Dave Patten

I don't spend a lot of time on message boards lately, but found this thread and wanted to update folks that we have responded to the issues found with the WCR CV axle design. FutoFab CV axle kits are not just a continuation of the Wolf Creek Racing (WCR) design, they are significantly revised and improved FutoFab product. The first way to identify the change is the ORANGE axles. FutoFab acquired the rights to the WCR CV axle design and has made several changes and improvements to them. Our most notable change is the introduction of a second, larger and stronger axle kit for higher horsepower cars based on the Porsche 930 Turbo 108mm CV. FutoFab Type 2 / 100mm CV Kit Improvements We use the same CV size as the original WCR axles, but that is about the only similarity. The following are improvements we have made to this axle kit. The CV bolt holes are tapped directly into the adapter allowing use of LocTite. WCR used Helicoils in their adapters which can back out and cannot be used with LocTite. Our CV Bolts are now grade 12.9 - M8x1.25 socket head metric bolts. They are drilled to use safety wire, which we still strongly recommend doing. We use a torque distributing washer under the heads of the CV bolts to spread the clamping force. Each washer spans two CV bolts. The CV bolt lock washers are now a SCHNORR washer. They have a cone shape with one-way serrated surfaces for a greater locking force than the original lock washers. Since making these changes we have had zero complaints of the CV bolts loosening. FutoFab also changed the outer CV adapter design to help keep the bolts that attach the adapter to the companion flange tight. FutoFab's outer CV adapter has slots that captivate the head of the bolts that hold the adapter to the companion flange. This allows you to check that the bolts are tight (and tighten if needed) without having to remove the outer CV from the adapter. Noise Reduction and Improved Driver Confidence One of the biggest complaints FutoFab received about the WCR CV Axle design was the excessive amount of rotational freeplay within their system and the clunking noise it created. While operationally solid, it did not instill confidence that the WCR CV Axle was durable. FutoFab addressed this by minimizing the amount of rotational freeplay to nearly zero. And as a result, axle strength increased as well. We changed the CV’s to ones that have tighter internal tolerances. This decreased the CV’s internal free play to the absolute minimum. Our axle bars are now made from a larger OD, heat treated 4340 chromoly steel with custom machined splines. Each axle end is custom fit to the CV spline, further minimizing rotational free play. By using custom made axles we added a hard inner CV stop machined into the axle. This eliminated the inner C-clip and groove that WCR used. This change makes the FutoFab CV axle much stronger than the original design was. Detailed Comparison - FutoFab Type 2 / 100mm & Porsche 930 Turbo / 108mm CV Axle Kits: While both axle kits use the same basic design, they are unique in most every detail. Component Type 2 / 100mm Axle Kit Porsche 930 Turbo / 108mm Axle Kit CV 100mm OD with six (6) 3/4” balls 108mm OD with six (6) 7/8” balls Adapters 6061 Aluminum, natural finish 4140 Alloy Steel, satin black powder coat Drilled Socket Head CV Bolts M8x1.25, Grade 12.9, black oxide 3/8-24, Grade 8, black oxide Boots Bellows type w/steel base High Speed type w/steel base Axles, custom machined Heat treated 4340 Chromoly Steel Heat treated 4340 Chromoly Steel Axle Spline Count / Diameter 33 splines – 1.06” Dia. 28 splines – 1.20” Dia. Options ----- CV Upgrade – German made GKN / Lobro Porsche 930 replacement CV Targeted Horsepower * Up to 250-300HP Up to 650HP, possibly more *Targeted Horsepower - Actual use (or abuse) has more to do with durability than the horsepower a component may survive. The targeted horsepower numbers are offered above as only a guideline and in no way are to be construed as a guarantee of our CV axle kit’s capabilities. Picture attached is of our 930 / 108mm CV Axle Kit w/Lobro CV's

FutoFab will have spaces at Carlisle near the end of Aisle B. While most of our stuff is 510 related (steel reproduction fenders, valances, rockers, aftermarket sway bars, aluminum LCA's & TC Rods ) We will have our Z car adjustable aluminum LCA's & TC rods. Chrome F&R 240Z bumpers, amber directional (JDM style) 240Z tail lights with us.

The tail lights we sell are complete units with harnesses (all you need is bulbs). They have the chrome trim, come with bolts and a light duty foam gasket. What you see in the picture is what you get. The connector is 4 prong connector, no rewiring, plugs right into the US market 240Z harness.

Yes, that is correct FutoFab is holding a Cyber Monday Sale. 15% off all online orders except wheels (wheel purchases will include free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48). It will be all day Monday December 1st and ending at midnight on the west coast (12:00 PST). More details will be posted to our website.

FedEx should have the bumper to you tomorrow.

We use FedEx on our larger parts. We have a decent rate schedule so shipping doesn't get crazy. Without doing an actual look-up I'd say around $30/ea S&H. If anyone wants actual shipping costs, the bumpers are on-line for ordering. Set up your account, put the parts in your cart and head for check-out. The actual shipping charges will calculate before you pay. Custom colors could be arranged, but it would be done with my local powder coater. He would have to strip the part first and then recoat it. Likely less than a chrome bumper, but not by very much.

Prices are for new bumpers, not for plating cost or a rechromed OE piece. They are 100% brand new parts. The quality is exceptional. The prep and chrome work is better that OE. I am not sure on the powder coat sheen. I have not seen a sample of the bumper in black. I'll post as soon as they arrive.

Zup, FutoFab has '70-'72 240Z steel F&R bumpers coming November 14th. Available in both chrome ($360/ea) and black powder coat ($240/ea). Ordering is now open. These are JDM style w/o holes for rubber face strips. Pics of a '70-'72 240Z chrome front (black powder coat is made the same).

Gary, Adverse wear on bearings is not a direct result of using spacers, but more a result of the effective wheel offset the spacers create. As an example, a +0 offset is considered by most to be the correct fit for a 7" wide wheel on a Z car. If you have 15x7 +0 wheels and add a 25mm spacers you end up with an effective wheel offset of -25. This will add more load to the wheel bearings. Now if you have a 15x7 +25 offset wheel and add a 25mm you end up with what is effectively a +0 wheel offset, which is considered "perfect" by most for a Zcar. So to say spacers alone create excess bearing wear is kind of a misleading. What does create bearing wear is when spacers change wheel offset and add to the car's track width (and the jury is still out on exactly how much added track width will cause excess wear).

FutoFab, working with Motovicity can supply Tokico shocks for your Datsun. FutoFab currently has Illumina BZ3038 strut inserts in stock (280ZX fronts) and has access to all the Tokico products Motovicity stocks. Please feel free to make inquiries.

One item to note on appearance. All 15" Retro 4 wheels look exactly the same on the face because they are all cast using the same outside mold. Whether the wheel is a 15x6 +24 or a 15x7 +0 they all have the same lip depth and spoke shape. The difference is in the thickness at the wheel center and the width of the mold used on the inside to adjust the wheel width. The offset is determined by the amount of material machined off the hub surface of the wheel. The only visual difference between a +24 offset and a +0 is how far in the lug nut recesses into the face of the wheel.

tlorber, Retro 4, 15x7 in silver comes in +12 & +18 offset. Sorry no +0 in silver, black only Lemans 15x7 in gray does come in a +0 offset. Here is a customer's 240Z with silver Retro 4's, 15x7 +12 offset and 205/50-15 tires.

VTO Black Friday Sale Starts NOW! Save 20% off VTO Wheels* at FUTO FAB when you make a purchase online anytime before midnight November 29th. Your 20% discount will be manually refunded until our website is adjusted to show sale pricing. We call this our Black Friday Sale only because no shipping will be made before the official November 29th Black Friday date, but for your convenience we are taking orders now. *Blow Out priced and Custom Drilled wheels are not included in this sale.

BobS, The VTO Classic 8 15x7 +0 weighs 18.25#. If i remember correctly the Panasport Ultralight 15x7 +0 I had for my racecar were 17.5#.

VTO Classic 8 also comes in 16x7 +12 and 16x8 +3. Black Friday Sale prices at FutoFab: 15x7 +0 - $576/set 16x7 +12 - $656/set 16x8 +3 - $688/set Prices include lugnuts, center cap and valve stems See www.FutoFab.com for Black Friday Sale Details.

The only VTO wheel in 16" is the Classic 8. I've asked about 16" in both the LeMans and Retro 4 and they currently have no plans to go bigger than 15". If 15" will work order thru www.FutoFab.com on Friday November 23rd and all VTO wheels are 20% off.

VTO Classic 8 in 16x8 +0 w/5x114.3 bolt pattern - $130/each, regularly $215/each For full details and online ordering go to http://www.futofab.com/

VTO wheels can be ordered on line at http://www.futofab.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=73&vmcchk=1&Itemid=73 I buy most of my tires thru TireRack

If the +20 doesn't have suspension clearance issues, it will look recessed in the wheel opening. Typically the best fitting offset for a 15x7 is a +0.

Here let me toss this idea out for discussion. Assuming the pedal feels firm, but the position is low, maybe the problem is a rear brake adjustment issue? If the car still has the OE type drum brakes and the pedal gets higher when pumped it could be too much free play at the rear brake shoes. Pumping the pedal quickly will take out the freeplay giving you a higher pedal. The rear brakes have a 10 psi residual pressure valve built into the master cylinder. When the brakes are pumped quickly the valve doesn't let all the fluid return to the master cylinder. Repeated pumping restores the brake pedal level to the higher position. Another issue that can come from doing a brake job is the rear shoes may not have the same radius as the drums. When you turn a brake drum the radius changes slightly. If the shoes are made for an OE diameter drum, only a very small contact area on the shoe will touch the drum when the brakes are initially applied. As the brake shoe wears it will wear to the larger radius until the shoe fully contacts the drum. It is possible that the shoe has worn away that small contact area requiring the brakes be adjusted. Years ago when most all cars had drum brakes and turning brake drums was common, brake shops had a tool that would re-arc the brake shoes to fit the turned/resized brake drum radius. By re-arcing the brake shoe to properly fit the turned drum radius the friction surface (in therory) would make full contact with the drum when the brakes were initially used and there was no wearing in period. Today, where brake drums are almost always replaced and not turned, it will be hard to find a shop that has the tooling to re-arc brake shoes to properly fit a turned drum.

I cannot say with any certainty that the spokes are the same thickness between different diameter wheels (we are now talking Classic 8's or Retro 4's as the LeMans is only available in 15"). Likely they are not as each rim diameter is individually designed based on the load characteristics it needs to withstand. What I can say is the physical dimensions/appearance, veiwed square on of the outer wheel surface are the same for all the LeMans wheels. They all have the same spoke shape, lip dimension, amount of paint vs. polished aluminum. The only noticable difference between a +0 and a +18 is how far the lug nuts recess into the lug bore. The bores are shallower on the +18 than the +0 due to where the lug seats have to be positioned when machining for the different offsets. Other than that the wheels look identical.

Yes, The center section on the +0 offset is thicker than the +18, but this is just at the hub area. The spokes are the same depth/thickness as is the rim "shell".

The LeMans wheel in the BRE picture could very well be of a picture of the pre-production wheel. VTO had a sample LeMans wheel done in a slightly lighter gray than the final color used in production. I was involved in the color selection process and was given pictures of both for comment. The current color was unanumously selected by those querried. The LeMans was created as a colaboration between BRE and VTO so it wouldn't surprise me that the BRE picture could be of the lighter color pre-production wheel. All LeMans wheels being sold are the same color, regardless of the source. And yes, lighting has a HUGE effect on the color appearance of these wheels. They look much better outside in natural light, IMO.

Jerry, The wheels on the Roadster are 15x7 +18 offset. These look exactly the same as 15x7 +0 offset wheels when veiwed from the front. All 15x7 VTO wheels start out from the same blanks, the offset is adjusted by machining the correct depth on the hub mounting surface not by using a different casting.

I am not sure if VTO has Datsun or Nissan badges available at this time. It was being discussed. I do know the "Z" emblem is not available. As an option, the VTO center cap badges can be replaced. They are 45mm or 1.75" in diameter. There are several dome badges sold on-line that will nicely fit.