Brake upgrade for S13

[AznDrftr.]

Since I'm a four lugger and probably wont upgrade to 5 lug, i'll work with what I got. Just so i know and make sure, what all upgrades can I use?

J30 and Q45 brake caliper upgrades correct?

[gunluvS14]

Q45 front is a decent upgrade, so yes

[AznDrftr.]

Alright, so what about for the rear?

[cdlong]

you can do anything that a 5 lugger can, just get the rotors drilled.

[AznDrftr.]

Yea, that makes sense. Thanks.

[DOOK]

yeah, q45 upgrade requires redrilling of the rotors, so z32 would be just as easy in reality.

[unicoladron]

yeah dude you can def find some z32 rotors for basically the same price as q45's. if you're upgrading brakes, DEF go with 4 pistons up front, but z32 2-piston rear calipers is a different story and really expensive.

[a_ahmed]

I've got z32 conversion all around and am unsatisfied, rbf600, russel SS front and rear lines, z32 mbc, blank rotors front, HP+ pads, powerslot rotors rear, HPS pads.

I wish to in the future to go to the arizona z car willwood 6piston 13" front and 4 piston 12.8" or something rear...'... unless there's something better...

[Sir]

rbf600 or superblue
don't skimp on fluid - its not expensive.

[kandyflip445]

rbf600 or superblue
don't skimp on fluid - its not expensive.


And it makes a world of difference. :bigok:

[spirit]

q45 is the simplest way to go.
z32 you will need to swap the master cylinder, q45 you don't.

I run Q45 (love them) with Hawk HPS pads, stock rears with axxis ceramic pads.

You will need the caliper, bolts, shims, and torque members ($800 from infinity dealer new, or like $80 used from sr20detman) Shims are $15 from autozone, HPS pads are like $70. Rotors are like $120 new almost any where.

You also need 16inch rims for q45 or 17s for z32 (I believe).
My 16s had 1/4inch clearance between stems and caliper (1/2inch between caliper and rim).


I got my rotors CNC drilled (perfect fit tapered correctly n all) Shop's phone# 760 244 2267 say Stan sent ya (my name isn't Stan btw), cost $60 (+shipping, if you ship your rotors). There in Victorville (Socal, just off the 15 freeway)

Right around here (I don't have exact address):
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Victorville,+CA,+USA&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=34.459265,-117.283757&spn=0.001712,0.003337&z=18&iwloc=addr
bearvally exit, down I street, right on catalpa, place is on the left next to a strip club.

I brought them the new rotors as well as a 4bolt stock rotor (template)

[slim]

i just put q45 calipers on my s13 and i am very happy. picked em up from the junkyard for $25. bought new z32 rotors drilled for four and five lug for $165 from heavy throttle and got some nissan pads (i should have gone with hawk but i got impatient) for $55. so for less than 1/2 the cost of the z32 setup i think its well worth it. they even fit behind my stock se's.

[AznDrftr.]

Very nice, so did most just keep stock calipers in the back, and just run with better brake pads?

[Koopa Troopa]

I've got z32 conversion all around and am unsatisfied, rbf600, russel SS front and rear lines, z32 mbc, blank rotors front, HP+ pads, powerslot rotors rear, HPS pads.

I wish to in the future to go to the arizona z car willwood 6piston 13" front and 4 piston 12.8" or something rear...'... unless there's something better...


No S chasis car (minus those in the GT300) needs a 6 piston brake caliper. Buy better tires.

[AznDrftr.]

Picked up my J30 brakes and calipers today.

Question though, can i used slotted/drilled front rotors with J30 brakes/calipers?

['90RPS13]

Why not? Just find out the correct size rotor you need.

Also, there is no Size requirement to run Z brakes.

IIRC, you can run the 28mm Z brakes with one of two versions of the SE wheels that happen to be 15's.

On the other hand, I have no idea on Q brakes.

[cdlong]

yeah, both Q45 and Z32 brakes will fit under 15"s, it's the spoke clearance that's a problem depending on the particular model of wheel. the 26mm (there're no 28mm z brakes) will fit under certain s13 SE wheels.

there's no reason why you can't use slotted/drilled rotors with any caliper, i don't know why you would want to, but that's another debate.

[chester_ff7]

yeah you could do both Q45, and Z32... if you get the Q45s(2 piston) the go right on, but the are super heavy!!(i had them on my S14, and they are heavy!!), and if you go with the Z32s(4 Piston) you would have to swap the master cylinder(so i have heard...) with can cost you a pretty penny...but the Z32s are aluminuim they are super light weight!! i would rather get the GTR brakes!, but its up to you... the Q45s are way cheaper... and as for the bigger rotors... just get the rotor drilled to fit a 4 lug pattern! and you will be all set! on and dont forget the HAWK HP Plus pads(autocross) and your all set! have a good one dude!

[ROIDMONKEY]

I personally dont think u have to change the master cylinder, The JDM S14 comes with big calipers (just like the Z32) comes with same master cylinder (S14) . thats even better if u find a JDM S14 calipers u dont even have to change lines , they all fit perfectely. I show u my set up once its done this weekend , 13" rotors from MAX with JDM S14 caliper

[Koopa Troopa]

I personally dont think u have to change the master cylinder, The JDM S14 comes with big calipers (just like the Z32) comes with same master cylinder (S14) . thats even better if u find a JDM S14 calipers u dont even have to change lines , they all fit perfectely. I show u my set up once its done this weekend , 13" rotors from MAX with JDM S14 caliper


Why are people convinced you need to change brake lines when swapping calipers? You ever try to use the stock lines? They still work...

['90RPS13]

Sorry haha, long night last night, I ment to type 26mm, but 28mm came out. There is a thread on here about which SE wheel fits over the 26mm. Its the one with the ridges on the back of the spokes iirc.

[trsilvias13]

To the guy whos said z32 brakes need 17in wheel, that is wrong. Z32 brake calipers clear 16in wheel, remember z32 came with 16in wheels.

[ayuaddict]

To the guy whos said z32 brakes need 17in wheel, that is wrong. Z32 brake calipers clear 16in wheel, remember z32 came with 16in wheels.

and as previously stated in this thread, some 15"s will fit as well, depending on the spoke design, or a high offset wheel with a spacer.

[k's_silvia2.0]

Im bringing this back to ask a couple of my own ?'s.
I went to the junkyard and I saw 5 Q45s all with calipers.Most even had about 70%-90% of brake pad left.So ima go back and get me some.
I just need to ask a couple of ?'s.So here there go please help out.
1.When going Q45 is buying thicker rotors a must? and what size(mm)?
2.Is it worth to use the rears off the Q45?
3.Can someone post a complete parts list of what I would need to bolt on the Q45 fronts.

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

luis use this:
http://www.ka24development.com/brake_upgrades.html

has some good info for you.

[hijack3d]

Wow.. I'm surprised at all the misinformation that I saw in the beginning. I'm glad that most of it has been cleared up. I do have the Q45 brake upgrade in the front. I have also pulled the J30's and have compared them to my Q45's... They are nearly identical. The rotors are about the same, and the J30's are still 2 piston calipers.

You can use your stock lines/fittings w/ the Q45 and the J30. Same w/ the Z32, except that you have to replace a fitting (very simple). I've done all 3 upgrades.

You run into the same problem with the J30/Q45 rears that you do w/ the Z32's. Aside from doing Z32 all around, when I went J30/Q45, I stayed stock size rotors/calipers in the rear, only with slotted rotors, and better pads.

I found this rear brake solution only I haven't tried it yet... still need to go to the junkyard :):

From Nicoclub's SpecDRacing

BRAKE BREAKTHROUGH:!!!!

FOR YOU GUYS WANTING TO UPGRADE YOUR BRAKES, I HAVE FOUND A NEW SETUP THAT IS EXTREMELY CHEAP AND WORKS GREAT!!!

We all know about J-30 front rotors and calipers. Big woop. IBut what about the rear???? Nope, nope, dont go to the junkyard and buy the entire spindle from a 300Z only to add weight to your car for a parking brake, I have a way to fit the J30 rear rotors to the 240SX and still retain the stock parking brake system.

The story is, I purchased the J30 front calipers and rotors last week for my 240 (to the new guys, this is another car, not the one with the VQ). I redrilled the rotors for the 4 lug pattern and installed them to my car......cool. But the rears needed upgrading as well. So back to the junkyard I go.
I wanted to use the J30 rear rotors because they are vented and about 2" larger than the stock 240sx solid rear rotors. I know that the rear caliper bracket bolts directly to the 240sx and has the correct offest for the J30 rotor. What I didnt like was the loss of use of my parking brake cable....most people swap the entire rear 300z/J30 setup to get the drum style parking brake. This weighs too much and though it does lock better, its overkill for what Im building. So here I sit, in Pull-A-Part with a 240 (1990) infront of me, three of the four lugs knocked out, the 5 lug rotor on the 240 (from the J), the caliper bracket from the J30 and no caliper to use that has the parking brake function. I rumaged through the parts yard for 3 HOURS looking at different calipers and finaly came up with a combination that works.

Rear J30 Rotors drilled to a 4 lug pattern
Rear J30 Caliper Brackets
Rear 1991 Maxima Calipers
Rear 1989 Maxima Parking Brake Cable Cam (spring loaded on caliper)
Rear J30 Brake Linings (Pads)

To make it all work, I drilled out the slide pin runs on the J30 caliper brackets with a 25/64 drill bit (I think, I may be wrong...10.5mm is the target here). This allowed for the slide pins from the 240sx caliper brackets to be used (the 240sx/maxima uses two 14mm bolts, bolting through the caliper to the slide pins where the J30 uses a slide pin that threads into the caliper...just trust me, they arent compatible). After that was done, the calipers (MAX) need to be correct for the parking brake cable. The origional parking brake cable cam is positioned the wrong way on the caliper. I replaced those with the ones from the older max that can be used with our cables (the newer ones use a eyelet style were ares attach like a throttle cable). By changing that cam, I can hook up our cable to the caliper. The left rear Max caliper is used on the right rear of the 240 and the left rear 240sx parking brake cable bracket (protruding from the caliper) is used on the now right rear caliper (max). The cable wraps around the parking brake cam after its all installed, but its doesnt affect operation much. Now that you have your Maxima calipers on your J30 caliper brackets with the older style Maxima parking brake cams, you can bolt all this to the spindle of the 240sx and WHALAH, big brake upgrade for the rear of your 240 and still maintain the stock cable system.

[k's_silvia2.0]

^Damn thats good to know.