z boy mn

Thanks for all your comments and questions...I'm not a brake expert either, not by a long stretch...here's what I'm thinking so far: @Patcon: while the booster holds pressure until you touch the pedal, as I understand it the vacuum on one side of the diaphragm is what makes them "power" brakes. The atmospheric pressure on the "push" side makes pushing the brakes easier against the vacuum side. But, my booster looses all vacuum the second you even wiggle the brake pedal, so you don't get any assist at all. There's another test, where you pump up the brakes and then turn on the car, adding vacuum (in theory) when you should notice the pedal dips some; mine doesn't. It fails that test, too. @Captain Obvious: It's pretty tight in there, so I don't know how a tandem booster would fit. I'm assuming the folks at MSA would have mentioned that, though. @heyitsrama: Thanks for the reference. I'll have time on my side as I'll just keep up the leg workout this fall and take it off when I park it for the long MN winter. So, mailing, etc., is fine. I called a few folks in my area, and they all ship it out, too. The FSM has instructions on how to rebuild it, but I'm not sure the rebuild kits are available to individuals and it doesn't look like an easy job. As for the proportioning valve, I've turned it all the way "up" so that the rear brakes get as much pressure as they can. According to Don, who put the kit together at DP Racing, this is fine as the calipers in the kit for the rear are much smaller, so you don't have to worry about locking up the rear tires. I've never had an issue and the car has some track time. With other kits, or kits where the rear brakes are larger, you have to dial back the brake pressure to the rear to keep things balanced. I put in a call to Don with this question, too, and I'll ask about the master cylinder, too. Even though mine was replaced by the PO, I've had the car 10 years and it might be worth doing even if it doesn't have any leaks. Finally, the "tandem" has two diaphragms inside, so you get more assistance to the power brakes. As for how the brakes engage, they feel fine and the pedal is rock hard (another sign). It takes a lot of leg pressure to slow the car down, but it does slow down just fine. The pads are relatively new and the discs have very little wear. The car has about 16,000 miles since the restoration, so the hardware should be in good shape otherwise. I'll keep folks posted when I hear more...ideas are welcome!

Hello everyone! I have determined that my brake booster has finally given up; it holds a vacuum but loses it as soon as you depress the pedal even a milometer. (I've already replaced the one-way valve.) I looked over the forums here, and it sounds like rebuilding one is tricky and can have very mixed results. The one I have is in fine shape (cosmetically), but there's no one around here who can reliably rebuild it (assuming kits are available). MSA does sell a refurbished brake booster, and I've ordered pretty good parts from them in the past. In addition to a refurbished booster, they offer a 6" and 8" tandem master vac conversion. The links are here: Refurbished ($189 + core): https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/24-5230 Tandem 6" ($279): https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/24-5761 Tandem 8" ($309): https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/24-5762 I noticed the warning text on the Tandem boosters, and so I called MSA to ask. My car has Wilwood brakes on all four corners (kits 401-8280 and 401-9280 from DP Racing: https://www.dpracing.co/brakes). The system also has a relatively new (but stock) master cylinder and a Wilwood proportioning valve with all the bias turned up (per DP Racing). I've also got 16" rims with 225x45x16 tires (Dunlop Direzza Z). I've been very happy with the brakes until the master vac failed, but more brake power is better, yes? I called MSA and asked if I needed to worry about the warning. There were three technicians on hand and two said go with the stock master booster and one said go with the 6" tandem. I'm still thinking more brake is better, and I can just push on the pedal less hard if I need to? The car does see some track time, but 95% of the miles are as a daily driver. One of my additional concerns about something other than stock is adjusting it all correctly, but again I'm thinking more braking power is better. So, if anyone has any advice or has tried these tandem boosters or has another solution, I'd greatly appreciate the help!

I've never had anything rub with the set-up. Once, I got some of those after-market rear shock mounts that had an adjustable camber option (the product is here: https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic20d/23-4189) but they disintegrated on the track from use as they're mostly made out of plastic. At that point, I had some rubbing on the driver's side. But, once I replaced them with the stock steel mounts, it's been fine. I don't have the specs on the rims that you're after, the PO acquired them (and I like them so I kept them), but they're not a rare combination for 240s. Someone else here might know or recognize them and be able to give you the specs.

Sure! This is the car as it sits on the 225/45/16s. It's also sitting in Eibach progressive springs, so that is supposed to lower the stance about 1". I don't think I'd have room if I went to the 225/50/16 as I don't have flares. Hope this helps! P.S. The second picture is an older one--you'll notice that the rear hatch vent covers weren't installed! ;-D

Good morning everyone, I know it's been over a year but I'll blame the delay on the pandemic and the lack of options for ordering tires as tire options went in and out of stock. This winter (2021/2022) I decided on the Dunlop Direzza ZIII tires and ordered them in the 225/45/R16 size from TireRack.com. It took about 6 months for Tire Rack to get them in stock and shipped, and another week or so to get them on the car. First impressions? They're super! The tread pattern is significantly different (two large lateral strips and much smaller "wave" indents--see photo) even though they're the upgraded version of the exact tires I had on the car already. Some of the improvement is simply that the tires are new...my old Dunlop Direzza Zs were 20 years old. On the age front, it's worth noting that these tires were manufactured in August of 2021. When I ordered the tires, I did call TireRack and asked for tires manufactured this year. When they arrived, I called TireRack to follow-up, and they said they couldn't say when 2022 models would be available, so I decided to keep these. I noticed so far that the ride is much smoother, and they make a wonderful "sticking" noise along the road...a high whine like duct tape getting unstuck from the pavement as you drive. Otherwise, they're pretty quiet. Cornering is amazing, though I noticed that the front end is slightly less responsive (read "less darty"), but I'm thinking that may be because the sidewalls aren't rock hard. It's a very predictable experience, though, and the car feels quicker around turns overall, with less squealing and sliding. Braking and acceleration has also improved, and the car feels more planted. I haven't driven them in the wet yet, and the tires came with warnings suggesting that wet and cold weather will not be friendly. Finally, like new tires should, these smell great! 😄 Again, I know it's been a while since my original post and these are relatively new, but at the moment I'm exceptionally pleased with the purchase. If something happens in the coming months/years that suggests an issue, I'll update this post. Happy driving!

Hmm. I've never tested the odometer figuring it was off by the same amount. Another reason to look forward to spring! I've never used Waze but I may try that this spring, too, just to see. It would be simpler than the gymnastic flexibility I'd need to pull the speedo without removing the dash!

Hey Jeff, thanks for your post. Also, I see somehow my original post happened twice...hmmm...not sure how to clean that up...so looks like I'll just "go with it!" And, I really appreciate your comments about 225/50/16s. That was my first thought as there are so many more options. But, I don't want rubbing and I'm not sure what there is for body work at the fenders (I suspect that any mods to the sheet metal would crack up the skim coat they applied when they did the paint.) I hadn't even thought about how they would look, but when I asked TireRack how much bigger they were the answer was something like ".5"" in diameter, which is a lot since the car is sitting on Eibach springs already. As for the speedo, I've got a 4.11 differential in it, so I've had to mess with the pinion gear. I think I ordered the last 21-tooth speedo gear in the country a few years back. The speedo is still "optimistic" by about 5%, but that's pretty close. Last year, it started jumping around a bit, but the gear looks fine so I'm guessing it's the cable. The problem there is that it's got the Datsun end for the transmission but a Autometer end for the speedo...so I may just go with a GPS option if I need it to be more accurate (and less bouncy). Right now, the car is plenty loud so I'm not sure how much the tires would add, but as it's mostly a daily I'll think about that. I will definitely post an update once the snow melts and I make a decision. With so few options, it's nice to have some test documentation out there for folks who are making the same decision in the future.

That's a strong recommendation, @zKars, thanks. The local tire shop said they thought the RIRs were more "modern." They'd have to order the Dunlops as they don't regularly stick them. I like the look of the R1R tread more than the ZIII, but I'm trying to be somewhat rational about the choice. 😛 Or, if someone has has had a really bad experience with one or the other, etc. @heyitsrama, one thing that TireRack said was that the ZIII wouldn't last as long but deliver a more consistent performance over the life of the tire. That's definitely appealing. Truthfully, it's a good year if my Z sees 3K miles, so (like a lot of things) it's age that will get them. The Dunlops I have now are from 2000, and while they look just fine and have handled well, I have to imagine they've gotten harder (not that I"ve been able to test that). I'm looking forward to the snow melting....

Hello everyone! I'm shopping for new tires this spring (my Z just turned 50) and I'm trying to decide between the three options available. The size is probably the limiting factor (225/45/R16) in choice. I've read everything there is online and even contacted TireRack directly. They suggested that the Dunlop ZIIIs will wear faster (that's OK with me) yet overall be the better tire. I have Dunlop "ZR" tires on it now, and I've been happy with them, but thought I'd ask this group to see what you think. I do not drive the car on the track very often anymore, it's mostly a daily that I zip around with. The link to the options at TireRack is here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?zip-code=56401&width=225/&ratio=45&diameter=16&rearWidth=225/&rearRatio=45&rearDiameter=17 In total, there's a Dunlop, Toyo, and Yokohama. Thoughts or advice or experiences would be appreciated!

Hello everyone! I'm shopping for new tires this spring (my Z just turned 50) and I'm trying to decide between the three options available. The size is probably the limiting factor (225/45/R16) in choice. I've read everything there is online and even contacted TireRack directly. They suggested that the Dunlop ZIIIs will wear faster (that's OK with me) yet overall be the better tire. I have Dunlop "ZR" tires on it now, and I've been happy with them, but thought I'd ask this group to see what you think. I do not drive the car on the track very often anymore, it's mostly a daily that I zip around with. The link to the options at TireRack is here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?zip-code=56401&width=225/&ratio=45&diameter=16&rearWidth=225/&rearRatio=45&rearDiameter=17 In total, there's a Dunlop, Toyo, and Yokohama. Thoughts or advice or experiences would be appreciated!

Thanks for the information, jitenshakun, is there a link or something you can highlight to point others in this direction? I was really working off a hunch as it just didn't seem like there was enough room inside the standard air filter. I've had no issues at all with my add-on filters, but it's also hard to tell what the difference might have been. It's not like I've broken the sound barrier recently!

I can try to make a video and see if it comes out well enough to see the wiggle. It's more a feel thing. I might be able put the inner rod in a vice though, and show the wiggle by just moving the out tie rod. UPDATE: I didn't get the video made, but I did manage to measure out the inner tie rods again. They seem to spec out at the same as Captain's...so I'm going to assume they're both original. Unfortunately, we've gotten more snow in MN (with more on the way), so it's going to be a while before I can get it into an alignment shop to see what they think. I'll update if there are any suggestions/changes. Thanks again everyone for your help!

Hey again, Captain, I did miss the measurements you reported at the top of the page...must be I scrolled past them by accident. Interesting. I'm going to check mine again as I remember that I also got a reading of 13.84 a number of times, but I wasn't sure if my meter was zeroed out properly and I thought maybe it wasn't perfectly square with the tie rod. I'll take some more and see how they compare. Maybe I'll also borrow a better caliper set. Mine are the $19.99 Harbor Freight variety.

Interesting update. I work at a college with a strong automotive program, and they often help me with the Z for custom alignments, tricky installations, advice, etc. So, I brought in the inner tie rod and outer tie rod and asked them to check out the fitment. Both instructors handed the kit back to me with a question mark on their faces, like "what's the problem?" I told them the story and they wiggled everything around some more (this was the new inner tie rod, so it had the most slack), and they said they had seen far worse and that I shouldn't worry about it. I reminded them that the car spends time on the track, and they didn't even blink. Hmmm. Makes me wonder about all the other cars on the road! I'm still going to try the 14mm bolt and see how that fits. I'll be curious if others have every experienced this kind of thing before, of if the Captain comes back with wildly different measurements for his inner tie rod threads.

Hey Chickenman, I've been using various sources and various brands... The parts I have now are labeled from "Rare Parts," but a set of the outer tie rods were from Moog. I'll dig around for an original/used set in MN--there may be some around here that I could at least measure. But, as you found out, the inner tie rods are getting hard to find and I think that must be the issue as the outer ones all seem consistent. The specs do seem to explain the wiggle -- I was also thinking about getting a standard 14mm bolt and see how that feels threaded in just for comparison. As for availability overall, ZCarDepot reported the same thing: that only the right inner tie rods are available. MSA just took them all of them off its website. I'll run some searches on the part number you supplied and see if there's anything that pops up. Thanks again for your suggestions!