Z32 Calipers Or Q45 Calipers

[racerx1222]

I know this has probably been discussed forever and a day but I wanted to know opinions on the price and the difference. Well my local parts store is cutting me a deal on calipers and rotors for both options. The Z32's with stock front rotors he's selling to me for $325.00 thats already including tax and I can still turn in cores worth $100. So if I turned in cores I'm looking at roughly $225 for everything. He said he couldn't guarantee if they would be aluminum or not but for me personally it wouldn't matter too much either way. The Q45 are the calipers with mounting brackets and the front rotors as well. For those he said $260.00 including tax also can turn in cores worth $100. That would be roughly $125 after cores turned in. I've searched and this price is a lot lower than most places offer by alot. The prices are a lot closer to what a used set goes for. Both sound like great deals to me just the choices. With the Q45 I wouldn't have to buy wheels to put them on. Opinions please. Also if anybody else were interested he said he would cut them the same deal.

[azndoc]

You don't have to change to a Z32 BMC but you should if you get the Z32 brakes.

My friend had the Q45 brakes and they worked really well.

It just depends on what you plan to do with the car. Autox, drifting, drag, or whatever.

I drift and I still have my stock brakes. If I did time attack or autox then I would really upgrade to the Z32 brakes.

The price he's giving you sounds fair. Not too bad.

[2iv0 sx]

Yeah pretty good deals for both imo. I would personally go with the Q45, lesser upgrades than the z32.

With the Q45 you can still use stock lines, keep rear stock brakes, more wheel space clearance etc..

With z32, upgrade BMC, might have to upgrade rear ebrakes to have the balance etc..

Q45 is just less expensive, cause I'm cheap! :bow:

[UNISA JECS]

Q45 are better than Z32 for one big reason, better brake bias, sure they weigh a lil bit more but I dont personally care to each his own. JFYI a brake master cylinder swap isn't gonna cure your brake bias problem if you use Z32 brakes, you need larger than 11" rotors up front if you want better brake performance from the Z32 brakes.

[OptionZero]

blah blah blah brake bias blah blah blah search if u really wanna know about it

For most people it'll come down to this:

q45's will clear every wheel
3z's won't

/thread

[racerx1222]

Thanks guys so I guess I'll be ordering up a set of the q45's and by the way anybody know if they make porterfields pads for these calipers? Thanks again in advance.

[Skullavera]

I beg to differ on the brake bias point. Sure it's different but z32s would'nt be such a popular upgrade if they didn't perform. Brake bias according to another post on stock brakes is about 70/30, Q45 is about 68/32, and Z32 is about 66/34. Yes the bias is different but you have to remember that stock brakes are pushing two pistons in the front, and two in the rear, while Q45s use four front, two rear, and Z32s push eight front, four rear. I'm no expert but I cant help but think that the reason for less bias up in front is due to the fact that since there are more pistons to do the job, less bias is needed to see equal or better results than a Q45 set-up, giving you an overall stronger braking system. I run R33 GTS-T brakes with a Z32 BMC and I love them! No problems whatsoever.
As far as what brakes are right for you, there are many factors that determine the perfect choice for YOU. Both will caliper upgrades will provide you with good results. It depends on how far you will be going with your driving of course that may determine the better choice. You may need to get larger wheels for the Z32s if you're running a 15" wheel but if you plan on getting wheels later, the Q45s stock and wimpy appearance may not compliment your wheels like Z32s will. I'd just go Z32 but only you can decide what is most important.

:bow:

[racerx1222]

I plan to autox with the car and 16's will probably be the largest wheel size I'd go up to the bigger wheels are for my Z32.

[OptionZero]

Thanks guys so I guess I'll be ordering up a set of the q45's and by the way anybody know if they make porterfields pads for these calipers? Thanks again in advance.

i don't think so, but instead of asking us how bout askin' porterfield

[smelly240]

yeah they do - they make em... i have them.

[5t341tH]

u could just use z32 wheels up front if u decide to go with z32 brakes

[Dousan_PG]

i think a big reason people go w/ the z32 over the q45s is they look cooler
hahaha
serious.

[georgesal]

^ i agree, iv'e had both and the z32 offer a bit of a baller factor, not as baller as rotora or endless but just a bit

[cdlong]

i think a big reason people go w/ the z32 over the q45s is they look cooler
hahaha
serious.

he's not kidding, i'll be the first to admit it.

and if you're just autoXing, don't upgrade the brakes (aside from pads and lines). it might change your class and they don't help at all. jason rhodes, the guy who built the amazing SM car, had 285 or something R-comps and stock calipers and rotors.

[UNISA JECS]

I beg to differ on the brake bias point. Sure it's different but z32s would'nt be such a popular upgrade if they didn't perform. Brake bias according to another post on stock brakes is about 70/30, Q45 is about 68/32, and Z32 is about 66/34. Yes the bias is different but you have to remember that stock brakes are pushing two pistons in the front, and two in the rear, while Q45s use four front, two rear, and Z32s push eight front, four rear. I'm no expert but I cant help but think that the reason for less bias up in front is due to the fact that since there are more pistons to do the job, less bias is needed to see equal or better results than a Q45 set-up, giving you an overall stronger braking system. I run R33 GTS-T brakes with a Z32 BMC and I love them! No problems whatsoever.
As far as what brakes are right for you, there are many factors that determine the perfect choice for YOU. Both will caliper upgrades will provide you with good results. It depends on how far you will be going with your driving of course that may determine the better choice. You may need to get larger wheels for the Z32s if you're running a 15" wheel but if you plan on getting wheels later, the Q45s stock and wimpy appearance may not compliment your wheels like Z32s will. I'd just go Z32 but only you can decide what is most important.

:bow:

Maybe you dont know this but sliding calipers are equal to 2 times the amount of pistons you see (the slider is equal to two pistons in the case of the Q45) and the amount of pistons means nothing, the reason for more pistons is to allow for a larger pad surface, the more pistons, helps put the pressure uniformly accross a larger pad.

Q45 front = 2 pistons + 2 (dual slide) = 4 piston
Z32 front = 4 pistons (quad fixed) = 4 piston
stock front = 1 piston + (single slide) = 2 piston

Q45 rear = 1 pistons + 1 (single slide) = 2 piston
Z32 rear = 2 pistons (dual fixed) =2 piston
stock rear = 1 piston + 1 (single slide) = 2 piston

*sliding calipers are times two the amount of pistons that you actually see

Q45 front brakes (CL26VF):
- Two piston sliding caliper
- 42.8 piston diameter
- 280mm diameter rotor
- 56mm wide pad
- effective rotor diameter: 280-56 = 224
- effective piston area: 42.8^2 x 2 x 2 (sliding caliper) = 7327.36
- brake torque = 1641328.64 (winner)

vs

300ZX front brakes (OPF25VA):
- Four piston fixed caliper
- 40.45 piston diameter
- 280mm diameter rotor
- 50mm wide pad
- effective rotor diameter: 280-50 = 230
- effective piston area: 40.45^2 x 4 (fixed caliper) = 6545
- brake torque = 1505350.00 (losser)

For the record I run Z32 30mm calipers on my S13 only for the better looks + I run Z33 12.76" rotors with SPL adpater bracker so my front brake torque is actually greater than the Q45 somewhere around 1793330 if you do the math.

Credit goes to ASAD from FA for putting the above info together

[Ninjabread]

Yea i bought q45's.

+cheap
+fits most/all wheels
+all i'll ever need

- ugly

[OptionZero]

are you running SPL adapter and 3z fronts with no 3z rears? cuz thats pretty stupid

[95KA-Turbo]

I ran Q45 brakes on my old S14, and loved them. I plan on upgrading when I actually need to, I am not even coming close to out performing my stock brake set up. I'd offer more, but honestly I can't compete with UNISA JECS' post, haha.

I did have a question though, do Q45 rears bolt up as easy as fronts or do you have to get an e-brake assembly with them like the Z brakes. Also, are J30s the same as Q45 brakes?

[UNISA JECS]

are you running SPL adapter and 3z fronts with no 3z rears? cuz thats pretty stupid

Hell no, I run Z32 30mm fronts with SPL adapter brackets with Z33 12.76" rotors and Z32 rears with the stock 11.5" rotors

[Skullavera]

.......Credit goes to ASAD from FA for putting the above info together

Sweet info, I did not know that! Thanks, I learned something new. :bow: I guess all in all, the technicalities of it all really don't matter unless you are able to reach said limits with driving ability, I know I'm nowhere near there lol. It just comes down you preference in the end, and what one is comfortable with. But I love my brakes hahaha!!!

[drift freaq]

Maybe you dont know this but sliding calipers are equal to 2 times the amount of pistons you see (the slider is equal to two pistons in the case of the Q45) and the amount of pistons means nothing, the reason for more pistons is to allow for a larger pad surface, the more pistons, helps put the pressure uniformly accross a larger pad.

Q45 front = 2 pistons + 2 (dual slide) = 4 piston
Z32 front = 4 pistons (quad fixed) = 4 piston
stock front = 1 piston + (single slide) = 2 piston

Q45 rear = 1 pistons + 1 (single slide) = 2 piston
Z32 rear = 2 pistons (dual fixed) =2 piston
stock rear = 1 piston + 1 (single slide) = 2 piston

*sliding calipers are times two the amount of pistons that you actually see

Q45 front brakes (CL26VF):
- Two piston sliding caliper
- 42.8 piston diameter
- 280mm diameter rotor
- 56mm wide pad
- effective rotor diameter: 280-56 = 224
- effective piston area: 42.8^2 x 2 x 2 (sliding caliper) = 7327.36
- brake torque = 1641328.64 (winner)

vs

300ZX front brakes (OPF25VA):
- Four piston fixed caliper
- 40.45 piston diameter
- 280mm diameter rotor
- 50mm wide pad
- effective rotor diameter: 280-50 = 230
- effective piston area: 40.45^2 x 4 (fixed caliper) = 6545
- brake torque = 1505350.00 (losser)

For the record I run Z32 30mm calipers on my S13 only for the better looks + I run Z33 12.76" rotors with SPL adpater bracker so my front brake torque is actually greater than the Q45 somewhere around 1793330 if you do the math.

Credit goes to ASAD from FA for putting the above info together

AH the ghost of ASAD gets resurrected. LOL . Regardless of Asads decidely over technical research which he was famous for in the end Z32 brakes are fine for our cars. Used with the correct master and Z32 rears they work great.

So though the Q45 brake might be slightly better in shear stopping torque terms for the sake of our cars its not a big enough difference. Most of these guys are not going road racing.

[AznDrftr.]

J30 FTW.

I'd go Q45 though.

[smelly240]

j30 and q45 are the same size IIRC - same rotors i think.

[FaLKoN240]

I'm gonna have a set of front Q45 brakes for sale soon! :D PM ME!

[!Zar!]

q45 brakes stop your car better, clear wheels easier and aren't as expensive nor require all that bs to put on.

But as said before, z32's look sick.

You choose.

[CrimsonRockett]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/XxXxXAtreyuXxXxX/102_9188.jpg

I think i'm good.

:D

[Skullavera]

Haha! Slap those mofos on so you dont hump my car! :keke: good to see you got everything in.

[CrimsonRockett]

I need rotors!

:D

You know you loved it from the back.

:keke:

[jrocslider]

Dousan is right... people get Z's cause they look better. not everybody but the majority.

i have sum 30mm with ss lines sittin in my garage and havent put them on because i want better wheels and dont know if in the end they will clear so i've been contemplating on selling them and just gettin Q45's

[projectRDM]

j30 and q45 are the same size IIRC - same rotors i think.

Bingo. Same size, same parts.

[dan240]

The Q45 front brakes generate more torque than the 300zx fronts but to me that just says its making an already overly front biased set up even worse. Just throwing the biggest brakes you can find on the front of your car is not going to make it stop any better.

If your only going autocrossing I think you're better off with stock brakes, good pads and good fluid. You are not going to overheat your brakes on an autocross course. Remove the stock proportioning valve and get an adjustable one to dial in the brake bias how you want it (I don't know if that would be legal for your class).

An adjustable proportioning valve is probably ~$40.

[OptionZero]

q45 brakes look like the stock brakes so if u want to cheat in autox and escape any classification rules they are the way to go

[!Zar!]

Hmm.

q45 front, z32 rear?

[cdlong]

Dousan is right... people get Z's cause they look better. not everybody but the majority.

in my defense, and lots of other people's...

the looks was a factor, but not the main reason i got them. weight, caliper stiffness, and pedal feel were bigger factors. it's also a reason i didn't go with a flashier, better big brake kit (aside from overkill). i love that it has the raised nissan on the caliper, but i'm a nerd like that.

[e1_griego]

I was under the impression (from Asad's techno-post) that the q45 brakes gave a very high front bias.....is this true? Is it noticeable?

Alex

[OptionZero]

in my defense, and lots of other people's...

the looks was a factor, but not the main reason i got them. weight, caliper stiffness, and pedal feel were bigger factors. it's also a reason i didn't go with a flashier, better big brake kit (aside from overkill). i love that it has the raised nissan on the caliper, but i'm a nerd like that.

pad selection

not that THAT matters to alotta people

[UNISA JECS]

The Q45 front brakes generate more torque than the 300zx fronts but to me that just says its making an already overly front biased set up even worse. Just throwing the biggest brakes you can find on the front of your car is not going to make it stop any better.

If your only going autocrossing I think you're better off with stock brakes, good pads and good fluid. You are not going to overheat your brakes on an autocross course. Remove the stock proportioning valve and get an adjustable one to dial in the brake bias how you want it (I don't know if that would be legal for your class).

An adjustable proportioning valve is probably ~$40.

What you just wrote is only true if you run only upgraded front brakes, now if you were to run Z32 brake all around then your lacking front brake torque, in this case Q45 have a better brake torque split than the Z32 does.

p.s. who does that anyways (runs huge ass front brake and keeps the rears stock)..lol thats retarded

If it were up to me I like to run 12" rotors in the front with Z32 30mm calipers and the stock 11.5" z32 rears but im stuck with teh 12.76" fronts for now

[cdlong]

pad selection

not that THAT matters to alotta people

ahh, yeah, that too. i forgot about that one.

[alkemyst]

I don't know if that math is right for the Q45 scenario...there is probably a huge reason why nissan did not elect to use these on their high line sports/gt cars though.

Personally if it's coming down to Q45 vx 300ZX is make or break a setup, then one should be looking at Brembo class calipers anyway.

I am running R33 GTS-T (296x30mm/297x18mm).

[UNISA JECS]

I don't know if that math is right for the Q45 scenario...there is probably a huge reason why nissan did not elect to use these on their high line sports/gt cars though.

Personally if it's coming down to Q45 vx 300ZX is make or break a setup, then one should be looking at Brembo class calipers anyway.

I am running R33 GTS-T (296x30mm/297x18mm).

Well one reason could be the weight difference betweem the Q45 and the Z32 seater.

curb weight:
Z32 ~3300 lbs (2 seater)
Z32 ~3550 lbs (2+2)
Q45 ~4034 lbs

[CKAMC]

Hmm.

q45 front, z32 rear?

I second the notion. Can I get a Yay or Nay?

[dan240]

What you just wrote is only true if you run only upgraded front brakes, now if you were to run Z32 brake all around then your lacking front brake torque, in this case Q45 have a better brake torque split than the Z32 does.

p.s. who does that anyways (runs huge ass front brake and keeps the rears stock)..lol thats retarded

If it were up to me I like to run 12" rotors in the front with Z32 30mm calipers and the stock 11.5" z32 rears but im stuck with teh 12.76" fronts for now

I was just looking at your post above and you didn't mention the rear brake torque for any of the set-ups. Then your running an adapter bracket to get even more front brake bias. It sounded like thats exactly what you did.

Sorry if I missunderstood.

[alkemyst]

actually there are a ton of people only swapping fronts. Some say it's because that's how the Silvia top models were done, others due to cost and some due to not feeling comfortable doing the rears (which while not hard is a process requiring large tools many don't have and cable issues).

I did the R33 GTST front and rear. The brakes work and feel great.

A couple issues the Q45 setup suffers from is sliding calipers aren't as direct and modulation is more difficult, pad selection (although it has improved with many doing these swaps), and rotor availability.

The critical thing most really overlook is the tires. They do up these big brake swaps and go cheap on rubber.

[OptionZero]

did we ever come up with an explanation why s14/s14 silvias got 3Z 30mm fronts but stock s14 rears?

Was it:
1. the s-chassis has different weight distribution from a Z

or

2. the BMC is different and corrects the problem

or

3. other

[olah.inc]

you have a pic of the q45 caliper?

[OptionZero]

google is your friend, shoot

[olah.inc]

didnt found some, just pics of the rear and backside of the front

[alkemyst]

In regards to the Silvia getting only fronts.

For one most of the braking is done by the front, it also allowed for no redesign in the rear which would require more extensive setup on the assembly line.

Even the stock 240sx brakes are decent enough for many with just a track pad.

[driftskeetka24e]

so running q45s up front and upgrading the bmc is not necesary? or if you were to run q45s up front and stock rears which size bmc would you run the 15/16, 1, 17/16 or just keep it (7/8) stock?

[garagelu]

so running q45s up front and upgrading the bmc is not necesary? or if you were to run q45s up front and stock rears which size bmc would you run the 15/16, 1, 17/16 or just keep it (7/8) stock?

its actually best to keep the stock master cylinder when upgrading the q45 front with stock rears. The brake pedal feel is pretty incredible. I have had both the q45 and 300zx/skyline calipers and I cant tell much difference. It may be different on the track though.

[IGSDann]

+1 For Q45's. I just set my car up with them, rebuilt the calipers, got some brembo blanks, hawk hps and speed bleeders. And it made for a very quick and easy upgrade with great stopping power.

[hijack3d]

Running Q45's right now in the fronts w/ dimpled/slotted rotors, and Hawk pads. The rears are simply stock w/ Hawk pads. The only complaint was experiencing rear brake fade after a little over two hours at the Balcony (and this happened only once when my diff blew, and I was just yanking the ebrake)... But that doesn't really answer your question. It only tells you that I thought the Q45s were the better option for my slightly-tracked stock S13.

I guess you really have to look at what you're going to be doing with your car. If you're just daily driving without lots of power, why spend the extra cash? It's not too much more expensive, I know.. but at least you wouldn't have to worry about wheels clearing your calipers.

[smelly240]

i remember this thread - so everyone knows porterfield, hawk, endless all make pads for q45/j30 brakes ;)

and yes the feel is good with stock bmc and q front and stock rear.

its not like the z front - where u get the brakes lockin up all the time.

ill never go back to z brakes - wilwoods yes... that i'd like.

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

so running q45s up front and upgrading the bmc is not necesary? or if you were to run q45s up front and stock rears which size bmc would you run the 15/16, 1, 17/16 or just keep it (7/8) stock?

you keep the stock bmc. it is what i run and have no problems. although the aluminum caliper looks cool when parked, it would be pretty hrd to see it when i drift by you.

[UNISA JECS]

Bingo. Same size, same parts.


The fronts are identical. The rears are different both caliper and rotor size.

[apexhumper]

Good stuff.

Just a quick question, for street use I just have my stock brakes but every once in a while when someone that didnt pay attention because of; eating in the car/talking on the phone/applying makeup etc etc causes me to have to stand on my brakes there are times that it seems my stocks didnt get the job done quite as quick as they could've and I cant help but think that this close call wasnt necessary if I could just upgrade my brake set up properly.

So for the best stopping power in SoCal street use what do you guys recommend? (including pads, fluids, lines...anything that might help) Dont mean to jack a thread or sound like I'm repeating the question, but once again, no track use, just street.

[gotta240]

Just buy my j30 calipers for 50 bucks. Then buy my j30 rotors for 30.

BLAM!!!

Big brake upgrade for 80 bucks...

[OptionZero]

if its street use, just get fresh parts

new OEM pads, new blank rotors, new fluid (valvoline)

no need for anything more than that to roll around the streets, he even said it

[UNISA JECS]

Good stuff.

Just a quick question, for street use I just have my stock brakes but every once in a while when someone that didnt pay attention because of; eating in the car/talking on the phone/applying makeup etc etc causes me to have to stand on my brakes there are times that it seems my stocks didnt get the job done quite as quick as they could've and I cant help but think that this close call wasnt necessary if I could just upgrade my brake set up properly.

So for the best stopping power in SoCal street use what do you guys recommend? (including pads, fluids, lines...anything that might help) Dont mean to jack a thread or sound like I'm repeating the question, but once again, no track use, just street.

IMO

#1 Q45/J30 all around

or

#2 Z33 Front rotors (ofcourse you need adapter bracket with Z32 calipers) and Z32 rear

Either if these two setup will knock the socks off of a stock s chassis brake setup and not be dangerous and have the correct front to rear brake torque/bias to not let you get into trouble like the Z32 setup all around will.

But your results will vary on Z32's all around based on weather you run a staggered wheel setup (have more grip in the rear) or have more weight in the rear of yoru car, somehting that keep the rear planted to teh ground like a 200lb sand bag will help a bit as well as a full tank of gas at all times...lol.

[naed240sx]

Either if these two setup will knock the socks off of a stock s chassis brake setup and not be dangerous and have the correct front to rear brake torque/bias to not let you get into trouble like the Z32 setup all around will.


Why would Z32's all around "get you in trouble" ?

[UNISA JECS]

Why would Z32's all around "get you in trouble" ?

The rears tend to lockup way before the fronts do, and this is not a simple fix of swaping the master cylinder (that will only delay it a tad bit), try and aggressive stop on the freeway with Z32 all the way around and you'll see the rear wants to come swinging around to the front..not good.

[!Zar!]

The rears tend to lockup way before the fronts do, and this is not a simple fix of swaping the master cylinder (that will only delay it a tad bit), try and aggressive stop on the freeway with Z32 all the way around and you'll see the rear wants to come swinging around to the front..not good.

That's a driver issue. Not a mechanical one.

One shoudln't be driving like that in the first place. Any car with a real diff aside from open has the potential to do that.

[gotta240]

Lol... I'm not saying he can drive or z32's actually do lock up in the back first....... BUT

having the rear brakes lock up before the fronts has NOTHING to do with driver or diff being used. If you think otherwise(as you just posted), please share your reasoning as i am very curious.

[!Zar!]

I don't see why the rears would be locking up first. I haven't experienced that.

A ghetto solution would be to rock better pads up front. Or if you want to be a baller get in-line bias adjusters.

The only reason why the back would lock up is if too much weight is being transferred to the front. or if it's already stepping out due to braking aggressively while turning or having alignment that is off.

[UNISA JECS]

That's a driver issue. Not a mechanical one.

One shoudln't be driving like that in the first place. Any car with a real diff aside from open has the potential to do that.

Its strickly a mechanical one but ofcourse a good driver can learn to counter that potential by the way you brake ofcourse, I did. But thats not the point here someone asked which is better and I gave my real life opinion/experience on it, I think im able to becasue I have driven my S13 with all 4 combinations:

Q45 all around, smaller rears solid rotors (thinner)
J30 all around, larger rears vented rears (thicker than Q45)
Z32 all round vented rear
Z33 front and Z32 rear vented rears

and on top of all those I've ran

7/8", 5/16", 1", 1 1/16" with all of those setups and I choose 15/16" but 1" with the Z33 fronts will be a nice choice as well. I also run a dual diaphram brake booster but I still opt for the smaller brake master cylinder.

[naed240sx]

The rears tend to lockup way before the fronts do, and this is not a simple fix of swaping the master cylinder (that will only delay it a tad bit), try and aggressive stop on the freeway with Z32 all the way around and you'll see the rear wants to come swinging around to the front..not good.


This is simply NOT true. I have the entire Z brake setup (MC, 4 calipers, booster). The rears never lock first in a straight line at ANY speed. I can do 115 to zero, 90 to zero, 60 to zero, whatever, all day long and never encounter this problem. I also tracked the car this weekend with the same results. Perfect feel, modulation, and bias.

It's not even logical that the rears could lock first. If you run all 4 calipers and the master, you have Z biasing. Nissan did not design the rears to lock first, and because of this, they don't.

This is on Azenis 615 235/40 and pbr ultimates if anyone cares.

[naed240sx]

Lol... I'm not saying he can drive or z32's actually do lock up in the back first....... BUT

having the rear brakes lock up before the fronts has NOTHING to do with driver or diff being used. If you think otherwise(as you just posted), please share your reasoning as i am very curious.

Actually, a two way diff could affect how easily the rears lock. With a good diff there would be more available rear end traction under braking, so it would be more difficult to lock the rears.

Fortunately, in the case of 240's and Z brakes all around, it doesn't matter. Even with a 1 way, my car will not lock the rears first.

[naed240sx]

Another thing that should me mentioned in the Z brake vs Q45 argument:

If you track your car and have the need to swap to race pads after the drive to the track, Z brakes are so much more convenient for this. The fixed caliper design allows you to swap them without even removing the caliper.

[UNISA JECS]

This is simply NOT true. I have the entire Z brake setup (MC, 4 calipers, booster). The rears never lock first in a straight line at ANY speed. I can do 115 to zero, 90 to zero, 60 to zero, whatever, all day long and never encounter this problem. I also tracked the car this weekend with the same results. Perfect feel, modulation, and bias.

It's not even logical that the rears could lock first. If you run all 4 calipers and the master, you have Z biasing. Nissan did not design the rears to lock first, and because of this, they don't.

This is on Azenis 615 235/40 and pbr ultimates if anyone cares.

Your right its not logical but a Z32 doesn't have the same front to rear weight distribution as the S13 neither (weight distribution is taken into account when designing a brake system, however the Z32 all around setup worked great with a full tank of gas and about 100lbs in the trunk (JL 12W7) and two amps and braking slightly uphill on an incline and this was in my coupe with 225/35/18 all around.

[naed240sx]

All I can say is that you are the first person I have ever heard of having issues with this. Maybe you happened to have some crappy rear rotors that were very soft and giving more bite? Thats the only explanation I can think of unless you happened to have somehow grabbed the wrong MC.

I have like no weight in the back of my car. The rear half is stripped, no carpet, sound tar, spare tire, etc. Even with only a gallon of gas in the car I still have no problems.

[FraX]

*Too little sleep makes FraX post wrong things*

[cdlong]

how about no. your post was entirely wrong. first the r in pi*r^2 is radius, or 1/2 diameter.

the piston multiplication is because the pistons in a sliding caliper travel twice as far as those in a fixed caliper. the force is the same between sliding and fixed calipers of the same size.

isn't it mid afternoon there? it's 0600 here and i've been up since noon yesterday. i'm a bit tired you could say.

[smelly240]

lol - this thread is retarded.

the dumb get dumber and they make the smart dumber for even looking.

i was commenting at frax's wrong ass shit he deleted already :P - <3

[JRas]

they may be similar and the Q45 calipers may look better on specs

but 300zx calipers are a larger caliper and will disperse heat quicker

Q45 calipers were designed for a luxury car
300zx calipers were designed for a sports car

which one would you rather track?

[Koopa Troopa]

p.s. who does that anyways (runs huge ass front brake and keeps the rears stock)..lol thats retarded


I do and it works fine (R33 GT-R Brembo's). OMG how do I survive with all my front brake bias... :2f2f:

Not to mention S14 K's came from the factory with 4 pots in the front. Uh oh! Nissan RnD must be full of morons!

[Eyemfaster]

what do you guys think about the two nissan based brake conversions versus a wilwood, or comparable aftermarket brake kit in the same under $1500 price range? i know it's a little off topic, but making a new thread doesn't seem worth it.

[Koopa Troopa]

Willwood > almost anything OEM Nissan.

[UNISA JECS]

I do and it works fine (R33 GT-R Brembo's). OMG how do I survive with all my front brake bias... :2f2f:

Not to mention S14 K's came from the factory with 4 pots in the front. Uh oh! Nissan RnD must be full of morons!

Having more front brake bias is better than not having enough. Hey who really cares if a car has the BIG USDM Detroit Musle nose dive when you apply the brake, saftey first was in the minds of the engineers when they design a car to do that for the masses, but a performance car should utilize the trackion of all 4 wheels to the limit of adhesion trying not to go over that point, and then for saftey sake make it a tad bit front bias in the name of safety and performance but not as much front bias as a station wagon. Some also fail to see that high performance cars are designed on paper with a good amount of rear brake bias to but they are also equiped with ABS to keep rear lock up and front in check but its a good way of making sure you are getting the full benefits of stronger rear brake that help bring the car to a stop much faster and flatter than a heavily front biased machine.

[Koopa Troopa]

Having more front brake bias is better than not having enough. Hey who really cares if a car has the BIG USDM Detroit Musle nose dive when you apply the brake, saftey first was in the minds of the engineers when they design a car to do that for the masses, but a performance car should utilize the trackion of all 4 wheels to the limit of adhesion trying not to go over that point, and then for saftey sake make it a tad bit front bias in the name of safety and performance but not as much front bias as a station wagon.

Some also fail to see that high performance cars are designed on paper with a good amount of rear brake bias to but they are also equiped with ABS to keep rear lock up and front in check but its a good way of making sure you are getting the full benefits of stronger rear brake that help bring the car to a stop much faster and flatter than a heavily front biased machine.

Jesus man, write in paragraph form..

My car was one of those Silvias to come from the factory with 4 pots in the front and "stock" rears... It also never had ABS... OMG Once again Nissan RnD has failed.. The 270R also came with even bigger 4 pots in the front and "stock" rears and no ABS.. Damn you Nissan!

My front end doesn't dive and has more than enough stopping force to throw passengers out of the seat as I've done it before..

Brakes are only as good as the person putting his foot on the pedal and the tires on the wheels..

[UNISA JECS]

Jesus man, write in paragraph form..

My car was one of those Silvias to come from the factory with 4 pots in the front and "stock" rears... It also never had ABS... OMG Once again Nissan RnD has failed.. The 270R also came with even bigger 4 pots in the front and "stock" rears and no ABS.. Damn you Nissan!

My front end doesn't dive and has more than enough stopping force to throw passengers out of the seat as I've done it before..

Brakes are only as good as the person putting his foot on the pedal and the tires on the wheels..

Well there are things to offset some of the front brake bias like stiffer suspension to reduce weight transfer so not everyone will experience the same thing.

[Koopa Troopa]

No and if your rear end is reaching for the sky when you tap the brakes then you've obviously got more problems then the brake balance being off...

[hijack3d]

1) J30 and Q45 calipers are not exactly the same. I pulled both set ups from the junk yard on the exact same day, and mounted them on two different S13's on the exact same day. Thinking they were the same, I bought 2 sets of Q45 pads, and they did not work with the J30 calipers. The Q45's are a hair bigger. The rotors are exactly the same (front).

EDIT: They did differ between years. Look post #85 down for my response :) Thanks Smelly240.

2) J30 rears do not bolt up to the S-chassis without modification. It's the same deal pretty much as Z32's. If you search for my "240sx Bible Vol. 2" thread, I copied and pasted a mini write up on using the J30 rear vented rotors.

[smelly240]

i dunno what q45 pads you bought - but the people at hawk, endless, and porterfield do not agree with you. same part number for j30 pads and q45 pads... fronts of course. maybe you got the q brakes off a newer one???

[96Turbo]

you have a pic of the q45 caliper?
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/crazyhazey33/P1090154.jpg
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/crazyhazey33/P1090152.jpg
There ya go. After $25 in rebuilt parts, they're good as new. With a total of $110 spent on calipers, rotors, and seals; the value can't be beat. These pics don't include the slide part (torque member)

[hijack3d]

i dunno what q45 pads you bought - but the people at hawk, endless, and porterfield do not agree with you. same part number for j30 pads and q45 pads... fronts of course. maybe you got the q brakes off a newer one???

Actually... I don't know what year, but it does look like there's a difference...

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=HWK%2DHB326Z%2D646&N=700+115&autoview=sku (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=HWK%2DHB326Z%2D646&N=700+115&autoview=sku)

Those pads, Q45 that don't fit J30 are, as Hawk notes: 6.25 in. x 2.21 in. x 0.646 in.

The ones that they list that x-reference for J30 as well show:
5.48 in. x 2.35 in. x 0.583 in.

A hair smaller.

Thanks for clarifying that they did differ with years. I didn't know that they changed just a hair.

[zoomswimmer]

I'm not sure or not, but somewhere I saw that in Japan, you could get from brake upgrades for the 180sx. They happened to be the Q45 brakes

[smelly240]

the 180 came with bigger brakes than our cars - they are the same size as the maxima brakes - q brakes are cheap enough that it kinda phases those out -

as far as silvia brake upgrades - the jdm s14 came with a 4 pot option (they're z32 or r33 gts-t or somethin like that) and the s15 came with a brembo option

[OptionZero]

i've never heard of an s15 brembo option; i thought the brembos were BNR33/34 and Z33/V33 only

[smelly240]

http://history.nissan.co.jp/SILVIA/S15/0201/SPEC/index.html

optional 4 piston front brakeys... they're black iirc.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q19/smelly240/s15.jpg

[CKAMC]

standard option = Standard equipment (babefish comes out with the better translation)

I do remember an old option video where they upgraded the rears on a fairly stock s15 (and left the front 4pot's alone)

Looks like it has to be a turbo model also...

[OptionZero]

http://history.nissan.co.jp/SILVIA/S15/0201/SPEC/index.html

optional 4 piston front brakeys... they're black iirc.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q19/smelly240/s15.jpg

I don't see brembo anywhere on there

standard sumitumo brakes are also 4 pot

[Koopa Troopa]

the 180 came with bigger brakes than our cars - they are the same size as the maxima brakes - q brakes are cheap enough that it kinda phases those out -

as far as silvia brake upgrades - the jdm s14 came with a 4 pot option (they're z32 or r33 gts-t or somethin like that) and the s15 came with a brembo option

http://history.nissan.co.jp/SILVIA/S15/0201/SPEC/index.html

optional 4 piston front brakeys... they're black iirc.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q19/smelly240/s15.jpg

It says nothing about Brembo's. It says "front 4 piston brakes." If it were Brembo it'd say Burenbo bureki karipa.. Japanese automanufacturers like to make a point about something coming with Brembo brakes..

S14 calipers are the same as the Z32/32 GTST.. The 270R came with 32 GTR Sumitomo calipers... Same as 33 GTST

[jeeper_x]

Yea i bought q45's.

- ugly

z32 for me then.......:hsdance:

[smelly240]

i swore i seen oem brembos on a s15 before... could be mistaken tho.

[OptionZero]

Given that s15's already come with sumitumo 4 pots, anyone looking to step up to a bigger caliper would likely go for BNR33/34 or z/v33 brembos.

The BNR33 brembos are black.