Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Got this 66 a while ago, loved driving it as is but was very scary, so I stopped, car has been sitting ever since.
The problem is the breaks. I thought it was normal because it being such an old car.
I would push on the brakes, and it would take forever to slow down, let-alone stop.
I thought maybe the brakes needed to bleed. Did the rears, no problem. Took off the front wheels and found this.
I’m not a mechanic, but this don’t look normal to me.
Any thoughts and suggestions?

Looks fine to me. You may have a frozen piston on one or both sides. Is the pedal firm, but you don't stop? If so, I'd wager that yes, the pistons are stuck and not moving. With good brake pads, a roadster will stop with the best. It takes some effort since there are no power brakes, but the stock brake system, with good pads will stop just fine.

Try bleeding them and see if it makes any difference.

Will

Thanks for the quick reply. Pedal is not firm. I push on it, goes all the way down. It's actually feels squishy.
If you look at the pictures closely, the disk is full of grease. I was thinking that was the reason it took so long to stop.
I just cleaned them up, see picture below.

If you have grease on the rotor then you may have a bad hub seal. You can check for sticking calipers by removing one pad at a time and watching for movement while a buddy pushes the pedal. I usually stick a thin piece of wood in place of the removed pad so that the puck does not over extend.
However since you say your pedal is mushy you have probably have air in the lines and needs to be bleed. You could also have worn out rubber hoses that are expanding instead of moving the pistons. You should upgrade to stainless brake hoses at any rate.

I'm no expert but I too see problems there. The pads are likely contaminated and may need replacing. Must find the source of the grease on the rotor. The rotor may need to be turned to create a new clean surface for the new pads to seat properly. The black covering on the steel lines are likely hiding rust... it should be removed and the lines inspected for rust or pin hole leaks. If rusted they must be replaced. All the grease boots on the suspension are dead and need to be replaced sometime (bigger job), especially if they are allowing grease on the rotor etc. With a soft pedal, you either have air in the lines or a failing/failed master cylinder... system must be properly bled to evaluate the whole system. Masters can be expensive but there are options. If the wheel cylinders are leaking then they must be replaced.

I know the brakes can be spendy on these cars but it is your life and that of others, so one cannot fudge it here. If you're not confident, don't feel you're capable or just don't want to mess with it, I suggest having a Roadster friend come by and assist or that you pay a decent reputable shop who works on older cars do a complete rebuild, or at least get them to inspect it and give an evaluation and repair price.

We can help you go through it if you are willing and have the desire to learn. It will require some basic tools and direction. You could start by reviewing the manual to see if you want to dig in. This may not be cheap... could be several hundred, but it's hard to know without a complete eval. Sorry.

Hope this helps... be safe!

based on your pics, all the original parts are there (big score, meaning all the bits can be rebuilt or re-freshed). IMO worth a check on the OEM plastic cover lines!! Yes, sometimes they rust under the covers, but by the looks of your frame and suspension it doesn't look like rust to me. The plastic is nice road protection. As has also been suggested Mike M: replace the rubber lines first, check the master cylinder, then move on to the wheel cylinder seals, testing after each. Many places for budget replacements (PM if needed) and everything you might want OEM are here from Vendors on this site. Like Greg mentioned: "one cannot fudge it here," sound advice.

Thank you everyone, I really do appreciate it.

I think I would give your brakes all the attention they need! Speed in and of itself has never killed anyone, it’s the uncontrolled stop that gets you. For sure spare no expense getting your brakes up to proper working order, you can buy everything you need from the vendors that are listed on 311’s. If you need a firewall brace, I have braces for the early single master cylinder 1600’s. It will take the flex out of the firewall.

Properly performing stock brake calipers are more than adequate on a roadster, they were stock on a much heavier Jaguar Mk X sedan, with pads being one area where braking performance can be improved. I am partial to Porterfield R4-S pads (front and rear, with larger diameter 13/16" cylinders for a bit of rear-ward bias) but some like 'Green Stuff'.

Agree with rwmann, I recently installed the Porterfield R4-S from pads on my car and saw a noticeable increase of stopping power. I believe they were just under $100 for the set.

Brake pistons are captive. If the pads wear thin they can stop touching the rotors

Guys, check this out. First off, after I removed the cotter pin, I was able to remove the spindle nut by hand, is that normal?
In the picture, the part that is bent, that need to be pulled out right? And it shouldn’t be bent like that?
What need to be done?
I apologize for all the questions, I’m learning as I go.

garcia_vm wrote: Wed Mar 19, 2025 3:25 pm Guys, check this out. First off, after I removed the cotter pin, I was able to remove the spindle nut by hand, is that normal?
In the picture, the part that is bent, that need to be pulled out right? And it shouldn’t be bent like that?
What need to be done?
I apologize for all the questions, I’m learning as I go.

Old thread on this issue. "Snug NOT tight"

viewtopic.php?t=19359

theunz wrote: Tue Mar 18, 2025 12:48 pm Agree with rwmann, I recently installed the Porterfield R4-S from pads on my car and saw a noticeable increase of stopping power. I believe they were just under $100 for the set.

Do you have a specific part number for the Porterfield R4-S pads that fit the late model roadster front disc brakes?

-jt

(From 2022):

Porterfield has R4S fronts and rears. Look up the Dunlop caliper application, or call them. From memory, it’s the 1960s Jaguar Mk X or Ferrari 250 front pad (though thankfully, not priced that way!) and I sent them my rear shoes, because they didn’t have cores at that time, but said they normally did.