albaugh81

I upgraded my base Z brakes to oem Brembo's.

I used the Motive Power Bleeder 0107 & it came with the 1107 Ford master cylinder cap that also fits the Z perfect. I also used the Motive bleeder bottles so I don't get brake fluid all over the place.

I bought used Brembo calipers off of ebay. I used VHT caliper paint & baked the base coat 200 degrees, added Brembo hi temp decals then hit the calipers with Vht Gloss - don't bake the gloss.

I bought new rotors & hawk brake pads.

I bought Technafit stainless steel brake lines.

Everything went well I had to tin snip my rear dust shields but already knew this step, pretty much cut the entire shield off on both sides. You can cut just the lip if you want.

Must have Nissan OEM 08041-2351A Rear Caliper Bolts for Brembo's 4 total.

Brake fluid used ATE dot 4 gold color 2 liters

albaugh81

Those with Brembo's will this spare fit? 145/30 D17

MicVelo

Nice job, looks great.

pyshin

iTrader: (14)

Great DIY job, man. This is high up on my short list.

terrj

iTrader: (2)

Shouldve powder coated the caliper , VHT paint makes it look cheap imo but good job dude i swapped mine using Motive Brake Bleeder too, its a must have

dcains

iTrader: (15)

I cut the rear dust shields using a 4" cut-off wheel on my grinder. I just let the wheel walk itself around the lip and it came off in one piece in just a few minutes. Finished up with a file, painted the edge black, and it looks like it came that way. Even if it's something only I'll see, I Just have to make it look "right".

The 17" spare will work with the Brembo's, but the 16" won't. At some point, Nissan put the 17" in all version Z33's, but I don't know what year. My '08 base came with the 17".

OP. I think the paint came out looking great. I had mine powder-coated, and yours look just as nice to my eyes. I've got the same rotors, too, with EBC red pads, and it's a nice combination.

DesertSleeper

iTrader: (1)

I'm gonna need brakes soon and thinking about upgrading my 07 base brakes to the oem brembos as well, but since I don't track my car at all, don't know if it's worth it. For you fellas that have done it, can you really feel a big difference in breaking power compared to the non brembo setup?

dcains

iTrader: (15)

My '08 is a Base, so it came with the larger non-Brembo brakes, and I upgraded to the Brembo's after a few years. Very nice difference, IMO, in initial bite, pedal feel, and of course heat capacity. Maybe not a huge difference in normal street driving, but if you're driving harder than normal, the Brembo's are always there and without fade. They also look very nice, are lightweight as most big-brake kits go, are are an easy bolt-on, and they fit under a lot of different wheels.

A few years ago I had to swap back on the base brakes for a few months, while I was having the Brembo's powdercoated. So, now going the other way, I could feel the base brakes after having gotten use to the Brembo's. It seemed like a bigger difference than the upgrade, and I was very happy to finally get the Brembo's back. YMMV, but I would do the same thing again, if I ever had to build another Z.

rancor

It's mostly pedal feel and looks on the street. Along with the ease of changing pads. Pads will do more for the stopping power. You might think about using the 370Z brakes if they will fit under your wheels they are often a similar price as rebuilding an old set of brembos.

kham25

iTrader: (3)

Mostly for looks was the main reason I made the swap. The stock 07 calipers were depressing to look at..

DesertSleeper

iTrader: (1)

You ain't lying man, I was thinking the same thing while washing my car today. The stock calipers are the brembo's ugly stepsister. Looks alone make it worth it, and if I can get a bit more performance out of it while at it, even better.

samsniss350z

I totally agree, the stock calipers not only look fugly they also make the car look cheap. Nothing looks as good as seeing a set of Brembo's or other quality brakes through the spokes of the wheels. It gives the Z a look of purpose instead of shouting "I'm cheap and nasty, look at me" that the stock calipers say.

terrj

iTrader: (2)

100% pedal feel and look. I went from 03 > 07 > Brembos so i know exactly how each set felt like , if you got the cash or you can find a decent Brembo set for cheap then go for it , if not just stick with 07 brakes, theyre not bad at all tbh, just look ugly thats all.

Pelicanpirate

I have an 08 350Z Touring Coupe. Can I upgrade the OEM brakes by just changing to Brembo calipers without changing rotors ?

SpartaEvolution

No, non-Brembo rotors will not fit the Brembo calipers.

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

In addition to different rotors, you'll also need 4 different caliper bolts for the rears. The front bolts can be re-used.

You'll also need new lines/banjo bolts for the Brembo conversion.

TheMoff

Good job, looks good in the red! Appreciate the part numbers,
did you have any issues with the base Z brake booster? I'm also looking to do this upgrade on my base z