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StopTech is good stuff. I have their kit on my 540i. Read their tech articles on brake balancing and why simply slapping the biggest calipers up front that will fit can actually increase braking distances.
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I dont remember which article I read, but there was some sort of comparisons and brembo was somewhere near the bottom.
PUR NRG, did you upgrade ur rear brakes too? By reading the articile at stoptech, they say that most of the brake force is applied to the front and that the rear brakes should never lock up before the front.
I have seen other cars that just change the front brakes. Seems a little awkard to me, but is that the way we should upgrade brake kits? front only, no rear?
StopTech uses a caliber bridge which provides extra stiffness that stock Brembos don't have. But that doesn't mean Brembos are bad, just that I consider StopTech's better.
Read their tech articles. "ABS and Big Brake Kits Fundamentals, Impacts, and Real-World Solutions" and "Rear Brake Upgrades, Is Bigger Really Better?" should answer most if not all of your questions.
Bottom line: assuming the stock brakes are designed properly, big brakes won't help you stop in a shorter distance. What they will do is allow you to repeatedly stop in the same distance without brake fade or brake fluid boilover. For street application (and even autocross) big brakes don't help. It's when you get on the track that bigger brakes come into their own.
Bong, when I bought my kit StopTech only offered the front caliper upgrade. It was designed for balance with the stock rear brakes and really that's all you need. However there was sufficient demand from people who wanted bigger calipers all-around for no other reason than looks--myself included. When they made that kit, it used a different front caliper to balance braking force with the new rear. So if I want to upgrade to big rear calipers I have to replace the existing big front calipers as well. Such is what happens when you're an early adopter.
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thanx pur nrg, so I guess you only have front brake kits
Mind telling me where you got urs? Or does anyone know where I can get these brake kits at better price?
Originally posted by bong thanx pur nrg, so I guess you only have front brake kits
Mind telling me where you got urs? Or does anyone know where I can get these brake kits at better price?
Before buying them make sure you check the clearances with their wheel fitment charts.
Originally posted by bong thanx pur nrg, so I guess you only have front brake kits
Mind telling me where you got urs? Or does anyone know where I can get these brake kits at better price?
I say wait a few weeks. Project Mu and Rotora will be debuting brake systems. My Rotora Big Brake Kit should arrive very soon.
__________________ 03 EVOLUTION VIII NOW!
04 RX-8 6speed SOLD!
You can purchase direct from StopTech or someplace like zeckhausenracing.com. DaveZ is a great person and if you live near him (NJ) he's more than willing to help install it for free.
________ Hurt from depakote
Originally posted by bong I have seen other cars that just change the front brakes. Seems a little awkard to me, but is that the way we should upgrade brake kits? front only, no rear?
First of all, remember that there are alot of people who throw money at a car, and put things on without knowing what they are really doing. So don't do something just because everyone else does it, do it because it works for you. Additionally, different cars react differently to certain mods, so make sure that you don't base modifications for what works for a 350Z, for example, because it might not work the same.
Also remember that a chain is as strong as it's weakest link, which also applies to systems in a car when you look to upgrade them (unless you are doing it for looks or bragging rights). For some cars, a braking system's weakest point is the front brakes, whether it's the ability to resist fading, or overall braking effort. So, there are alot of cars where front only brakes is a good minor upgrade.
But just like a suspension, a braking system has to be balanced. Throw off that balance, and you will decrease braking performance. Yes, front brakes do more work. This might mean that "balanced" means 4-pot calipers in the front, with 2-pot calipers in the rear, but they have to be balanced. Let's say car X already comes with a well-balanced braking system. When braking at the limits, both front and rear wheels should be near lockup at low speeds. Let's say owner X wants better braking performance, so he installs a front-only big brake kit that increases the braking effort up front. Now, the fronts will approach lockup sooner, so to avoid lockup, he won't push the brake pedal so far. But when he doesn't push the brake pedal as far, the rear brakes are not clamping down as hard, so they are not performing as well as before, and overall braking performance suffers. And because the rears aren't braking as hard as before, the fronts will actually lockup sooner, making things even worse.
If you can keep a balanced setup with front-only brakes, then good. But if not, it will perform poorly. What you need to find out is where the weak points are in the braking system in how YOU use it, and eliminate those weak points. Sometimes, those weak points in the braking system include wheels, tires, and suspension.
---jps
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"The truth is faster than fiction."
The StopTech system is one of the best in the world. We've used StopTechs on our project cars with awsome results. Our Project EVO has a full 4 wheel set up an it is truely awe inspiring. StopTech spends lots of $ in R&D for each car. We've already got a set on order and should have the first set in production. When I talked to them about offering a rear package they responded with saying that there testing shows that with the supurb balance of the car a rear set isn't nessassary but will consider it for next year. The kit sould be in and on the car in about 3 weeks. You can check out the progress of our Project RX8here http://www.vividracing.com/main/projectrx8.php as we will keep everyone informed.
Last edited by VividRacing.com; 10-06-2003 at 05:51 PM.
Originally posted by VividRacing.com The StopTech system is one of the best in the world. We've used StopTechs on our project cars with awsome results. Our Project EVO has a full 4 wheel set up an it is truely awe inspiring. StopTech spends lots of $ in R&D for each car. We've already got a set on order and should have the first set in production. When I talked to them about offering a rear package they responded with saying that there testing shows that with the supurb balance of the car a rear set isn't nessassary but will consider it for next year. The kit sould be in and on the car in about 3 weeks. You can check out the progress of our Project RX8here http://www.vividracing.com/main/projectrx8.php as we will keep everyone informed.
What rims are you going to be using with the StopTechs?
Linear Mode
