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Brakes
[ 120Y front disks |
200B front disks |
Stanza struts |
180B rear drums |
Ford brake conversion |
Escort brake conversion |
Bluebird struts |
240K struts |
Pintara rear disks ]
120Y Front Disks and Struts:
The Datsun 1200 sedan has drum brakes on the front, while the coupe has
disk brakes. Front disk brakes can be installed onto a 1200 fairly easily.
The easiest way to do it is just to swap the whole front strut assembly
with that from either a 1200 coupe or a 120Y. As the 1200 sedan only has
a single brake master cylinder, a dual master cylinder should be installed
along with the disk brakes. Again, this is a relatively easy swap-over.
200B Front Disks and Struts:
Angus tells me that
it is possible to put 180B or 200B struts onto a Datsun 1200.
The main problem is that the spacing of the steering arm bolts is
different on the larger struts. This can be overcome by using either
Sunny or Stanza steering arms, which are the same shape as those in
a 1200 or 120Y, except for the bolt spacing.
This in turn may require the ball joints to be swapped, as the ball joints
(in the 120Y - after July '76?) changed to a larger size in later vehicles.
The master cylinder will probably need to be changed as well.
A 1600/180B/200B etc master cylinder will probably fit the bill.
Stanza Struts
Andrew tells me that imported Stanza struts will fit
a Datsun 1200. The imported Stanza struts were fitted to later model Stanzas
from 1980 onwards (thanx to Glenn).
You also need the lower control arms, ball joint assembly,
and castor rods (bigger in diameter).
Glenn has told me that the Stanza lower control arms
are slightly longer than those on the 1200, but this is useful, as it gives
a bit more negative camber.
Andrew machined 60mm more thread on the castor rods to get some more castor
(which required some modifications to the front guards for clearance).
The Stanza castor rods are longer than the 1200 castor rods.
The steering arms and tierod ends bolt up with no mods necessary, and the
1200 (or 120Y) sway bar will bolt right onto the Stanza lower control arms.
Glenn says that he used the Stanza steering arms, but
still used the 1200 fixed length track rod. He used the Stanza idler arm, but
had to slot the holes.
Datsun 1200 (aftermarket) springs will still fit the Stanza struts.
The imported Stanza struts (1980 onwards) have a larger bearing diameter, making
it possible to install 200B disks (200B disks are 9.5" - Stanza disks are 8.5"),
with no mods required. You can either use Stanza or 200B bearings,
as they are the same.
Early model Skyline (late 70s to mid 80s) calipers (twin piston calipers)
can also be fitted to the Stanza struts, and will bolt straight on.
Another alternative is to do as Glenn has done. He's
got 240K vented disks with landcruiser 4 spot calipers. The calipers bolt
straight on, but you have to grid away the inside edge of the pads.
Andrew is still using the standard 1200 coupe master
cylinder. A 180B master cylinder is supposed to fit, which has a bigger
diameter bore. He's had no problems so far using the original master
cylinder, but will probably upgrade it when he puts vented 10" disks on the
front sometime.
Chris Stamellos has installed Stanza struts onto his
1975 Datsun 1200 ute (cos his 15" TRX wheels didn't fit with standard struts).
He used the struts, calipers, lower control arms, steering arms, new Nissan
ball joints, and 120Y castor rods.
The 120Y castor rods will fit straight in without modifications (it's easier
than modifying Stanza castor rods), and you can use two left ones or two right
ones if you want, as they are reversible.
Chris also cut off a couple of coils from the springs, as the struts were too
high. He is very happy with his strut swap, as it has totally transformed
the handling of the car.
Andrew Denniss has used Stanza struts, with 180SX 10"
(an imported car) vented disks and Hilux 4 spot calipers on his 1200 coupe.
Andrew says that Audi disks can be used, but need to be machined down in
diameter to fit.
Hilux calipers
180B Rear Drum Brakes
Chris Shoesmith has installed 180B drum brakes and backing
plates onto his 1200 ute diff.
David says that this conversion requires a set of 180B
wagon brake backing plates (not sure if the sedan plates are the same). They
use the same bolt pattern and wheel bearings as the 1200 ute, and will
bolt straight on.
A better (but more expensive, at approx $50 per drum) alternative is to use
240/260Z rear alloy drums, which are the same diameter, but provide better
heat dissapation.
Ford Brake Conversion
Angus is running Ford XB-XF ventilated disks
using 200B wheel bearings on 180B struts, and a litte spacer (1-2mm washer)
behind the outer bearing shell to space the ouer bearing. His calipers are
from a Leyland P76 (made by PBR - same as some early Holdens?).
The bolt spacing of the calipers is perfect for the strut, although
the caliper holes need to be enlarged slightly to take the Datsun
caliper bolts. The calipers needed 5mm spacers between the caliper and
the strut to get the right offset. Angus uses standard Ford pads (so
he doesn't have to face the humiliation of buying P76 parts).
He has a Nissan Urvan master cylinder (a remote reservoir type), which
bolts straight onto the 120Y booster.
On the rear, Angus has XF Falcon ventiated disks on a shortened 9" diff.
Escort Brake Conversion
Rhys has told me about a very interesting brake
conversion using Escort struts.
You need to purchase a complete Escort strut and brake assembly.
Then remove the Datsun struts and brakes.
Put the Escort left strut into the right side of the Datsun, and the Escort
right strut into the left side of the Datsun, retaining the Datsun steering arm.
To fit the strut to the to the top mounts, the bearing in the Datsun top mounts
must be removed and then drilled out to accomodate the new larger Escort shaft.
The Escort struts don't use a top swivel bearing, and hence this negates the
need for a swivel bearing.
The Escort brake unions are imperial, and the Datsun, they are metric, so a
pair of metric to imperial conversion pipes will need be be made up.
All that is left is to change the rims/mags to those of Escort stud pattern.
Rhys says that the conversion worked fine with his standard dual circuit master
cylinder, however, the braking effort required is slightly higher than standard,
but they don't fade, and have a far higher potential stopping power.
This conversion works particularly well when used in pair with the
Escort diff conversion.
Bluebird Struts:
Matthew Cooley has got Bluebird struts on the front of his
1200 coupe that he races in New Zealand.
His struts are off a 1981 Bluebird ZXE 2.0 litre, and are 10" vented disks, 17mm
wide. He removed the spring, bottom seat and top seat from the Bluebird strut,
and used those off the 1200 strut. A thread mount was installed onto the bottom
mount so that the height could be adjusted.
Sunny lower control arms were used, because they fit the 1200 cross member.
The 1200 sway bar was retained, and Sunny castor rods were used.
The strut conversion results in an extra 50mm front track width, and gives a
much larger braking area.
The 1200 master cylinder has been retained, but Matt may go to a Sunny boosted
one, or a 180B master cylinder sometime.
For racing purposes, the front suspension is fitted with shortened VW Golf KYB
Sport shocks (front and rear) and Mitsi V3000 King Springs on the front.
240K Struts:
Paul Gray says that 240K struts can be used on the
front of a 1200, if Stanza lower control arms, ball joints and steering arms
are used.
He used the short rear 240Z strut tops with an adapter plate to give as much
negative camber (currently 4.5 degrees) and positive castor as possible.
He thinks that the 1200 strut tops would fit, if the centre hole was
drilled to suit the insert.
Paul is using small diameter springs (65mm id), with custom adjustable spring
bases and top seat, and doesn't know if the standard springs can be used.
Pintara rear disks:
Apparently Pintara rear disks can be modified to fit a 1200 diff.
Paul Gray says that they must be off any rear
wheel drive early Pintara, or the Skyline (HR31 ?). They have a backing plate
that can be reused on the 1200 diff, which has the exact offset to suit the
1200. The standard diff mounting holes must be welded and redrilled to suit
the 1200, and also to suit the desired position of the caliper.
The centre of the plate must also have the centre hole reduced in diameter, as
this acts as a bearing retainer. This can be achieved by making a donut shaped
insert on a lathe, and welding it in place.
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