Nismo Z brakes

[5thZ]

You are fine! Appreciate any feedback.

Street. Who knows I may try out tracking one day.

I was not sure if there was any room for upgrade by just doing pads. I already have a master cylinder brace installed. Not sure if I want or need to do stainless steel lines.

I thought the OEM Performance Trim pads were already Akebono? I could be wrong. Do Nismo pads fit the performance model?

Your are right, the OEM are Akebono pads. The Value Advantage are not. No, the Nismo pads will not fit as the caliper and rotors are different sizes than performance.

I'm not much help here but maybe someone else can chime in with aftermarket street pads that might be better than Akebono

 

[NocturnalEmber]

Your are right, the OEM are Akebono pads. The Value Advantage are not. No, the Nismo pads will not fit as the caliper and rotors are different sizes than performance.

I'm not much help here but maybe someone else can chime in with aftermarket street pads that might be better than Akebono

Bit of a thread necro, but I found my own thread searching on google and thought I'd throw this PSA out there for anyone when 'Value Advantage' comes up. I can't say from firsthand experience, but I would avoid ANYTHING that is under the value advantage brand. Its marketed as a Nissan brand OEM part, but a cheap oem part.

Plenty of people have ordered value advantage parts and have gotten questionable quality parts, search and you shall see.

 

[trackratZ]

I happen to own both a 370Z Nismo and a Nissan Z Nismo, so have been able to do actual physical comparisons and confirmations. I also have some feedback on the braking performance having tracked both cars. For context, my 370Z Nismo has SS brake lines, Motul RBF660, brake master cylinder brace, Z1 two-piece rotors, and Carbotech XP10's in both the rear/front. On the new Nismo Z, I have only installed a brake master cylyinder brace. Everything else, brake lines, rotors, brake pads, fluid, etc. are stock.

1) The Akebono 15" rotors and calipers from the Nismo Z WILL fit on the performance model or even a 370Z for example. However, you need the corresponding brackets that also that hold the brake lines, etc.

2) Looks like Carbotech finally released pads for the Nismo trim. Check out their product search page

3) I tracked my Nismo Z this past weekend and the stock brakes while not terrible, they were not confidence inspiring enough for me to do any threshold braking or late braking at all on the track. I will say the stock brake pads held up reasonably well, never experienced any brake fade and the rotors didn't glaze, but the braking performance I am used to was simply not there so I was not driving the brakes as hard as I would normally. I did end up installing the Z1 brake master cylinder brace so that helped a bit so I can't imagine how less confidence inspiring the brakes would have been without the brace. I will say I was surprised that the brake pedal still felt soft despite having installed the brace, so the stock brake lines still flex a lot even on the Nismo trim.

4) For comparison, I also have a Nissan 370Z Nismo with SS brake lines, Motul RBF660, brake master cylinder brace, Z1 two-piece rotors, and Carbotech XP10's in both the rear/front, and the brake feel on that is basically either on or off, and VERY confidence inspiring. I have no problems with threshold and very late braking on that vehicle, so hoping I can get the Nismo Z up to the same spec with the larger 15" rotors and akebono calipers, so brake fluid and carbotech's with the stock rotors will be a start.

5) I haven't seen anyone making SS brake lines for the bigger Akebono calipers yet, or aftermarket 2-piece 15" rotors yet either, so hoping someone will make those eventually, as otherwise I was considering downgrading the rotors/calipers to the performance akebono's like the ones on my 370Z, or upgrading them to the big brake kit which utilizes the GTR rotor and brake pad sizes.

All in all, the stock brakes on the Z Nismo are not terrible, but if you are going to be tracking the car and trying to improve or set new records on your lap times, it's not going to happen with the stock brakes pads or fluid without some sort of incident as a result of brake fading and boiling brake fluid. I will say on the street, the larger stock 15" rotors and akebono calipers feel great, and are very responsive when cold during daily driving and are more than sufficient during emergency situations on the street. However, on the track, the braking performance is simply not there, and at a minimum you need upgraded brake fluid and brake pads. I was pleasantly surprised that Carbotech finally makes some, so I will be getting those on my Nismo Z and will report back.

Good analysis.

Before spending big $$ on the 15” Nismo upgrade I would recommend going this route first, plus your choice of track pads, Carbotech, Endless, Hawk etc. Those are proven upgrades IF you’re going to track, not just for street (better pads, not Akebonos).

 

[Houston.RZ34]

Looking at the Nismo Z brakes as a cheaper upgrade than R35 brakes for my Q70S 5.6 which has the standard Akebono 4 Piston / 14" Rotors we all know and love.

In my shoes what do you guys think?

Nismo RZ34 or go for the gusto (and hassle) with R35?

 

[nixrz34]

Looking at the Nismo Z brakes as a cheaper upgrade than R35 brakes for my Q70S 5.6 which has the standard Akebono 4 Piston / 14" Rotors we all know and love.

In my shoes what do you guys think?

Nismo RZ34 or go for the gusto (and hassle) with R35?

Honestly, the standard Akebono Z performance calipers should do just fine if you want something cost effective and more standardized, unless you really want to go through the hassle of figuring out the extra brackets and stuff you might need with the Nismo Z calipers, and also be dependent on a less non-standard brake pads and rotor sizing.

I have both a Nismo 370Z track car with the Akebono performance calipers with Carbotech XP10 (front and rear) + two piece rotors + SS brake lines + brake master cylinder brace, and a Nismo Z with stock brake pads and brake master cylinder brace as well. The braking performance on the 370Z is superb with that combination for aggressive street and heavy track use.

The Nismo Z even with the bigger calipers/rotors stops well on the street (a little too well perhaps, to the point where the car feels unbalanced i.e. the rear will step out under heavy braking) and having tracked the Nismo Z as well in the current configuration (without upgraded brake pads and SS brake lines), the braking performance degrades pretty quickly on track, so you would still need to get upgraded brake pads and SS lines to avoid brake fade, etc. The stock Nismo brake pads and rotors are pretty cheap relatively speaking though if you're not planning on upgraded brake pads or rotors.

Oh, and another downside, because the rotors are so big on the Nismo Z, I've actually had them seize up after washing the car and had it tear up my Swisstrax lol.

In either case, there's definitely no upside going with the R35 calipers and also more expensive rotors, etc. I'd put that money into a nice set of 2-piece rotors instead for the extra weight reduction, which is totally noticeable between the 370Z Akebono performance track setup and the Nismo Z stock setup.

 

[Houston.RZ34]

Nismo RZ34: Plug and play, grab a bigger dust shield

R35: Brackets, lines, etc (far greater complexity)

I guess my paramount question was "Do they offer a noticable increase in breaking over standard Akebono's"

On a scale of 1-10....If Vanilla Akebono is let's say a "5" is Akebono+ a 6, 7?

If Vanilla Akebono is 5, R35 a 10 then I'd need at least a 7 from Akebono+ to be worth going for it over R35. Otherwise I can just go for the gusto and go full R35 calipers.

But the fact it's only <2k and basically plug n' play short of a dust shield is pretty interesting.

 

[nixrz34]

Nismo RZ34: Plug and play, grab a bigger dust shield

R35: Brackets, lines, etc (far greater complexity)

I guess my paramount question was "Do they offer a noticable increase in breaking over standard Akebono's"

On a scale of 1-10....If Vanilla Akebono is let's say a "5" is Akebono+ a 6, 7?

If Vanilla Akebono is 5, R35 a 10 then I'd need at least a 7 from Akebono+ to be worth going for it over R35. Otherwise I can just go for the gusto and go full R35 calipers.

But the fact it's only <2k and basically plug n' play short of a dust shield is pretty interesting.

It all depends on the brake pads and other braking components (SS brake lines, brake master cylinder brace, etc.) that you pair them with in either case. I guess my previous point is that a well spec'd Akebono performance caliper setup with appropriate brake pads, rotors, brake fluid, and brake lines will outperform the Nismo Z stock setup, unless you do the same on the Nismo Z brake setup with some caveats.

For example, the Akebono+ performance track setup I'd rate an 8 whereas the Nismo Z stock setup I'd rate a 5, but that's based on my preferred performance and feel, where the braking on the 370Z is basically either on or off and perfectly suited for aggressive track driving (with my current curb weight and power output there is no need for overpowered brakes beyond my current 8 rating setup). So also heavily depends on your driving use case and preference. If you're looking for best "cold" performance then the Nismo Z stock brake setup will work just fine for street driving and occasional spirited driving.

However, given my experience with the Nismo Z stock brakes, I feel like upgrading the brake pads and rotors would only further unbalance the brake bias, without aggressively staggering the brake pad compounds between the front and rear. I can't speak to the R35 setup, but given that the R35 setup is intended for a heavier and higher horsepower car, it's likely to be overkill in your case not to mention the added complexity for diminishing returns or an unbalanced braking setup at that point over an Akebono+ setup.

 

[Houston.RZ34]

It all depends on the brake pads and other braking components (SS brake lines, brake master cylinder brace, etc.) that you pair them with in either case. I guess my previous point is that a well spec'd Akebono performance caliper setup with appropriate brake pads, rotors, brake fluid, and brake lines will outperform the Nismo Z stock setup, unless you do the same on the Nismo Z brake setup with some caveats.

For example, the Akebono+ performance track setup I'd rate an 8 whereas the Nismo Z stock setup I'd rate a 5, but that's based on my preferred performance and feel, where the braking on the 370Z is basically either on or off and perfectly suited for aggressive track driving (with my current curb weight and power output there is no need for overpowered brakes beyond my current 8 rating setup). So also heavily depends on your driving use case and preference. If you're looking for best "cold" performance then the Nismo Z stock brake setup will work just fine for street driving and occasional spirited driving.

However, given my experience with the Nismo Z stock brakes, I feel like upgrading the brake pads and rotors would only further unbalance the brake bias, without aggressively staggering the brake pad compounds between the front and rear. I can't speak to the R35 setup, but given that the R35 setup is intended for a heavier and higher horsepower car, it's likely to be overkill in your case not to mention the added complexity for diminishing returns or an unbalanced braking setup at that point over an Akebono+ setup.

This is going on a big, beautiful Q70S 5.6 - my daily.

I live in Houston so Wangan Midnight/Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a daily occurrence. I need something that will stop Big Bertha consistently.

I'm running Vanilla Akebono with SS lines, RBF600, Drilled/Slotted rotors with OEM+ level pads.

It's not glamours but gets the job done but, I know it can be better.

R35 is the goal but, with the 15" rotors on Akebono+ maybe I don't have to?

All things considered, Is missing 2 pistons really that detrimental?

Are the R35 brakes worth triple when it's all said and done?

 

[Who.Am.Eye.2716]

Are the R35 brakes worth triple when it's all said and done?

Dont forget to add the maintenance cost to replace the rotors. If all is justified, GO BIG or go home.

 

[trackratZ]

It all depends on the brake pads and other braking components (SS brake lines, brake master cylinder brace, etc.) that you pair them with in either case. I guess my previous point is that a well spec'd Akebono performance caliper setup with appropriate brake pads, rotors, brake fluid, and brake lines will outperform the Nismo Z stock setup, unless you do the same on the Nismo Z brake setup with some caveats.

For example, the Akebono+ performance track setup I'd rate an 8 whereas the Nismo Z stock setup I'd rate a 5, but that's based on my preferred performance and feel, where the braking on the 370Z is basically either on or off and perfectly suited for aggressive track driving (with my current curb weight and power output there is no need for overpowered brakes beyond my current 8 rating setup). So also heavily depends on your driving use case and preference. If you're looking for best "cold" performance then the Nismo Z stock brake setup will work just fine for street driving and occasional spirited driving.

However, given my experience with the Nismo Z stock brakes, I feel like upgrading the brake pads and rotors would only further unbalance the brake bias, without aggressively staggering the brake pad compounds between the front and rear. I can't speak to the R35 setup, but given that the R35 setup is intended for a heavier and higher horsepower car, it's likely to be overkill in your case not to mention the added complexity for diminishing returns or an unbalanced braking setup at that point over an Akebono+ setup.

I'll be in hot Arizona next week at Firebird testing my step #1 upgrade - stock Performance Akebonos, XP12/XP10 pads, RBF660, RE71RZ - and will report back on brake feel and performance throughout the day. Honestly, next upgrade will be 2-piece rotors, not Nismo Z rotors, for lighter unsprung weight, always my approach for tracking. Aside from brakes, a larger HX I'm sure will help alot to reduce heat soak!