Z32 or other brake boosters

[g6civcx]

Question: what size brake boosters (boosters, not master cylinders) did Z32s come with? Does anybody know?

BeetleRuss BeetleRuss BeetleRuss :aw:


Background: 1 1/16" Z32 master, full braided lines from BMC to caliper, 180SX front calipers, stock S13 rear calipers, stock remanufactured S13 booster

I like firm pedals, but this pedal is unbearable to the point of being unsafe. I don't think I can leg press that much weight to stop the car (I rep 300lb squats). My foot hurts just trying to go down the driveway.

Vacuum is good and the check valve is going the right way. I know the Z32 booster is physically bigger so cutting the firewall is mandatory.

The impossibly stiff pedal will only get worse once I go with Z32 calipers.

[nissan240sxkid]

I think that the z32 fits in the 240 and also you might need to adjust proportioning valve

[vutony]

charlie can easily answer this

[tt99ol]

actually the pedal will get softer when you do z32 brakes, not stiffer, cuz if you do z brakes with a stock master the pedal gets mushy

[g6civcx]

actually the pedal will get softer when you do z32 brakes, not stiffer, cuz if you do z brakes with a stock master the pedal gets mushy

Let me think about that for a second. I have a monkey wrench thrown into my setup in that I have full braided lines. That alters it a little bit from a stock setup.

[tt99ol]

well if you do z calipers all around it should feel nice as ive heard that the pedal even feels a little soft on a z so with your lines it should be nice and firm but not like trying to crush a rock with your foot, or maybe your booster isnt functioning properly, is your master cyl new? maybe its starting to seize, or the calipers are which would be weird for all of them to seize at the same time

[g6civcx]

well if you do z calipers all around it should feel nice as ive heard that the pedal even feels a little soft on a z so with your lines it should be nice and firm but not like trying to crush a rock with your foot, or maybe your booster isnt functioning properly, is your master cyl new? maybe its starting to seize, or the calipers are which would be weird for all of them to seize at the same time

Right now it feels stiff as hell just trying to stop slowly.

BMC is brand new from FRSport. Front calipers are used from JDM front clip. Rear calipers are reman'ed.

[tt99ol]

hmmm well do you still have that clip and does it have the brake booster on it cuz the silvia/180sx booster is a little bigger along with the master than a stock 240, the master is 1/16 bigger than stock and im not sure how much bigger the booster is

[g6civcx]

hmmm well do you still have that clip and does it have the brake booster on it cuz the silvia/180sx booster is a little bigger along with the master than a stock 240, the master is 1/16 bigger than stock and im not sure how much bigger the booster is

Like I said above, I already have a Z32 BMC so there's no point to going back.

I don't have the clip but I threw out the booster that came with the clip because it was definitely bad. It had rusted through the metal from sitting in the junkyard with brake fluid all over it.

[ixfxi]

Background: 1 1/16" Z32 master, full braided lines from BMC to caliper, 180SX front calipers, stock S13 rear calipers, stock remanufactured S13 booster

I like firm pedals, but this pedal is unbearable to the point of being unsafe. I don't think I can leg press that much weight to stop the car (I rep 300lb squats). My foot hurts just trying to go down the driveway.

Vacuum is good and the check valve is going the right way. I know the Z32 booster is physically bigger so cutting the firewall is mandatory.

The impossibly stiff pedal will only get worse once I go with Z32 calipers.

what the FUCK are you doing dude?


do you realize that you probably shouldnt be working on your own car.

the Z32 MC is designed to work with ONE thing: Z32 front AND rear brakes.

now you're running S13 front and rear calipers... wtf? get rid of that shit and put the proper brakes.

besides, did i read you're running SS lines from the MC to each caliper? you should be running HARD lines, not SS lines.



this has to be one of the stupidest posts i have ever read on zilvia.

[ixfxi]

btw, SS lines are DISPOSABLE - they are supposed to be changed out every few years. beneath that SS line is a teflon tube.... NOT designed for long term use, unlike the hard lines which are super durable.

i have a feeling your brake booster probably isnt even working or your vacuum check valve is hooked up backwards

[Jung918]

you also have the option of using the brake booster from an auto 240. It is bigger then the manual 240 booster.

[g6civcx]

what the FUCK are you doing dude?


do you realize that you probably shouldnt be working on your own car.

the Z32 MC is designed to work with ONE thing: Z32 front AND rear brakes.

now you're running S13 front and rear calipers... wtf? get rid of that shit and put the proper brakes.

besides, did i read you're running SS lines from the MC to each caliper? you should be running HARD lines, not SS lines.



this has to be one of the stupidest posts i have ever read on zilvia.

Check that, boss. I'm just looking for ideas. Change one part at a time until you find the right combo. I don't want to slap an entire system and not have a clue what's changing.

This is a half tub track car only. Don't lump me in with the rest. Let's not make it personal if you don't like what you see. Don't comment and move on.

[g6civcx]

btw, SS lines are DISPOSABLE - they are supposed to be changed out every few years. beneath that SS line is a teflon tube.... NOT designed for long term use, unlike the hard lines which are super durable.

True that. A street car may see thousands of miles a year. My car sees maybe a few hundreds a year if I'm lucky.

You guys with street cars should use as much of your hardline as possible.

i have a feeling your brake booster probably isnt even working or your vacuum check valve is hooked up backwards

The booster is working. It passes the power on check, but it's still stiff.

Like I said above, the one-way check valve is installed correctly according to the directions printed on the valve itself. So unless the printing is wrong, the valve is installed correctly.


You need to take your anger to the hundred of other threads in tech and let this one go where it may. The car is not driven on the street and I accept full responsibility for my actions on the track. Don't assume facts not in evidence. I accept a beating when I deserve it, but this thread is not where it belongs. I'm just piecing together the pieces one part at a time. I'm not driving the car like this. Relax.

[cdlong]

if you're planning on putting on z32 calipers, do that first. as stated above, the larger calipers will actually increase your pedal travel and braking torque so the pedal will be more effective. you might find that it's ok with the stock booster. i have a z32 setup and 17/16 MC and a stock booster and the pedal feels great.

i see what you're saying about changing one part at a time, but the brakes are a system, dependant on all parts of the system to produce the desired result. kind of like putting stiff springs on stock shocks and being shocked that the suspension feels like shit. brakes are hardly new territory, you can do it all at once and be fine.

any idea what the piston diameter is on the 180sx calipers?

[tt99ol]

i believe its slightly larger than stock i have a set in my garage, maybe ill go measure them against a stock caliper but its too cold out there

[g6civcx]

any idea what the piston diameter is on the 180sx calipers?

It's the same as a mid 90s Maxima.


I was swapping out one part at a time because I was working on the engine swap. The braided brake lines were necessary for me during the swap because the motor goes 6" back into the firewall, which is right through where the stock hardlines were routed.

Now that the motor is running I'm just getting back to fixing the suspension and brakes. I know I can just bolt in a complete Z32 front and rear caliper kit and be done, but considering the motor was just finished 2 days ago I think I'm making good progress.

[cdlong]

ok then, what is the piston size on the mid '90s maxima?

it doesn't really matter, just get the right calipers on there first and see how you like the feel.

[Ragnarok043]

i had the same problem when i was swapped over to Z32 BMC and calipers also, not enough to pedal travel. the brake lights wont even turn on unless i step on it hard enough, very dangerous on the street. so i just did a quick fix by spacing the BMC from the brake booster with a washer. it gave the brake pedal a litte more slack for more leverage.

[ixfxi]

True that. A street car may see thousands of miles a year. My car sees maybe a few hundreds a year if I'm lucky.

You guys with street cars should use as much of your hardline as possible.

You need to take your anger to the hundred of other threads in tech and let this one go where it may. The car is not driven on the street and I accept full responsibility for my actions on the track. Don't assume facts not in evidence. I accept a beating when I deserve it, but this thread is not where it belongs. I'm just piecing together the pieces one part at a time. I'm not driving the car like this. Relax.

Dude, stop being a fuckin tool. Track or street car, makes no fucking difference. Just because its a "track" car doesnt mean it should be a pile of shit with SS lines the entire length of the car. Being that a track car should be MORE RELIABLE than a street car, and subjected to higher stress levels.. then HARD LINES should be used.

But hey, what the fuck do I know................

I know well enough that the BMC's proportioning valve is SPECIFIC for the entire brake system. So if you're using Z32 BMC, then you *need* Z32 brakes.

Again, what the FUCK do I know. If I dont have anything good to say, I shouldnt say it. Problem is, I do have something good to say.. I am just not saying nice and polite, the nice way, making you feel like less of a dumbass.

[g6civcx]

I know well enough that the BMC's proportioning valve is SPECIFIC for the entire brake system. So if you're using Z32 BMC, then you *need* Z32 brakes.

This is completely irrelevant to the original question. I was asking on sizes of Z32 boosters.

Proportioning is built-in to factory specs. If you don't like factory specs then you have to use a BMC with an external proportioning valve.

Again, the car moved like 6' with this setup. The swap was finished literally less than 48 hours ago. If you read the other thread you would see that I already ordered on Z32 calipers. This thread is about the booster. Your comments add nothing except to make you feel good for bashing people. I appreciate you trying to help out but please, you're preaching to the choir.

[Creizai]

This is completely irrelevant to the original question. I was asking on sizes of Z32 boosters.

Proportioning is built-in to factory specs. If you don't like factory specs then you have to use a BMC with an external proportioning valve.

Again, the car moved like 6' with this setup. The swap was finished literally less than 48 hours ago. If you read the other thread you would see that I already ordered on Z32 calipers. This thread is about the booster. Your comments add nothing except to make you feel good for bashing people. I appreciate you trying to help out but please, you're preaching to the choir.

Your Pedal feel should be alot better once you get your Z32 calipers on.

[naed240sx]

i had the same problem when i was swapped over to Z32 BMC and calipers also, not enough to pedal travel. the brake lights wont even turn on unless i step on it hard enough, very dangerous on the street. so i just did a quick fix by spacing the BMC from the brake booster with a washer. it gave the brake pedal a litte more slack for more leverage.

you realize that the Booster is adjustable right? No need to space out the BMC when you can simply adjust the rod coming out of the Master.


To the OP: I can't tell you how many different Boosters were made for the 300zx, but whent I visited a junkyard, all 4 of the Z's there had the same size booster. It is much larger than the stock s13 booster, and is 2 stage versus 1 stage.

I am running the full 300zx setup. Z brakes all around, Z master and Z booster. I opted not to use the stock booster because I didn't want a pedal so stiff that I would not be able to modulate braking force well.

This setup feels great. The Z booster sticks out at least an inch farther than the s13 one...but no cutting of the firewall is neccesary (not sure why you thought this). You simply bend out the hardlines a bit to reach the new BMC placement. It's a very easy install.

Also realize that your pedal will actually get softer with the z brakes vs the 180sx brakes.

[irax]

this thread makes me lol!
started out with a simple question about BRAKE BOOSTER SIZE

and turned into a bunch of hard talk about calipers and master cylinders.

I don't know but I hope some one chimes in with an answer

and the way I understand it, swapping to actual z32 front calipers, the pedal wont feel stiffer. Instead it should feel softer but not mooshy. Because you have more volume to fill than the stock floating pistons. But then again I don't know how changing the booster will affect it. If you change over your brake system to the z32 shouldn't it feel like a stock z32 brakes?

My old s14 had stock z32 fronts with stock master and booster and it felt fine, I liked the initial bite and the modulation.

[McRussellPants]

lol this shit is retarded.

1 1/16s on stock brakes.

100% braided lines lol

Z booster swap lol

[Creizai]

lol this shit is retarded.

1 1/16s on stock brakes.

100% braided lines lol

Z booster swap lol

LOL to the 2nd Power

[g6civcx]

and the way I understand it, swapping to actual z32 front calipers, the pedal wont feel stiffer. Instead it should feel softer but not mooshy. Because you have more volume to fill than the stock floating pistons. But then again I don't know how changing the booster will affect it. If you change over your brake system to the z32 shouldn't it feel like a stock z32 brakes?

My old s14 had stock z32 fronts with stock master and booster and it felt fine, I liked the initial bite and the modulation.

Ok thanks for the info. I'll wait for the new brakes to come in and see what happens.

[g6civcx]

you realize that the Booster is adjustable right? No need to space out the BMC when you can simply adjust the rod coming out of the Master.

Definitely adjust the pushrod. Otherwise your effect pedal travel will not fully engage the brakes, or will drag the brakes.


To the OP: I can't tell you how many different Boosters were made for the 300zx, but whent I visited a junkyard, all 4 of the Z's there had the same size booster. It is much larger than the stock s13 booster, and is 2 stage versus 1 stage.

I am running the full 300zx setup. Z brakes all around, Z master and Z booster. I opted not to use the stock booster because I didn't want a pedal so stiff that I would not be able to modulate braking force well.

This setup feels great. The Z booster sticks out at least an inch farther than the s13 one...but no cutting of the firewall is neccesary (not sure why you thought this). You simply bend out the hardlines a bit to reach the new BMC placement. It's a very easy install.

Also realize that your pedal will actually get softer with the z brakes vs the 180sx brakes.

Thanks for the info. Even if I had to slice a bit out of the frame it's no big deal.

[UNISA JECS]

I think that the z32 fits in the 240 and also you might need to adjust proportioning valve

It'll fit with some work like banging the firewall in, I think fitment issues are different between both S13 and S14 with regards to space available for the Z32 brake booster so it may very.

The porportioning valve is not adjustable.

you also have the option of using the brake booster from an auto 240. It is bigger then the manual 240 booster.

Thats not true for all automatics, only ABS equiped and convertable S13's come with the larger dual diaphram brake boosters similar to the Z32 and it does help a very noticable amount.

Definitely adjust the pushrod. Otherwise your effect pedal travel will not fully engage the brakes, or will drag the brakes.
Thanks for the info. Even if I had to slice a bit out of the frame it's no big deal.

This needs to be cleared up a little bit there are actually 2 adjustments you can do here:

1) Input rod adjustment (this is the rod that connects to your brake pedal to the backside of the brake booster).

2) Output rod adjustment (this is the rod that purtrudes from the front side of the brake booster and engages the BMC).

For all intended purpuses unless you know what your doing don't mess with option #2.

You should be doing your adjustment threw option #1 above, you can dial out alot of slop if you know what your doing and you can also adjust teh moment your brake light comes on by adjusting the switch also.

*On a side note I have a dual diaphram brake booster for a S13 and S14 both in cherry condition no leaks works fine.

[UNISA JECS]

Actually I answered soem of these questions about a year ago..lol

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=129640

[g6civcx]

Quick update on this. My brand new booster failed. When it was working it felt fine on the Z32 master.

[irax]

have you considered using a brake booster from an automatic car?

[UNISA JECS]

have you considered using a brake booster from an automatic car?

Not every automatic S13 has the large double diaphragm brake booster, only ABS equiped and I've seen some convertable if not all that come with it that dont have ABS.

I got one for sale here BTW:

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=173835

[AwhiteS13]

Thread revival. Sorry.

Lot of heated back and forth in this thread.

My bmc recently started squirting. I have a z32 bmc in my possesion. Stock calipers and lines.

Also have the booster.

Im conluding that i am better off getting a new s13 bmc. That right?

[Def]

Yes. A 15/16" Z32 BMC might be ok, but you'll be putting less pressure to the rear brakes.

Best bet is to use an S13 BMC.