I think the answer is "No...." (Z brake question)

[Veriest1]

I've learned a lot in the couple of years I've been reading NICO and in that time my taste in cars has changed... a lot. So, without further blabbering....

Searching provided me with the suspicion that the answer to my question is a resounding "no." However I intend to ask anyway.

I have 30mm aluminum 300zx brakes on my 240 and would like to run 15 inch wheels if I can. Are the 30mm and 28mm calipers actually different? As in can I use the calipers I have on the smaller rotors? I suspect I could but the pads would wear terribly and I wouldn't get full contact with the rotor as I'm assuming the difference is in the calipers being extended out further and clearance has nothing to do with the rotor size.

In this thread zerothread?id=89246 Daniel240 claims to have 30mm iron calipers behind stock S14 SE wheels. He has pics too but I always thought the S14's had 15 inch wheels like the S13's and that the 30mm calipers wouldn't fit.

Comments, flames, answers, food, advice, and compliments are all welcome.

[crzycav86]

Yeah, they clear the stock s14 se rims.... but not because those rims are 16", it's because of its spoke design. Not to mention the jdm s14's that had those brakes used the same rim. The rotor/caliper will clear a 15" diameter wheel... the caliper may or may not clear the spokes though.

[Veriest1]

Quote »Yeah, they clear the stock s14 se rims.... but not because those rims are 16", it's because of its spoke design. Not to mention the jdm s14's that had those brakes used the same rim. The rotor/caliper will clear a 15" diameter wheel... the caliper may or may not clear the spokes though.[/quote]That's confusing too because in this thread, zerothread?id=44338, Exar-Kun said,

Quote »nope...sorry. uhm, talk to sam at j-spec, he may know of some decent 15" wheels that clear the Z brakes, but for the larger brakes(30mm) you'll have to find 16" wheels man.-chet[/quote]

[Red coupe]

I dont know much about Z brakes but this has some info and pictures...http://www.sillbeer.com/s13sewheels.phptake a look at the pictures, its not the diamiter that is a problem its the clearance from the spokes to the caliper. IF my understanding is correct when the spoke travels straight from the center section, were it mounts to the hub, to the rim the spokes will hit the side of the caliper (were Nissan is written) On the other rim the spoke have a cuve to them so they will curve out and around the calliper....

As far as the rotor....If there is only a 2mm differance in the rotor thats only 1 mm on each side, Id imagine that the caliper needs to take up more of a differance then that durring normal pad wear. However I dont see how a narrow rotor would help with clearance?????

[Veriest1]

That's what I was thinking after I typed this.... The rotor doesn't really matter.

Exar-Kuns post is what confused me because I keep hearing it's just the spoke design. *sigh* I'm just going to break out the tape measure and start calling wheel companies....

[InsanityInc]

It's not so much the spoke "design" per se. It's the way the spokes mount to the wheel. If your wheels look like a deep dish wheel, you'll have fitment problems galore with your brakes. If they mount on the outside of the rim and flange out (like your current 240sx wheels, if that picture is any indication), then you don't have to worry about it probably.

[Veriest1]

Here's a close up.

These are actually Toyota Supra rotors. The calipers are riding on extended mounting brackets. This is what stemned part of my confusion since I had forgotten that regular 300z rotors won't need the brackets.