How to use G50 Q45 rear brakes and still keep your parking brake (j/y parts)

[twoeightythreez]

Ok here's how I did it. Keep in mind I'm also using the Q45 hubs, since I bought an entire subframe. Neither the Q45 nor the 240sx cables will work for this swap, but I found out what will. You will need to go to the junkyard and get some B13 (non se-r) sentra parking brake cables. (make sure they come off of a sentra with DRUM rear brakes)

1)when you do your 5-lug conversion, put the Q45 backing plates on your spindles. Leave the rotors off for now and disassemble the drum brake, and remove the Q45 cable.2)remove your original parking brake cables (you will have to cut them aft of the equalizer unless you live in Arizona) hint: this is much easier if you remove the driveshaft and drop the subframe a little bit....just loosen the four bolts that hold it to the body3)remove your center console and your parking brake handle (disregard if your cable ends are actually not rusted to the equalizer...also disregard steps 4 through 6)4)spend a half hour cursing and slowly working the cable ends out of the equalizer5)spend another half hour pulling the broken bolts out of the floorpan where the parking brake bolted down, and re tap them. 6)spend yet another half hour, cursing like a sailor, filing down the equalizer ends of the sentra brake cables, after you fought them free of the sentra equalizer...dam east coast rust7) if you removed it, reinstall the parking brake handle into the car. leave the center console off. If you didn't need to remove the parking brake handle, now take the time to remove the center console. Trust me.8)take your sentra cables and drill the mounting holes out on them bigger so they fit onto the 240sx mounting studs.9) hacksaw the top hole off on the sentra backing plate mounting provision (Q45's only have one..the bottom, and the hub mounting gets in the way of the top one)10) while the hacksaw is out, cut a slot in the bottom hole (rear side) of the ear on the parking brake cable. (you'll see why when you install it)11)install the sentra cables into your 240. You will have to secure them to the subframe with big hose clamps since the sentra had a different subframe and the brackets are crimped onto the cable! Don't forget to retighten the four subframe bolts! (if you dropped it slightly to make the work slightly easier)12)Reassemble the Q45 drums, install the rotors and calipers, and pull the parking brake up 5 clicks. 13)Using a deepwell 10mm socket, tighten the adjusting bolt in the bottom of the parking brake handle until the wheels are locked. You will use almost all the adjustment, but hey, you will have a functional parking brake for less than 20 bucks!14)release the parking brake and check to be sure the brakes release. 15)if all is well, reinstall your center console!Done! You now can get your car inspected in states that do so, and you can lock the rear brakes at will for all you drifters out there. (and since that parking brake is designed to hold a 4000lb car, you know it will work well!) Now if I can only find a solution for a left halfshaft Q45 halfshaft is 2" too long (but I have one axle at least )

[dickie]

got pics? and also can you give some insight on the safety and stability of using hose clamps?

[twoeightythreez]

no pics, sorry...already together and I'm not taking it apart to take pics I reassembled most of it in the dark, so no pics. The hose clamps are perfectly stable and safe, all they are doing is keeping the cable from flopping around on the subframe, as they are secured front and rear, just like factory. The factory had the little brackets bolt to the subframe to keep them out of the way. as far as routing the cable, it goes all the proper places( it goes where the Q45 cables went...when you do it you will see what I mean, G50 and S14 subframes are IDENTICAL except that the G50 subframe is at least 2" wider.)I personally will live with the hose clamps for 20 bucks to accompish a functional parking brake. (you don't have to use them, it just keeps them out of the way of the body...it's a very tight fit through the body and subframe, I think it was principally to prevent rattles IMHO)I forgot to list the parts you need at the junkyard to do this swap so i'll do it now. You need:1) G50 (89-96 Q45) spindles and hubs, left and right (unless you can separate the hubs and backing plates at the junkyard)2)B13 sentra (91-94) parking brake cables (drum brake cars only) 3) L/H Q45 axle (if you are using the Q45 hubs) 4) custom shortened Q45 axle (for 240sx left side)...unless there is a bolt in solution I don't know about...5)G50 rotors and calipers (which is why you're doing this swap anyway) You need the backing plates because they hold the brake end of the parking brake cable, and also the actual drum brake that makes up a Q45/300zx parking brake

I haven't tried but I believe you could use SE S14 5-lug hubs then you can use your factory 240 axles, but you still need to use the Q45 backing plates. (if you have the Q45 spindles you can have a shop press the hubs and backing plates off those and onto your 240 spindles, then it's literally a bolt up swap...the very minor mods consist of drilling the stud holes in the sentra cables to the 240sx/Q45 stud size on the body end and the backing plate end....no pics required for that, just get a drill bit that's slightly bigger than the stud... The backing plate end when you install it, will bolt up, but you need to move them forward on the bolt slot sligtly, but if you have both the Q45 cables end and the sentra cable end you'll see what I mean, it's an easy swap and guaranteed to work

Again, I apologize for the lack of pics but I'll try to get some when I bleed the brakes (I work 6 days a week) (honestly, if you can't figure it out without pics... since this is almost a bolt up swap...then you probably should have a shop do it anyway...just my two cents)

[dickie]

the pics aren't a big deal for now, but they would be nice to have in the future

i will see what i can do to get this article-ized.

any thoughts on a custom title?

[Arabrockermang]

I gotta question?

If use the backing plate from a Q can you still put a Z32 caliper/rotor on using the Q drums for the ebrake?

I'll be going to the junk yard this week if I clear away some time to do it.

[r3v_v3ng3]

4) custom shortened Q45 axle (for 240sx left side)...unless there is a bolt in solution I don't know about...

z32tt driver side axle

[r3v_v3ng3]

also we did this to my friends s14 awhile back and all i did on the parking brake is the same as the write up on this site on installing the 300zx rear brake setup

[Arabrockermang]

also we did this to my friends s14 awhile back and all i did on the parking brake is the same as the write up on this site on installing the 300zx rear brake setup

Yea because they are basically the same thing I ended up getting a whole J30 subframe because I can use the J30 or Q45 backing plates if I find Skyline or Z calipers

Further more I'll be able to upgrade to rear Evo rotors and modify for calipers (which is what I originally intetended to do)

Basically I wouldn't try to piece hub and backing plates together just get the backing plate (drum cables and assembly) with matching hub unless you know better.

From there rotors and calipers they just interchange.

J30 is the same as skyline/240sx/Z Q45 is GTR/TT Z axles size.

Also your right about using the diver side z tt axle. But unless your desprite the Q diff sucks b/c ratios are too high (unless you gotta v8)