What is the REAL difference between the OEM Nissan rear wheel cylinder that places like MSA, Z Car Source, and Z Car Depot sell for $260-325 and the aftermarket ones that these same places as well as others sell for $50-70?  Is the OEM Nissan unit REALLY better?  Better enough to command that much more money for them???

The rears have their connections opposite. You have to bend the hardlines around some but they will work.

When I did mine simply swapping sides made for a lot less bending. Driver's side fits closer on the passenger's side and vs/versus. 

Let me splain that better...

The cheaper ones are at a different angle than the OEs.

Look at the pictures and you'll see. I made them work and that's about all that needs to be said.

 

Edited September 14, 20204 yr by siteunseen

The expensive ones are for the early cars and the cheap ones are the superseded part for later cars.

@26th-Z, so does that mean that owning a 1970 I'm stuck with my only replacement option being the very expensive OEM Nissan units?

Edited September 14, 20204 yr by texasz

The spendy ones are probably what you need for car show judging if you want to get maximum points. 

But as site said, you can make the inexpensive ones work just fine. Just bend your own lines.  It's actually pretty easy, and you can buy pre-fitted lines at the parts store if you need them.

I'm not sure the desired question is being answered...

@texasz,  Has your question been answered, or is the question a more general one:  "Why do aftermarket parts cost so much less than genuine OEM dealer parts? Are the dealer parts really that much better to deserve such a premium price?"

I just did this job on mine with RockAuto parts and they fitted without issue. What really baked my noodle was that the ones in the car were 15/16ths, yet the MSA ones are 3/4 and the RA ones are 7/8ths and/or 3/4. I could not for the life of me find 15/16ths made for the S30 but noticed that most made for other cars have the same shape and bike centres. I just went 7/8ths in the end.

Make sure you end up with the correct type for your car.

I had absolutely zero issues with fit while using the cheaper ones from RA though.

So is the real difference between the proper ones for the early cars and the ones that can be made to work from the later cars a difference in the location of the brake line attachment?  Is that why a new brake line needs to be installed? 

You'd have to know where they were manufactured, to be sure.  Not where they're sold.

Edited September 15, 20204 yr by Zed Head

So is the real difference between the proper ones for the early cars and the ones that can be made to work from the later cars a difference in the location of the brake line attachment?  Is that why a new brake line needs to be installed? 

 

Or makes some yourself at a fraction of the cost!!

;) I didn’t have to remake mine due to the new cylinders, I did as the PO had used copper! These are cupronickel.

 

It took under an hour to make and that was mostly me being numb and making them wrong to start with! ;)

 

25ft pipe £15

Pipe Flaring kit £14

Pipe bender I already had £10

50 x brake line fittings £10

 

 

Also remade all the copper brake lines at the front of the car too, saved a small fortune and have safe brakes again! [emoji12]

 

 

I just checked Rockauto and both brands they carry are out of stock.  ?

 

Anyone got part numbers of ones that will work?  I can search around for them that way.

Check these out on ebay: Dorman W96879 (R) & Dorman W96878 (L), say they fit the 72-73 models.