Tutorial: S1 280ZX Rear Disc Brake Conversion for 240/260Z.

[C.A.R.]

This article is a step-by-step guide to mounting the rear calipers & rotors from a S1 280ZX onto the rear of your 240/260Z.

You should be able to complete this conversion in a weekend PROVIDING you have the required parts & tools.

It is also recommended that you recondition the calipers prior to use, fit new pads & rotors.

Please note, unless you want to go to the HUGE trouble of removing your rear hub, it is easier to simply cut the backing plates off.

Be aware, once you have removed the backing plates it’s very hard to return to drums…

This conversion will also fit under most 14” rims.

 

Items you’ll need:

Caliper brackets to mount the 280ZX calipers

(available here: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,1861.0.html )

280ZX Calipers & the original 8 mounting bolts & spring washers.

(or you can buy new M10, 30mm long bolts & washers).

280ZX Disc Rotors.

2 M8 bolts with nuts & washers.

2 handbrake cable mounting brackets (see below)

Old ‘bundy’ brake lines from the 280ZX shortened to suit or,

Custom braided brake lines.

Tools:

Power drill.

Drill bits (various sizes).

Angle grinder with 1mm cutting disc.

Metric spanner set.

Pliers .

Hammer.

Centre punch.

Cold chisel.

 

PPE:

Goggles or safety glasses

Earplugs or ear muffs.

Gloves.

 

Before you start:

You need make up 2 brackets for the handbrake cable.

Cut 2 pieces of 50x50x3 angle (Alum or steal) 50mm long.

Drill 8mm hole in each side in the centre (Pic1).

Next, get the old 280ZX bundy brake line shortened to around 100mm long by a brake shop with a 90deg turn at one end (Pic2).

[C.A.R.]

Step 1:

Jack up car. Place car securely on jack stands. Remove roads wheels.

Remove brake drums & then disassemble the rear brakes.

Clamp a rubber brake line ‘pincher’ onto the rubber brake line to prevent any fluid loss.

Also remove the handbrake cable & brake line (pics 3a & 3b).

Withdraw the slave cylinder. (Pic3)

DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY!

 

Step 2 (the worst part of the conversion):

Undo the 4 14mm headed bolts that secure the backing plate to the hub.

Give the B/P a tap forward with a hammer to ‘pop’ it off its step on the hub (pic4)

Now, with the B/P loose, cut down to the centre of the B/P with the 1mm cutting disc on the angle-grinder. Do this at opposite sides of the B/P.

Cut down as far as you can WITHOUT cutting into the hub or anything else.

Next, with your centre punch, punch a centre pop a few mm below the end of your cut (pic5)

Drill the hole thru the backing plate with an 8mm drill bit (pic6).

Once through, drill ‘downwards’ towards the hub until you’ve got 2 continuous ‘splits’ in the backing plate – TAKE YOUR TIME! (Pic 7 & 8 ).

(The backing plate is about 3mm thick & of fairly soft steel, you shouldn’t have any trouble cutting & drilling the backing plates in halves this way – just be careful).

[C.A.R.]

Cont:

[C.A.R.]

Step 3 (it gets easier from here):

Now you should now have a nice bare hub.

Using the M10 bolts, bolt the Alum. caliper bracket onto the forward edge of the hub.

It is recommended that you ‘Loctite’ the bolts in place (pic9)

Now, slide the 280ZX Disc Rotor over the studs on the hub (the road wheel holds the disc in place).

 

Step 4 (Getting there):

Unbolt the upper handbrake cable mount (close to the diff, under the floor) (pic10).

Fit the angle bracket to the body, and then bolt the rubber mount that the cable goes through to the top side of the bracket (pic11).

Next, bolt on the caliper with the bleed nipple facing UPWARDS using the other M10 bolts BEHIND the ‘ears’ of the caliper brackets.

Slide the handbrake cable through the outer holder. Using the old spring clip; push this into place to hold the cable. Secure the clip in place with a couple of cable ties OR tech screw the clip to the mount. (I am still working on a better solution to these).

Then fit the end of the cable to the caliper leaver with the old pin & split pin (pic12).

Secure the cable to the lower wishbone with a LOOSELY tied cable tie so as not to distort the cable too much (pic13).

Next, using the shortened bundy brake lines, fit these to the calipers, and then screw them into the original rubber hoses (Pic2).

[C.A.R.]

Step 5 (Nearly done!):

Remove the REAR line on the master cylinder. Undo the large 17mm nut in the M/C & remove. With a small ‘Eazy-out’ remove the flared pipe seat, behind this will be the little plastic 'Residual Pressure Valve' & spring.

Discard the plastic valve & spring.

Refit the flared pipe seat back into the M/C. 

Screw the large nut back in, then screw the line back in.

Then bleed the M/C at the union, followed by the rear calipers.

Bolt the road wheels back on & lower the car back down & take for a test drive!

(Removing the Residual Pressure Valve eliminates the rear calipers locking on when they heat up).

More information & pics here: http://ozdat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1257&start=15

Note: If you have some trouble getting the alum. caliper brackets to bolt up, a light sand with a flap wheel or sanding disc to the bracket should give you enough clearance to have them bolting up nicely.

 

If you have any more trouble with this conversion, please email me at:

Lurch (at) Ozdat.com – but don’t expect a speedy reply!

[twosixty]

Thanks Lurch for going to the effort of writing this up. This will very helpful to those who want to do this swap.

 

Cheers

Luke

[zr240]

HI Lurch did a similar conversion with the r31 calipers and disks but have never heard of the bit you remove from the master cylinder!!!

 

Thanks excellent write up

 

Ash

[Zedman240®]

When I did my conversion I went with the 280ZX 15/16 master cylinder for four wheel disc brakes. That plastic valve must be there for the drums. I didn't know that was there! You learn something new every day!

[luvemfast]

Great job Lurch.

Now all you need to do is apply some paint to the calipers to pretty them up a bit.

 

Care to do a Z32 front upgrade with the same detail??

[C.A.R.]

Ash & Dimitri, I was informed about that valve years ago when I 'was' going start on the R31 rear conversion.

I don't believe many people know about it - all the US conversions I've read up on don't mention it either 

 

Simon, with the amount of trouble you'd go to fit fit the Z32/R32/R33 calipers, I think I'd rather go Wilwood... 

I may however do a 'Hilux/Landcruiser + S13 rotor' Tutorial one day...

[gav240z]

Good work Lurch. I'm sure it will come in handy when time comes to upgrade from rear drums on my Z .

[Toecutter]

Good stuff Lurch, very comprehensive. I'll have to send you a Z clock! 

 

Sulio

[fufu]

Hi,

 

does it matter which year 280zx calipers are used?

 

or any model can be adapted to it?

[C.A.R.]

Hi,

 

does it matter which year 280zx calipers are used?

 

or any model can be adapted to it?

 

Your better off useing the S2 280ZX calipers as apprently rebuild kits for the S1 calipers are NLA.

[fufu]

Your better off useing the S2 280ZX calipers as apprently rebuild kits for the S1 calipers are NLA.

 

Cheers mate,

 

I'm looking into this because... as you may have seen in my projects page. I did the rear disc conversion, however the kit i used, contained the 85-86 maxima calipers. These are impossible to source parts locally for. All brake components and even the pads need to be ordered from US.

 

I'm looking into replacing them with 280zx rear calipers. Trying to find out which one uses the 85-86 maxima caliper mounting bracket.

[C.A.R.]

Cheers mate,

 

I'm looking into this because... as you may have seen in my projects page. I did the rear disc conversion, however the kit i used, contained the 85-86 maxima calipers. These are impossible to source parts locally for. All brake components and even the pads need to be ordered from US.

 

I'm looking into replacing them with 280zx rear calipers. Trying to find out which one uses the 85-86 maxima caliper mounting bracket.

 

Bit of a lession to be learned for everyone else, eh Fu?

 

I doubt you'll find the 280ZX calipers will fit the Maxima brackets, but you never know...

The brackets I had made up wern't cheap, but Sulio found these Ex US:

http://store.zraceproducts.com/brakes.php

 

HTH

[NZeder]

Question is this setup for the S1 or S2 rotors? They are different diameter and offset. The S1 are 269mm x 10mm with a total hat height of 68mm but the S2 are 258mm x 10mm with a hat of 47mm

 

Cheers

Mike

[fufu]

Bit of a lesson to be learned for everyone else, eh Fu?

 

I doubt you'll find the 280ZX calipers will fit the Maxima brackets, but you never know...

The brackets I had made up weren't cheap, but Sulio found these Ex US:

http://store.zraceproducts.com/brakes.php

 

HTH

 

Yea, I also ordered the parts it cost 100 bucks including shipping to get the brake guide clips to get sent to me. If you do get a brake conversion kit from US, make sure you don't lose a clip like I did, but all together the benefits of the 280zx caliper is a lot better. You benefit from bigger pistons which if you do the 4 x4 hilux fronts it does seem to balance out the braking power. Don't buy from ebay user "Tinmonk" he literally provides no support for his products (Rear Disc Conversion Kit). Lesson learnt.

 

Question is this setup for the S1 or S2 rotors? They are different diameter and offset. The S1 are 269mm x 10mm with a total hat height of 68mm but the S2 are 258mm x 10mm with a hat of 47mm

 

Cheers

Mike

 

I'll check into that. I have high hopes that... dependent on the rotor size that you mentioned will give me the answer to the caliper that will fit and bolt on. I believe i have the flat type caliper bracket. As the picture that Lurch pointed me too looked a bit high.

 

This was the kit i bought from Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-240Z-260Z-280Z-rear-disc-brake-kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em122QQcategoryZ42614QQihZ008QQitemZ180283592522QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD2V

 

You can see the bracket doesn't give much height out for the brake caliper. But I'll find out about the rotor size and hopefully that will help or that ebay seller will reply to my 2 dozen emails.

[C.A.R.]

Mike, wasn't aware of any differences between the S1 & S2 setups.

I used the S1 rotors with Robs Alum. brackets & it all bolted up fine.

[NZeder]

Mike, wasn't aware of any differences between the S1 & S2 setups.

I used the S1 rotors with Robs Alum. brackets & it all bolted up fine.

Thanks Lurch, I thought they might work with the S1 given the look of the bracket and the offset as I believe the S2 have an almost flat bracket setup. The guys in the US that do the S2 setup use the Maxima brackets which are flat.

[C.A.R.]

All very interesting, thanks Mike

Fu, you might BE able to fit the S2 280ZX calipers up to your Maxima brackets after all

[fufu]

I hope so, its actually dependent on the brake bracket. I was reading somewhere either S13 caliper or the S2 280zx but not really confirming articles that i've read. More along the lines of... it could or it should. But nothing hard evidence.

 

wish my luck i will find out shortly.

 

I also had the clips ordered and a spare set of brake pads as well. It's not all that bad i guess. To get the brake pads it would cost me about 60 AUD to get sent to my door. It's just the wait time of not being able to have things available to me that worries me about this conversion.

 

Anyways i hope my misfortune guides others on what to do or what not to do.

 

 

[Woza01]

Hi All...

 

just to add my two cents worth. I did the conversion using the Genuine Nissan Maxima Brackets (Nissan Part # 44155-04S10). 280ZX calipers and Discs go right on, but I cant quite remember if they are teh early or late calipers....but have a look at the attached pics of my old setup before I sold them to 'Mayhem' and you will be able to identify them, because the other type are totally different.

 

Hope this helps

[Toecutter]

I have this same bracket. Hoping to go out and source calipers in the next couple of weeks. How much did the discs set you back, they look new?

 

Can anybody ID these calipers to be series 1 or 2?

 

Sulio

[NZeder]

Can anybody ID these calipers to be series 1 or 2?

 

Sulio

If you are talking about the pic above - it is hard from that angle the difference in rotor size is hard to pic (269mm vs 258mm approx 10mm) the easiest way to tell is from the side. The S1 with the 68mm hat will be very close to the strut and the S2 with the 47mm hat will be almost 20mm away (near the bottom of the strut that is)

 

I have a done a lot of research into the rear brake conversion on a 240z/260z and have been working through a vented conversion that will have a little drum inside for the hand/park brake so I can run a 4 pot on the rear. I have got it down to 3 possible rotor choices but I am waiting for technical drawings of the rotors to work out which one will work best. Once I have this down I will post a thread on my conversion (I do have a conversion that works currently but the rotor is very large and 4 pot I have is causing issues with my RS Watanabes so I am now back to square one - this can be fixed by purchasing some Wilwood powerlite calipers but these are not designed for the size rotor I have on this current conversion...ahhh....)