TravisJB Track Video

travisjb

Very helpful response, thanks. I've been struggling to describe how my brakes have felt under these conditions but I think you've hit on it exactly when you said it is like "driving on lose sand..." I've also noticed that when it fails in this way, the ABS seems to kick in sooner / with less pressure, so that when you back out of the pedal enough to NOT get ABS involved it is at a lower pressure and thus stopping distance is increased... in other words, you're screwed either way.

Really look forward to your testing results with pyrometer. I think this will shed light on theory that heat is spreading to electronics/sensors as root cause.

I'd like to see some aftermarket mfgrs throw some R&D at this problem too... we're going to need more than just us guys trying to solve it on a shoestring. There need to be more fixes to this problem other than just "here's a big brake kit"... BBKs will be a good option for some - maybe me! - but not most, I suspect.

Travis

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2009 370Z #104
*For Sale*

ChrisSlicks

I think that is what it is going take. Sadly I think BBK's alone aren't even going to fix this, and there are going to be some angry customers who will have spent $4K on one only to find out the brakes still go to crap. My amateur diagnostic skills aren't going to figure this one out unfortunately. What feels really weird is that when it just starts happening it feels like you are driving over patches of sand on the road as it cycles between stopping well and ABS hell. The hotter things get the more it cycles away from the well side.

It could be as simple as we are driving the car outside of the parameters programmed into the ABS computer, but only Nissan Japan knows that answer.

I have pads (HP+ good enough for my temps currently), slotted rotors, and ATE Blue fluid. The problem is still exactly the same.

On the plus side it should solve your rotor gouging issue, but sadly the brakes will still feel like crap.

RCZ

This really really bothers me. If this happens anyway, Nissan has a lawsuit on their hands. Im not going to kill myself because of a stupid brake failure.

Supercharging is on hold hehe. I want to live.

ChrisSlicks

Smart move! I really want to figure out the stopping problem before I add any more go.

I can't believe we are the only 3 people in the country that drive their cars hard enough to experience this?

Phimosis

Good videos.

I have a few suggestion on making your videos more fun to watch:

Mount your camera higher, then point it down a little so we can see the track in front of the car.

Zoom in a little so more of the video is showing track rather than your seatback and side pillars and center console. Seeing the shifter and steering wheel is cool, but there's lots more of the screen that's just dark shadow not showing anything.

Can you shrink the data logger banner a little? It would still be easy to read if it were a little smaller and then show more track.

At speed, the microphone is distorting from too much input from moving air. Maybe a piece of cloth over or directly in front of the mic would help?

Stretch to 16:9 format if it will let you, so you use the sides of the screen. If you do this, you can mount the camera where the passenger's head would be, then the panoramic effect shows you steering, shifting, and track, but not dash and headliner.

Please, please, plase hook up your tach lead. Seems like you could make the system still temporary mount in the cabin, but with permanent mount tach lead coming from back of gauge cluster or even under hood. It helps us figure out how hard you are pushing through certain sections.

Again, very cool videos!

Thanks,

-Phim

travisjb

I know it was frustrating to watch the crappy camera position! Was for me too... I should have tested it more first... All good points and nearly all being addressed

DONE... I have a new camera position now that is MUCH better

Maybe... The new position is forward somewhat, but you can still see legs, arms and shifter... I like it that way, tells me how car is respondign to my inputs... Eventually I'll install a second camera and will have pic in pic covering part of the black, and as you note the 'electronic dashboard' covers another part

I don't think the software allows this... I can adjust the opacity though

Chasecam is working on this... Can't be done with current cam

Absolutely... will be adding that soon by dropping a line through the dash... doing it concurrently with new gauge install

__________________
2009 370Z #104
*For Sale*

BGTV8

Travis .. the first area I attacked on my Z34 were the brakes. I have the Akebono brakes - these are standard on Aus-spec - and have been fitted with Endless pads (partno EP461TR for front and EP462TR for the rear), but more importantly I threw the standard rotors away and fitted DBA 5000-series rotors. I have access to a lathe so I was able to machine up hats for the rotors, and I also had to mill a section out of the outer caliper half to gain clearance for the bolt heads that mount the rotors onto the hats. The DBA rotors are DBA 52102SL and SR (slotted left and right). I also use Motul race brake fluid. I also removed the backing shield (it doesn;t do much anyway) and fitted a home-made brake cooling "plate" from 1.6mm ali to direct air into the centre of the brake rotor, which is secured to the lower suspension arm by a couple of water hose clamps.

At Sandown International Raceway here in Melbourne (3.2kms/lap) in a 1m30s lap there are three high speeds stops from 125mph+ down to 60-65mph and a couple of slower corners, and I have not had a moments trouble with the braking with this setup.

I run with Stability Control off, but I have left the ABS on, but have to admit, that if the ABS is triggered, it is a pain in the arse as braking efficiency is reduced by at least 30%. There comes a point when you cannot drive deeper into a corner and expect the OEM electronics to help ... one the ABS is triggered, your only option is to get right off the brakes and allow it to reset, and that is usually not an option unless you have "lots" of runoff room.

If you don;t have the Sport brake package - it might well be cheaper to go BBK as the machining costs won;t be cheap if you don;t have access to the machining capability.

RB