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280ZX brake upgrade


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Here are some progress pics of my brake upgrade.

Starting from standard to hopefully finished soon.

Master cylinder already rebuilt and upgraded to 1" piston.

 

Fronts are Z32 300ZX 4 piston calipers

With 296 x 30mm slotted rotors, modifications needed as nothing off the shelf.

Custom brackets need to be made. The joys of being a toolmaker and having access to manual and CNC machines. ;D

Stainless steel braided lines.

 

Rears are standard series 2 280ZX with slotted rotors and all rubber hoses replaced with stainless steel braided lines.

 

If this doesn't give me more braking confidence..........nothing will.

 

First shot is standard brakes.

Second, rotor difference.

My oven bake painting facility, my wood heater is so ugly that I love it more for it.

Rear brakes should be here, forgot to take a before pic.

 

 

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Here is an update on progress.

The rears are now finished. Straight bolt on and off job, nice and easy.

 

Front rotors needed boring out of the location hole and redrilling monting holes. Trial and error with modelling the caliper bracket in solidworks, printing it off and cutting it out. (I draw the line at colouring in)

I also found some ducting laying around at work, thought I'll give it a go to try and fit them to the fronts.

 

Hoping to have it on the road next weekend

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no your wrong 280zx is cool you are the first i know to uprgrade the brakes, well done looks good, the 280zx is what a friend of mine calls an orphan as no one wants them, he has some really nice examples in fact ive lost count of how many he has but i help him look after them , his wife drives one an he drives one on a regular basis , suspesion an steering can be fidly to get right tho as they are sensitive to ride control as you dont want them too soft or too hard a ride as it effects handling and ride comfort espcially in wet conditions, so if your on a good thing stick too it, regards dan.

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Working on the brake brackets, taking more time than I was expecting (to get clearances right).

Will trial fit on the weekend.

 

no your wrong 280zx is cool

 

If your referring to my sig, I obviously I like it. Its just when you get talking to people about cars and when you tell them what you have and the kind of huff "oouuhh".

 

Statistically, the 280ZX was designed with more of a 50-50 weight distrubution for better high speed cornering. What they don't take into consideration is the extra weight also.

 

 

 

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I thought with anything that gets hot to paint flat black to help dissipate the heat. With a brake caliper bracket it might help that little bit! Plus I don't think you can see it at all anyway.

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Anything as long as they don't stand out  ;D

Cant be seen really, more of a wa#k factor.

 

Good to see someone who i can pick the brain of

Hope your not hoping to find too much inside

 

Hoping to get it finished to go to the fun day at Winton on Saturday. Don't like my chances.

 

On a side note-

Anyone have a tandem trailer they would rent out for a day?

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Very neat Simon! ;D

 

BTW, Ducting normally works best when it is funnelled into backing plate or shroud, rather than just pointing at the rotor.

If you get a chance, have a look at a V8SC setup ;)

 

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hey i Simon i was wondering i you or anyone else knew if your setup eg the bracket would fit my 260z 2+2 as i have a full set of 300zxtt brakes in great condition at my disposal and was wanting to do a brake upgrade like yourself, if so are you able to send me the dimensions of your bracket so i can get my brother to make some up.

 

cheers pauly

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I thought with anything that gets hot to paint flat black to help dissipate the heat. With a brake caliper bracket it might help that little bit! Plus I don't think you can see it at all anyway.

 

This is what I don't get.... The colour black gets hotter than say white or chrome in sunlight. as it absorbs all the colours of the spectrum. While white reflects them all, therfore absorbs less radiation from the sun.

 

Mythbusters did a thing on the temp of a white car compared to a black car and the black car did get hotter.

 

Why does a object that gets hot internally radiate more heat when black compared to any other colour? Car manufactures must put black radiators in cars for some reason?

 

I can remember something called "Black Body Radiation" from college. I will have to do some research and get back to ya's

 

Luvemfast awesome work, looks SHMICK. The 280ZX does look good in it's own right.

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Bled the brakes, but need to get more fluid to do some more.

Used Penrite SIN brake fluid. Its a full synthetic and is popular with bikes apparently.

 

Seems to work well, needs to bed in though.

But,

I have a bad pedal, it has a terrible feel to it. Picks up very low and almost goes to the floor.YUK...

 

What could it be?

 

I was wondering if you or anyone else knew if your setup eg the bracket would fit my 260z 2+2

cheers pauly

Only way to know is to try it on a car.

Where are you? I'm in outer eastern Melbourne.

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There must still be air in the system. Start from the Master cylinder and then from the furthest wheel from the MC to the closest. Did the 280's go to diagonal split system? I'm not sure on that one..Might have to bleed differently if it is. Also make sure the calipers are square to the disc. That can cause a low pedal.

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Did the 280's go to diagonal split system?

Front reservoir is for the rear brakes and rear reservoir is for the front brakes.

 

Master cylinder makes a squish noise when pedal is pressed. Is this going to be air?

 

Start from the Master cylinder and then from the furthest wheel from the MC to the closest.

I did the m/c, then the drivers front, pass front, pass rear and drivers rear. Maybe this was my problem.

 

When I bleed the m/c, should fluid come out. I haven't really been getting much.

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Front reservoir is for the rear brakes and rear reservoir is for the front brakes.

 

Master cylinder makes a squish noise when pedal is pressed. Is this going to be air?

I did the m/c, then the drivers front, pass front, pass rear and drivers rear. Maybe this was my problem.

 

When I bleed the m/c, should fluid come out. I haven't really been getting much.

When you bleed the master cylinder, plenty of fluid should come out. Have you adjusted the rod properly that goes from the brake pedal to the m/c? There should be a little play there and not enough to push the piston a bit when you install the m/c and bolt it up.

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Was advised to take shims out of front calipers, as pads have rubber backing.

Have re-bled and it is ace, think I will need wider rubber on the front to transfer braking to the road and maybe a proportioning valve.

There is now more movement in the m/c, since the braided lines don't "give". Will make a brace to the strut tower in the future.

 

What else can I do for extra braking power? I have gone braking mad since having brake failure at Sandown and coming off at speed.

 

 

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  • 4 months later...
  • 5 months later...

is it possible for you to make and sell a pair for me?  ;D I am in the USA and am building an 81 RHD Fairlady Z with an RB25. I own a Nissan race shop and am going to put bigger brakes on my car. This is a perfect solution for me. I have 10+ sets of these stock TT calipers and rotors sitting around. Would you consider making a set of the brackets for sale for me??? I would truly appreciate it.

I can be reached directly at doug@zfever.com or you can call me directly at 813-877-7600. Thanks

Doug Mitchell

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  • 11 months later...
Here is the caliper adaptor so far, it needs more material removed to clear the strut.

 

I was thinking of getting it plated at work. What do you think, satin chrome, bright chrome or gold plate finish?

 

Hi

 

I have a '79 280ZX and have been looking for a brake up grade for a while and that's when I ran into your set up. It is awsome! Can you help me out with the dimentions for the caliper adaptor or sell me a set? I would very much appreciate it.

 

Thanks

John

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