Brake Upgrades Miscellaneous
The Menu[edit]
Rotor diameter down the left, rotor thickness along the top:
Standard Australian R31 Strut/Brake/Hub[edit]
Pretty underbraked by today's standards. 250mm x 22mm rotor is integrated with the hub, making rotor upgrades difficult. Caliper mounting bolts are 3 1/2" (88.9mm) apart which is an orphan dimension in terms of later bigger Nissan brakes.
File:Brake r31 strut.jpg File:Brake r31 disassembly.jpg File:Brake r31 hub.jpg File:Brake r31 assembly.jpg
Standard Import HR31 Strut/Brake/Hub[edit]
274mm x 22mm floating rotor that slips over the hub. Caliper mounting bolts are 100mm apart, shared dimension with many bigger Nissan brakes. Essentially the same as the local GTS brakes, although some of the GTS struts have factory camber tops (photo anyone?).
File:Brake hr31 hub.jpg File:Brake hr31 hub 1.jpg File:Brake hr31 hub 2.jpg
R32 M-spec caliper on HR31 strut:
File:Brake hr31hub r32caliper.jpg
Standard Passage Non-Turbo Strut/Brake/Hub[edit]
It's an import strut, but it's a lemon, very similar the Australian stuff, integrated hub/rotor (although 260mm x 22mm), 3 1/2" (88.9mm) caliper mount spacing.
File:Brakes passage strut assembly.jpgFile:Brakes passage strut 90mm.jpg
Standard Z31 Strut/Brake/Hub[edit]
There are several flavours of this setup. There's at least an earlier 274mm x 22mm rotor, and a later 280mm x 26mm rotor. The rotor and the hub are separate, but on the early ones the rotor bolts onto the hub from the rear, so it's quite different from the later slip-on floating rotors. The caliper mounts in front of the strut, 100mm bolt spacing. The strut top may need changing for the R31 top. The Z31 steering arm needs to be used, as the bolt spacing is different. Rotor upgrades are difficult on this hub, you'd possibly need to find a pair of HR31 hubs to do anything else with this. Today we have a 200B strut standing in for the Z31, but it's very similar in terms of the bolt-on-rotor.
A five stud conversion is possible with some Z31 hubs. Here are some 84-86 turbo hubs. Once these are on the car, again you're pretty much stuck with the Z31 rotor.
This is a late model (87-89) Z31 hub. They are almost identical to the HR31 4 stud hub (same bearings and dust seal) except the hub face sits out about 5mm more. This is perfect for 32 GT-R and 33 GTS-t rotors as it keeps them away from the control arm. On a HR31 strut with Z31 hub and 32 GT-R disc, the caliper needs to be spaced out approx 2mm to centre it on the disc.
Later Skyline Calipers[edit]
Once you've got a couple of holes 100mm apart to mount things on, you can use R32 or R33 calipers, and some bigger discs.
R32 GTS-t calipers[edit]
R32 GTS-t calipers were four pot on the M spec models, which was a lot of them. These go on a 280mm rotor and will not fit over a 296mm rotor. Ribbed for her pleasure:
File:Brakes r32 gtst mspec caliper.jpg
R33 GTS25t calipers[edit]
R33 GTS25t calipers (296mm rotor - not interchangeable with above R32 calipers) are similar but smooth:
R33 GTS brake upgrade[edit]
The R33 GTS brake upgrade is a very simple bolt on job if you have an HR31 or S13 strut/coilover setup. Twin pot calipers with 280mmx26mm rotors. the rotors are 4 stud so there is no need to redrill them. they fit under 15" wheels. - Decs
The standard r31 brake lines will fit, you just have to file about 1 or 2mm off the front of the little lip on the r33 caliper where the square R31 banjo bolt goes, in order to make it clear. - Decs
Miscellaneous Forum Posts[edit]
"I ... used R33 GTS-t calipers and rotors (which I am positive are the same as R32GT-R) I used a 3mm spacer between the hub at the rotor to simply clear the lower control arm and be 100% sure its not going to touch (without this spacer the rotor was like literally a BEES DICK away from touching) I then mounted the caliper and found the rotor was more to the outside brake pad.. we then put a 1.5mm washer on each caliper mount which then centralised the rotor within the caliper!" - DANS-GT-R31
"to get away with out using spacers the best method is to use R32 GTS-t or Z32 300ZX calipers and R33 GTS disks.. this way you have the disks with 4 stud pattern and they line up a treat. but if you want that little bit bigger calipers you have to use R33 GTS-25t or R32 GT-R and their disks with spacing.." - R31_IceMan
"I have R32GT-R calipers all round, R32GT-R discs up front & HR31 discs on the rear. The standard rear HR31 disc is 292mm, the R32/33 are 297mm, both are the same thickness (18mm), but the HR31 rears have about an additional 6mm offset. The R32/33 rear calipers go straight over the HR31 rear discs, but to use R32/33 discs you will need to space out the calipers.
On the front I machined the unused inner section of the disc (this was where my disc was contacting the control arm) & linished the end of the control arm, I now have a couple of mm clearance but the disc is off centre about 1-1.2mm in the caliper, I'm going to make some 1mm spacers to go between the discs & hubs so I can lose the spacers I'm running on the front wheels (they hit the caliper when the nuts are tightened)." - GTS20X
Silvia Brakes[edit]
The Silvia lower arm/hub/ball joint assembly is a modern style, the shock/spring assembly bolts on to the top of it, unlike the older insert style shock used by the R31. A brake upgrade may be combined with changing to S13 style front suspension. This instantly allows access to S13 coilovers. The S13 lower arms can be used, with R31 radius rods. The front track will be increased slightly by the S13 lower arms. R32 tierods can be used, as the R31 tierods are not long enough to engage adequate thread with the increased track. The R32 tierods should fit straight on to import or KYB steering racks, but will not fit on TRW racks, so either a new rack or adaptors will have to be used. Alternatively, the thread on the R31 tierods can be extended by welding a nut on the end of the tierod (obviously with bolt inserted through both threads to keep them in line and in phase).
Some people have found that if the factory S13 struts are used, the wheels disappear up inside the guards, to the extent the steering wheel can't be turned, and the car is almost scraping on the ground. If the R31 springs are used in the S13 struts, it should sit overall about 20-30mm lower than factory (presumably with less droop travel). If S13 coilovers are used, and the spring platforms wound right up, the car should also sit about 20-30mm lower than factory. Other people found that the factory S13 struts were perfectly fine, so there is presumably some variation.
SR20DET S13s use 280mm x 22mm rotors, with a cast iron single pot caliper. SR20DET S14 & S15 use a cast iron four pot caliper over a 280mm x 30mm rotor.
[edit]
"Race brakes told me that the front pads on my coupe are the same as a Navara, so if the caliper is the same, there is possibly a relatively easy caliper upgrade there depending on the bolt pattern and offset. Apparently the Navara caliper is quite popular for upgrades, and there are some good pads available off the shelf for them." - blue
Hilux 4 Pot Calipers[edit]
No hard confirmation of this yet. Any photos of this conversion?
- "Most of the 4x4 hiluxes run 4 piston brakes, If I remember right we'd be talking late 80's onwards though. I think the major issue with them is that they are only built for relatively narrow discs, like 24mm or something, though Hilux Surf calipers are a bit wider. Not sure which rotors you would use...." - floody
- "Hilux 4 spots (LN106) 89 to 93 cause these were the most common used with the 90mm bolt spacing, Maybe even some cruisers had the same but I am not sure. Peugot disc rotor Part no.DBA 272 and you can use 200sx brake pads with the calipers, The only difference is that they have a wider surface area which will not affect anything. You will also need a Toyota Corona hub, it'll give about an inch more track on the wheels" - jpriseman
- "The old Datsun stuff had 90mm stud spacing on the front calipers AFAIK, same as an AU R31. You could get about 84 model Hilux calipers to go on the Z car I used to have, they are a nice big four piston caliper, but they are fairly heavy as they are cast iron and I do not know how you would go on an AU car for a rotor and for caliper clearance to the hub and wheel. Might be worth investigating." - blue
The biggest 2WD Hilux rotor in the DBA catalogue is 266mm x 13mm, so that caliper wouldn't work. A more sensible thickness disc is the 257mm x 25mm rotor - the caliper for that might suit an Aus R31.
The biggest 4WD Hilux rotor is 302mm x 13mm, also too thin. Other sizes are 302mm x 20mm, 289mm x 20mm, & 291mm x 25mm.
VT Calipers[edit]
"There was a post recently about VT Commodore brakes fitting onto the 3 1/2" (88.9mm) spacing. This meant that you could use a VT brake upgrade kit with 4spot calipers and then bigger discs. The options for bigger discs were limited to getting blanks and having them drilled to suit the 4 bolt stud pattern, or someone mentioned BMW discs..." - Nosmo
The standard VT rotor is 296mm x 28mm, so if the offset in the plane of the mounting face was correct, it would be a reasonable match to an R33 GTS25t rotor (296mm x 30mm).
WILL MY 15" WHEELS FIT OVER THESE BRAKES?[edit]
Maybe. There are two dimensions to consider: (A) The internal diameter of the wheel rim. (B) The distance from the inside surface of the spokes to the wheel mounting face. Also the internal profile of the spokes is a factor. These will vary enormously from one wheel to another, so it will be a case of try and see. Different calipers for a given rotor dimension will be slightly different too.
However practically all 15" wheels should fit over a 274mm rotor & caliper.
Almost all 15" wheels will fit over a 280mm rotor & two pot caliper, but a four pot caliper won't clear the back of the spokes in many cases without a spacer.
Ti wheels foul the R33 two pot.
Some 15" wheels will fit over a 296mm rotor & caliper, but spacers will be needed in most cases for the caliper to clear the spokes or the inside of the rim.
Master Cylinder[edit]
Put the R32 booster and master cylinder on the ute, also put a master cylinder stopper on as well.
Only mods needed are change the flared fittings to suit the R32 master cylinder and the R32 booster, the bolt that attaches to the brake pedal needs to be shortened a few mm cause it hits on the brake pedal and the booster won't sit hard up against the fire wall otherwise. Other than that pretty straight forward.
Brakes felt 100x firmer with the R32 booster and MS compared to the R31
File:Brakes R32 master cylinder.jpg
See also[edit]
Photos by
TRB25T (his purchasing misadventures helped us all), Sick_R31, GXE 3.0, RB30-POWER, SKY-031, Decs, Dave_31GTSR, Lach
Text by:
Sick_R31, Decs, Dave_31GTSR, DANS-GT-R31, R31_IceMan, GTS20X, floody, jpriseman, blue, Nosmo, Prestagea