need help with 300z brake conversion

[240_de_Ville]

ok heres the deal...i have an 89 nissan 240, i found a 90 nissan 300z the guy told me that i could have the rotors, calipers, lines, master cylinder, and the rims for 300 bucks....i thought that would be all the parts i needed but a friend of mine told me that i would have to have the lower control arm of the 300 and the spindle of the 300......what i need is someone who has done the conversion or knows how to let me know all parts that are needed to do the swap....that way i can make sure i get everything. any and all help is greatly appreciated thanks

[240_de_Ville]

oh and im not sure if was turbo or not b/c the engine was taken out of it already....now i'm not sure what options came with what on the 300's ..but it has stock 16" chrome wheels if that helps...

[Salty_X]

You don't need the LCA or spindle, your friend smokes entirely too much reefer.
The brakes could be 26mm or 30mm depending on if it was n/a or turbo, this website (http://www.princeton.edu/~asad/zbrakes/) shows how to tell them apart by measuring the rotor channel (pictures 8 and 9).

[240_de_Ville]

so then the parts i had listed are the only ones i need?....and does the difference between the 26mm and the 300mm matter?...i mean doesn't both change the same way?....or is only one of theose two goin to work?...yes i'm still a newb at this but i want to make sure i do it right.

[Salty_X]

They both go on the same, the only difference between 26mm and 30mm is the rotor width. Since you already have rotors there's no problem, it's just good to know for further down the road.

Check this out for more info. http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm

[SirWarrior]

ok heres the deal...i have an 89 nissan 240, i found a 90 nissan 300z the guy told me that i could have the rotors, calipers, lines, master cylinder, and the rims for 300 bucks
Lines - better off with aftermarket SS ones, as S13 and Z32 have different fittings. There could be a way to make them work, but not worth it IMHO.
Since you are getting rims, Im assuming you want 5 lug swap?
If so, get the rear suspension. or as much of it as you can.
uprights/brakes/ebrake/shock&spring. If its a NA model, get the diff too, its a VLSD and with 5 bolt halfshafts, you can have a cheap LSD.
Front spindles wont work, need S14SE spindles or Attain hubs for 5 lug.

[r32gtr]

i just finished my 300z front brake swap on my 89 this weekend. your gonna need a few little things, like bigger mounting bolts, possible wheel spacers, and longer wheel studs. might be different for you, just some things i ran into when doing mine.

[240_de_Ville]

thanks for all the info...keep it comin..i now have to wait a couple weeks til my income tax gets here....so the more info the better...thanks again

[240_de_Ville]

i know what an lsd is but what is a vlsd?..i thought 240's came with lsd?....do i need the uprights, shocks and springs?...or is that just things that help the ride out?...i mean i know theres more to the swap than just pads calipers, rotors, mastercylinder, and cables.....but is all that other stuff nessecarry?...or just better to have?

[sw20>>s14]

and does the difference between the 26mm and the 300mm matter

the 26mm shave one lb of unsprung weight in each corner thanks to lighter rotors. everything listed ^ and the e-brake assembly. dont forget the sensor that plugs into the z32 master cylinder too.

[240_de_Ville]

ok so the parts i should take off ...consist of...
1) master cylinder
2) rotors
3) calipers
4) since doin the rear i need the e- brake cable
5) buy ss brake lines
6) since i'm doin the rear..according to this http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm i need the rear knuckle

....right..once i gett all of that i have everything i need to do the swap...but possibly some spacers and what not...but thats all the parts i need to take off the 300z..i need to know b/c i have to buy all the parts from the guy so i need to make sure i get everything in one shot....so far thats the list i came up with from what everyone says...that link doesn't say anythin about rear springs the diff or anything...so this is my final list right??...i can go get my damn brakes now??

[DJPimpFlex]

Ok for the Z brakes you either need to redrill your rotors to 4 lug or get a 5 lug conversion. The rear Z32 hubs will work on an S13, but the front will not. You either need to get GTO front hubs or S14 hub and spindle set up. If you get the S14 ones get the LCA as well b/c they ball joints are also different. When doing the conversion you will need to cut off the dust shields. TIN SNIPS, not dremel. I used a dremel and it took about 2 hours and 50 cutting wheels. Those things dont like to go in circles. For the MC you need to cut up your stock master cylinder and get the small bitch of a fitting out. BE CAREFUL. They seem to like to get fucked up. You have 3 shots. I dont know about stock Z32 mc, but mine came with a 5 sided plug in the middle hole. No z32 uses this 3 hole because they all have ABS. To get this out you need a reverse drill bit to get it out. When you install the fitting, in my expirence you dont actually have it sit all the way down in the hole. It will just fuck up the fitting with you pounding on it. You just get it to sit as straight as possible, tap it lightly into place and then have the brake line crush up against it. Tighen it down and bleed the brakes. If there are no leaks and good pedal feel your good to go. For the rear you dont need to do anything that special unless you want an ebrake. If you do you need to splice the ebrake lines together which I hear can be a bitch, though I have never done it myself. Thats about all I can think of as far as problems with this swap goes.

[evilimport]

5) buy ss brake lines

I'm not sure if this has been covered but just buying ss brake lines arent going to cut it... youre going to need the ss braided 300zx/240sx conversion lines...and only the NA 300zx rear hubs will work, if the cars a turbo model your fuct with the rear hubs and diff. I just swapped my 300zx calipers onto my 240 without the z32 master cylinder and the pedal feel is nice and just remove the dust shield all together when everything is already apart -- on a side note...

[240_de_Ville]

djpimp ....when you say front hub from a gto..you mean..a 3000gt?..or a real pontiac gto?...i'm guessing the 3000 right?....i'm goin for the 5 lug conversion with it...so why couldn't i get the ones off the 300z?..we just bought brand new lower control arms and bushings and all that good stuff...so i dont want to replace them...and if i get hte gto hub i can keep my new parts right?...would i be able to keep my new parts with the 300 or would i have to change them out?....

evilinport...you said you just did the caliper conversion...did you do all 4 or just front?....b/c i am doin all 4 and if the stock 240 mc will work then i'll keep it..but everyone has told me to get the 300z mc. i'll get the conversion lines ..my friend told me that would be the way to go....i can get those on ebay right?....

ok guys i think thats all my questions...other than the ones on this reply..after i get those answered i'll be able to get it done...thanks for all the help its greatly appreciated

[projectRDM]

You are quite possibly the stupidest person known to man.

Do a search before you keep asking more questions, you're so far off right now that not even a guided tutorial and four trained technicians could help you.

[DJPimpFlex]

When I said GTo hubs I meant these:

http://www.store.yahoo.com/phase2motorsports/gtos13fr5lug.html

Ok I havent done the 5 lug swap (I have COOL TE37's!!! YAY for ME!), but I think it goes like this. As far as the rear of the S13 you can only use the NA Z32 hubs or R32 skyline hubs. No other things are needed for the 5 lug swap. If you want to use the rear brakes then you have to get the spindle and all that other crap. For the front your only options are the GTO hubs I linked to and the S14 assembly with the lower ball joint. The GTO Hubs are direct replacement and will go into the S13 spindles, The S14 hubs are not. For the S14 stuff you also need the spindle, and you need to get the lower ball joint and replace your stock one. I think some company sells these with the moog joint already pressed in. As for the brake lines get the spl ones. They are like $70 front and $80 rear and there awsome. GET THE Z32 master!!! Very important, ESPICALLY if you have all z brakes. You can sometimes get away with the front only and stock MC (even though you will have a mushy pedal), but with all Z brakes you will not only have a very mushy pedal, but also terrible split point, and you will most likely lock up the rears under hard braking because the master cyinder is sending so much flid to the front and it will think that the rear needs as much pressure also or something like that. If any of this is wrong be sure to correct me, but I'm like 90% sure that this is right.

[DJPimpFlex]

lol give him a break, but yea search is next to god arround here. Thats where I learned most of this shit.

[projectRDM]

lol give him a break, but yea search is next to god arround here. Thats where I learned most of this shit.


And you're still not up to speed. To correct your post above:

Rear hubs can be donated from S14 SE, S15, Z32 NA, R32, R33, R34. Note that BNR models do NOT work. You also do not need anything else to install the larger brakes off any of these cars, the mounting ears are the same distance (110mm) on all S, R, and Z chassis. Same with J30 and Q45. The only change is the larger Brembo units from the BNR models, these will require the mounting holes to be drilled out to 14mm. Only reason to use the Z32 NA uprights is to reduce weight, NOT to fit the brakes. You can even keep 4lug hubs and redrill the rotors for any of the above applications.
Fronts you're correct on.
And SPL lines are $45 a pair.

[DJPimpFlex]

well there you go. I though what I thought but only from reading what's posted on here, and its obvious that not everyone, including me, know what the fuck there talking about. I havent actally done a 5 lug swap ever, but i have done and front Z32 conversion so i know what thats about.

[240_de_Ville]

well first off...i just got into imports...i love domastics..old muscle and trucks...my friend told me about this website...and the first thing i did was make this tread...i didn't look around or anything..besides..i stated in the first post i'm a newb..i'm here to learn things..and i ask all the questions b/c thats how you get the answers. :fawkd: ...and to everyone else..thank you for all the help

[undercoverdjay]

Master cylinder, if your car is not ABS then you'll need to plug the center hole with a pressed in fitting. Not hard, just get any nissan master cylinder of that year from a junk car and cut it out with a dremel tool. Thats a pain in the ass but not as hard as it sounds.

Taking the master cylinder off is 2 10 (or 12, its been a year)MM nuts and 3 10mm flange nuts(the ones holding the lines in) Take it easy when taking these off and its better to get brake line wrenches that are closed but have a cut out for the line to fit in so you grip the nut on 4 sides rather than 2. Prevents stripping.
The 300ZX one drops in, physically the same size and the lines even match up. S14's are a different story with the lines, but there is no need for you to worry about that.

Bolts for the Calipers, the stock 240SX bolts were too long and when I bottomed them out they hit the rotor. The 240SX caliper was bolted to a bracket that bolted to the actual spindle so I assume that to be the reasoning. Use the 300ZX bolts. Keep in mind I pulled all my parts from my 91 TT 300ZX before I sold it. My calipers are the 30mm so the bolt advice may vary, just put the rotor on first and the caliper with no pads and tighten the bolts down to see if the bolts hit the rotor after you tightened them.

As for lines, get the PDM racing steel conversion lines. www.pdmracing.com
Straight forward bolt on.

A 19MM socket wrench and some elbow grease for the calipers thats all you need. That and wheels that clear.

There is entirely too much controversy surrounding this upgrade. It bolts on 100% with the only condition of wheels and lines. The master cylinder is optional but just gives you a much better pedal feel. You just quadrupled the braking power of that car, you're flowing much more fluid now so it's better to get a master cylinder with more front end emphasis.

Any questions PM me or email at [email protected]

PS, if you wanna sell those 300ZX wheels I'll pick them up off you.

[nrg]

SirWarrior, you're wrong about the lines. the stock 300zx brake lines will work with s13/s14. I know because I'm running them right now on my s14. Or you can buy SS conversion lines.
to remove the dust shield, you can either cut it off or just remove it by removing the spindle nut, sliding the shield off the spindle.

everything else has been answered.

[SirWarrior]

one is banjo one isnt. forget which car has which. I got the lines. Besides they aren't expensive so its pointless not to do it right the first time. :P

As far as the VLSD and the uprights in the rear;
Its not needed, but the uprights save 7lbs per side, but require the shock to be from Z32 not S13.
VLSD will work out of NA not TT. But will need a 5bolt axles or 6bolt flanges AND S13 diff cover.
Again this is something nice to have, especially since you are going to be messing with it, might as well get the diff too.


Another thing is to remember that Z32 has drum ebrakes, so you want to make sure that you get all the parts from that.

I got the whole Z32 suspension (+TT wheels and NA VLSD) for 400. but your deal may not be as good as mine.

PS. Spacers for the front, i beleive something like 5mm. Thats what I been told, but I got some different wheels on the front, so I am not 100% on that.
Or you could get the Cobra wheels and be done.
HTH

[Dream240]

Okay, R240NA has pretty much hit the nail on the head.

The rest of you are just repeating each other. To the original poster....just print out that link that was given to you http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm this has EVERYTHING you need!!! Why keep asking questions? Get your list from there and that's it. Read the whole article then ask your questions. The reason I say this is because this article covers ALL your questions!! And there's pics to boot!!

No you don't need all that rear end crap. Just the hubs and the brake equipment. Use the same rear knuckles, easier. And you will not notice the difference in unsprung weight.

Oh and just a side note...it's called a VSD (Viscious Slip Differential) not a VLSD.

Hope this helps.

[projectRDM]

one is banjo one isnt. forget which car has which. I got the lines. Besides they aren't expensive so its pointless not to do it right the first time. :P

As far as the VLSD and the uprights in the rear;
Its not needed, but the uprights save 7lbs per side, but require the shock to be from Z32 not S13.
VLSD will work out of NA not TT. But will need a 5bolt axles or 6bolt flanges AND S13 diff cover.
Again this is something nice to have, especially since you are going to be messing with it, might as well get the diff too.


Another thing is to remember that Z32 has drum ebrakes, so you want to make sure that you get all the parts from that.

I got the whole Z32 suspension (+TT wheels and NA VLSD) for 400. but your deal may not be as good as mine.

PS. Spacers for the front, i beleive something like 5mm. Thats what I been told, but I got some different wheels on the front, so I am not 100% on that.
Or you could get the Cobra wheels and be done.
HTH

More info:
S13/S14/S15/Q45/R32/R33/R34/Z32 lines will ALL work, the difference is S and Q lines use banjo fittings and require a shorter bolt to the caliper when upgrading to Z calipers. R and Z lines use IF fittings and come with a small section of hardline fitted to the caliper. Again, either one will work but if you don't have the OE hardline section or you plan to upgrade anyway to SS lines, get conversion lines. SPL is the best deal out there, cheaper than all other lines on the market, great quality, and include the strut fitting to secure the line properly. PDM lines do not come with that and you must rig up a way to hold them to the strut. Ghey for the amount of money they charge.
Also, the Z32 NA diff will bolt right in (swap cover on S13) but you'll need to switch to S13/S14 output shafts for it to fit properly, the Z's are longer due to the ABS sensors and combined with the OE axles it's too wide to fit without undue tension on the joints. There's slightly more clearance in an S14 due to the wider track but it's still not enough to reduce the load on the axles.

[SirWarrior]

the J30 or 180sx axles will work as well with the Z32 NA diff