zx calipers.
- Thread starter wesbeech
- Start date
Hey hey,
Just a few things I thought I'd share, Mk4 16x8/9 wont fit over em. If you got the 350z track disc (I recommend) then get your center hub spacer made up like the pic below with the taper on the inside and outside, means the disc actually 'locks' the spacer onto the hub. Mine were such a tight fit that I had to heat them up to fit them, extra help staying on
OH and for the kit to work correctly (like intended) you NEED the z32 or R32 4 pot calipers. The R33 and R33 GTR calipers (while the same caliper) actually have different length legs on them. The latter two put the caliper too far off the disc. The Z/R32 caliper puts the whole pad on the disc. The others wont unless you find another disc thats bigger but has the same offset etc. ALSO there are two different calipers for the '32s, one has a space for IIRC a 30mm disc, while the other has room for a 32mm -or I think that was the width of the gap for the disc on the side of the calliper. You want the 32mm. Which again IIRC is the only one on the z32, and is the aluminum one on the R32 (not the Iron one). But check the link rather then going on my memory from a year ago! lol
Heres a bookmark I have that compares teh calipers:
http://www.princeton.edu/~asad/zbrakes/
For the sake of argument, in Australia (Vic) to see if you need to do have an engineering brake test you work out the area of the piston on the inner side (if double sided) then compare to the area of the pistons on the inner side of the replacements. So effectively on the Skyline calipers you work out the area of the 2 pots on the inside etc and compare to the single pot on the A70. When I did this the area's were actually comparable. Although I've found the braking heaps better then the stockies. ALSO the reason I went this rather then Az's was that it was ment to be cheaper (bad currency conversion at the time) altho I ended up spending about the same as I went all new except the calipers which were rebuilt AND the lack of dust sheilds on the wilwoods means you need to rebuild once a year (for a daily) to keep them reliable etc from what I was told, plus dust sheilds are a legal requirement in VIC, from what I was told by my brake specialist. Oh and willwoods don't have a good rep round here, if your serious about race style brakes you skip em and get some better quality calipers. Not a shot at anyone, just what my brake specialist tells me (he should know he races and services several rally cars )
I got the Blitz M3 pads, Good shit tho they take a bit to heat up
I hope that helps someone!
Pics:
The last pic the caliper isn't quite sitting on right, its hanging off a bit
Just a few things I thought I'd share, Mk4 16x8/9 wont fit over em. If you got the 350z track disc (I recommend) then get your center hub spacer made up like the pic below with the taper on the inside and outside, means the disc actually 'locks' the spacer onto the hub. Mine were such a tight fit that I had to heat them up to fit them, extra help staying on
OH and for the kit to work correctly (like intended) you NEED the z32 or R32 4 pot calipers. The R33 and R33 GTR calipers (while the same caliper) actually have different length legs on them. The latter two put the caliper too far off the disc. The Z/R32 caliper puts the whole pad on the disc. The others wont unless you find another disc thats bigger but has the same offset etc. ALSO there are two different calipers for the '32s, one has a space for IIRC a 30mm disc, while the other has room for a 32mm -or I think that was the width of the gap for the disc on the side of the calliper. You want the 32mm. Which again IIRC is the only one on the z32, and is the aluminum one on the R32 (not the Iron one). But check the link rather then going on my memory from a year ago! lol
Heres a bookmark I have that compares teh calipers:
http://www.princeton.edu/~asad/zbrakes/
For the sake of argument, in Australia (Vic) to see if you need to do have an engineering brake test you work out the area of the piston on the inner side (if double sided) then compare to the area of the pistons on the inner side of the replacements. So effectively on the Skyline calipers you work out the area of the 2 pots on the inside etc and compare to the single pot on the A70. When I did this the area's were actually comparable. Although I've found the braking heaps better then the stockies. ALSO the reason I went this rather then Az's was that it was ment to be cheaper (bad currency conversion at the time) altho I ended up spending about the same as I went all new except the calipers which were rebuilt AND the lack of dust sheilds on the wilwoods means you need to rebuild once a year (for a daily) to keep them reliable etc from what I was told, plus dust sheilds are a legal requirement in VIC, from what I was told by my brake specialist. Oh and willwoods don't have a good rep round here, if your serious about race style brakes you skip em and get some better quality calipers. Not a shot at anyone, just what my brake specialist tells me (he should know he races and services several rally cars
)I got the Blitz M3 pads, Good shit tho they take a bit to heat up
I hope that helps someone!
Pics:
The last pic the caliper isn't quite sitting on right, its hanging off a bit
Poodles;1049498 said:
If something is a risk, it's the stock brakes. Fading brakes so that I'm about to mash the pedal through the floor after two laps at the track isnt safe, even with new pads and brake liquid. One could see the spacer on the 350Z disc as a risk aswell if the tolerances arent right.
I'll let you know how it works out with the machined disks.
ReQuieM;1049507 said:
The dimensions are 30mm and 35mm, and you want the 35mm caliper. The above link is dead, but I think it's the same one where I saved the pictures from. Here they are if someone wants them:
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1104/calipercompare09mw8.jpg
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/2214/calipercompare10de0.jpg
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/833/calipercompare02ht2.jpg
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/5885/calipercompare07wp4.jpg
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/6140/calipercompare08oc0.jpg
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/8396/calipercompare03mi1.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8905/calipercompare04ug3.jpg
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8417/calipercompare05yn0.jpg
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/6765/calipercompare06ug0.jpg
Yes, but if the brake rotor shatters, then you have ZERO brakes.
Being cheap on brakes is NEVER a good thing...
Being cheap on brakes is NEVER a good thing...
i just bought a set of front and rear skyline/mk4 rotor kit for my track car
cant wait to install them
cant wait to install them
here's a link that mention's the differance between the 300zx caliper's.i bought mine from advanced for $105 after tax and core charge.
http://www.importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm
http://www.importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm
disturbed1;1051386 said:i just bought a set of front and rear skyline/mk4 rotor kit for my track car
cant wait to install them
There's a rear skyline kit? Any more info on this?
if your honestly going to track your car that hard, and that often, why even 'piece' together a kit that might have issues. just buy the bolt on kit that has been proven to stop like no other. it'll probably cost you less in the end anyways.
Mr. Sinister;1052199 said:
running skyline 2 pot rears and 324 mm rotors
same deal as front where the whole pad area is used but not the whole disc area given that they are designed for 300mm rotors.
im not fussed at $1000 for
skyline front 4 pots (50% worn endless pads)
skyline rear 2 pots (10% worn endless pads)
braided brake lines
both dog bones/brackets
324mm 2 piece dba rotors (been used for 2 years)
324mm 1 piece rear rotors (been used 6 months)
those 2 piece front rotors are worth approx 900 dollars new
will be a huge improvement over my stock brakes which are in need of freshening up (new rotors pads and possible seals). esp given my track car only weighs about 1200kg
(and built mainly for drifting)
Rennat;1052236 said:
All you guys that are not fans of this brake upgrade need to drive a car equipped with these brakes. They are amazing!!!, my car had oem slotted Brembo rotors, KVR Carbon brake pads, and Motul 600 fluid......this was OK, until you try to stop twice from 100+ mph. Now I run the front Nightpager kit with 350z rotors and Hawk pads and the difference is HUGE, these brakes take way more abuse than any stock or "upgraded stock brakes" can ever do. Anyone who has had the stock brakes at there limit knows what I mean.I have done many repeated 100+mph stops to try to get these to fade..... I have done some really twisty downhill mountain roads (local ski hills) and the stock brakes were scary after 3-4 corners. With the Nightpager kit they didnt fade a bit and had exelent braking the whole way down the hill.
I cant really compare it to the ARZ or other BBK's as I havent driven a car with them , but the Nightpager kit is an honest 10X better than stock brakes. There is so much talk here about "safety issues" ....these are all OEM parts, the only difference is the brackets, 1" thick piece of steel isnt going to have many strength issues. Doing this brake upgrade was the Best mod to date.
(end rant)
Randy
350z brakes are pretty good actually. my friend has one with a TT setup and we took it on a longggggg ass mountain road out to the beach on a cruise, he was gettin on it pretty good, and his car actually stopped pretty good.
only reason i say dont cheap out is because in the long run the amount of time and money spent on trying to get something your DIY in the garage, ends up costing damn near the same...
im suprised you havent replicated those brackets... you could make a lot of money off of those.
only reason i say dont cheap out is because in the long run the amount of time and money spent on trying to get something your DIY in the garage, ends up costing damn near the same...
im suprised you havent replicated those brackets... you could make a lot of money off of those.
seriously guys, these are a big improvment. i haven't seriuosly tried them out yet, but there is one hell of a difference!!
i went this root ,because i work in a autoparts store,so i was able to get new rebuilt calipers,new power slot disc's,ebc pad's for quite cheap!!
had i not had this deal, i would of went with the arz kit ,because it will come out to the same price once you buy everything.
i went this root ,because i work in a autoparts store,so i was able to get new rebuilt calipers,new power slot disc's,ebc pad's for quite cheap!!
had i not had this deal, i would of went with the arz kit ,because it will come out to the same price once you buy everything.
Rennat;1052844 said:
marc3;1053086 said:
This is why, these oem parts can be gound for the nearly same price as the stock replacement parts, just add a coupple hundred for the brackets. Some guys have some 300zx calipers sitting around, or rotors from a buddy or what ever. I found my full kit for like $600 shipped, cant beat that!!
I know it isnt the "best" bbk, out there and the contact patch on the rotor isntideal, but it is a HUGE improvment over stock, and the stock brakes just suck, and best of all you can pick up replacement pads or rotors at any parts store, most people dont have a Willwood dealer near by. They probably wont be to good for full blown track cars, but for 95% of mk3 owners for spirited street driving that may do some auto crossing or track days they are fine. You will not be able to make these fade on the street, I have tried. If you can find deals on the parts and dont mind a little searching around to piece it togeather it is a great deal. If you have all the cash up front, and dont want to mess around, get the ARZ or similar.
Well I started to install the calipers yesterday and what do you know, my calipers are the 30mm version, F*#K!! I didnt measure them when I bought them... Oh well, I'll have to get new ones.
I got the MKIV discs to fit, I had the inside machined to 144mm and it fit perfectly. The stock discs are 145mm and without grinding the MKIV's are 143mm.
I got the MKIV discs to fit, I had the inside machined to 144mm and it fit perfectly. The stock discs are 145mm and without grinding the MKIV's are 143mm.
who doesn't need better brakes.. I know I do, if I had the money for ARZ kit I would already have it... but of course I don't and need a cheaper solution. I know you can't be cheap on brakes but until they bump my credit rate I gotta do what I gotta do to get some better brakes.
so I'll continue to watch this thread.
so I'll continue to watch this thread.