Rear disc conversion for under $350

[compression]

OK, I know this can be interpreted as a shameless plug to buy my rear disc brake conversion brackets....but just hold on and read through this:)

 

I have been selling custom brackets for converting your 510's (or 610's) rear drum brakes to disc using OEM Nissan calipers and rotors for several years now. It is a very simple, clean and effective swap that is well within most budgets and skill level.

The only hard part of the swap for most people is locating the correct calipers. junkyard searching can often be fruitless, and remanufactured ones have always been pricey (and you need a core), and half the time the parts store gives you the wrong calipers anyway.

Recently I discovered http://www.Rockauto.com.

Right now, they are closing out the calipers and brake rotors needed to do this swap for CHEAP. I am talking $9/ea for the rotors and $55/ea for the calipers (NO CORE NEEDED!). Granted you still have to pay shipping charges of course.

Combine those with my brackets and a set of custom brake lines, and you have a very affordable swap.

I felt I had to let the community know that now is a very good time to do this conversion.

I have all the information including part numbers. Just shoot me an email at:

engineered.datsun@gmail.com

 

The picture below is an example of a complete kit (brake rotors not shown).

[jesusno2]

I wish this worked for a wagon I'd buy them.

[Creepy Cruiser]

How much for just the brake lines? (that's the only part I still need for mine, lol)

[datzenmike]

E brake?

[compression]

E brake?

Yes, when you use the maxima calipers. E-mail me if you want more info on this.

 

The brake lines I recommend people to use are available from Techna-fit at a very reasonable price. Email me if you want the full scoop with part numbers.

 

I have sold plenty of brackets to wagon owners. In all cases they have figured out how to make it work. I have some feedback from them on how they did it, but I have personally never installed them on a wagon so I can only speak from what others have told me.

Email me if you want more info on the wagon install.

[Creepy Cruiser]

Can you PM me your email again, I don't think I still have it from before when I got your brackets, lol. Thanks.

[compression]

Can you PM me your email again, I don't think I still have it from before when I got your brackets, lol. Thanks.

 

take a close look at the first post;)

[Creepy Cruiser]

LOL, sorry, I missed it, I was half asleep :lol:

 

BTW, the brackets are really nice.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Creepy Cruiser

[Ultramagnus]

Very nice u will be getting email soon asking for paypal info so i can send you payment for this kit.

[maximo]

Shine some light on me please and tell me what's the benefit on having disc brakes on the back of a car, I know most of the cars stopping power comes from the front brakes and even newer cars now days have drums on the back and discs on the front so is having rear disc brakes on a datsun more of a fancy thing or is there really a benefit. Just a questions.

[compression]

the point of this thread is not to get into the drum vs. disc debate, which is kind of along the lines of chevy vs. ford.

But I will point out a few benefits of the rear disc conversion that are hard to argue:

1. Disc brakes dissipate heat better.

2. Disc brakes have less moving parts and less chance for failure = more reliable

3. Disc brakes do not require periodic adjustment and are easier to service - i.e. Replace your pads in minutes, not hours.

4. There are more friction material choices for disc brakes

5. It is much easier to find replacement parts for more-modern disc brakes.

 

I myself cannot stand drum brakes, leaky wheel cylinders, hammering the drums off the hubs, the complicated spring loaded arms, they are a pain.

How many cuss words have you said when you are trying to install that last high-tension spring on your brake shoes?

With a rear disc conversion being so cheap, it is hard to think of why not to do it.

[NorCalDime]

Drum brakes are ugly.

 

Disks are not.

 

Nothing looks stupider than a nice rim with spokes or mesh and a nice big fat drum behind it :poop:

[Z-train]

Drum brakes are ugly.

 

Disks are not.

 

Nothing looks stupider than a nice rim with spokes or mesh and a nice big fat drum behind it :poop:

 

 

Not if you paint them white.:blink:

[zerow]

Drum brakes will not be around forever, despite the cross-over between the other 10-series cars and the 240Z. Hardware or shoes, or the drums themselves will (eventually) become NLA.

 

Upgraded modern brakes is my number one reason for this upgrade. The number two reason is that I want to be the second* 610 with rear disk brakes

 

(* first sedan though!:eek::D)

[Guest jaimesix]

Drum brakes will not be around forever, despite the cross-over between the other 10-series cars and the 240Z. Hardware or shoes, or the drums themselves will (eventually) become NLA.

 

Upgraded modern brakes is my number one reason for this upgrade. The number two reason is that I want to be the second* 610 with rear disk brakes

 

(* first sedan though!:eek::D)

 

Pix .... pix.....pix.....pix.....pix....pix.....need some updating at that Zerow Datsun 610 thread!!!!:D

 

Jaime.___________________________________________________

[LCDC]

So where's the thread for rear disk brake conversion on the 620 trucks. I guess i'll do some more lookin.

[shardik]

I got a set of brackets from this guy a while back and was very happy with them.

 

 

Good stuff I tells you.

[datzenmike]

As far as working, they are about the same, except that the disc will always be in proper adjustment compared to the drum. For not having to hardly ever have to touch your rear brakes again to adjust them... I give the discs 1 point

 

Disc rotors can dissipate more heat than a comparable sized drum however the replacement discs/rotors are for lighter cars so hard to compare. The drum has a lot of thermal mass and can easily absorb a huge thermal spike caused by a panic stop and slowly dissipate it later. However, with insufficient time to cool between uses, like long down hills or racing, they will overheat possibly leading to brake fade. This is extremely unlikely on the rears though, as the fronts do most of the work. If it happens it's much more likely that the E brake was left on. For street, use I give this a tie as the chance of fade from overheating is so rare. If selecting disc, this should not be the deciding factor.

 

Discs are simpler fewer parts easier to change/work on. Sort of covered in the first paragraph but, I'll give it, and the fact that they are more reliable because of this, another point.

 

More friction material choices available. I guess so, but more important for the fronts that do more work. The rears are more apt to lock up if too aggressive a pad used so I would think not a deciding factor unless racing.

 

Replacement parts are easier to find... sure, but not a deciding factor like performance or safety. It is nice though.

 

Looks... flat out, rear discs look great and have a bling factor of 2 points. Going totally overboard with 14" cross drilled and slotted rotors with 6 piston calipers.... remove 1.5 points. Keep it real, conservative is better. At the absolute most, use vented rotors. Says I know what I'm doing and I'm not a slave to fashion. Fuck those other guys. Now that's cool.

[compression]

Well said Mike. :)

 

The reason I even mentioned there are more friction material choices for discs is because some people like to proportion their brakes this way. By selecting more aggressive pad compound, you can effectively add rear-bias, which you would only want to do if your car was heavily front biased.

 

Fronts do most the braking, but some people think that their rear brakes may

be under-utilized. I have run into this mind-set in other car circles (not necessarily Datsun).

 

Normally, I just get Porterfield pads all around and call it good.

[macrosshn]

i bought your conversion brackets some time ago and finally got around to converting my rear drums to discs / Wilwood Dynalites. when i test drove the car, there was an issue with brake dragging especially after the system warmed up a bit.

 

i checked everything out and the calipers / brakets are all square and mounted correctly. i bled the system 4 times and it runs solid. what i did notice was that the rear calipers didn't have as much pressure as the fronts when i bled them.

 

since this was originally a disc FR / drum RR combo, do you know if the stock Datsun distribution block has some sort of a metering valve to limit the pressure going to the rear lines? and if so, could i compensate with a proportioning valve to adjust for more rear bias?

[compression]

First off, a proportioning valve can only decrease pressure. So installing one on the rear line would not be ideal, if you think it is under-pressurized. I would not do anything concerning line pressure until you have concrete proof that it is actually a problem.

 

Also, can you describe the brake drag? Is it a noise you hear? when the car is on jack stands, are the rear wheels really hard to rotate?

Have you inspected the calipers to see if there is any rubbing with the rotor or with your rim? All brake lines free of kinks and too-sharp bends?

Or is it just the pads bedding in?

 

I am not seeing the relationship between a possible dragging brake and suspected low line pressure at the rear, but maybe they are somehow related....

 

If you want, you can totally bypass the switch unit (under the master cylinder). That thing does not do any proportioning, it is just a switch to turn on your dash "BRAKE" warning light in case you loose all your fluid.

Feel free to email me and I can help you as much as I can.

[ser240z]

Are your brackets like the Maxima brackets that the Z's use with 240SX calipers? If so I may need two sets. I've been meaning to change my 240Z over and now I have the 610. I was wondering if the same conversion would work since I heard that the 240 drums work on the 610.

 

Thanks

Scott

[compression]

Are your brackets like the Maxima brackets that the Z's use with 240SX calipers? If so I may need two sets. I've been meaning to change my 240Z over and now I have the 610. I was wondering if the same conversion would work since I heard that the 240 drums work on the 610.

 

Thanks

Scott

 

My brackets will not work on a Z-car. But they will work on the 610. send me an email at the address in the first post for more info.

[OKC521]

I am new to the Datsun scene and bought a 1970 521 a few months back. All the drums and internals for the brakes are either bad or missing (they were apart when I bought it). Will this disc conversion work on the 521's? What about front disc kits? I found a couple guys on Ebay a while back that had front and rear kits, but I can't find the front kit anymore. Thanks for the info!

[sssr20det510]

what other calipers will work, z32, z31, 200sx, 240sx????? what size are the rotors for this kit??? the reason i ask is i have 87 200sx rear 5 lug rotors and calipers want to know if these will work?