Hey guys,
So my car needs new rotors, and pads, for the front and rear. I was thinking instead spending 200 bucks on standard pads and rotors, maybe I could upgrade my brakes entirely? If anyone got some suggestions as to what I could upgrade to, where to the setup and how much it will cost me that’d be great.
Thanks alot.
Izzy, i’m in your boat, I’m going to do 1 & 2 with 26mm calipers.
Brembo Blanks / Hawk pads are on the top of my list
300zx calipers, either 26mm or 30mm, up to you
Q45 / 180sx calipers with perfoamnce pads
Im going to be doing #3 180sx front brake setup =)
q45 is alot cheaper and easier to install… only thing is you have to cut the dust sheild off and re-drill them to 4x114.5 (q45 are 5 bolts)
just did mine last week 
here’s the link on how to do it >>>> http://www.ka24development.com/brake_upgrades.html
j30 breaks >> http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/175773
I may consider upgrading my z32 setup to something else, I will find out soon if I will or will not. If I am bro, I may sell my setup to you although you’ll need new pads and new fluid. Obviously for the fluid in any circumstance and well my pads, well they’re used up. They still brake but compared to the firm and consistent feel before when I first had new pads, new fluid, etc… to now, to me it’s scary. Compared to the stock 240 crappy brakes its still way better lol, but it freaks me personally out… so new pads you will definetely need to buy. OEM ones are dirt cheap, aftermarket ones like I wanted are $ (EBC redstuff pads for example). There’s some descent priced aftermarket pads available too though, but I just wanted to be hardcore (just not too hardcore lol).
It’ll come with everything for the front including the aluminum calipers, rotors, braided ss lines with the proper fittings. Also even though you do not have 5 lug, it can be redrilled to 4 lug like these are, last I remember being quoted for that was like 30 bux to be done or maybe less if you have a friend who can do it properly it can be cheaper or even free:
If thats on your car it looks beautiful… sexiest upgrade. U got the back too?
Nah those aren’t mine, and yeah I have the rears too and mbc and booster upgrade.
Unless you do enduro racing and are SUPER hard on your brakes there is really no reason for anything bigger then Z brakes with good pads and rotors. A 240 only weights MAX MAX MAX 3000lbs wet with driver and what ever other crap has been put on the car.
Q45/180 brakes are good upgrade for light track use and if you aren’t hard on your brakes at the track.
I run front Z’s with Hawks and Brembos and I can stomp them all day long at the track with no fade… or smoking re marks 180’s 
If you never track your car (grip/drift/drag) then upgraded pads / rotors will be more then enough for daily use.
Just don’t try multiple 160kph+ stops.
don’t try multiple 160km+ stops?Wops. Ahmed how much for the whole set and what condition are they in?
Upgrading the Z32? To what? 6 piston brembos?
for example:
my Z32 calipers cost me roughly $400/fronts $300/rears
4 EBC turboslot rotors $400+
pads 4 corners $200+ (nothing too fancy, I loved my poterfeilds, but at $150+USD/fronts, not htis time)
SS lines $150?
Z32 17/16" MC, $160+core @ napa
I still need about $300 worth of E-brake ish to have it complete
total: $1800 roughly
JDM-Place used to have 4-corner + 5-bolt for $1200ish but thats used everything
My sister just did her S14
$700 roughly for;
EBC turbo slot fronts
M-sport slotted rears
Hawk pads.
I went ot Z32 because I couldn’t make stock rotors last more than 6 months without warping them.
Its up to you… but can get pricey quick…
Well theres alot of good info here thanks guys. I’ll look into everything in more detail a make a decision. I guess I’ll keep in mind that I don’t do alot of hard braking, and on top of that I don’t plan to take my car to the track, so really its my daily driver, but I still like the look of the setup ahmed posted drools haha
if ur going to track ur car z32 brakes all 4 corners…what S13GG explained…If u just daily drive ur car 180sx fronts (280mm…11.02 inches) Is more than enough braking power u will ever need. If u had that drilled/slotted all around the braking would be awesome. Even with just blacnk 180sx front rotors and a good pad will be more than enough.
Having a drilled or slotted setup does nothing to improve braking performance except potentially reduce fading and heat. When I say performance, it can mean many things though. Bigger pistons, more pistons, larger rotors could mean more brake torque. Tire compound, tire sizes/widths are things that also help in brake performance… since that’s what is in contact with the road.
Long ago when braking technology was very primitive and gases were produced during braking due to the nature of the pad technology, the slots and drilled holes served as escape routes to cool off the brakes. Now a days its mostly a look thing. Pad technology is leaps beyond than what it was when that was first introduced.
Having a slotted/drilled setup may only help in increasing cooling but nothing else. Under some circumstances and with certain poor quality rotors, they may crack as well as the rigidity of the rotor is compromised when it is drilled/slotted all over.
Less pad/rotor contact surface means less stopping power.
I only run a rear powerslot slotted rotor, fronts are blanks.
I consider S13 stock rotors and calipers dangerous to be honest. I honestly thought something was wrong with my entire brake setup when I first got the car, only to realize all 240s suck stock in ever so many ways, especially the brakes. It freaked me out how much the brakes sucked.
When I first got the Z setup on, I was expecting astronomical change in braking performance, like some ferrari or some dumb shit like that lol, because it was going from 1 piston to 4 piston, larger rotors albeit slightly, etc… but the truth is the Z setup feels to me what the car should feel like and come like STOCK… that is all. It is nice and totally rocks over the stock garbage just doesn’t feel exceptional or to put it simply, what I want.
I am thinking 6 piston lightweight willwood calipers and aluminum hat rotors/etc… actually… But I’m not 100% yet. The rotors are 13. something inch and the thickness is like 35mm which is the thickest rotors I know of. So basically that will be no brake fade from like a zillion tripple digit stops over and over again. In other words no brake fade > perfect.
If you stop from 160-200km/hr more than a few times even with Z brakes you will have mad fade… of course not everyone does that.
Also to be honest, I do not believe in the “thats too much” when it comes to brakes or… “even with my super powerful motor I do not use anything more than Z brakes”.
You can never have enough braking power, less fade, etc… Brakes are a beatiful and functional thing heh.
Where do you get EBC stuff? If I’m not upgrading/selling my current setup yet, I will want to purchase some EBC red stuff pads. I ask the guy who is in BC running PDM-racing, he told me he no longer does business with them since the last 6 years (I guess they had a little fist fight and kicking business-wise in the past).
Where do you get EBC stuff? If I’m not upgrading/selling my current setup yet, I will want to purchase some EBC red stuff pads.
to add to a_ahmed’s post, 300ZX swap might Increase your braking distance if any of you haven’t read it up. there’s enough info out there to tell you the added rotating mass of that setup won’t net you a faster braking distance, but only more fade resistance. also, an upgraded MBC is a must.
i believe Sport Compact Car used Brembo F50 setup (upgrade for 300ZX) on their project silvia and only yeilded 8 feet less 60-0 stopping distance. this is with stock MC though. they said it would be improved greatly with an upgraded MBC. still, it’s shockingly not a great margin of difference if you’re interested in stopping power over and not fade resistance.
want great brakes without having to buy junkyard / rebuilt calipers? http://arizonazcar.com/240sxbrakes.html
thats why for street use just get 180sx brakes…if u have cross drilled it will eliminate any fade. Even though it is true waht a hmed said about brake pads having almost no gases, but gases are still emitted during harsh braking on the highway. And why cross drilleds are great
EBC stuff available through Mild2Wild cambridge AKA Hector (SON username)
Well after reading all these posts, and talking to enough people. I think, considering I don’t do alot of heavy braking or plan to take my car to track, my most affordable way would be to get a nice set of performance rotors, and pads. Does anyone know where I can pick up some? I was looking at a set of pads and rotors on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.ca/240SX-Brembo-Drill-Slot-Rotors-Front-Rear-W-Pads_W0QQitemZ8052069959QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33564QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
but this says its only for 240’s without ABS, and mine does have ABS. So I guess that won’t work. It’s too bad because for the price I should think there well worth it.
izzy, pm Hector and go with EBC rotors/pads… Get blanks with the cermanic compound pad. If you do all 4 corners you’ll be happy.
Also, 1/2 of what will make or break your brake job will be how you install it. Ensure you use the anti-squeel plates and use high temperature lube on your sliders. Clean everything, lube the clips on both sides and where the pad slides.
If your rubber boots are torn, replace them! And if you can, sandblast the caliper, use a high temp primer and paint (black of course, not ricer red, lol, jokes)
I’ve been using a high temperature ceramic lube/anti-seize (purplish pink compound) and it seems to last longer then the nickle/silver stuff. Sorry folks, I don’t know what the compound or brand is called. Obviously I use a high temp lube for the sliders and not an anti-seize compound.