if you have a big brake kit....
09-05-2005, 12:14 AM
#1
if you have a big brake kit.... ...could you inform me about the feel of the kit. by feel i mean does the pedal become softer and more touch sensitive. its something that has always bothered me about my car and if it means getting a big brake kit and new brake lines to solve it, i will. i am in desperate need of new brakes and i wanna know if i should begin allocating money into the big brake fund 
any feedback is very much appreciated.
any feedback is very much appreciated. 
09-06-2005, 08:27 PM
#2
11 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SoCal
Posts: 897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I run stoptech rotors, hawk pads and SS brake lines and my brakes feel awesome. I can't imagine an actual brake kit (baer, brembo etc) giving me much more of a positive feel.
09-06-2005, 10:00 PM
#4
Originally Posted by KCFormula
I run stoptech rotors, hawk pads and SS brake lines and my brakes feel awesome. I can't imagine an actual brake kit (baer, brembo etc) giving me much more of a positive feel.
09-07-2005, 01:47 AM
#6
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got a StopTech ST-40 kit, and the the pedal is stiff and doesn't fade easily, except when bedding in pads (green fade, but just about any new pads will do that). Like it a lot since braking has become a lot more consistent with each application.
09-11-2005, 02:03 AM
#7
Form what I understand, doesn't a big brake kit only allow more heat to be handled? I think they are only needed on race cars right?
Is the better feel of most big kits due to the stiffer 4 piston calipers as well and having it solidly mounted?
For a street car, they seem overkill. I flushed my fluid with ATE and that helped reduce the pedal take up. Then the Carbotech Panther + pads give me all the braking my poor little 275 Nitto Road Race tires can handle.
If you are racing, brake ducts would be recommended. As far as brake stuff is concerned, I'm going to add some ducts and call it a day. I'm satisfied. Now it comes down to either gripier front tires or maybe 315's.
Is the better feel of most big kits due to the stiffer 4 piston calipers as well and having it solidly mounted?
For a street car, they seem overkill. I flushed my fluid with ATE and that helped reduce the pedal take up. Then the Carbotech Panther + pads give me all the braking my poor little 275 Nitto Road Race tires can handle.
If you are racing, brake ducts would be recommended. As far as brake stuff is concerned, I'm going to add some ducts and call it a day. I'm satisfied. Now it comes down to either gripier front tires or maybe 315's.
Trending Topics
09-11-2005, 03:15 AM
#8
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by JasonWW
Form what I understand, doesn't a big brake kit only allow more heat to be handled? I think they are only needed on race cars right?
Is the better feel of most big kits due to the stiffer 4 piston calipers as well and having it solidly mounted?
For a street car, they seem overkill. I flushed my fluid with ATE and that helped reduce the pedal take up. Then the Carbotech Panther + pads give me all the braking my poor little 275 Nitto Road Race tires can handle.
If you are racing, brake ducts would be recommended. As far as brake stuff is concerned, I'm going to add some ducts and call it a day. I'm satisfied. Now it comes down to either gripier front tires or maybe 315's.
Is the better feel of most big kits due to the stiffer 4 piston calipers as well and having it solidly mounted?
For a street car, they seem overkill. I flushed my fluid with ATE and that helped reduce the pedal take up. Then the Carbotech Panther + pads give me all the braking my poor little 275 Nitto Road Race tires can handle.
If you are racing, brake ducts would be recommended. As far as brake stuff is concerned, I'm going to add some ducts and call it a day. I'm satisfied. Now it comes down to either gripier front tires or maybe 315's.
Yes the better feel of big kits are attributed to the those factors, plus the other factors that can be added to the stock brakes (brake fluid, SS lines, premium pads, and rotors). Basically, If you need better performance and you're not experienced with AX or RR, then you're spending a lot of money to get a fancy system that will not perform better at most street legal limits.
If someone wants to improve their quality of brakes without having to spend a lot on a premium system, then a C5 brake kit will be the most frugal option, especially if their OEM rotors and pads are trashed.
09-11-2005, 07:52 AM
#10
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They might be, however the I had a huge problem with caliper deflection, and that was only from heavy street breaking. That's something to consider if your vehicle has at least 75K from a lot of heavy braking.
Last edited by Foxxton; 09-11-2005 at 05:16 PM.
09-12-2005, 02:51 AM
#15
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most have no problems with the OEM caliper. The real reason I upgraded to a Big Brake kit is due to the fact that I was beginning to solo race on different road courses, and I then begin to experience some evil braking qualities, such as overheating the rotors. In that case, I was using Hawk 9012 pads with Brembo blank rotors, and properly bedding them in. My stock calipers were pretty much dead after about 15 laps of some hard driving, almost to the point that I could've killed myself. After letting them properly cool, they never performed correctly while driving on the street.
The reason I purchased the big brake system I have, is because my vehicle is not a dedicated track vehicle. I still need it to be street legal, until my other car is finally assembled. The big brake kit allows me to run street pads and still be compatible with the factory ABS and braking system while remaining the proper braking balance.
If your vehicle is mostly for the street, you certainly wouldn't be doing what I described above. Anyone who's reading this thread that is driving on public roads in the manner described above needs to reconsider their self-discipline.
The reason I purchased the big brake system I have, is because my vehicle is not a dedicated track vehicle. I still need it to be street legal, until my other car is finally assembled. The big brake kit allows me to run street pads and still be compatible with the factory ABS and braking system while remaining the proper braking balance.
If your vehicle is mostly for the street, you certainly wouldn't be doing what I described above. Anyone who's reading this thread that is driving on public roads in the manner described above needs to reconsider their self-discipline.
Last edited by Foxxton; 09-12-2005 at 03:00 AM.
09-12-2005, 09:06 AM
#16
Originally Posted by Foxxton
Most have no problems with the OEM caliper.
The stock F-car caliper is VERY susceptible to spread under extreme conditions.
And extreme conditions are the justification for big brakes.
09-12-2005, 10:37 AM
#17
Originally Posted by JasonWW
Well jeez, why didn't you mention that?
Was it heat related or did a part fail?
Do you race with the car?
Was it heat related or did a part fail?
Do you race with the car?
09-12-2005, 02:31 PM
#18
I notice you keep talking about a "soft" pedal. Most folks think of that as a spongy pedal, which is not good. Do you actually mean that you want more braking with less foot pressure pushing on the pedal? Normally you would want a firm pedal with no take up, but require less force on the pedal to stop the car and then when you push hard on the pedal, you get a lot more braking than the stock brakes would have delivered.
If that's the case you need a pad that creates more friction to the rotor. A more agressive pad may be all you need. Are you saying you'd like to be able to lock a wheel at 100mph without a lot of pedal pressure and still be able to drive it on the street? I'd say you need pads.
What pads have you ran before?
One of the best streetable pads is the Carbotech Panther Plus. Replace all 4 corners for $285 shipped. Either machine your current rotors or replace then with new blanks like the AZ Duralasts (Under $200 total I think) and be done with it.
These pads do squeek a small amount depending on how you brake and dust some, but it cleans up pretty easily. The first, bone cold stop feels about like the stock pads, but after a few stops you'll have some heat in them. Then they will get grippy, not bad grippy, you can still modulate the brakes, but they just want to slam the car to a stop. Nice. The hotter you get them the grippier they get. They can take a lot of heat, too. I cracked a set of front crossdrilled rotors doing an aggressive bedding session and the pads never faded on me. Adding brake duct would be recommended, but optional for street use.
If that's the case you need a pad that creates more friction to the rotor. A more agressive pad may be all you need. Are you saying you'd like to be able to lock a wheel at 100mph without a lot of pedal pressure and still be able to drive it on the street? I'd say you need pads.
What pads have you ran before?
One of the best streetable pads is the Carbotech Panther Plus. Replace all 4 corners for $285 shipped. Either machine your current rotors or replace then with new blanks like the AZ Duralasts (Under $200 total I think) and be done with it.
These pads do squeek a small amount depending on how you brake and dust some, but it cleans up pretty easily. The first, bone cold stop feels about like the stock pads, but after a few stops you'll have some heat in them. Then they will get grippy, not bad grippy, you can still modulate the brakes, but they just want to slam the car to a stop.
Nice. The hotter you get them the grippier they get. They can take a lot of heat, too. I cracked a set of front crossdrilled rotors doing an aggressive bedding session and the pads never faded on me. Adding brake duct would be recommended, but optional for street use.
09-12-2005, 03:56 PM
#19
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by mitchntx
Whoa up there a minute, pardner ...
The stock F-car caliper is VERY susceptible to spread under extreme conditions.
And extreme conditions are the justification for big brakes.
The stock F-car caliper is VERY susceptible to spread under extreme conditions.
And extreme conditions are the justification for big brakes.
I would like to see more postings to get a better idea of where he currently stands and where does he intend to go with his vehicle. I personally vote for getting a big brake kit now, but then again he might be oversold since braking in normal conditions with big brake kits really don't improve much and their parts may be easy to find, but are sure expensive to replace.
09-12-2005, 04:11 PM
#20
The OEM calipers don't suck for 99% of the people. I feel mine are fine for me. The vette calipers are less susceptible to heat spreading, and aren't very expensive. Then brake ducts are always a good idea.
The vette rotors should either produce a bit less heat and require a bit less pedal pressure under the same stopping distances or else stop the car quicker (if you have the tires) while generating the same amount of heat.
I don't have 2K for a big brake kit nor do I like spending, what, $300 per rotor or so for a replacement? I'm glad I don't need a big brake kit, it would suck up all my money.
The vette rotors should either produce a bit less heat and require a bit less pedal pressure under the same stopping distances or else stop the car quicker (if you have the tires) while generating the same amount of heat.
I don't have 2K for a big brake kit nor do I like spending, what, $300 per rotor or so for a replacement? I'm glad I don't need a big brake kit, it would suck up all my money.