So on the way to work this morning i heard this grinding noise from the front right side of my car. Almost to work i hear a crunch and the car pulls to the right. I brake to check it out and NO BRAKES! I stop with the E brake and park it. When i get out the front right tire is smoking and smells terrible. Also the camber is off. The tire is at an angle. Like this \ School starts on monday. This couldnt have happened at a worse time!

Nothing about this sounds like a good time! I'm betting you have lost a wheel bearing. Could be a relatively easy fix if it is, could be a major expense as well, depending on whether it took the spindle and or the hub. Of course you'll have to lift the corner and pull the wheel and take a look at what all is going on. Sorry to hear about the trouble though, never is a good time to break down...... Let us know what you find.

Leonard

I'll second Leonard's diagnosis. The wheel bearing failed. That would cause the camber problem, the loss of brakes, and the smoke.

Get the car towed to a repair shop. Hopefully nothing more than new wheel bearings and maybe pads. (But be prepared for more).

Al

So i took it to a shop and they said they are having problems finding the part. looking online i can't find the part he is talking about. Anyone know what it might be called? He said a Spindle / knuckle and something about the wheel bearing being welded to it. Looking online i can't find anything that fits that description.

Need help with "the part" part. What all do you need? Sounds like you need the hub and spindle. I am pretty sure I saw both entire assemblys, including the struts and springs on ebay just yesterday for $100 plus shipping. Might be a really good way to go.

You wouldnt happen to have a picture of what these might look like would you? Hes saying a knuckle OR a spindle hes not sure what it might be called. But researching, they are two different things.

Start here. That will give you a break down on the parts.

You'll definately need the spindle and likely the hub. I have the unit from a 77 280 which I "believe" is the same. I do know it is the same hub and disc assembly. I can ship it to you for $25 + shipping if you can't find something local. I believe they are the same from at least 71 through 78 so you might get one at a bone yard. New is going to $$ I think. Keep in mind, this would be a used but known working unit. I may need to have the rotor surfaced and the actual condition of the bearings is not known. Send a PM if you are at all interested.

On the diagram after showing it to him. On the strut assembly he said i only need the part at the bottom. And on the axel diagram its part # 38 that i need. I'll check a junkyard when i get off otherwise if you have it available we can work something out.

OH DEAR.!! Was there any signs of odd rumbling noises coming from that wheel before this happened?

Let me know if you still need the spindle, send me a PM. I think I might have a couple of front struts around here somewhere...I'm not too far from Denver, up in Berthoud.

Here are the two types of front struts I have. The bottom strut is from a '77 28Z 2+2, the top is from a 260Z. I couldn't make out the part numbers on the strut tubes, what is the number on your strut tube? With a little cleaning and better light I should be able to read the numbers from the struts I have.

The main difference appears to be the mounting tab where the hard line to the caliper connects to the flexible brake hose. The mounting tab is parallel with the strut tube on the 260Z strut. On the '77 2+2 strut it is rotated about 90 degrees, and would be parallel with the ground when the strut is in the car. Not sure if this is a good description, but take a look at the pics and you can see the difference I'm trying to describe...