After much work ... done!

[FoCaL]

Well I must say that this project was more about getting everything needed, and getting the correct parts ahead of time than it was actually doing the work. Heres a list of everything I did.

Z32 Brakes All Around
Z32 Master Cylinder
5 Lug Conversion
Ebiach Springs
KYB AGX Shocks
Z32 Wheels (16x7.5 Front, & 16x8.5 Rear)
Polyurethane Bushings
Inner and Outer Tie Rod Ends

Essentually thats all I did but preparation, and the amount of parts needed to do the above is unreal. A fewt things I learned while soing this job.

First is scary as hell pushing out the old rubber bushings. They dont slowly slide out, they shoot out like a bullet! The first one freaked me out big time. I was not prepared for that at all. I mean it put a dent in my concrete floor! Then the new poly ones do not go into their new home very easily. I did four and realized the amount of time, work, effort to do them. I gave up and took them to a shop and had them finish the 10 or so left.

No matter how prepared you think you are, your missing something. I thought I had everything, I was missing a tappered sleeve for the rear spindles. I used the aluminum Z32 spindles and there is a steel sleeve that fits between the lower ball joint and the spindle. BTW for anyone interested, Z32 rear shocks work fine in a S13. Some people told me this wouldnt work or make the car handle funny. I had a few others, but his was the hardest to find on short notice.

The person I got my Z32 front calipers from said that he had a 91 NA, so they should be 30mm calipers. Well I go to put them on, sure enough they are 28mm off of a 90 NA. So I ran to my local Autozone and bought rebuild 30mm front calipers. Used the 28mm as core charges. I did that since Id rather have 30mm, and I did not want to buy 28mm rotors and mounting hardware so it would all fit right.

Use the bolts from the S13 calipers to hold the Z32 calipers to the spindle. In the rear use Z32 bolts, since you have the Z32 spindle. I guessed wrong and Z32 bolts dont work int he front, they are to long. So thats in my list of parts to return now.

Buy 4 more lug nuts. I forgot all about this, so I have 4 lug nuts on each wheel until I can get some more tomorrow.

Well Im sur eI have more, but Im done for right now. Feel free to ask any questions. Anyone looking to do this project in teh future, feel free to contact me and ask as many questions as you want. Ill be happy to help you out.

Now how about some pictures of my finished work!!

[FoCaL]

more pics

[Nismos14]

looks freakin sick, missing a wheel lug there!!!

[zero.counter]

Freakin clean man. I love it. Good job!

[theronin]

im curious on how ya hooked up the ebrake cables? or are you one of them ebrakeless mofos?

[f2a4s0t]

Z wheels and pinstripes are not my style but nice car. Hows the stopping power? always wanted 5 lug and z brakes but never could find a good deal on them.

[wingsnthangs]

Nice. If I ever went 5-lug, thats exactly how I want my car to look like in the wheel wells.

Love the gunmetal Z wheels, did you powdercoat them yourself?

How much did the 5-lug conversion cost you?
Are those Eibach Sportlines or Pro-Kit?

[Nismos14]

i could be wrong but it looks like a prokit drop to me

[cAnnAbiS13]

I like the work, glad to see the post came with pics. looks nice although, I'd lose the pin and black stripes. like the Z wheels, more sleeper than aftermarket rims. It just makes sense with the 5-lug and brake conversion.

Curious on the tint, want to get it done and live in Kansas City, is that 35% up front, all around?

[Zemus]

Very clean car, nice rear neg camber.

[240Dave]

Looks great.
I don't like the pinstripe but the black line looks cool.
Ofcourse, the rims rock.

Are you missing a lugnut off the driverside rear or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

[Fastback180]

Looks sick man.
Now PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! take off the electric tape! Your paint job wants you to!
Anyways, glad to hear you're done.

[FoCaL]

Man oh man ... Thanks for all the compliments guys, its apreacaited. ill try to hit all the questions ask thus far. I hope I dont miss any.

I know I am missing a lug nut. As I said in my first post its one of those things that slips your mind with everythign else going on. I know 5 lug conversion it should be obvious ... well it wasnt to me. I plan on picking some up tomorrow.

I am ebrakeless for the time being. I plan on doing one a couple things. One is to park on level surfaces. The other is to do some research and figure out how to make an ebrake cable that will work, or two buy projectsilvia's when its released. I talkt to them last week about it and they said it should not be long. However long for a shop and long for me are probably to different things. So I guess Ill be making one.

The wheels are actually painted. I had planned on powdercoating them. I purchased these wheels already painted black. So I stripped them only to find they are chromed, and the chrome is in bad shape. Because the wheels are aluminum I cannot get them dechromed. As that involves harsh chemcicals that would eat the wheel because its actually softer than chrome. I did not want to powdercaot over the chrome for fear of it being ruined in a couple years from chome flacking off. So I took the cheap route for now and plan on buying some nicer wheels in the end.

Its the Pro-Kit, I did not want much drop. However now I have the pro-kit and I think I would rather have the sportlines, with a little more drop.

I agree with you all I hate the pinstrip. I just havent had time to remove. I do however like the my black electrical tape, so that will stay for now.

Edit: I knew I would forget something ... window tint. Its 35% on the side windows, 15% on the rear 3, and 5% visor ont he windsheild. The MO law is 35% on the sides, no resrtions on any other window, other than the windsheild.

[720_datsun]

teh eceltrical tape is hot.

[FoCaL]

Forgot a couple more Q's

Firs the braking power of these brakes is rediculous. Ive never driven a car that stops this good. I havent pushed them real hard because there new, and I want to get the pads seated to the rotors before I really work them over. However, I can just tell with the fw harder stops Ive done. I cant see any reason for any larger brakes, maybe a full out track car for fade resistance over a full race and not just a few laps. Other than that, these rock!

As for the cost of 5 lug ... well if I just did 5 lug I could tell you, but I did MUCH more. I will say that I dont want to add it up for fear of that exact number. I will also say I paid $1500 for the car, and I know I spent more than that on everyhting. Id guess around $2300 or so, proly more when you add in services. Like alignment, shipping, rotor turning, bushing removal & install, etc...

Now I just got to get the LSD sitting in my garage in the car ... Man one thing after another!

[johnny426]

Questions about your 5-lug conversion.

Do you use S13 strut bolts or S14?

You use KYB AGX Z32 rear shocks, right? What about the front?

What is the offset on these Z32 wheels?

[Eyescream]

Originally posted by johnny426
Do you use S13 strut bolts or S14?

Only way he could use S13 strut bolts is if he put the S14 hub on the S13 upright (not sure if that'd work) or if he did like I did with my swap and had a machine shop press inserts into the S14 uprights to make them work with the 12mm S13 bolts instead of the 14mm S14 bolts.

You got a good lookin car, Focal. Dig it.

[FoCaL]

Yes you use S14 bolts and nuts for the shock mount to the spindle. I bought S14 KYB AGX front shocks, so I would not have to drill out the S13 shock so the larger S14 bolts would fit through it. I have an extra set of the S14 bolts. I ordered them from a local dealer, and they said they could not get them in a resonable amount of time. So I got them from another place, next thing I know the dealer is calling me saying they have my bolts in. So I have two sets, one on my car and one to sell.

In the Rear I used Z32 KYB AGX shocks, so they would have the correct lower mount, to bolt to the Z32 spindle I used. If you use the S13 spindle, which works fine also. Then you use normal S13 shocks, but I want the lighter aluminum Z32 ones.

16x7.5 +45
16x8.5 +35

[FoCaL]

Originally posted by Eyescream
Only way he could use S13 strut bolts is if he put the S14 hub on the S13 upright (not sure if that'd work) or if he did like I did with my swap and had a machine shop press inserts into the S14 uprights to make them work with the 12mm S13 bolts instead of the 14mm S14 bolts.

You got a good lookin car, Focal. Dig it.

I dont think you can use S13 spindles in the front because the 5lug hubs are made for the S14 spindle which is larger.



I think it might have been cheaper for you to just buy the S14 bolts from a dealer, they were like $20 for all four nuts and bolts or something like that. Hey its kewl, just shows you how many ways there are to do the same thing.

Thanks for the compliments

[Eyescream]

Originally posted by FoCaL
I dont think you can use S13 spindles in the front because the 5lug hubs are made for the S14 spindle which is larger.

Oh, I didn't think of that, Wish I'd put a *just a guess* disclaimer on it.

Originally posted by FoCaL
I think it might have been cheaper for you to just buy the S14 bolts from a dealer, they were like $20 for all four nuts and bolts or something like that. Hey its kewl, just shows you how many ways there are to do the same thing.

Thanks for the compliments

Yeah, lots of ways to skin a cat. I did it the way I did because at the time I started getting things together for this (like a year ago, I'm lazy as all get out) I wasn't sure the S14 front struts would work with the rest of the car, and I thought getting the inserts pressed in to be a more elegant solution than guessing about parts fitment. It works well enough.

I'm pretty sure the e-brake cables will fit without a connector plate. I've got one attached, but can't snake my fat fingers around the driveshaft and exhaust to get the other one on. It reaches the block once the cable at the handle has been adjusted to it's most slack setting.

[mbmbmb23]

Looks sweet!! I've actually got about %70 of the parts for that complete swap in my garage, and you are right.....the collection of parts for this project is unreal. I still need the S14 spindles+ ball joint + bolts, rear hubs, SS lines, caliper rebuild kit for the front, hardware kit front and back, and spacers for the front.

Are you running 225's up front with a spacer? Or 215's w/o? Is that neg. camber in the rear due to the aftermarket spring or camber bolts?

Also...where did you get those different wheel center caps?


-m

[FoCaL]

Originally posted by mbmbmb23
Looks sweet!! I've actually got about %70 of the parts for that complete swap in my garage, and you are right.....the collection of parts for this project is unreal. I still need the S14 spindles+ ball joint + bolts, rear hubs, SS lines, caliper rebuild kit for the front, hardware kit front and back, and spacers for the front.

Are you running 225's up front with a spacer? Or 215's w/o? Is that neg. camber in the rear due to the aftermarket spring or camber bolts?

Also...where did you get those different wheel center caps?


-m

Sweet, one thing though, Im not sure your going to be able to get the caliper rebuild kit. Ive had one on order with Nissan for over a month now. I beleive its still on backorder. My suggestion is to hit up a parts store like autozone, advanced or something like that and buy a rebuilt caliper. Mine were only $50 a peice. Its a lot more than buying from a dealer at $15 a peice, but its more likly youll get them in time, and you dont have to do the work.

What size calipers do you have? I might have some pecies of the hardware kits, if you have 28mm. I also have the bolts that hold the shock to the spindle. The are the larger bolts from an S14. If any of this will work for you, your welcome to them.

Im running 225's up front with a make shift spacer until (ie.. washers ) I can get some real ones. The camber in the rear is just from the spring drop.

The center caps are actually my 240 center caps from my 15" rims. I just painted them to match the wheels and poped them in.

[mbmbmb23]

I've got the 30mm aluminum calipers. Personally I dont mind rebuilding them (so I understand how they work), but if I cant get the rebuild kits then I may just do what you'd suggested. I may have to take those S14 bolts off your hands (give me a number $$). Those center caps are cool. Which wheels did they come off of? Do you have the 15" SE wheels?

Did you go with SS brake lines? Did you use 2 pairs of front conversion lines?



-m

[FoCaL]

Originally posted by mbmbmb23
I've got the 30mm aluminum calipers. Personally I dont mind rebuilding them (so I understand how they work), but if I cant get the rebuild kits then I may just do what you'd suggested. I may have to take those S14 bolts off your hands (give me a number $$). Those center caps are cool. Which wheels did they come off of? Do you have the 15" SE wheels?

Did you go with SS brake lines? Did you use 2 pairs of front conversion lines?



-m

My center caps came off of my S13 which is a SE, so I have the alloy wheels.

Im not to worried about $$, just enough to cover shipping is all I really want, but they cost me like $15. Ill take paypal, or whatever. I leave tomorrow for Colorado though, so I wont have a chance to ship until I get back which wont be until Monday.

I got lines from http://www.takamotorsports.com/ they are nice lines, Im happy with them, and they were reasonable for all four lines.

Anymore Q's just ask.

[mbmbmb23]

PM me your Paypal address and I'll send ya somethin' for those bolts. Also, that link has some decent prices for the SS kit. I'll probably buy from them. Question tho, with the custom Rear 240sx to Z32 lines, does the SS line go straight from the 240 hardline (coming out of the frame) to the caliper?...or does it use that little bit of OEM hardline to go into the caliper (as shown in the pic)?





-m

[FoCaL]

Originally posted by mbmbmb23
PM me your Paypal address and I'll send ya somethin' for those bolts. Also, that link has some decent prices for the SS kit. I'll probably buy from them. Question tho, with the custom Rear 240sx to Z32 lines, does the SS line go straight from the 240 hardline (coming out of the frame) to the caliper?...or does it use that little bit of OEM hardline to go into the caliper (as shown in the pic)?





-m

The SS lines go strait into the caliper and do not use the small section of hardline pictured in your pic. Ill send you a PM after I post this. Let me know if you have any more Q's