300ZX TT Brakes on...thoughts, comments, and pics
300ZX TT Brakes on...thoughts, comments, and pics
Got around to installing the 300ZX TwinTurbo calipers with 6th gen rotors, SS lines, and the BlehmCo kit. A few thoughts first of all, then some pics:
Getting the stuff:
- The calipers I sourced from a local junkyard for $40 each...a great deal for the aluminum Z32 TT calipers
- Caliper rebuild kit, pad shims, and new pins I got from DaveB - reliable as ever!
- Hawk HPS pads and new 6th gen rotors from Jeff at ImportRP - Great service, and when Jeff found out that the Brembo blanks wouldn't be in for a few weeks he worked with me and got me some OEM replacements (Kiriu, which makes our OEM rotors). Thanks Jeff!
- BlehmCo brackets and SS lines from Matt Blehm, of course. With Matt's hectic schedule these days, I greatly appreciate him finding time to get me the stuff when I needed it. When he didn't think it would make it via USPS on time, he 2-day'd it DHL. Excellent at always.
- ATE Racing Blue brake fluid: Had a couple cans around, originally acquired from OG Racing and also from Cutler.
Pre-work:
- Caliper rebuild. It's really quite simple to rebuilt the Z32 calipers, and it took me about 2 hours for both of them. From what I've read, it's a good idea to rebuild them periodically. Replaced seals, boots, pins, and cleaned and re-greased spring clips. Assembled and greased shims and pads.
- Caliper painting....of course. Just some basic black, nothing flashy
- Test-fitting. Using a rotor and spare spindle/hub assembly I double-checked to make sure they'd fit all of my wheels.
- Test-fitting: brackets - One of the bracket holes was about 1-2mm off, so I had to dremel it out just a bit. No big problem, took about 5 minutes
- The rotors come coated with NASTY grease, and it took a while to get all that crap off. I still didn't get all of it.....
Putting it together:
- Like I said, pretty simple. I had no real problems at all with anything. One of the easiest brake jobs I've ever done.
- My wife helped out bleeding the brakes - the best-looking assistant I've worked with! Then Cutler (jason) came over and helped with the other side. He's not as attractive, but equally good at pressing the brake pedal!
Performance:
- After bedding, they feel....alot like the 6th gen setup in initial bite. Good pedal feel, and I think the compression is more "even" than with the single-piston calipers...if you get what I mean. If you really stomp it, these calipers/pads have NO problem locking the wheels up and kicking in the ABS. I call it an improvement to the full 6th gen setup. I don't think I'd call it "drastic" but it is definitely noticeable.
Other notes:
- Thanks to Jason for his help.
- Thanks to my wife for her help (and patience with me spending Saturday working on the car AGAIN)
- This is a worthwhile mod. I spent under $500 total for everything I used for this, and it is an improvement in both performance and looks. Very happy with the results.
So...I'm sure you all want some pics, so I'll post them momentarily
Getting the stuff:
- The calipers I sourced from a local junkyard for $40 each...a great deal for the aluminum Z32 TT calipers
- Caliper rebuild kit, pad shims, and new pins I got from DaveB - reliable as ever!
- Hawk HPS pads and new 6th gen rotors from Jeff at ImportRP - Great service, and when Jeff found out that the Brembo blanks wouldn't be in for a few weeks he worked with me and got me some OEM replacements (Kiriu, which makes our OEM rotors). Thanks Jeff!
- BlehmCo brackets and SS lines from Matt Blehm, of course. With Matt's hectic schedule these days, I greatly appreciate him finding time to get me the stuff when I needed it. When he didn't think it would make it via USPS on time, he 2-day'd it DHL. Excellent at always.
- ATE Racing Blue brake fluid: Had a couple cans around, originally acquired from OG Racing and also from Cutler.
Pre-work:
- Caliper rebuild. It's really quite simple to rebuilt the Z32 calipers, and it took me about 2 hours for both of them. From what I've read, it's a good idea to rebuild them periodically. Replaced seals, boots, pins, and cleaned and re-greased spring clips. Assembled and greased shims and pads.
- Caliper painting....of course. Just some basic black, nothing flashy
- Test-fitting. Using a rotor and spare spindle/hub assembly I double-checked to make sure they'd fit all of my wheels.
- Test-fitting: brackets - One of the bracket holes was about 1-2mm off, so I had to dremel it out just a bit. No big problem, took about 5 minutes
- The rotors come coated with NASTY grease, and it took a while to get all that crap off. I still didn't get all of it.....
Putting it together:
- Like I said, pretty simple. I had no real problems at all with anything. One of the easiest brake jobs I've ever done.
- My wife helped out bleeding the brakes - the best-looking assistant I've worked with! Then Cutler (jason) came over and helped with the other side. He's not as attractive, but equally good at pressing the brake pedal!
Performance:
- After bedding, they feel....alot like the 6th gen setup in initial bite. Good pedal feel, and I think the compression is more "even" than with the single-piston calipers...if you get what I mean. If you really stomp it, these calipers/pads have NO problem locking the wheels up and kicking in the ABS. I call it an improvement to the full 6th gen setup. I don't think I'd call it "drastic" but it is definitely noticeable.
Other notes:
- Thanks to Jason for his help.
- Thanks to my wife for her help (and patience with me spending Saturday working on the car AGAIN)
- This is a worthwhile mod. I spent under $500 total for everything I used for this, and it is an improvement in both performance and looks. Very happy with the results.
So...I'm sure you all want some pics, so I'll post them momentarily
Clearance under G35 17’s, my winter wheels (17x7.5, 30mm offset)
Clearance under the track wheels (5zigen fno1r-c 17x8, 35mm offset) These were a VERY close fit on offset, thanks to the spoke design
The ghetto-fabulous bleed reservoir
Clearance under the track wheels (5zigen fno1r-c 17x8, 35mm offset) These were a VERY close fit on offset, thanks to the spoke design
The ghetto-fabulous bleed reservoir
The before (6th gen brakes)
After:
EDIT: Pics with 2pc rotors installed end of 2006
some extra painting to cover up the unswept area so it doesn't rust, and also to bring just a tiny bit of ricy color to my all black and silver car.
After:
EDIT: Pics with 2pc rotors installed end of 2006
some extra painting to cover up the unswept area so it doesn't rust, and also to bring just a tiny bit of ricy color to my all black and silver car.
Originally Posted by misiek
wow that looks awesome great job are you running stock in back? i know backs arent as important just wondering
Those brakes look awesome. Another one of your killer mods that I'd love to copy. By the way thanks for the Eibach spring advice, I got them installed last tuesday and I love the way they feel. 
That looks amazing! Are the "Nissan" emblems a part of the caliper or are they stickers? And are these calipers dual or quad piston?
Great Job!
Btw, how much did all of this run you, if you don't mind me asking that is.
Great Job!
Btw, how much did all of this run you, if you don't mind me asking that is.
Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
That looks amazing! Are the "Nissan" emblems a part of the caliper or are they stickers? And are these calipers dual or quad piston?
Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
Btw, how much did all of this run you, if you don't mind me asking that is.
I got good deals on a few things though, and found the calipers super-cheap (got lucky)
Originally Posted by JSutter
Nice thread as always! Any plans for the rear setup?
Hell, This is my fourth front brake upgrade, and I still have OEM pads in the back - need to put some HPS back there at least
I think the car is pretty much where it will stay until next summer. Maybe a few small things here or there, but I've accomplished what i wanted to do with it this year and now it's time to work on the house more, finish up the autocross season, and stash every extra cent away for a new house with a garage
Originally Posted by Bluesbrekr
Nice job irish! Glad they fit under all of your wheels.
You've been quiet recently...what are you working on? I don't think you can get your paint any shinier, so you need to do something else
Originally Posted by irish44j
Thanks Tom...yeah me too - if they didn't, I wouldn't have put them on.
You've been quiet recently...what are you working on? I don't think you can get your paint any shinier, so you need to do something else
You've been quiet recently...what are you working on? I don't think you can get your paint any shinier, so you need to do something else
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Pics of your assistant?
(and I'm not talking about Jason).
(and I'm not talking about Jason).
She looks quite a bit like the girl in my avatar, though....instead, here's a pic of my other assistant, who usually sits around and does alot of watching, but little to no helping..
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Originally Posted by D-Bo
Nice write up bro. I am definitely jealous. One question though, what prompted your choice of the 6th gen rotors over the Cobra rotors?
That, and I was originially going to re-use the 6th gen rotors I already had (though I ended up getting new ones)
Originally Posted by Myownnismo
Looks great. Wish I didn't have to sell mine. But they didn't clear my 19's.
you could have gotten spacers, couldn't you?
Originally Posted by SEMy2k2go
Josh, not sure if you've touched on this at all, and I know those are good quality pieces, but the welds on this bracket kinda scare me...(maybe it's just the picture)
1. Those parts are really not holding the caliper, they are essentially just spacers sandwiched between the flat bracket and the caliper. It's the vertical plane of the bracket that's really holding the force of the caliper. Of course like everything else I'll periodically check for cracks and stuff, but I'm not concerned at all.
2. The welds on my LTB are almost as unattractive, but have proven extremely strong. The LTB gets alot more torsional stress on the welds than these brackets do, I'd guess
3. Also of course how many people have used these with no issues at all, including several guys who track them.
Originally Posted by irish44j
I didn't think the Cobra rotors would clear the diameter of my winter wheels - as you can see, these are pretty close.
That, and I was originially going to re-use the 6th gen rotors I already had (though I ended up getting new ones)
you could have gotten spacers, couldn't you?
Tim, the welds are a bit sloppy appearance-wise, but I have no concerns on the strength for a few reasons:
1. Those parts are really not holding the caliper, they are essentially just spacers sandwiched between the flat bracket and the caliper. It's the vertical plane of the bracket that's really holding the force of the caliper. Of course like everything else I'll periodically check for cracks and stuff, but I'm not concerned at all.
2. The welds on my LTB are almost as unattractive, but have proven extremely strong. The LTB gets alot more torsional stress on the welds than these brackets do, I'd guess
3. Also of course how many people have used these with no issues at all, including several guys who track them.
That, and I was originially going to re-use the 6th gen rotors I already had (though I ended up getting new ones)
you could have gotten spacers, couldn't you?
Tim, the welds are a bit sloppy appearance-wise, but I have no concerns on the strength for a few reasons:
1. Those parts are really not holding the caliper, they are essentially just spacers sandwiched between the flat bracket and the caliper. It's the vertical plane of the bracket that's really holding the force of the caliper. Of course like everything else I'll periodically check for cracks and stuff, but I'm not concerned at all.
2. The welds on my LTB are almost as unattractive, but have proven extremely strong. The LTB gets alot more torsional stress on the welds than these brackets do, I'd guess
3. Also of course how many people have used these with no issues at all, including several guys who track them.
They wouldn't clear with a 5mm spacer. I got new wheels picked out and for the time being I just got a set of brembo rotors.
Originally Posted by SEmy2K2go
Josh, not sure if you've touched on this at all, and I know those are good quality pieces, but the welds on this bracket kinda scare me...(maybe it's just the picture)
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j8...s/IMG_6603.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j8...s/IMG_6603.jpg
Take a sledgehammer to one and see what the outcome is.
ugly welds: 1
sledgehammer: 0
Those are some of my more ugly welds. didn't have much time so I had to run out there and do them in order to get these parts shipped. not my best work.
also note there isn't much stress on them in the first place. the back plate itself takes all of the shear forces and the bushings are there simply as washers. The first few sets of these I made and tried on my personal cars weren't even welded- just used the bushings as spacers. They've been on there for over 5 years and 60,000 miles (about 8,000 of that is track miles too) without a single incident. may be ugly, but they work.
