Hey everyone, im in desperate need of some help..

I have a 1979 mazda 323, im from new zealand, and im having some big troubles.

Ok, so i got s3 with the 4x114 stud patturn(i dunno if this was all s3 or just the gsl-se model) front struts and brakes to go in it, with welded on coil over sleeves etv etc. I stripped the old struts and threw away the old discs as i had new ones ready to go.

NOW the problem starts, im re assemblying the fresh struts, and im missing something.. I cant bolt the wheel on ?!

I had the stub axle poking out, and its like im missing a hub or something, i have the disc witch i imagine is a floating stlye disc and that slips over a hub that is mounted to the stub axle via wheel bearings. Right or wrong?
Now i got this brake disc, same part #
http://www.rotarydirect.co.nz/rotary...31-dr946v.aspx

I got the same guy from rotary direct who is very very helpful to order soem hubs from australia, got them here and they are like the factory 323 disc's, solid. all as one. So i turned him away with the parts in hand and apologiesd but still we cant work it out or find any information.

Also the only wheel bearings i have avalible in the bearing shop stock wont for the life of me fit! They dont match to the disc which makes me believe the disc maybe just 'floating' type and the hub its self is definatly missing.

Hope someone makes some sense of this. I want the car running asap!

will try post pix tomorro, thanks a heap

 

US spec 84-85 cars all had larger spindle, bearings and rotor than earlier cars. Only the GSLSE had 4X114 pattern in the US. The rotor and hub are one piece. You need to drive a new bearing race into the rear side of the new rotor/hub before the wheel bearing will fit properly. Are you using 323 struts and spindles? I'm not sure if S3 with the bigger bearings will fit on 79 323 spindles. Might want to post in the "Other Rotaries" section. Lots of old school owners on there.

 

thank for your reply.

no im using all series 3 stuff, s3 spindles and struts. nothing 323 left.

thats why im finding it so crazy that this isnt fitting/working.

the struts came out of a new zealand assembled car

i just dont get it.

its hard to explain again so ill post up soem photos really soon.

 

Sounds like you are missing the bearing race. It is a steel ring with a tapered inner surface that matches the taper of the inner bearing. It should come with the new bearings. It needs to be driven into the back side of the new rotor so the bearing fits properly. Its not shown in any parts diagram that I've found.

 

You got a disk for a Gen 3 not a Series 3.

Great if you have an FD, bad if you don't.

NO 1st-gen anywhere had separate hubs. It's a unified rotor/hub assembly. In short, you have the wrong part.

 

I believe all S3's in NZ had the GSL-SE brakes and it is the exact setup we have here.

 

I see!

Yip cause all the series 3's here are known as there 4x114.3 pattern.

Anyways i gotta update.

The discs work, i banged some studs in there, spend about an hour at a bearing shop (our parts guys down here are actually reatarded).
Im putting the struts back inthis morning.

The disc im using is off the shelf as a series 3 rx7 disc, no hub. I did call race brakes yesterday and they had them with the hub, but are at trade price $240 each. Im not in the position to spend $500 on another set of brakes!
The extra bearing was $14, i used a series 3 bearing kit, but used the outter bearing as the inner, and got an extra small bearing for the outter.

What a nightmare!

So all should be go today.

Thanks for your educated help!!

 

i don't know what you did, but the rotor is supposed to be this guy http://www.volksparts.com/images/k11fb61z.jpg

 

This is the rotor i have.

But still everyone tells me its wrong as they have a unified hub.

Oh well got it all finished now.

Will post some pix