The Suspension Build Guide For Your S12

[TalkingGoats]

Honestly if the shocks up front are significantly softer, the rear will feel sloppy. Does the ass end feel floaty over rough pavement?


SSC might not be enough drop for the mustang rears.

[mod_mastaz]

I recommended to run all four of the same shocks because they are valved similarly. If you run Illuminas in the front and Konis in the rear, the Konis are going to have much better dampening characterstics so the rear is going to be much more stable over bumps. The car itself is going to be upset when going over bumps because the fronts won't react the same as the rears. It's not about how it FEELS, but how the car actually reacts. Remember that these adjustments are rebound and NOT bound. When you adjust the knob, you're actually adjusting how it reacts to the bumps in the road. Think of it this way, bound prevents the spring from compressing and rebound prevents the spring from expanding. Bound is what makes a car feel JDM super rock hard solid. However you want the car to feel is all preference. Whether you actually gain some sort of performance enhancement* is another story.

*I meant this in a sense of actual faster lap times and/or faster speeds through a corner. This really all depends on what YOU want the car to do. A drag race setup is not the same as a road course setup. Same applies for drifting/street driving/etc.

[demonic s12]

mx73 cressida rear springs are a direct fit, thus ae86 springs do as well....

im unsure of spring rates and such, just thought id let you guys know its confirmed, not on height though

This is for IRS models.

[mc]

...what would be the easiest place to find the .170" spacer??..anyone have a pix of the spacer??...i'd like to try a q45 or j30 front brake conversion on my 88 SE as those are easy to find in the yards...THX,MIKE

[mod_mastaz]

Just bring a vernier caliper with you to measure the washers you're going to buy. A hardware store should have different thicknesses and sizes for you. Make sure you get the highest grade you can find. I got this info off RedZ31's site so you can find more info there. He just used a washer too I believe.

[SkS12]

After installing my front megan coilovers i TRULY know what you must do to get them installed. I consider myself more than lucky to acquire a whole front subframe/suspension from a good friends parts s13 for the price of a case of beer.

s13 tie rods inners/outers(s12 are too short)
s13 spindle(for the coilover to mount properly)
s13 brake lines(s12 have the block fitting rather than threaded)
S13 rotors(to acompany s12 calipers)
S13 calipers(s12 wont bolt up to s13 spindles)
s13/longer sway bar endlinks i will also be using an s13 sway bar and moounts because the s12 bar with s12 endlinks gets way to close to the tension rod and will most likely make contact when the suspension is compressed


s12 caliper shown against s13 spindle.

s13 seen left s12 right difference can be seen in mounting size as well as the brake line difference

[nismologist]

i have a v6.arent the q 45/z32/and j30 front calipers bolt on?thats what i was under the impression of.

[SkS12]

i added some pictures check it out

[nismologist]

i would assume naturally the q45(being the v8 beast it is) does not have the same size caliper as a s13.and more than likely will fit.

[wag86]

what is the bolt spacing on the caliper? if its 100mm on the hub/ axle you could use the 4 piston nissan skyline ?

[mod_mastaz]

Yes, you can run Z32 brakes on the S13 spindle.

For the V6 strut tubes, you'll need to get Z31 88-89 turbo front hubs and Q45 rotors/calipers for it to work. The stock V6 rotors are behind the hub and bolting on just the q45 calipers won't work.

[SkS12]

im using s13 spindles as you can see because i have s13 front coilovers oem brakes will not fit on the s13 spidnles

[Maxpow]

So a stock SE can take non turbo rotors from a 87 z31 correct? Front and back?

[kyskater]

Brake upgrade for 5-lug with STOCK S12 suspension
- S12 MK2 SE V6 struts/springs

- Z31 87-89 turbo front hubs(for slip on rotors) and wheel bearing
- Z31 87-89 turbo front rotors
- Z31 87-89 turbo front calipers
- Z31/S12/S13 lines, SS or rubber

Alternative brakes for the SE V6 WITH Z31 hubs for slip on rotors
- S13/s14/q45/j30/z32 front Calipers
- matching rotors
- Z31/S13/stock brake lines /// -S13-Z32 front conversion lines for Z32 calipers
- washer to space calipers out .170" to center the caliper to rotors

Could i use a 4 lug z31 hub and still run j30 calipers?

[mod_mastaz]

No. You need the V6 strut tube first off to use the calipers, then you need M30 front hubs for 4lug slip on J30 rotors. The Z31 hubs are in front of the rotor and the S12 4 cylinder strut tubes have the wrong spacing for the newer style calipers.

[kyskater]

awsome thanks for the help

[Maxpow]

I've run into an issue with the 87 Z31 brakes I'm trying to install, finally got them on the front but I realized that in the rear its impossible to use them as the metal piece (not the caliper) that goes around the rotor doesn't clear the vented rotors (my stock rotors are not vented I've come to find . So would using the rear calipers and I guess I'll call them caliper brakets from a 87 Z31 solve this problem?

[mod_mastaz]

Maxpow, I'm assuming this is your setup.

Z31 front brakes on SE tubes. Remember to swap to the Z31 rotors too if you haven't already.

The rears, Z31 vented rotors on stock calipers and stock control arms. THIS WILL NOT WORK. You need need the entire arm for this setup to work, cuz you're gonna be doing more work trying to convert it.

If you can't get the arms, then you're going to need:
Z31 vented dust shield(you can go without this, just remove your old one)
Z31 87-89 vented rear calipers
2x 10mm hubcentric spacers for the ROTOR(NOT TYPICAL WHEEL SPACER. It will need to be custom machined! You have to measure the ID of the rotor and the OD of the hub where the rotor seats to) This will push the vented rotor out 10mm because the Z31 arms have the hubs pushed outward to clear the caliper bracket.


I don't know what else you're missing, but it seems like you only got the rotor, which isn't anywhere close to a rear brake upgrade. I need more info on your setup before I can help you. The above list is just a general list, you might need more specific parts. Honestly, if you can go without the rear brake upgrade, I'd recommend not to upgrade because it doesn't make that much of a difference for the work you're going to have to put in.

And so you know, I haven't done this conversion. I just swapped my entire arm to the Z31 vented brakes. You're going to need to do some measuring on your part to make sure you can get it to work.

[Maxpow]

Maxpow, I'm assuming this is your setup.

Z31 front brakes on SE tubes. Remember to swap to the Z31 rotors too if you haven't already.

The rears, Z31 vented rotors on stock calipers and stock control arms. THIS WILL NOT WORK. You need need the entire arm for this setup to work, cuz you're gonna be doing more work trying to convert it.

If you can't get the arms, then you're going to need:
Z31 vented dust shield(you can go without this, just remove your old one)
Z31 87-89 vented rear calipers
2x 10mm hubcentric spacers for the ROTOR(NOT TYPICAL WHEEL SPACER. It will need to be custom machined! You have to measure the ID of the rotor and the OD of the hub where the rotor seats to) This will push the vented rotor out 10mm because the Z31 arms have the hubs pushed outward to clear the caliper bracket.
I don't know what else you're missing, but it seems like you only got the rotor, which isn't anywhere close to a rear brake upgrade. I need more info on your setup before I can help you. The above list is just a general list, you might need more specific parts. Honestly, if you can go without the rear brake upgrade, I'd recommend not to upgrade because it doesn't make that much of a difference for the work you're going to have to put in.

And so you know, I haven't done this conversion. I just swapped my entire arm to the Z31 vented brakes. You're going to need to do some measuring on your part to make sure you can get it to work.

Setup is Stock s12 suspension and brake components up front, I've only made it through about half of the passenger side work swapping the rotor so I honestly don't even know if the caliper is going to clear I will cry if it doesn't.  All I bought were rotors for front and back... maybe one day in the future I'll do the rear brake upgrade probably isnt realistic right now. Guess back to the drawing board.


Finished the fronts they fit. Yay.

[8SixS12]

Does anyone know which z31 strut tubes fit our cars?  turbo or n/a?  I'm looking at getting some Bilsteins HDs or Konis and the Turbo and na dampers have different part #s.