what kind of hardware would I need in order to install 4 piston calipers from a 300z on a 98 maxima?

 

Anyone?? Is it possible? I really want the benefit of having calipers with 4 pistons, but don't know exactly what I need to make it work.

 

Anyone?? Is it possible? I really want the benefit of having calipers with 4 pistons, but don't know exactly what I need to make it work.

 

I'm not 100% sure about this but I believe the mounts for 300zx and Maxima's of the same years are the same. You just need to cut the engine shield a little bit, get the rotors milled down a couple mm and get rotors and calipers for 300zx. You might also need the mounts, I'm not sure have never tried it myself. You also need at least 17" rims to do this. This is all just speculation from what I have heard so don't take this to be totally correct.

 

If you want to run a stock 300ZX setup, you'll need 4 POT calipers from a 90-96. Each will work but be certain you get the correct rotor for the cooresponding caliper (earlier models where 26mm thick, the rest were 30mm thick). You will also need to mill the rotor down radius wise from 11" to about 10.75" due to the fact that our caliper mounts closer to the hub then on a Z. After all that is done everything will mount right up and you'll be set to roll.

Also, you will need at least a 15" rim with the correct offset to accomidate the bigger caliper (i.e. Buddy Club 15x8" rims worked on my buddies Silvia).

Here is a pic of the stock 3Z setup on my car:
http://images.cardomain.com/member_i...784_6_full.jpg

And here is a pic of the Z caliper w/ 13" Mustang Cobra rotors:
http://images.cardomain.com/member_i...84_32_full.jpg

NOTE that the 13" Cobra rotors involved hubcentric rings from Candiman for the rotor fittment and a special bracket (I made but you can buy them from Jeff92se) to correctly offset the caliper on the bigger rotor.

 

which steel braided lines do you use on the coversion? the max or z?

 

How much better stopping power do u get with stock 300ZX brakes, would it be like 20%?
I can imagine sourcing used 300ZX brakes would be a pain considering how few 300ZX there are out there... Would used not even be worth considering because of rust/age.

 

you can get a rebuild kit cheap and they work way better the the stock max calipers

 

Stopping power and brake pedal travel, there is definately an improvement with regards to stock...the brakes feel like they fit on this car..I haven't upgraded to the cobra rotors yet, but seriously considering it...but its a worthwhile upgrade...defiantely worth the $4

 

so you dont have to mill down the cobra rotors?

 

You can buy 300zx rotors from an autozone or something for relatively cheap. I don't think it would be that much more then a junkyard plus it saves you the time of having to find them and hope they are in good condition. Overall the whole job will cost a lot less then the big brake kits going for 2-3k $

 

do you have to mill down the cobra rotors like the 300zx ones?
and what type of stainless steel lines do i have to use?

 

I used 240SX to 300ZX conversion lines from here: www.heavythrottle.com

No, you dont have to mill down the Cobra rotors.

 

this upgrade is for the front only or is it front and rear, also do the calipers bolt right up to the stock location, and its just the rotors that need to be milled to do the whole job?

 

They Bolt right up.....best part

 

Eye candy

 

has anyone had any luck finding someone selling milled down rotors? I'd just as soon spend a few extra $$ if I'm going to get new rotors anyway, to buy them ready to go.

 

You wont find any. No one sells milled down rotors. You have to buy them and have them milled down.

 

who can you get to mill them down for you? what would it be under in the phone book? does any one know of any websites with a step-by-step listing including all materials needed?

 

Milling can be done by any machine shop or mechanics shop. It cost me like $20 to have my rotors milled. Milling is a fancy word for cutting away some of the rotor material.

 

why have the rotors milled when you can get 13" cobra rotors?

 

ok, so I'm getting ready to do this, but I've been wondering if I need to replace my brake master cylinder for the one from a 300zx, or will the stock one be capable of handling the extra 6 pistons without feeling sluggish?

 

no you dont

 

this might be a silly question, but can you still run the factory 16 inch rims with this 300zx rotor/caliper upgrade?

 

Front only. You run into a parking brake problem when you go to put the rear 2 POT 3Z calipers on. Our car uses the caliper as the locking mechanism for the P brake whereas the Z uses a drum brake inside of the rotor hat as the locking mechanism. It would involve a way of bolting/connecting part the rear upright assembly of a Z onto a Max; very difficult and time consuming.

 

Not factory Maxima 16's. Factory Z 16's, on the other hand, will work just fine.

 

what year cobra has those rotors.

 

Every year cobra from 93 to present.

You guys are aware you are going to have to get a caliper bracket made to run the cobra rotors right? It's not plug and play. If I had it to do over again now I would buy Matt Blehm's Blehmco BBK and be done with it and not mess around with making my own caliper bracket which ended up taking me 26 hours.

 

Here is another couple of questions...
If you want to upgrade the brake lines at the same time to some braided stainless steel ones, should you use nissan 300zx or maxima compatible parts or do you use a conversion kit?
Also, is there any difference in the caliper/rotor of the 300zx non turbo or twin turbo between the 90-96 model years?
thanks for the help.

 

You cannot use maxima lines on 300ZX calipers. Some people claim you can, and in trying it I RUINED a set of $400 brand new 300ZX calipers. $400 down the drain. I ended up selling them for about $40.

Your best bet is to get the 240-300zx conversion lines like was already suggested, from www.heavythrottle.com

There are differences in the caliper and rotor from 90-96. Check google there is a site which I end up copying and pasting almost every week to the .org and I'm not doing it right now because it's 7am.

 

i just bought:
aluminum 300zx calipers-$200
brembo cross drilled & slotted cobra rotors-$180
240 300z coversion ss lines-$90
axxis pads-$40

all i need is the center rings and brackets

 

cool, where did you purchase the conversion lines from? Are they braided s/s? I have been looking around, and nobody seems to have them.
Let me know how the install goes, as I am pondering doing this install myself to my 97 max.

 

Me too, I got
aluminum 300zx calipers $110
brembo 13" slotted cobra rotors $100
240 300z conversion ss braided lines and speed bleeders $100 (from www.pdm-racing.com)
having the bracket made out of 304 ss $80 (since Jeff92se did not reply to my pm, had to have it made locally)

I still have not bougth the brake pads, and I think I'll just have the center rings made locally as well, since they will not be available from candiman until he decides to have a gd.

There is also a set up out there that uses 04 rotors from the maxima (12.6") and Wilwood superlite calipers. Matt93SE sells the rotors and all the hardware needed, but couldn't get him to reply to my pm either. You don't even need the center rings on that install. I would have liked to do that setup, since those calipers only weight 4lbs, but by the I came across that info, I had already bought everything for the 300zx conversion.


Pawnstar12, let me know how you project goes, I should be getting everything in for my conversion by tuesday of next week

 

aight no problem good luck man

 

Someone please post this on the faq ?

 

......... in how-to's