Written By: ???
How to put 300zx Calipers on a Spec V
well after much research and i found out that 1990 300zx 26mm N/A calipers will bolt up perfectly to a spec v or any sentra for that matter. so B15's, 240sx's and 300zx's all have the same caliper mounting holes. probably some other nissan cars/trucks as well.
and before anyone asks, the 300zx master cylinder is only 1/8" bigger bore than ours so the stock one should be completely fine
this write up also gave me some help when i researched the calipers
http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm#compare
kinda a long read but i tried to be the most informative as i could
Parts used:
1990 300zx 26mm 4 piston N/A calipers. (Re-manufactured from AutoZone, came loaded. ditched the pads tho) $207
300zx to 240sx conversion brakes lines (found on ebay) $35
Axxis metal matrix pads. to cut down on brake dust $38
overall cost about for me $260
the bleeders on the caliper should be closet to the top since air rises. so no air gets trapped inside the caliper to make the pedal feel spongy.
300zx's use an 11 inch rotor as do the spec v. the 300zx rotor is 26mm wide will the spec v rotor is 22mm. so 4mm difference isn't enough to matter. the only catch is that the calipers need to be the 1990 300zx N/A calipers which had 30mm of clearance between pistons where all the other 300zx calipers had 35mm between the pistons. so the better option is definitely the 26mm calipers. these also allow for a more likely fit with rims since they are a little skinner so the need for a crazy offset isn't really needed.
here are test fit pictures with 30mm calipers which have too big of a gap for the rotors
anyway, the way our hub is designed the caliper kits the rotor when it is bolted up. not by a lot. it will bolt on but the rotor cannot spin freely. so in order for the rotor to spin freely about 1/4" has to be taken off from the diameter of the rotor so the calipers clears. so you can argue 1/4" less makes a difference but i can assure you it doesn't and i will show you why in a picture. the way the stock spec v caliper hits the rotor it leaves about 3/8" between the center of the rotor and the actual breaking surface. but the 300zx calipers contact 2/3 of that 3/8" so you aren't really losing any contact surface.
so i brought my rotors into the shop at school and took 1/4" off the overall diameter of the rotor on the lathe. took about an hour and a half to do since you have to go slow and cant use coolant with cast iron.
Norb's rotors being machined....
Comparison(machined on top, stock on bottom)
Final product
comparison picture between stock and 300zx calipers. a lot bigger obviously
and some test fit pictures with the 30mm calipers before i realized i needed the 26mm calipers
went and bought 26mm calipers and returned the 30mm calipers and test fit the calipers with my rims. the rims wouldn't clear the calipers at first:angry:. so i tested it out with a couple washers to the point where the rim would clear the calipers. it ended up being about 4mm so i ordered 5mm spacers for the front.
pictures with the rims when i was testing out the spacers
close fit lol
***Painting the calipers***
so next i sanded the calipers and de-greased them to get the oily film off of them so the paint would stick no problem. i painted them with high temp red paint. didn't end up clear coating them because the finish was too perfect from the red.
with the pads in
new stainless brake lines
all bolted up
notice the very little distance between the pistons and caliper. alot closer than with the 30mm caliper.
put the spacers on and tested the fir before i went and mounted my tires on the rims just to double check. good to go!
and with the tires mounted on the rims for the final time they are finally bolted on the car
where to buy the parts needed
*****Calipers*****
cheapest way to get the calipers to my knowledge
autozone scam to get the calipers cheaper with hardware included
they would be a special order at autozone. but ask for 1990 300zx. non turbo front calipers.
1. Buy the loaded 30mm calipers from autozone for $207 plus tax.
2. Buy the 26mm calipers separately unloaded. be sure to get a left and a right (possibly at another location).
3. Swap the hardware (rods, cotter pins, metal bracket, and pads) from the 30mm calipers to the 26mm calipers.
4. Put the 30mm calipers each in one of the 26mm boxes
5. Return 30mm calipers to the store and get your money back.
autozone links may not work if they update the site fyi
these will be 30mm calipers
http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,140 … ectZip.htm
these will be 26mm calipers.
http://www.autozone.com/R,63403/vehicle … Detail.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,2596087/vehic … Detail.htm
you can also search 26mm 300zx calipers on ebay and find them as well
*****How to tell if you have 26mm or 30mm calipers
an easy way to quickly check is measure as seen in the photos below the first is the 26mm caliper and the second is the 30mm caliper.
26mm caliper
30mm caliper
*********Rotors********
any stock spec v size rotor will work. meaning the rotor is 11" in diameter. so you can buy whatever kind you want but they have to have 1/4" shaved off the overall diameter to work. so the rotors will now be 10.75" rather than 11'. replacement rotors from powerslot, rotorpros, and ebay will all work
******Conversion Lines*****
you only need the fronts
Type in "240sx 300zx brake lines" into the search bar in ebay and look for the ones that say 240sx w/ 300zx front caliper swap or something along those lines
www.ebay.com
*****Brake Pads*****
any 300zx pads will work they are all the same for 26mm and 30mm calipers
****Wheel Spacers****
type in "wheels spacers 4x114.3" on ebay
depending on your wheels you might need them. but i wouldn't recommend going over 5mm, unless you have linger studs.
www.ebay.com
******Wheels the clear 300zx brakes*******
any wheels that clears brembo brakes should clear the 300zx brakes.
refer to this thread for some options
http://myspecv.com/f/t1831-wheels-that- … embos.html
04-06 stock wheels clear the 300zx calipers (thanks to quickgabe)
pictures of brakes on my car
wheels on
wheels off (after a 5 hour long track day)
How to put 300zx Calipers on a Spec V
well after much research and i found out that 1990 300zx 26mm N/A calipers will bolt up perfectly to a spec v or any sentra for that matter. so B15's, 240sx's and 300zx's all have the same caliper mounting holes. probably some other nissan cars/trucks as well.
and before anyone asks, the 300zx master cylinder is only 1/8" bigger bore than ours so the stock one should be completely fine
this write up also gave me some help when i researched the calipers
http://importnut.net/300zxbrakeswap.htm#compare
kinda a long read but i tried to be the most informative as i could
Parts used:
1990 300zx 26mm 4 piston N/A calipers. (Re-manufactured from AutoZone, came loaded. ditched the pads tho) $207
300zx to 240sx conversion brakes lines (found on ebay) $35
Axxis metal matrix pads. to cut down on brake dust $38
overall cost about for me $260
the bleeders on the caliper should be closet to the top since air rises. so no air gets trapped inside the caliper to make the pedal feel spongy.
300zx's use an 11 inch rotor as do the spec v. the 300zx rotor is 26mm wide will the spec v rotor is 22mm. so 4mm difference isn't enough to matter. the only catch is that the calipers need to be the 1990 300zx N/A calipers which had 30mm of clearance between pistons where all the other 300zx calipers had 35mm between the pistons. so the better option is definitely the 26mm calipers. these also allow for a more likely fit with rims since they are a little skinner so the need for a crazy offset isn't really needed.
here are test fit pictures with 30mm calipers which have too big of a gap for the rotors
anyway, the way our hub is designed the caliper kits the rotor when it is bolted up. not by a lot. it will bolt on but the rotor cannot spin freely. so in order for the rotor to spin freely about 1/4" has to be taken off from the diameter of the rotor so the calipers clears. so you can argue 1/4" less makes a difference but i can assure you it doesn't and i will show you why in a picture. the way the stock spec v caliper hits the rotor it leaves about 3/8" between the center of the rotor and the actual breaking surface. but the 300zx calipers contact 2/3 of that 3/8" so you aren't really losing any contact surface.
so i brought my rotors into the shop at school and took 1/4" off the overall diameter of the rotor on the lathe. took about an hour and a half to do since you have to go slow and cant use coolant with cast iron.
Norb's rotors being machined....
Comparison(machined on top, stock on bottom)
Final product
comparison picture between stock and 300zx calipers. a lot bigger obviously
and some test fit pictures with the 30mm calipers before i realized i needed the 26mm calipers
went and bought 26mm calipers and returned the 30mm calipers and test fit the calipers with my rims. the rims wouldn't clear the calipers at first:angry:. so i tested it out with a couple washers to the point where the rim would clear the calipers. it ended up being about 4mm so i ordered 5mm spacers for the front.
pictures with the rims when i was testing out the spacers
close fit lol
***Painting the calipers***
so next i sanded the calipers and de-greased them to get the oily film off of them so the paint would stick no problem. i painted them with high temp red paint. didn't end up clear coating them because the finish was too perfect from the red.
with the pads in
new stainless brake lines
all bolted up
notice the very little distance between the pistons and caliper. alot closer than with the 30mm caliper.
put the spacers on and tested the fir before i went and mounted my tires on the rims just to double check. good to go!
and with the tires mounted on the rims for the final time they are finally bolted on the car
where to buy the parts needed
*****Calipers*****
cheapest way to get the calipers to my knowledge
autozone scam to get the calipers cheaper with hardware included
they would be a special order at autozone. but ask for 1990 300zx. non turbo front calipers.
1. Buy the loaded 30mm calipers from autozone for $207 plus tax.
2. Buy the 26mm calipers separately unloaded. be sure to get a left and a right (possibly at another location).
3. Swap the hardware (rods, cotter pins, metal bracket, and pads) from the 30mm calipers to the 26mm calipers.
4. Put the 30mm calipers each in one of the 26mm boxes
5. Return 30mm calipers to the store and get your money back.
autozone links may not work if they update the site fyi
these will be 30mm calipers
http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,140 … ectZip.htm
these will be 26mm calipers.
http://www.autozone.com/R,63403/vehicle … Detail.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,2596087/vehic … Detail.htm
you can also search 26mm 300zx calipers on ebay and find them as well
*****How to tell if you have 26mm or 30mm calipers
an easy way to quickly check is measure as seen in the photos below the first is the 26mm caliper and the second is the 30mm caliper.
26mm caliper
30mm caliper
*********Rotors********
any stock spec v size rotor will work. meaning the rotor is 11" in diameter. so you can buy whatever kind you want but they have to have 1/4" shaved off the overall diameter to work. so the rotors will now be 10.75" rather than 11'. replacement rotors from powerslot, rotorpros, and ebay will all work
******Conversion Lines*****
you only need the fronts
Type in "240sx 300zx brake lines" into the search bar in ebay and look for the ones that say 240sx w/ 300zx front caliper swap or something along those lines
*****Brake Pads*****
any 300zx pads will work they are all the same for 26mm and 30mm calipers
****Wheel Spacers****
type in "wheels spacers 4x114.3" on ebay
depending on your wheels you might need them. but i wouldn't recommend going over 5mm, unless you have linger studs.
******Wheels the clear 300zx brakes*******
any wheels that clears brembo brakes should clear the 300zx brakes.
refer to this thread for some options
http://myspecv.com/f/t1831-wheels-that- … embos.html
04-06 stock wheels clear the 300zx calipers (thanks to quickgabe)
pictures of brakes on my car
wheels on
wheels off (after a 5 hour long track day)