[REVIEW with pics] Zcardepot 240sx rear disc brake conversion (2024)

MEH I AM NOT MAD NOR PLEASED IN GREEN.

BAD POINTS WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED.

1. Removing the Stock Drums

There are tons of write ups on this. I chose to cut the back plate because I will never really go back to drums, and I have had it with the drums seizing or messing up or not adjusting right, and messing up my brake points.

OEM brake lines were easy to remove since I soaked them in PB. Clips were easy with pliers, and a wrench.

2. Bolting up the ZcarDepot bracket.

THE GOODThere is really only one way to bolt up the bracket and Zcardepot has many photos and write ups on this part. So here is a photo from their website(no copywrite infringement intended 😊)

Both the stock bolts work and the new JNC bolts that Zcardepot supplies.

3. Bolting up the Calipers

Cleanup the hub and slide the rotor on. Put a lug nut on and hold the rotor to the hub surface. Now the rotor spins in line with the hub surface.

With the whole calipertry bolting up to the zcar bracket.
THE MEH, the calipers needed to be shimmed on the driver side caliper in order to center the rotor in the middle of the caliper slot. The passenger side is okay and did not need any shims at all. I have installed willwoods on several cars and they also required shims to get the caliper and rotors inline. SOOO thinking I would rather have to shim the caliper outwardthan having to grind the back plate or caliper retainer.

4. Hooking up the brake hose (hose is the flexible bit, hardline is the solid metal bit)

The brake hoseused are some 240sx rear brake hose, I recommend a stainlessbraided hose. I had some 240sx braided hosesitting from my older projects so I used those insteadand they are DOT, but for a 240sx.

THE BAD the idiot installing the kit ME😂
This was my problem, caused by me but you might run into a similar issue with the normal rubber hoseprovided.

The brake hoseare quite short for the application and I recommend a brake hosethat is at least 15inches long end to end. The 240sx brake hoseis 12 inches end to end. The good thing is the 240sx brake hoseis just long enough to clear all the critical points.

5. The handbrake.... THE BAD THE PAIN THE STRUGGLE

Everything was going smoothly, up until this portion of the install. Trying to get the oem handbrake to work with the 240sx calipers. There are two options now.

If you have the oem 240sx handbrake brackets (rare) you will need to make an adapter plate to link the 240sx caliper handbrake hook to the 240z handbrake cable. Here is a picture from a nice man who has a page on how to install the 240sx rear brakes from way back when.
http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/Calipers/zbrakeupgrade.htm

If you have the Zcardepot 240sx handbrake brackets (provided with the kit) you still need to modify a few things. I have both but I chose to go with the zcardepot handbrake bracket. On the OEM 240z handbrake there is a flat tab, that flat tab has to sit behind the flat of the caliper handbrake bracket. The Zcar depot brackets are shorter than the 240sx OEM handbrake bracket, this makes is possible to simply hook them up. BUT HERE COMES THE BAD the driver side bracket was too long and I could never get that tab behind the flat of the zcardepot handbrake bracket. The passenger side zcardepot bracket was perfect, and the 240z OEM handbrake fit perfectly.

I ended up using some shaft collars on the oem handbrake to hold the handbrake tab on the driver side.

6. CONCERNS JUSTIFIED

After having bolted up everything I am really concerned with a few things.
1. The bracket for the handbrake is really close to the chassis and the OEM brake hardline.

2. The handbrake cables being too close to the drive shaft. I know you can swap sides and it fixes it, but I just used a zip tie and held the oem cable to the mustache bar.

As its turned out I the bracket made contact with the mountings. here is a photo of what happened when I compressed the suspension.

THE SOLUTION COMES IN THE FORM OF TWO THINGS.

1. THE BRACKETS NEED TO BE PUSHED TO THE REAR OF THE CAR AND THEN BOLTED 2. BUMP STOPS NEED TO BE THERE AT LEAST 1INCH TO KEEP THE HANDBRAKE BRACKETS FROM MUNCHING YOUR BRAKE LINES.

Overall, the kit works perfectly fine. There aren't any major issues that cannot be fixed by normal means.
The braking is greatly improved, with much better pedal feel and heat capacity. I am running the 280zx master cylinder as well, so that helps.

BRAKE balance is just as good as properly adjusted drums, I will lock up the fronts a touch earlier than the rear, but all 4 wheels will lock up with R comp tireson the car.

Edited January 8, 2021 by Jazz86