DIY: hidden front brake cooling Z1 kit for V2 Nismo on a V1 bumper

photonforces

preSteeringCooler.jpg

I’ve been wanting to add brake cooling for my 2014 but there were no kits available for the V1 Nismo. I did not want to cut holes in my bumper either so I put the intake ducts from the Z1 kit for the V2 Nismo bumper, rotated 90 degrees, in the existing bumper opening. As you can see from the picture above, the cooling intakes are very hidden. This guide just covers what I did outside of the normal instructions that were included with the kits.

Parts list:

• Z1 2015+ NISMO 370Z Complete Front Brake Cooling Kit:
  https://www.z1motorsports.com/z1-pro...8cd05a08010bcd
• Z1 370Z / G37 Power Steering Cooler Upgrade Kit (recommended):
  https://www.z1motorsports.com/z1-pro...c0ef233db7408b
• Small angle “L” brackets
• M1 nuts and bolts
• 8 washers for the sway bar
• Angled aluminum bar
• Zip ties
• Duct tape
• ATF or power steering fluid
• A mesh of some kind to keep leaves and trash out of the intakes:
  https://www.amazon.com/Frost-VX620-P...9BV19MQT8&th=1

Install the Power Steering Cooler

I installed the brake cooling kit first and then realized I needed to relocate the stock power steering cooler. The first picture in this post has the stock power steering cooler. This is what the result looked like before the aftermarket power steering cooler was installed:
origSteeringCooler.jpg
Upgrading to the power steering cooler kit was a better option because it got the cooler out of the way since it mounts in a different spot and it is a cooling improvement. I recommend installing this first so you don’t have to drive around with the stock cooler zip tied up, and it will make the brake cooling install easier without having to fight with it in the way when mounting the intakes.
steeringFinal.jpg
Follow the instructions on the Z1 kit. As suggested, add the 8 washers to the damper bar so the cooler fits right behind it. Also you have to bend the horn bracket out some.

Install the Backing Plates

I am using stock rotors so I had to modify them. If you are using 2-piece rotors you can skip reading this step and install the backing plates according to the instructions included with the duct kit.
I bent the plates a little outward (towards the car) with an adjustable wrench on the top and some hammering on the bottom. Only make small adjustments at a time, checking by putting the rotor back on and rotating it by hand listening for any metal rubbing. You will need to adjust the backing plate out a little more than you visually think is necessary since you will have metal rubbing noises when taking hard turns. The rotors expand and move more when driving than what you can test with your hand. I learned this the hard way and had to take the hub off twice after test driving.

Install the Duct Tubes

The 2.5” ducts do not seem to fit with the tire turned all the way in between the wheel wells so I decided to run the ducts on the inside of the frame, behind the wheel wells. Doing this also prevented me from having to cut holes in the wells or installing pancake ducts.

1. Remove the front bumper and undershroud.
2. Thread the ducts on both sides starting from the front, and work the ducts into the engine bay wrapping around the inside part of the motor mounts and then back out towards the rear of the front tires. This is coming from the driver side front and going towards the motor mount:
   ductRoute1.jpg
   Here is a view of the duct going by the inside of the motor mount. This 2.5” duct does not fit on the other side of it.
   ductRouteMM.jpg
   I also added duct tape to the areas that rubbed when turning the wheel. I had to zip tie the duct to the strut because when you turn the wheel all the way to one side, compressing the duct, it folds up, but then rubs against the wheel. This keeps that from happening.
   duckBehindWheel.jpg
   Attach the duct to the backing plate using the provided hose clamp. Pull enough duct through the gap by the motor mount to allow your steering to turn all the way in both directions without the hose running out. Also check for tire rubbing. You will need to zip tie the ducts in a way that not only keeps the ducts from rubbing when you turn both ways, but also has enough slack to not be too tight when all the way out. This is just tedious trial and error.
   driverWell1.jpg

Install the Intakes

1. Remove the foam bar from the metal front bumper.
2. Top intake mounting: connect 2 L-brackets together to make a U-shape bracket and attach it to the top edge of the intakes, furthest from the duct connection. Set your front bumper back on the car without installing the plastic rivets and bring the plastic intake up from underneath into the area in front of the radiator and hold them in the position they will be when installed to mark where you need to drill.
   They should both be on the outer sides of the bumper opening. Drill two holes in the front aluminum bumper. Run the bolt through and attach the nut inside of the bumper. I was able to do this with my 10mm wrench inside of the bumper tube, held with pliers. Both intakes should now be held by the top bolts.
3. Bottom intake mounting: place the bumper back on for reference. Adjust the bottom part of the intakes to be the right distance away from the opening of the bumper. You want to leave about ¼” of space between the intake and bumper so they do not rub.
4. Move the bumper out of the way again and get the aluminum bar you purchased and hold it in the position between the intake and condenser. Mark the distance you measured on the bar and add some length for the flat part of plastic in front of the radiator that it is going to attach to.
5. Cut the angled aluminum bar to the right size and install it with screws and the brackets.
   passIntake.jpg
   I used the bolts from the power steering cooler to hold the passenger side bar:
   steering1.jpg
6. Add the gutter guard or a mesh material over the intakes. This will keep leaves or trash from getting stuck in your ducts.
7. Cut the foam bar into 3 pieces so it fits between the intakes. I used duct tape to hold them in place. I added more than what you see in the picture:
   completeWithoutBumper.jpg
8. Cut a piece or hole out of each of the side air deflectors for the ducts to go through and attach the ducts to the intakes. I used the whole length of both ducts so I didn’t need to cut off any excess.
9. Put it all back together.
   rightFinal.jpg
   leftFinal.jpg
   The result is a very clean and stock looking:
   PXL_20230813_225227987.jpg

Track results

The biggest difference I noticed is I don’t get a strong brake pad burning smell while I’m driving on the track. I was able to keep the rotors under 650F whenever I checked them. I measured them at 750F last time I was at the track before the install. My engine coolant and oil temperature performed the same as before I installed this setup, so the slight loss of airflow in the front didn’t affect any of the other cooling components. I went to the same track and the weather was about the same temperature.

A bystander at the track noticed a whistling noise coming from my car whenever I drove by. I haven’t figured out what that is yet, and I cannot hear it while driving the car so it is hard to pinpoint.

Although the cooling has improved, my brakes still can get too hot after about 20 minutes on the track if I am being too heavy with the braking. There may be more room for improvement if I get 2-piece rotors or run the ducts through the wheel wells to make the path shorter. I mainly wanted to share how I mounted the intakes on a V1 Nismo bumper in case someone else wanted to keep the stock look but still have brake cooling.