4 piston calipers

Suspension, including wheel, tire and brake.
JohnR
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4 piston calipers

Post by JohnR »

I have searched and found people using toyota, wilwood and 300zx 4 piston calipers. Does anyone know what is the easiest way to put four piston calipers on my 280zx struts utilizing the vented rotor, keeping the 4 bolt pattern. Preferably 300zx calipers as I would like to keep everything nissan.
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okayfine
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by okayfine »

There is no easy way. The Nissan 4-pots need serious inside-wheel clearance as well, and generally only fit with FWD-offset stuff.

Easiest way to fit 4-pots to ZX struts:

DQ Volume 5 Issue 3 - Bigger Brakes, Wider Track - The 280ZX front brake upgrade is a great way to improve your 510’s stopping. A drawback is the loss of front track width, which can cause wheel to strut tube interference and necessitate the use of spacers and longer studs. We’ll show you how to improve on this set-up further and restore the front track width to almost stock.

But that doesn't account for your wheel offset.
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JohnR
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by JohnR »

Currently running 14x6.5 0 offset wheels
JohnR
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by JohnR »

I appreciate the reference to dime quarterly, although making this reference to a non-available publication is not very helpful! So any advice you have would be helpful. Let me change to what is needed to install 300 zx calipers using my existing rotor and hub? I am no stranger to modification as I have a KA24DE turbo utilizing megasquirt, r200 vlsd w/cv shaft conversion, soon to have 240sx rear disc conversion. 280zx front struts and brakes, 280zx master cylinder and b210 brake booster.
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okayfine
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by okayfine »

JohnR wrote:I appreciate the reference to dime quarterly, although making this reference to a non-available publication is not very helpful!
Interesting.
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JohnR
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by JohnR »

I checked their website and that issue is sold out. I got the impression no longer available, however I have an email in to them to see if it can be obtained. So any help with 300zx caliper how-to/ what is needed?
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okayfine
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by okayfine »

I wasn't aware the issues were selling out that quickly. Once they're gone, they're gone. Part of the demise of DQ.

I can't help with your Nissan 4-pots, since I didn't use them and have seen only a few conversions with them. Your 0-offset wheels won't work with them, though.

The Wilwood conversion documented in the NLA DQ issue is pretty basic. Swap to Z31 300Z 4-lug hubs (slide on to ZX spindles), build a .250" thick bracket to mount and center the caliper. 4-pots, 11" vented rotor, all under 14x6 wheels (in my case, +21 Watenabes) and unflared arches.
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by JohnR »

I will look into the wilwoods thanks
510rob
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by 510rob »

which wilwoods? did I miss something?!?
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okayfine
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by okayfine »

I used the forged Dynalites. The bit of extra rounding on the outer edges helped with wheel clearance.
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by 510rob »

oh yeah, duuh on my part, you said Wilwoods, right there in that post. My bad. My eyes are blind, but I can see. :P

What pads did you use in those calipers?
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Byron510
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by Byron510 »

I did a set up using a mixture of many parts in my Bronze build thread, but I am working under flared fenders so I'm not sure what is applicable. I did not however use spacers, and I moved the wheel as close to the strut so I could to cut down on scrub radius.

Here is the link to the start of the set up - scroll half way down the page.

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=530&start=495

BTW - Update - My 15" VTO wheels still clear this set up without spacers, but I did need to upgrade to longer wheel studs.

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okayfine
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by okayfine »

510rob wrote:What pads did you use in those calipers?
Used the stock Wilwood street pad (made by Raybestos!) and Porterfield's street compound. I liked the Wilwood pad better, the Porterfield needed more heat to work, so that first stop after a freeway run was not confidence inspiring. Probably had as much to do with the 11" rotor I ran - overkill for how I drove the car.
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denis.drc
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by denis.drc »

You just need a set of brackets and appropriate spacers.

I recently installed Wilwood Billet Dyanlite calipers on my 510 struts with 280zx rotors.
I can make you a pair of brackets. Where are you located?

Here is my current setup:
(I didn't do too much finishing work on the brackets when the pic was taken..they look a bit more presentable now..)

Image
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S15DET
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Re: 4 piston calipers

Post by S15DET »

May I thread-jack a bit and ask another similar question that might help you.
Who can find the smallest radial-mount production caliper? The aftermarket has a few small radial calipers, but I prefer the quality and weather/dust seals of a production caliper. And why radial, it makes the bracket much easier and in some cases it makes it possible. With my 280zx struts, there wasn't a way for the calipers I was using to work because the ears of the caliper and the ears of the strut needed to occupy the same space. Many of the new "big brake" cars are using radial calipers, but all I've seen would only work with a rotor the size of my 15" wheels. The perfect caliper will be small, 4-pot, radial, and work with a 11" rotor.
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