z32 brake upgrade

[SilviaDriver]

i know i know a very dumb question, but, for the people who did the z32 brake upgrade, are u suppose to do a upgrade for all 4 wheels? or only for the front two? becuz im on srswap.com and they only sell the brake kit for the front wheels, so im guessing you only do it for the front wheel? also is there anywhere else that sells the WHOLE z32 brake upgrade kit for a 240sx? while im doing a z32 brake upgrade and doing a 5 lug conversion all i need would be hubs right? and use the z32 rotors correctly? again sorry for the dumb question.

also wats the difference between aluminum and iron cast calipers. wats the disadvantages and advantages?

[AKADriver]

You can do just the front or all four, it's your choice.  The rear brakes really probably don't need attention for most people's purposes.  The stock braking system is already powerful enough to lock all four wheels easily, the 300ZX brake upgrade is mainly done for fade reduction.  The 300ZX rotors and calipers can absorb much more heat.  At track events I'm on the brakes hard enough to boil any fluid I put in there with my stock brakes.

I don't know of anyone selling all the parts necessary for a four wheel swap.  Check the Archive and FAQ section for a complete parts list; there's also a nice install guide somewhere on the main page.

The iron calipers were introduced because the iron is able to absorb a bit more heat.  This is also why the '91+ 300ZX NA went to 30mm thick rotors like the TT instead of 26mm.  The aluminum calipers are somewhat lighter and will look better unpainted, if that matters to you.

[adey]

Don't forget that the aluminium calipers will be slightly lighter than the iron counterparts, as will 26mm rotors vs 30mm rotors.

When/if doing all 4 wheels, I'd suggest doing the master cylinder at the same time; I moved from my stocks to J-spec chuki 180sx fronts, and even then, I felt a noticable difference in pedal level, stiffness and travel. Go with the Z32 MC if you're going for all corners-- remember that you're pushing 3 times as many pistons with a full Z32 brakes (12- 8 front 4 rear) than you are with stock (4- 2 front 2 rear).

If you're only doing fronts, it'd be a nice addition, but probably not REALLY necessary.

As AKA driver said, there is all the information you could possibly want re: z32 swap in the FAQ as well as past messages. Searching would be a good place to start -- both here and on FreshAlloy.

[Tubed4evr]

Here ya go

Here is an example of a complete swap. The rears are alot more work than the front because you have to swap the drum style ebrake system into you extisting spindle. Also you need to either extend or re-route the ebrake cables. Most people say that if you want something unique then go for the rear swap, but if you want bang for the buck/effort then just stick with the front.

[Jeff240sx]

I have the swap in front only.  In the group buys section, there is a post for the full brake swap (all 4, I think/hope).
If you do swap the rears also, you will need to upgrade to the z32 master cylinder as well.
From a person who has sold/shipped both aluminum and iron calipers.  Aluminum calipers weigh 6 pounds each, and iron weigh closer to 13 pounds.  Aluminum also absorb heat and dissipate it much faster than iron.  This is a great thing for fade reduction, but not for dumbasses.  This is why Nissan switched to iron for '92+ z32s.  People would brake hard, then stop and shut off thier car.  This will cause the calipers to warp.  You have to give the aluminum calipers a slight cooling period.  Iron is more resistant to this warpage.
-Jeff