Topic specific brake question (searched)

[book-ends]

Hello all,

I've been wondering weather or not this is a good idea: Removing the rear brakes and replacing them with the stock FRONT brakes while upgrading the MC and front brakes to 300ZX units (lines, rotors, pads, calipers).

A few of us have debated in the past about the true need for an e-brake, and so far I still haven't used it after 25 years (8 of those behind the wheel), except when I park.

What do you think? Crazy town or too cool for school?

[toptechracing]

Why not just add the rear 300 ZX brakes? Bolt on deal. You can add a hydraulic brake lock to the rears and have an hill holder brake anyway.

[Chingon]

been driving 2 years and I have yet to use the e-brake even when parking :o

[book-ends]

Why not just add the rear 300 ZX brakes? Bolt on deal. You can add a hydraulic brake lock to the rears and have an hill holder brake anyway.

What is a hydraulic brake lock? Since I already have the front brakes, it shouldn't be a big deal to port everything over/around......right?

[toptechracing]

i'll see if I can find a link to one and post it for you. Basicly you press the brake pedal and the pull the lever and it looks pressure on the rear brakes.

[DAEDALUS]

Surely you guys know that the "e" in e-brake stands for emergency. What happens on that rare, off-chance that you completely lose hydraulic pressure in the lines? Odds of it happening are probably less than .01% (maybe higher if you're modifying the system), but still...

[toptechracing]

Surely you guys know that the "e" in e-brake stands for emergency. What happens on that rare, off-chance that you completely lose hydraulic pressure in the lines? Odds of it happening are probably less than .01%, but still...

Yep that happens but very rare you loose all brakes in a 2 chamber system like car are today.....

Link to brake lock......... http://www.tsmmfg.com/Brakelock_System.htm

[DAEDALUS]

True, tiny chance.

The other issue with putting front rotors on rear is they're probably different thicknesses, aren't they? With new pads the stock caliper may not allow enough gap for the rotor. And would it affect wheel offset?

[book-ends]

Daedalus,

I was thinking about transferring the front rotors AND calipers to the rear; a complete change over. That's possible right?

[DAEDALUS]

If the bolt spacing is the same and the bolts/pins the same thread/diameter then maybe. But most cars have different size pads front and rear, suggesting different size calipers. The fronts take more load than the rears. I can't tell you if it will work or not, but I would be surprised. With something as critical as the brakes you have to be absolutely 100% certain about every change/deviation you make.

[book-ends]

I hear what you're saying, but aren't you being a little too cautious? It's just brakes, not something important like "bling factor"!

In all seriousness, I'll check it out this weekend to see if it's even feasible. Also, why are you up at 3:42 AM? My excuse is that I'm still doing homework!

[toptechracing]

The fronts won't just bolt onto the rears. You would be better of just leaving the rear calipers stock and using good brake compounds to balance the brakes. I use Hawk race pads on my race car but they make a couple of street compouds that could be used to balance your set up.

My race car (98 S14) has Z32 brake F&R... Other than melting the dust boots out of them I have never found the end of my brakes...

[yellow_jacket]

Actually, the e in e brake no longer exists. They are now called parking brakes because some intelligent woman pulled it in an emergency and crashed. She won her lawsuit because the emergency brake did not stop the car in an emergency.

As far as complete brake failure, I blew one of my z32 calipers in half. The rears still worked, but you would be surprised how little they do. I do not have a parking brake either.

[book-ends]

The fronts won't just bolt onto the rears....

Is that for real? I was going to go down to the junkyard tomorrow and experiment on a few of the derelict 240s there. If I keep the stock rears and upgrade to 300ZX in the front, should I still get the 1 1/16 master cylinder?

Also, I probably should have considered that the pad compounds would come into play. It never occurred to me to have different compounds front and rear. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[yellow_jacket]

I have the z32 front and rear and have had no problem running the stock master cylinder. There is no excessive pedal drop or anything. I know some people have had problems, but mine turned out great.