How much better is the 300zx brake upgrade?

[MarketPlayer]

I am a firm believer in keeping a great handling car, so brakes is a big issue for me.  How much better are the 300zx brakes?  Would it be just as good to buy aftermarket rotors and pads for the 240sx?  I just bought my 90 a few weeks ago, and it needs new brakes, so i need to decide on what to do pretty soon!  Are their any other options for brakes?
-zac

[DSC]

Options are:

OEM replacement for everything currently worn out

Aftermarket OEM replacement IE: stainless steel braded lines, nice stock sized rotors, good pads, fluid flush...current calipers should be fine. ~$300 or less

Infinity Q45 brake upgrade (http://plaza.ufl.edu/briand/Q45%20Brake.htm) I can't see this being any cheaper than the 300zx upgrade so ~$500

300zx brake upgrade your choice of turbo (30mm) or non-turbo (26mm) calipers and rotors ~$500
information (http://www.princeton.edu/~asad/zbrakes)
More info in FAQ section

Brembo or APC (I think APC makes upgrades for the 240) big brake upgrade 13"+ rotors <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'> requires 18" or larger rims to clear. $2000+

If you plan to do auto-x note anything larger than stock will bump you up to racing in a class with 6cyl turbos and such <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

Edit: As for how much better they are, I dono. &nbsp;
I just went out and did clutch and brakes to the floor (at the same time of course) at 60mph down to 10mph and the tires didn't make their first noise untill 35-40mph. &nbsp;Could be my shitty oem pads or the stickey tires, but I think the stock brakes just don't have enough clamping power to brake at the tires limit...then again, they still stop the car pretty darn fast.

[rotaryknight]

Replacing stock rotors and pads really don't do much for breaking performance as upgrading the calipers.

It's the calipers that add the clamping force. &nbsp;Though different material pads and rotors will help, mulitple piston calipers are way better.

[camppain]

apc makes stuff other than high performance stickers and lights?

dont you mean smc or something dsc?

shit i sound like im rapping <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

the z32 brakes are wayyyyyyyyy better than stock i have it on my car there are a few others on here that have done it ask kid zelda jeff240sx uiuc240 (eric) i think thats how his screen name is.

over all the brakes are well worth it.

calipers rebuilt from autozone 100 bucks after core

oem nissna rotors 92 total

oem pads 32

misc items like pins and hardware was around 15-20 bucks

steel lines front and rear 90 bucks

all in all 300 buck upgrade give or take. cheaper than the 500 bucks dsc quoted.

[DSC]

MarketPlayer, before you upgrade your brakes, I encourage you to do a little research (or reading rather) on how then work and all the stuff. There are pages and pages of information here that can help make a decision on what upgrade you feel is nessisary.

http://www.teamscr.com/grmbrakes.htm

http://www.stoptech.com/technical
http://www.stoptech.com/faq

WOW (http://www.altimas.net/forum/showthread.php?threadid=32327&perpage=15&pagenumber=1) 30 pages...you can get most of the good info in the 1st 10.

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_brakes/brakes.lasso
this one isn't complete yet, but a little info in there that the other links don't include.

Happy reading <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> you will come out smarter and more confused than ever <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

camp "steel lines front and rear 90 bucks"
where do you get front and rear for 90, pdm charges 100+s&h just for the front. and my "quoted" $500 was actually "~$500" meaning "about $500" <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Yes apc makes big brake upgrades...or someone with 3 letters starting with an A. IIRC the calipers come in red...

[camppain]

front and rear steel lines where aquired thru kidzelda <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

ok now that u said they come in red i know what your talking about stillen always has them in they're magazines. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

[HippoSleek]

FWIW, I disagree that you need z32 calipers to have good brakes.

Right now, I am running OEM calipers, OEM rotors (that look like a cross between a record and a cup saucer), and OEM pads. &nbsp;My brakes suck. &nbsp;I can't lock the tires for sh!t and I can't imagine the degree of fade in the system <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>

Two weeks ago, everything was the same except the pads - CarboTech Panther Plus. &nbsp;These pads are not too friendly for street, but the bite is so much better than OEM that I presently feel unsafe. &nbsp;Porterfield R4s are a pad that should offer similar performance (a bit less bite and fade resistance, but more friendly to rotors and longer lasting). &nbsp;With my CarboTech pads, I could lock the tires whenever I wanted (for as long as I wanted w/o fade).

THE most important thing in your braking system is your tires. &nbsp;After that, I'd say pads, then fluid, then lines, then rotors. &nbsp;While eventually, I may do the z32 upgrade, I am happy for now w/ my uber agressive pads, high quality fluid, and everything else OEM. &nbsp;My background is little street driving (mass transit), former autoxer, currently working on doing as many trackdays as possible. &nbsp;I treat pads as a disposable item and have done more brake jobs to my car in 10K mi. than most people do in 100K. &nbsp;ugh <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

[thewholefnshow]

I have brembo flats, pbc pads, motul dot 5.1 fluid and regular lines... and I can lock the tires AND MY RIGHT FRONT CALIPER IS SIEZED! I have to change it but I didn't know it was siezed till I upgrade. I can lock whenever I want (it pulls to the left cause that one clamps twice as hard, but I thiunk I will get some stock rotors (50 bucks, no trade in) and use those for now.. paint em, make em pretty so they don't rust and sieze again and move on with my life... all in all (canadian) the front will cost me 300 bucks with new rotors, pads and calipers. Next step will be the lines but I am in no hurry.

[thewholefnshow]

I have brembo flats, pbc pads, motul dot 5.1 fluid and regular lines... and I can lock the tires AND MY RIGHT FRONT CALIPER IS SIEZED! I have to change it but I didn't know it was siezed till I upgrade. I can lock whenever I want (it pulls to the left cause that one clamps twice as hard, but I thiunk I will get some stock rotors (50 bucks, no trade in) and use those for now.. paint em, make em pretty so they don't rust and sieze again and move on with my life... all in all (canadian) the front will cost me 300 bucks with new rotors, pads and calipers. Next step will be the lines but I am in no hurry. Stock 240 brakes are very good, it's all about the fluid... Ichanged for the motul (bout 25 bucks a bottle here) and the pedal is nice and stiff. There is still a little play at the top, but there is a little play at the top of the clutch too... once the brakes bite they bite hard and that is all that matters to me. If you can lock the brakes, what more clamping force do you need really? You are already past the limits of the tires.

[MarketPlayer]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (thewholefnshow @ June 03 2002,1:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If you can lock the brakes, what more clamping force do you need really? You are already past the limits of the tires.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
That is what i am talking about. &nbsp;I don'y see any advantage in upgrading brakes, if you can already lock them up! &nbsp;Is there anyone out there who has some really good tires, and can lock them up w/ regular sized rotors, high performance pads, better brake fluid, and upgraded lines? &nbsp;If so, then I don't see any need to spend that much money on Z32 brakes. &nbsp;Please If you guys w/ the 300zx upgrade have anything further to add to this poste, I encourage you to speak your mind! &nbsp;Put me in my place, so i can become more educated! &nbsp; that is all,
-zac

[Kreator]

Well, i was talking to the guy who got himself the 300zx upgrade. He says that the only diference that he can feel, is that he had to push twice as hard with the stock brakes than with the 300zx ones to get the same results. So the difference is, in my understanding, that to lock up the stock brakes, you really have to slam the pedal. Now the slamming part is really hard to control, therefore it's much harder to be on the edge of lock up with stock brakes as it is with the 300zx ones, since it's enough to push hard to lock em up, and you can vary how hard you brake.

[DSC]

I never really thought about it that way Kreator. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/huh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':huh:'>

It IS hard to control the rest of your body (thus control the car) when you are exerting 100+ lbs of force onto your brake pedal...just try to blip the throttle properly while doing this <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>

I plan to just get good aftermarket stock replacements...brembo flats, good pads (still undecided), high temp fluid, and SS lines if I feel I need them down the road...unless someone wants to argue why I should get them now <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
I think that should be enough to stop me quickly and safely w/out destroying my chances of being competitive in auto-x.

[thewholefnshow]

Oh, and just to add a little something, I am on Yoki A520's... you don't get much stickier than that before an "r" rated tire, so the tires once warm really need a good workout to lock up. And pedal feel gets a lot better with good fluid. The reason I have a little left at the top is cause of the siezed caliper, if everything was perfect it wouldn't be a problem.

[MarketPlayer]

Can i just buy the 300zx calipers from autozone and the stainless steel brake lines, and use either OEM rotors or brembo flats for the 1990 fastback? &nbsp;I have been looking at the 300z conversion and i see i need to drill a hole in the rotor and i don't have access to a good drill! &nbsp;Hopefully I can just use the calipers and lines. &nbsp;Does anyone think this is a good brake choice?
-zac

[DSC]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MarketPlayer @ June 04 2002,02:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Can i just buy the 300zx calipers from autozone and the stainless steel brake lines, and use either OEM rotors or brembo flats for the 1990 fastback? I have been looking at the 300z conversion and i see i need to drill a hole in the rotor and i don't have access to a good drill! Hopefully I can just use the calipers and lines. Does anyone think this is a good brake choice?
-zac</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
You most definately have to get the 300zx rotors to match the calipers. &nbsp;You cannot even use the 26mm rotors with the 30mm calipers...

[96SEChick]

MarketPlayer--one question nobody has asked yet is: &nbsp;are your wheels 4-lug or 5-lug? &nbsp;That may also make a difference in the price and installation procedures on the 300ZX brakes. &nbsp;Does anybody know if there are any 4-lug 300ZX brakes? &nbsp;If your car is 5-lug, installation will be much easier and probably a bit cheaper, since you won't have to convert your hubs to 5-lug.