R/L caliper bracket differences?

[gpimm]

Following the great examples of mklotz70 I'm working on a rear disk brake conversion for the Datsun 1200. Will be using 82-88 200SX rear disks and 82-83 200SX calipers. The bore of the 82-83 rear calipers works out to a great match for the B310 (210) front brakes that are on the car already.

 

Things are moving along nicely with the bracket layout when I notice that the caliper brackets are different on the calipers I purchased from Rock Auto. I can see differences in the brackets between different models, but to have differences between the right and left sides of the same car doesn't make sense to me.

 

The mounting pads are 6mm thicker on the right side bracket compared to the left side bracket. I wanted to check with the experts here that may have first hand info concerning the 82-83 200SX.

 

You can see the difference in the mounting brackets in the pic below. The right hand caliper is the left one in the pic...

 

I'm debating between trying to get a caliper to match the thinner one from Rock Auto (though they probably don't know that there are differences) or just sticking the thicker bracket in the mill and shaving it down to match the thin one.

 

Comments?

 

[ggzilla]

Repeatability is good. Clear up the difference now so you don't have to get the wrong part later. Contact Rock Auto and have them send you matching parts.

[mklotz70]

If you have a decent relationship with a local parts store, order in another pair and see which way they are. If both are thick, or both are thin, go with that. You can machine the extra off like you mentioned or make a 6mm spacer for the thin one. You won't need to buy the set from the parts store. You're just looking for confirmation of which one is the right one. I'm guessing that someone sent in a wrong core and the rebuilder didn't notice. PM me if you need a second set of eyes when designing the bracket. :)

[Creepy Cruiser]

The thin one is the correct one for the 82-83 200sx. (I believe the thick ones are 280zx, and I think the bolt locations are wrong also)

 

Ask me how I know, lol. (just went through the same exact thing.)

 

There are numbers cast into the mount itself, if you give me the number of the one you have, I can match it up with the ones I have and tell you the other number that you need. That's what we had to do to get the correct one from the re-builder themselves. (because they kept sending the wrong ones, lol). Then you can tell them to match the numbers up, before they put it in a box. They ended up just sending us the mount itself, instead of a whole new caliper.

 

Let me know.

 

 

200sx

 

 

 

 

280zx

[gpimm]

Thanks! That's the info I was hoping to find. You are correct that the holes are in different places between the 2 styles of bracket. The horizontal spacing is the same but the vertical spacing is different.

 

The thin one I have is for the left side with the numbers:

 

1YH 6H

PD 200

 

Thanks again.

[Creepy Cruiser]

Mine:

 

Left:

21B 3H

PD 200

 

Right:

H3 28L

PD 200

 

I don't think the top letters and numbers make a difference, (but i'm not 100% sure about that), I think it's just the bottoms that do. I think the 280zx's are PD 202.

 

I hope that helps. Let me know, and if you need any more info. And add anything else you find out to this thread for others in the future.

[Creepy Cruiser]

Ever get this figured out?

[gpimm]

Things are sorted out well enough. Raybestos did not have any more semi loaded calipers for the 82/83 200SX. They did have fully loaded calipers for $35.00 more, but I already have the pads I want to run. Rock Auto checked with other suppliers and non of them could guarantee the correct brackets, or even if brackets were supplied.

 

I found a wrecking yard in Nampa Idaho that had a rear caliper on the correct car. They pulled the caliper and shipped it to me for $35.00. I'll clean up the bracket and swap in the pins from the wrong bracket to complete the set.

 

The folks at Rock Auto and Raybestos were very nice to work with so I have no complaints. It was just quicker to purchase the used caliper for parts than ship the mixed caliper back for exchange.

 

I'm pretty sure that the PD202 caliper bracket (the wrong one) fits all the IRS cars of that vintage.

[Creepy Cruiser]

Excellent. Glad it worked out.