350Z Brembo front brakes on Nissan S13/S14/S15/Z32/R32/R33/R34

[merijndj]

350Z Brembo front brakes on Nissan S13/S14/S15/Z32/R32/R33/R34

Part list:
350Z Brembo front discs, calipers and pads
Z32 conversion brake lines
14mm blacksmith drill (blacksmith drills have a smaller shaft to allow them in normal drills)
4x M14x1.5 bolts, 40mm length, grade 12.9 (but 10.9 is also applicable)
Masking tape
Angled grinder and grinding disc
Bleeder tool or someone to push the pedal for you

Technical information:

Watch the orientation of the anti-squeel plates.
Disc: 324x30mm 9.10kg
Brembo caliper piston: 2x38mm / 2x44mm 4.45kg (3.45kg w/o pads)
Total weight for discs + calipers + pads is 27.1kg.
(Wich is 0.6kg heavier then my Z32 front brake setup - 280x30mm disc and cast iron calipers).

Technical information for the rear 350Z Brembo brakes:
Disc: 322x22mm 8kg
Brembo caliper piston: 2x40mm 2.45kg (1.95kg w/o pads)

Model info caliper:
Front: OPB27VA
Rear: OPB13VB

You are going to need 18" rims although some 17" might fit.
If building on a S13 you will need to drill the discs, or mount the S14 5bolt conversion (like i did).

First, loosen the front wheel bolts/nuts, jack up the car and support it with axle stands:


If you have spacers undo these too: (have someone step on your brakes for this)


Now first remove the calipers and put it aside, but do not disconnect the hydraulic line otherwise you will need to bleed the whole system.

I usually use a screwdriver through the mounting hole behind the ARB


Remove the brake disc and grind away the edge of the dust plate:



Fit the new brake disc and check nothing touches the disc:


Here comes a the most difficult part.. You will have to drill the holes for the caliper bolts from 12mm to 14mm, the steel of the hub is made from is very strong, be prepared to take it to a machine shop or grind your drill a few times.
If you have ABS, put some tape over the sensor or it will be jammed with bits of metal from the drilling proces!!!


Fit the 350Z caliper: The bolts used are: 14x1.5mm 40mm long grade 12.9 (10.9 are also applicable).

The bolts can protrude about 5mm but i made them exactly on the length i needed:


Now fit the brake disc and caliper (without pads and hardware) and check that the disc is exactly in the centre of the calipers:

The calipers should be torqued to 151-152Nm (15.4-15.5Kg-m, 111.4-112.1ft-lb).

Now place the brake pads, pins, cross spring and clips, apply some copperpaste to the back and the sides (when mounted upper and lower edge) of the brake pads:


Now attach the hydraulic line, bleed the brakes and youre done

If you are using new brake pads be sure to follow the break-in procedure.

Before: 280x30mm disc, Z32 brake calipers


After: 324x30mm disc, Z33 brake calipers

[nurvcom]

good DIY Make me want to get get done on my vert Now

[USN_S14]

prices? how much

[13esim]

"You will have to drill the holes for the caliper bolts from 12mm to 14mm"

Do you know if I would have to do that on a Z32?

[inopsey]

Originally Posted by 13esim

"You will have to drill the holes for the caliper bolts from 12mm to 14mm"

Do you know if I would have to do that on a Z32?

z32 is 12mm
have a machine shop re tap and thread the holes on the calliper for 12 mm.

[merijndj]

Originally Posted by 13esim

Do you know if I would have to do that on a Z32?

You will need to drill the holes in the following vehicles: Nissan S13/S14/S15/Z32/R32/R33/R34
All of these have the same mounting (the ears on the hubs).

So either you have to drill the hubs, or have a machine shop weld the (on caliper) m14 threads closed and make M12 holes with thread instead so you can do a bolt-on on your car.

[adey]

Originally Posted by merijndj

You will need to drill the holes in the following vehicles: Nissan S13/S14/S15/Z32/R32/R33/R34
All of these have the same mounting (the ears on the hubs).

So either you have to drill the hubs, or have a machine shop weld the (on caliper) m14 threads closed and make M12 holes with thread instead so you can do a bolt-on on your car.

I believe all GTR brembos were 14mm (possible exception is the R32 V-Spec which may still have used 12mm bolts - confirmation, anyone?)

However, lots of the GTRs with Sumitomo 4-pot calipers had 12mm bolts. I think the only exception here is for R34s, which ma all have used 14mm bolts. Again, some confirmation would be great. (The non-turbo models may have used 12mm bolts...?)

The S13 knuckles with the 12mm holes drilled out to 14mm looks... scary.

[BigKriss]

Goed gedaan ! Baie goeie informasie, sal dit beslis gebruik.

[imotion s14]

Originally Posted by adey

I believe all GTR brembos were 14mm (possible exception is the R32 V-Spec which may still have used 12mm bolts - confirmation, anyone?)

However, lots of the GTRs with Sumitomo 4-pot calipers had 12mm bolts. I think the only exception here is for R34s, which ma all have used 14mm bolts. Again, some confirmation would be great. (The non-turbo models may have used 12mm bolts...?)

The S13 knuckles with the 12mm holes drilled out to 14mm looks... scary.

I can confirm R34 GT-R front has 14mm bolts.

[eek]

Originally Posted by 13esim

"You will have to drill the holes for the caliper bolts from 12mm to 14mm"

Do you know if I would have to do that on a Z32?

Common sense would tell you IF S-chassis guys bolt up z32 front calipers all day long to their cars, that a Z32 Front knuckle is the same 12mm bolt size.

Originally Posted by adey

I believe all GTR brembos were 14mm (possible exception is the R32 V-Spec which may still have used 12mm bolts - confirmation, anyone?)

However, lots of the GTRs with Sumitomo 4-pot calipers had 12mm bolts. I think the only exception here is for R34s, which ma all have used 14mm bolts. Again, some confirmation would be great. (The non-turbo models may have used 12mm bolts...?)

The S13 knuckles with the 12mm holes drilled out to 14mm looks... scary.

R32 and R33 GT-R V-Spec FRONT Brembo Caliper uses 12mm bolts. The rear GT-R Brembo calipers (like the sti rear brembo) are a direct bolt on if you are using the Z32 or Skyline rear drum assembly. This topic has been covered ALOT. There are prob 3-4 threads that have the same info and more.
R32 And R33 Brembo Calipers are Black in color. The Caliper is very similar size to the 350z/G35 Caliper if not the same (never had both side by side).

Also if you guys didn't know already, Sentra brembos are also a direct bolt on affair. 5 lug guys will need to redrill the rotor for 5 lug. The calipers are only like 200 a pop new from the dealer, but run thinner rotors. Great if your in for mainly bling factor on a budget.

[thedeadking]

Why bother with either Z33 or GTR (R32-R34) Brembo calipers at all? Both are difficult to source and expensive. Except for the Z33, parts such as rebuild kits, rotors and brake pads are also harder to source in the US.

IMO, the better option would be to use the front EVO 8/9 Brembo calipers. Since they sold well in the US, you can find a used set of calipers much cheaply then the above mentioned Brembo's, as well as the parts needed. The EVO Brembo's are actually larger than the Z33 calipers too.

[jr_ss]

If you're going to argue about Factory Nissan Brembo's, why use them at all?

Wilwoods are just as good and are much cheaper in every aspect to own including replacing pads.

[thedeadking]

Originally Posted by jr_ss

If you're going to argue about Factory Nissan Brembo's, why use them at all?

Wilwoods are just as good and are much cheaper in every aspect to own including replacing pads.

For the EVO caliper setup, StopTech performance pads cost $70 shipped and StopTech slotted rotors separately cost $89 shipped.

What's the replacement cost of rotors and pads for whatever Wilwood setup you're referring too? What are the spec's on the rotor and pads?

[eek]

Almost all of the factory Nissan Brembo hardware is expensive with the exception of the Sentra Brembos. I would say MOST of the owners on this forum will never really need more braking power than a full z32 brake setup. Ideally Z32 brakes are the best bang for dollar performance.

[jr_ss]

For Def's kit, which includes two piece rotors you're looking at less than $800 for an entire kit with brand new components.

Rotors run $40 once you have the top hats. Pads range in price, but generally come in at $60 and you're saving a ton of sprung weight over the EVO/STI Brembo's setup. It's all personal preference honestly, but if you're looking for more performance oriented setup Def's street kit is where it's at.

[codyace]

Originally Posted by eek

Almost all of the factory Nissan Brembo hardware is expensive with the exception of the Sentra Brembos. I would say MOST of the owners on this forum will never really need more braking power than a full z32 brake setup. Ideally Z32 brakes are the best bang for dollar performance.

I'll 100% agree with the Z32 comments. Most member's don't realize this sadly.

With that said, Sentra brembo's stink...that's why mine has WilWoods on it

[nujabe]

I got my wildwood kit for 1100 shipped 2 piece rotors and new 4 pot calipers IMO great deal. The pads are cheap to replace around 50 bucks and the calipers are around 200 each. The forged two piece rotors are awesome because of the weight savings.

[eek]

If you have the extra cash to pick up the Wilwood kit its not a bad buy esp when you get it though the group buy.

[collegekid]

This is a nice writeup. I was always under the assumption that those brembos needed some kind of adapter bracket to center everything.

[RalliartRsX]

My Wilwood setup came in at a little under $400 as I shopped around

Wilwood 1.62" piston/1.25" disk - $120 shipped (got them barely used. However, one of the brake inlet ports thread was somewhat fubared. I ended up drilling out to 1/4" NPT and running an Earl's adapter (total spent about $10 in parts and supplied)

350Z Brembo rotors - $90 shipped off here brand new

Caliper brackets - $130 shipped off a custom group buy

Pads - Hawk HPS (free from one of my old Wilwood kits); About $75 shipped of Ebay/Amazon

Lines - Wilwood SS lines (free from my old kit again). About $60 shipped from Wilwood

In total, the weight is about 2.5 lbs total greater than the 300ZX All Aluminum setup and a good several lbs ligher than the 350Z Brembo setup above. So give or take depending on what you need (pads are cheaper, calipers are cheaper and easily accessible, but more weight). For the Track I run 2 piece rotors (several lbs lighter than the Brembo rotors. Not Def light, but close).

So IMHO, a much better Wilwood setup CAN be done for cheaper than a used set of 300ZXs with much more braking torque, cheaper pads, and the all important fade resistance


The price people are asking for these Evo/STi/350Z/R34 Brembos is REDICULOUS (one guy has STI brembos on here for almost $1000! I can get a 2 piece Wilwood setup for that price BRAND SPANKING NEW)! They are heavier and the pads and parts for them are MUCH more expensive. Yes, they have several good things about them like dust boots which aid in everyday driving and longetivity, but for alot of people, they are just a weekend vehicle, and such a headache is null and void.

[thedeadking]

Originally Posted by RalliartRsX

The price people are asking for these Evo/STi/350Z/R34 Brembos is REDICULOUS (one guy has STI brembos on here for almost $1000! I can get a 2 piece Wilwood setup for that price BRAND SPANKING NEW)! They are heavier and the pads and parts for them are MUCH more expensive. Yes, they have several good things about them like dust boots which aid in everyday driving and longetivity, but for alot of people, they are just a weekend vehicle, and such a headache is null and void.

Wilwoods are great for weekend driving or the track, but not practical for daily driving due to the need to clean/rebuild them regularly. Also, I've read a handful of threads where the 2-piece rotors had problems warping.

I agree, I have seen several people inflate the price of factory beat-to-shit Brembo calipers. The biggest reason why STi/Z33/R32-R34 calipers are much more expensive is because there were smaller numbers of those cars/calipers produced. On top of this, parts for these calipers are costly, especially the R32-R34 calipers.

EVO 8/9 Brembos on the other hand are fairly cheap. The reason being is that the EVO sold well in the US so calipers and parts are easy to source. If anyone is interested, I have a rebuilt set for sale now that won't break your bank...

http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=558179

[merijndj]

I payed roughly 850usd for my brembo brakes.
That includes:
New front discs and lightly used rear discs.
New front and rear pads
Front and rear z33 brembo calipers

The cheapest wilwoods i can find in my region is about 800usd for a front set only.
EVO8/9 calipers are hard to find and need adapter kits wich are also hard to find.
Subaru brembo brakes usually go for big bucks here..

Easiest and cheapest option for me is the z33 brembo kit.
I have them mounted front and rear to my 1200kg 200sx S13.. And i must say they do seriously stop

The Z32 stuff is indeed very good for a fun road car.

[eek]

Z32 COMPLETE brake set will cost you less than a Big brake front kit. Its been proven it works, parts are hands down cheaper than it is for a Wilwood kit or a Brembo kit. And lets remember your comparing only a FRONT brake upgrade kit for about $800-$1000 when I'm talking about FULL FRONT and REAR Z32 Brake upgrade for $800 or less (Less ESP if you shop around).

If your going to argue well my Front bbk stops better, well I'm sure it does, but with stock rears your brake bias must really suck with those massive brakes up front. Not going to argue it, Big brakes are nice, look great and if you can afford it more power to you.

I agree on the statement about the Skyline Brembo calipers since they were never offered here in stateside so prices go up due to JDM hype and bs.

STI calipers are dime a dozen like the EVO brembo. Only reason why STI Brembo brakes go for more because of the demand. Other Subaru owners (Imprezza, Legacy, Forester, BRZ) want these brakes due to the fact its a OEM upgrade that is generally a bolt on affair. Add in the mix of Nissan folks like Z32, Maxima, Sentra and 240sx owners who also want these brakes which keeps the demand high so price remains high.

EVO Brembo calipers like some other OEM cars equipped with Brembos (SRT 8, CTS-V, ETC) are alot less since there are no known cars that these calipers bolt up to. This keeps the prices low since no one really cares for them.

Anyhow from my knowledge and other write ups I've read, Z33 REAR Brembo calipers do not line up to any s-chassis. Just curious how did you get them to fit on your S13?

EVO/STI Bracket adapters are sold by a few people on this forum and there is a online vendor that sells them as well? Ebay has STI/EVO Brembo calipers all day long. Evo Brembos usually go for $500 USD or less for a complete set.

[merijndj]

I had my Z32 front and rear brake setup for around 800$ and that is including a rebuild kit for all 4 calipers.

For that money, i cant buy wilwood FRONT brakes here in the netherlands. They are simply expensive...

If you can find the skyline brakes, they are really good (just as the Z32 brakes), maybe a little better because the discs are a little bigger. Most of those simply bolt on too.

Z33 REAR brembo brakes do nearly line up with the S-chassis, its only a couple milimeter on each hole that's different.
We drilled the holes, grinded them off and welded them. (pre heat the metal before welding).
To be sure the calipers line up with the discs, we installed them. Mounted the ears to the calipers, placed the calipers on the disc as they should be fitted, tacked the ears to the hub, dismount the caliper and disc and weld away

[eek]

^^ Not sure if you took pix of your rear setup, be nice to see the work that was done if you have it.

Yea, Skyline calipers are better, but its kinda a pita to source rotors, not to mention it costs more. I've had the R33 GTR Black brembo setup, it was a pita to source rotors and rebuild parts. I sold them for alot more than what I paid for them. Only reason I have complete STI Brembo set is because I got them for such a low price back when people barely knew they fit, I decided to give them a shot. They work fine, only 2 complaints is the squeal (seems to be a common issue among sti brembo) and they are heavy.

[merijndj]

I havent taken any pictures during the modification process.. but i do have these:


Rims/Tyres are 225-40 and 18"

[RalliartRsX]

Originally Posted by merijndj

I had my Z32 front and rear brake setup for around 800$ and that is including a rebuild kit for all 4 calipers.

For that money, i cant buy wilwood FRONT brakes here in the netherlands. They are simply expensive...
............

And that right there is the key statement . That basically tells me it all depends on what you have the easiest access to and what your end use is. I have a line on Wilwood products and it's a weekend/track car, so brake piston boots and such are not necessary for me. For yourself, you DD your car, so those amenities are almost necessary to have

[thedeadking]

Originally Posted by eek

Z32 COMPLETE brake set will cost you less than a Big brake front kit. Its been proven it works, parts are hands down cheaper than it is for a Wilwood kit or a Brembo kit. And lets remember your comparing only a FRONT brake upgrade kit for about $800-$1000 when I'm talking about FULL FRONT and REAR Z32 Brake upgrade for $800 or less (Less ESP if you shop around).

If your going to argue well my Front bbk stops better, well I'm sure it does, but with stock rears your brake bias must really suck with those massive brakes up front. Not going to argue it, Big brakes are nice, look great and if you can afford it more power to you.

I agree on the statement about the Skyline Brembo calipers since they were never offered here in stateside so prices go up due to JDM hype and bs.

STI calipers are dime a dozen like the EVO brembo. Only reason why STI Brembo brakes go for more because of the demand. Other Subaru owners (Imprezza, Legacy, Forester, BRZ) want these brakes due to the fact its a OEM upgrade that is generally a bolt on affair. Add in the mix of Nissan folks like Z32, Maxima, Sentra and 240sx owners who also want these brakes which keeps the demand high so price remains high.

EVO Brembo calipers like some other OEM cars equipped with Brembos (SRT 8, CTS-V, ETC) are alot less since there are no known cars that these calipers bolt up to. This keeps the prices low since no one really cares for them.

Anyhow from my knowledge and other write ups I've read, Z33 REAR Brembo calipers do not line up to any s-chassis. Just curious how did you get them to fit on your S13?

EVO/STI Bracket adapters are sold by a few people on this forum and there is a online vendor that sells them as well? Ebay has STI/EVO Brembo calipers all day long. Evo Brembos usually go for $500 USD or less for a complete set.

I agree, the Z32 calipers are the best bang for the buck for the 240sx.

There is little to no brake bias when using the EVO 8/9 front calipers and Z32 rear calipers. However, you must upgrade to the larger Z32 BMC just like you would with a complete Z32 brake upgrade. The reason why there is no bias is because the EVO 8/9 stock brake setup is very much just like the Z32's. The BMC is the same size, so are the rear Brembo calipers (almost). The rear Brembo calipers use larger pads, however, the brake pistons in the Z32 calipers are larger.

STi calipers are not common place like you state. There were much fewer produced than the regular WRX and EVO. STi Brembos, especially the rear calipers, are the most rare and the price that they fetch reflects that. Unlike the Z33 rear Brembo calipers, the 04-06 STi Brembo calipers are a direct bolt on and retain the e-brake when using Z32 rear rotors/setup.

Yes, there are several outlets to obtain the conversion brackets necessary to facilitate the EVO front caliper swap, as well as differences in design:

http://madparts.net/evo-brembo-caliper-brackets.html

http://madparts.net/version-2-evo-89...-br289240.html

http://www.tf-works.com/tf-evo-8-9-b...n-s13-s14-s15/

From my experience trying to source a set of EVO calipers, I can assure you they don't sell for $500 for a complete set on evolutionm.net, eBay or craigslist. However, I'm sure there are a few dummies who sell them for cheap from time to time.

[spooled240]

^yup I paid $600 shipped for my rear STI calipers, but they were low mileage and mint. The front evo brembos I got for like 250 shipped lol They were ugly but I was planning on taking them apart and rebuilding them anyway. It was hard trying to match the front calipers with brembo gold, but I ended up finding some gold engine enamel from VHT and it came out ok imo. It's a tad brighter but close enough for me lol


I love brakes and I love brembos. OEM durability and track proven

[jr_ss]

Originally Posted by thedeadking

I agree, the Z32 calipers are the best bang for the buck for the 240sx.

There is little to no brake bias when using the EVO 8/9 front calipers and Z32 rear calipers. However, you must upgrade to the larger Z32 BMC just like you would with a complete Z32 brake upgrade. The reason why there is no bias is because the EVO 8/9 stock brake setup is very much just like the Z32's. The BMC is the same size, so are the rear Brembo calipers (almost). The rear Brembo calipers use larger pads, however, the brake pistons in the Z32 calipers are larger.

You do not have to change MC's on an auto S14 when going to complete Z32 brakes. The factory 15/16 MC works fine. You can upgrade if you'd like, but there's no point.

The manual cars came with the 7/8" MC, if I'm not mistaken and they will need to go with a large MC. The Z32's 1" is a good middle ground from extremely firm and squishy pedals on the S-chassis.