Rear brake conversion Skyline/z32 - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

jboy · 10-14-2003, 03:27 PM

I have doing a lot of research from post to post and board to board. I am still stumped on the rear brake conversion. If the z32 brakes are disk, then why do I see that it is a drum style rear brake also. I thought that it is either one or the other. If it has a rear caliper, then it is a disk braking system correct? I have brought my brakes from Japan and got the 4 calipers and 4 rotors from a Skyline R32 GTS. I have read that the GTS-T have a drum style rear brake while the GTS does not. If this is true, can anyone give me details about the rear brake swap since I would assume they would be different than the instructions from http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm

Thanks for your help.

cdlong · 10-14-2003, 09:36 PM

i don't know much about the skyline brakes so i'll talk about the Z32 and generally. there are three types of parking brakes, integrated calipers, drum brakes, and a drum-in-hat. drum brakes have a built in parking brake and are virtually never used in performance cars. stock 240s use an integrated caliper. that's where the caliper has a screw built into the piston that will apply the service brake (the main pad) when the cable is pulled. a drum-in-hat uses a standard caliper (either a sliding caliper or a fixed opposed piston like the Z32). inside the hat (the raised portion) there is a drum type parking brake that has seperate pads and a seperate braking surface. that gives the drum in hat certain advantages that i won't go into because i'm tired of typing. i hope that helped, feel free to ask anymore questions.

well, i might as well add a little more. an integrated caliper is simplier and cheaper (though not cheaper than a straight drum) but when the brakes are used the pads and rotor get hot. when you go to park your car you clamp hot pads against a hot rotor, which can cause brake roughness. an integrated caliper can't be used with a fixed caliper. a drum-in-hat stays cool and doesn't matter if it works smoothly but it costs more, a big deal to auto companies whether you want to admit it or not. if you don't use a drum-in-hat often it might freeze up, while an integrated brake gets used all the time (though mine did freeze up because the previous owner never used it). drum type parking brakes also have a self locking feature, integrated calipers do the opposite. as the drum cools, it gets smaller in diameter and tighter against the pads, as a rotor cools it gets thinner and the parking brake loosens up. generally it's not a problem, but it comes up more when you use a vented rear rotor. ok, now i'm done.

Rownan · 10-15-2003, 08:10 AM

Basically the Z32 rear brakes are disc with an integrated drum used only by the e-brake. It is incredibly useful on a track car where you can beat the piss out of the brakes and then apply the hand brake without warping the rotor.

BTW I am running Z32 rear brakes without the e-brake hooked up cause I am too lazy.

Tim
www.projectaspec.com

jboy · 10-15-2003, 05:04 PM

Thanks guys. I think that this should help.

10-14-2003, 03:27 PM	#1
jboy Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cali Posts: 2 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Rear brake conversion Skyline/z32 I have doing a lot of research from post to post and board to board. I am still stumped on the rear brake conversion. If the z32 brakes are disk, then why do I see that it is a drum style rear brake also. I thought that it is either one or the other. If it has a rear caliper, then it is a disk braking system correct? I have brought my brakes from Japan and got the 4 calipers and 4 rotors from a Skyline R32 GTS. I have read that the GTS-T have a drum style rear brake while the GTS does not. If this is true, can anyone give me details about the rear brake swap since I would assume they would be different than the instructions from http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm Thanks for your help.

10-14-2003, 09:36 PM	#2
cdlong Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Age: 44 Posts: 1,865 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: cdlong Feedback Score: 0 reviews	i don't know much about the skyline brakes so i'll talk about the Z32 and generally. there are three types of parking brakes, integrated calipers, drum brakes, and a drum-in-hat. drum brakes have a built in parking brake and are virtually never used in performance cars. stock 240s use an integrated caliper. that's where the caliper has a screw built into the piston that will apply the service brake (the main pad) when the cable is pulled. a drum-in-hat uses a standard caliper (either a sliding caliper or a fixed opposed piston like the Z32). inside the hat (the raised portion) there is a drum type parking brake that has seperate pads and a seperate braking surface. that gives the drum in hat certain advantages that i won't go into because i'm tired of typing. i hope that helped, feel free to ask anymore questions. well, i might as well add a little more. an integrated caliper is simplier and cheaper (though not cheaper than a straight drum) but when the brakes are used the pads and rotor get hot. when you go to park your car you clamp hot pads against a hot rotor, which can cause brake roughness. an integrated caliper can't be used with a fixed caliper. a drum-in-hat stays cool and doesn't matter if it works smoothly but it costs more, a big deal to auto companies whether you want to admit it or not. if you don't use a drum-in-hat often it might freeze up, while an integrated brake gets used all the time (though mine did freeze up because the previous owner never used it). drum type parking brakes also have a self locking feature, integrated calipers do the opposite. as the drum cools, it gets smaller in diameter and tighter against the pads, as a rotor cools it gets thinner and the parking brake loosens up. generally it's not a problem, but it comes up more when you use a vented rear rotor. ok, now i'm done. __________________ Last edited by cdlong; 10-14-2003 at 10:11 PM..

10-15-2003, 08:10 AM	#3
Rownan Leaky Injector Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Waterford, MI Age: 43 Posts: 133 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Basically the Z32 rear brakes are disc with an integrated drum used only by the e-brake. It is incredibly useful on a track car where you can beat the piss out of the brakes and then apply the hand brake without warping the rotor. BTW I am running Z32 rear brakes without the e-brake hooked up cause I am too lazy. Tim www.projectaspec.com

10-15-2003, 05:04 PM	#4
jboy Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: cali Posts: 2 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Thanks guys. I think that this should help.