I was thinking about the location of the brake caliper and how that affects the car. I have noticed that many higher end sports cars have calipers on the back(right) side of the rotor when facing it. The Z's have them on the front side, sorta. I looked around for a bit and didn't really find anything about it.

 

There is no difference in performance in regards to where the caliper is mounted.

JET

 

The "best" location for the caliper on our Z is most probably where it's at now. Or the "least worst" might be a better way to see it.

It's less than ideal for pad knock back. But there is that question of fitting a suspension and steering that comes into play...

 

Most F1 car have the calipers at the bottom of the rotor to keep CG at its lowest. This is not viable for street cars since the caliper would be difficult to properly bleed without removing it from the car. Ideally a caliper should be vertical in relation to the rotor to keep knockback to a minimum and in theory it will run cooler if is trailing or on the rearward side of the rotor since it can get more airflow. Leading calipers can be blocked by the wheels of airflow but in the vast majority of cases its just not an issue.

 

I wasn't asking b/c i was thinking about moving the caliper, just wondering if there was some reason to having it in a specific location.

 

In the world of mass production, they probably placed in in its current location because they could make the brake line 1/2" shorter and save $0.025127 per brake.

 

I've wondered about this myself.. I'm glad someone posted it.

I've noticed porsche caymans have the front caliper on the back side, and the rear caliper on the front side. This would move the wieght toward the center of the car, instead of out toward the ends. I'm not sure how much it matters, but calipers aren't that light.


http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cars/tech...che-146791.php

 

Hm...interesting. However I do like the location of the Z calipers right now, not many cars have the caliper up towards the top and angled like that.

 

The Z actually suffers from some knockback because of weak hubs and the caliper location. It may look good but functionally its not ideal.

 

Is that the reason why some front&rear BBK relocates the caliper location?

 

someone should put two sets of calipers (fwd and aft) on the front of a Z if they get really bored and have the xtra resources

 

I experience the knockback on just about every turn at the track, and even on the street. Is there any direct solution to this, maybe some aftermarket wheel hubs? I say 'direct', because I'd prefer to fix the root problem rather than use pad springs.

 

New bearing swould help!

Yours a probably shoot...

 

Pretty much...5x100 Subaru WRX and STi hubs have really bad flex issues as well with no good answer. I beleive the Unitech Playboy 350Zs that run in GrandAm Koni Challenge get fully rebuilt blueprinted hubs for each race because of inherent knockback issues with the 350Z platform.

 

That sounds interesting. I wonder if this is something that could be done ( BBk's would KILL you!!! lol) ?? Would it serve any real purpose or give an advantage in stopping??

 

I am definitely interested in the pad knockback issue. I haven't found a solution for it myself. There isn't much that is more irritating to me than an inconsistent pedal feel / travel. I don't track my car, and even on the streets, I find it annoying and possibly unsafe. Nissan has been no help. This issue is one of the main reasons I'm thinking about getting rid of the Z at the end of the summer. If anyone has any fixes, let me know. I might actually enjoy the car more.

 

I remember reading that the optimal location (street car), if it works with the suspension, is at 3'o'clock and/or 9'o'clock. On the up-side or down-side does not matter.

 

it should cut down on the time you would have to apply the brakes (less heat), reduce stopping time, and allow greater weight to be stopped.

 

You're talking about tires, right ?

 

I remember an interview with Unitech about the Z, in SportZ I think, and they also commented on how much flex the stock knuckle and upper control arm had. Knuckle flex would certainly contribute to the knockback, but hub design is the major reason. Caliper location contributes, but beefier hubs would be the solution. Anyone want to redesign the front knuckle and hub assembly?
Will