I have drums in the rear and i have seen 3rd gen max's with rotors in the rear. My question is How much of a B!t*h is it to swapp out. Also is it really worth it as far as stopping power?

 

Close u eyes. U energy is better used elsewhere. All golden machinery is nice: gold plate u engine, get glass hood.

Take rear brakes off, wont 'find any difference'. Stopping is 'all done' with front tires & brakes. Drums last and are reliable.

 

What are your performance aspirations with the car? A.K.A. Do you want to go fast, or just pimp it at the speed limit so everyone can see your mods?

Go Fast = MAYBE think about rear disks.

Pimpin' it = leave the drums alone.

 

I HATED the rear drums on these cars. swapping it was one of the first mods I did and will say it's definitely worthwhile.

 

Ugly. Reliable as pigs. But who knows if stock steel rims and winter tires with studs? Still I like to know theres NO drums behind my ugly heavy steeliewheeliestudpigs... As Dillbag noted, average speed defines if need is real, or feelin related.

Btw. Do handbrake wires fith both?

 

sort of you have to get the handbrake wires off the car with the disk brakes

 

yup.. the cables are different between the two. you have to pull the heatshields off the exhaust and replace the cables, all the way up to the "T" under the floorpan.

I had tons of problems with my drum brakes, mainly because of my drive into work every morning when I still had that job... running late about 80% of the time and it's directly off the highway, downhill to a stoplight, then a turn into the parking lot and park the car.. it glazed the drums horribly and I would have to turn the drums and replace the shoes about once a month. the noise would go away for a couple weeks, then come back again.

finally I just swapped the discs over and never had a problem after that!

 

So do you not work anymore Matt? Make enuff money from BlehmCo? Oh, and on-topic, blah, blah, brakes 'n stuff.

 

BlehmCo is my job right now... still looking for an engineering job, but haven't found much. so I'm going deeper and deeper into debt every day building BlehmCo. Ever since Katrina & Rita, my sales have been sheit. (I've sold like 4 parts since then!)..

 

So Matt are ya running any sales....

 

Well from a style look yes that is one reason i thought about swapping but at the same time if there is no reasonable help in stoppping i doubt i want to go threw all that trouble to do all that to convert just for a look. Although i have always like the look or rotor over Drums.

As far as driving fast... yes as often as i can. But in order to get my car to where i would like to have it for proformance cost way more than i can afford!! And lets be real i don't have $10k or more just into the motor and tranny. So for now i will be a realist and say my car is quick enough for now... now i just need to pick some good lotto #'s...

 

Dang, Matt, sorry to hear that. Soon as I get some (non-sh!tty) heads back on my sled, I may be hitting you up.

 

When I said "go fast", I didn't really mean to dump $ and make the car faster. I just meant your driving style. It's pretty easy to out-drive the the stock brakes with a stock car. So if you beat on her alot, I can see you wanting to get rear discs. I haven't personally done a rear disk swap on a max, mine is an SE, already has disk, so can't say how hard. Depends on your skillz.

 

I did do my (now missing, have you seen me) Honda CRX. It involved just replacing the entire rear susp. assemblies, brake hoses, e-brake cables, swapping the shocks, bleeding the brakes, and re-aligning it. Not terribly hard if you are handy with a wrench. I would think the max shouldn't be too different. Just got's to get some cash together for the parts and you're set.

 

well have been thinking about bagging it and that probly would be a great time to do both.

By the way have you guys ever seen these before



they are designed to slip over your Factory/Performance Struts and replace your spring. Figured this would probly be the best way to go for air ride... easiest too

 

Now u'll get hobby which will kep u active 24/7 ...no time for brake swaps etc...

Second solution: Buy Čitroën. Remember to purchase barrels of suspension liquid, 100L per each year youre gonna fight with it. The good point in your next suspension is the free medium...

 

MMMMM....Citroen....

 

I have a full parts car I'd take them off for you. Id just need some cash, and egnough parts to roll my car around, and depending on how that goes, maybe not even that.

~Alex

 

Ok hate to sound like a dumb a$$ but what is Čitroën and why would I need that much suspension liquid?!? And I'm not really sure what you mean by "your next suspension is the free medium..."

Please explain!!

Alex_VAs far as the parts name a price if it's far I'm interested

 

Citroen = French disaster. Nice to sit as a passenger... Hopefully no connection with that mentioned air only -suspension, really dunno.

http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/...s/suspens.html
http://www.myweb.com.au/citroen/cit_xm.htm
...and more: http://vivisimo.com/search?tb=homepa...%3Asources=Web

Its a rolling Fluid Leak. But very excellent on bad roads; some dont like hiway up/down rolling. Very pricey, until u drive out of shop. Then u find out, nobody wants to buy that from u, even if its new.

This suspension is on most citroens, not all. I time to time wonder the zx 1.8i (now 50k miles) with std suspension and how and all rotating parts are already shot/replaced.

Luckily absolutely nothin to do with maxima!

 

Ok maybe it's because I'm tired as hell or I'm just having a really bad week (broke driver seat leaning back, scratched tint putting in new seat in back seat) I'm not really sure I understand what you are saying.

As far as that air bag they are from www.universalairsuspension.com if that makes a diffrence??

 

Generally: Nice but complicated suspension system. Driving experience might be also nice, but u never know if youre gonna like it.

U know after u try it. Thats our short life all about - here in time. Or is it?

If youre tired of keeping stock maxima runnin, how it is after installin 4+ new trouble spotS.

Citroen: (Big Frenchfries Car Manufacturer) tried to make such suspension working, could not make it reliable. But then, can u ever connect French into reliability???

Btw. Mini had rather reliable hydrolastic suspension, google for that...

 

Um whomever says rear brakes are "not necessary" must be on crack and doesn't understand brake bias.

The rear disc conversion is covered in the stickies somewhere and is a VERY worthwhile mod for the GXE folk. Ever notice that all the high performance cars that have great braking numbers have almost the same size rotors in back vs the fronts now?

 

I whole heartedly argree by experience....About 12 yrs ago i had a 85 trans am with rear disc brakes.Well they locked up on me,i was short on cash, so i took them off and capped off the lines...BAD MOVE!!
My stopping power was cut significantly,and it burned through new front brake pads in just a few weeks...It also turned my front rotors blue and warped them due to the double duty they had to do....

 

Never done tHat. But do drive w/o all 4brakes, no burnup. Keeps roulette pumping... Tst: Drive carting w/o brakes, learn to take curves fast, stop. On ice track, touch brakes and loose all. Brakes = Useless Dead Weight.

Things change on town cruising. Sometimes mama likes u touch Front Brakes...

Things change again on racing. Sometimes need even rear Brakes. That means lost seconds...

Whatever, keep em in top condition.

 

Have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. But I HOPE you are not telling people it's okay to run NO rear brakes or that no rear brakes is just dead weight and and

 

"Whatever, keep em in top condition." = CLEAR statement, needs no explanation.

I can see u "Have absolutely no idea ..." about racing on ice.
I can see u "Have absolutely no idea ..." about racing w/o brakes.
Well, u miss some excitement in life. I Will not tell anybody to follow me... But still, one may try how fast one may go on a track w/o touching the brake pedal. Practicing Will open a new skill to survive on icy conditions.

THIRD TIME: "Whatever, keep em in top condition." = CLEAR statement, needs no explanation - on all 4brakes.

 

Telling people that rear brakes aren't necessary / "keep them in top condition" = NOT clear. Especially when you advocate "tooling around town, it's not needed".

I could "probably" run with only 3 wheels "around town" but you don't see me telling people to do that.

I have no idea what people do for "ice racing". But most race cars here in the USA feature functional rear brakes....

 

Try readin correctly: ppl can live w/o rear brakes and without problems. Racing did not apply in this thread. I clearly tell to keep all four in super condition, using illustrations, u keep intentionally warping my words, but have fun.


1. As now Nissan and all car mfg's in the world are wrong, I suggest to Loco7 to put the bigger front calipers to rear, drums in front and test your weird theories...

2. Nissan also wrong in placing bigger calipers in front. Oh eh.

3. Nissan also wrong in placing cooled discs in front, singles in rear. Oh eh.

4. Nissan also wrong tellin to adjust the smaller rear brake pressures for 50% less or more. oh Eh.
- front pressure 710psi , rear 550-700
- front pressure 1400psi , rear 740-940

5. Anybody ever wonders why the REAR calipers are rusted solid? Is it b/c that EXTRA huge exercise the weird theories imply on rear calipers? Oh boy how funny your claims are



Those issues should tell that front brakes do over 75% of all work, nice city drivin its 95%. If you just want to argue for arguments sake, have fun. If its b/c no knowledge, start educatin uself...


How to balance 3gen Maxima brakes? 2xScrew...

Edu for superb stock brakes is found here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18

 

Ice racing is a non issue and I don't really know why it was brought up.

In real ice racing they use these tires:

Which have outrageous traction and you can sure bet that excellent brakes are worth it for the win.

All things being equal, a balanced brake system (all four) will provide maximum performance and longevity to your car. Yes it is possible to use only fronts or only rears.

 

- U did not get where I aim: with ice racing I dont mean maximum speed to win a prize. (I like racing - without these bullies). Nope, but racing with u daily drive = stock car & tire handling on mirror ice. Not necessarily even hi speed. Touch Brakes and you have lost.
This teaches imperative safety skills on the road, like meeting sudden ice conditions, curvy road, with summer tires 60mph. Yes ppl can survive that - depends on pracatice, and then only on practice driving "without brakes". Mandatory for my kids & wife...

- When u have the skills, it 'doesnt matter' which wheel brakes - IF ANY.

- Typical granpa drives, wears out two front pads out while orig rear pad set has 1mm wear. In that sense, rear brakes are useless dead weight. Seems that ppl here will be dead if brakes lost. Luckily they have maxima with two brake circuits (HERE again, point 6: both circuitc connect two front calipers with one rear)

 

I use the brakes all the time when i drive on snow/ice. Since I have disabled the ABS i can brake with the left foot while throtteling and counter the understeer that unforunately is built in to the maxima. However you are right about using the brakes if you loose control.

 

Hejssan. Brakes used as necessary; handbrake to loosen rear and/or rotate. Nice to go for a while on a lake 100kmh - muffler first. On mirror ice, brakes do not hlp, snow has traction.

Another issue: net shops for EU spare shops. ???

 

I have not found any good spare part shops within EU. Try to have someone in the states buy the parts and ship as a gift to avoid taxes.

 

People can get along with only 3 wheels/tires too. So Nissan made a mistake and put too many wheels/tires on. oh eh?

Oh very unsafe your suggestions are.

My edu for safe braking is 13" rotors with 4 piston calipers. Along with 1" bigger rotors in the rear. And yourself?

 

Now u bypass the issue. As I said, Rear Brakes are used maybe 5% daily drive. But never mind.

U cannot pinpoint any safety problem. Btw. Envy makes hell on earth for all ppl around.

 

Should have come to austin Soon as i finish my interior and audio crap (which is finally moving along) i'll be buying some more stuff from you.

 

Rear brakes may be used only 5% during daily driving, but it's the emergency maneuvers that save your life.
If you've ever driven in the US, you'll realize that emergency maneuvers are a part of everyday driving here. on every drive, there is always some ******* talking on his cell phone trying to put me in a coffin. without good brakes, there are many times I would have hit said morons.. and slamming on the brakes on these cars does in fact use quite a bit of rear brake. once you start altering the bias on these cars, you'll notice just how much is actually there.

the reason the pads last longer in the rear is because of heat. yes the rears do quite a bit of work, BUT they don't get nearly as hot as the fronts. the heat is what causes the pads to soften and wear quickly.

 

Those load sensing bias adjusting assemblies (only on abs/disc rears I believe) are some pretty complicated hardware for rear brakes that are only used 5% correct? And how could you come to that 5% anyway? Anytime you step on the brake, the rears are used. You don't get a choice. If the bias is as you say around 75% front / 25% rears, every time you hit the brakes, the rears are being used 25%. Actually even more until you ramp up the pressure

 

When you step on the brakes the weight shifts towards the front. the effective braking power varies with the grip. Good grip = the front brakes does most of the job. load sensing bias adjusting assemblies are very simple devices.