Tech Territory

I bought a full front and rear brake pad kit from HKS on Z1 Motorsport, and then I went to do it, and only one of the brake pads for each pair on the front and rear had the clip, here are a picture of the new vs old comparison for the front pads, but the rear is the same, for now I just put back the old pads in the calipers, and am dealing with the screech.... (also I included what the new pads look like)
(ALSO HERE IS THE LINK OF THE PADS I BOUGHT) https://www.z1motorsports.com/pads/h...ds-p-4166.html

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

That little clip is the brake pad wear indicator or the "squealer." As the pads wear down, the piece of metal comes into contact with the rotor and creates that horrible sound telling you it's time to change the pads.

It's not super vital to the operation of the braking system and you can do the install without it. I guess it makes sense it's only on one side per axle assuming that you have even brake wear.

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

Hi Heel,

I believe the squealer bar also doubles as a capture mechanism for the pad anti-drag spring clip. Confirmed, just looked it up in the FSM, it's referred to as the "pad return lever." See screencap. Ideally, both inner and outer brake pads should have the "pad wear sensor" to help capture the "pad return lever" and prevent drag. This is how I remember things when I still rocked the Non-Brembo brakes. So Tech is right to be upset, this seems sub-par to me.

Tech, I know you're looking to get a new trans, but a Brembo upgrade isn't that expensive, something to think about. A cheaper alternative are the 2xPiston front calipers (non Brembo) found on the later year 350Zs. I know a guy if that that's something that would interest you.
Cheers!
-Icer


Pad Wear Sensor + Pad Return Lever = no drag

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

Curious why HKS only did one per axle. For anything not made in house, Z1 is just an aftermarket supplier middleman, so I guess your beef should be with HKS and not Z1?

Tech Territory

I called Z1, and they said "A lot of brake manufactureres only put the anti drag/squealer on the interior part of the brake caliper because with a lot of wheel/tire setups it interferes." This sounds like an excuse to me but idk. and also sorry its HPSs, Hawk HPS Performance brake pads

Tech Territory

Thanks so much for helping Icer, How much would the other kit be? I also am literally 16 and this is my first car, and i am working at Chick Fil A, but I am working on saving for a transmission while limping along right now, and just trying to get rid of the brake pad squeal, dropped $150 on pads for some reason, and then cant return them. super frusturating. but working on where to spend my money on the car.

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

Hey Tech,

Given your limited budget, I would recommend staying focused on the essentials and getting the car in good road worthy condition. I think the transmission replacement should take priority. Worry about upgrading brakes later. You could still get by with the Hawk kit you purchased, but if you can return the item for a refund, I would recommend picking up a set of Akebono ProACT Pads. I'm actually running the same series pads with my Brembo brakes right now and I love them for daily/street use. They are quiet, no fade issues, excellent initial bite, low dust, and minimal wear on the rotors. The pads themselves will also last a very long time. If you decide to start tracking the car, then go with something more aggressive for sure.

Akebono ProACT kit for front and rears on the Non-Brembo 03 Brakes runs for $135.00 on Tirerack.
Front P/N: ASP815A
Rear P/N: ASP905A

In terms of upgrading to a Brembo kit. RockAuto has a very good selection on new and reman Brembo Calipers and Brembo copies. I would personally go with Cardone since these appear to be OEM Brembos that have been stripped and rebuilt. I'm not sure about the Power Stop option, these could be copies or the same as Cardone. Their prices are nearly the same though. What's nice about the unpainted calipers is you get to choose what color you want to have them powder coated or painted. Here's a sample of the prices for the Power Stop options...
POWER STOP L3858 Reman (Left Front) 154.79
POWER STOP L3859 Reman (Right Front)154.79
POWER STOP L6264 Reman (Left Rear) 165.99
POWER STOP L6265 Reman (Right Rear) 165.99

Once you factor in powder coating, brake fluid, brake rotors, brake pads, and upgraded stainless steel brake lines, I think you will be somewhere in the realm of $1500. There are other vendors that offer complete packages with all items needed included. For example, I just checked z1motorports, and their BBK kit is actually a really good value for the price, but there are caveats. Akebono 370Z BBK copy calipers (already coated with multiple color options), rotors, and pads for $1500, add in their SS brake lines and you're just shy of $1600. Their 2-piece rotor option is the most affordable set I have seen and they look to be high quality. I'm actually considering getting their 2-piece rotor set for my Z for the weight savings.

The 370Z Akebono BBK kit requires the use of adapter brackets for the front calipers. This kit also introduces clearance issues if you're running with 18" wheels. Some have stated they clear 18" wheels, but based on my own personal experience, the clearance is so tight (about 2-3mm) that any small road debris getting in your wheel barrels will cause contact/rubbing and damage the surface of both the calipers and inner wheel barrels (front only). You would need to run 19" wheels minimum for safe clearance with this setup. IMO, not worth it, the Brembo option is more than adequate, even for track use.

Anyway, there's lots of options out there. The cheapest caliper upgrade you could do right is replace the fronts with the 2-piston non-Brembos that were introduced on later years (I think 06+). But if it was me, I would get by with the stock brakes you have now and save for the big upgrade and knock it out all in one go.

Lot's of information to digest so I'll leave you with this. Focus on getting your Z in daily driver condition. Address old/crusty rubber hoses on the engine, fluid services, etc. Tires, brakes, suspension (struts & bushings) if worn out. If the previous owner neglected or abused the car, there's a good chance many maintenance items have been ignored. Once that is all taken care of (sorted = peace of mind), then I would start the fun upgrades and cosmetics. Just my personal philosophy.
Cheers!
-Icer

TechTerritory

yes, I would definitely agree with you on getting it in smooth running condition first, the transmission works, although now it is getting increasingly hard to get it into first gear. I cannot return the Hawk HPS brakes because z1 has no return policy which is weird, I am going to stay with the stock brakes for now, and just use the Hawk pads,

but then after the transmission replacement, I will go with some bigger brakes, as well as make the rear tires wider because they are like sevens in the back and sevens in the front on spacers, Also, when I bought the car it already had stainless steel brake lines, front, and rear adjustable sway bars, and drilled and slotted rotors, but just bad brake pads...

also with repairing old hoses, the previous owner went through all of that, and actually pulled the motor, replacing a bunch of things, all of the hoses are brand new, he had all the receipts, and he had gotten the oil changed about 1.5 weeks before I bought it, the guy I bought it from kept good care of it, but the previous owner basked on it pretty hard, the guy I bought it from just ran out of funds to fully make it great, I totally agree with that, don't want to do the fun stuff when the car doesn't work right. don't want it breaking just because you spent money on cosmetic stuff.

Thanks so much, Icer, You've been super helpful on my car journey, you've put a lot of time into helping me and researching this a bit, so thanks.