big brake kits
12-11-2005, 12:17 AM
#1
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: watertown wisconsin
Posts: 1,331
ok so im building a s5 gxl now turbo, the car has hella power now and needs better brakes to stop this beast. i did a half assed serch and have come up very short on who makes a big brake kit for the frount let alone the rear for a fc. do any of you fellow fc nuts know who may make them and if not would any of you like to have a set.
if i cannot come up with a big brake set up store bought i will be force to build my own. what i am thinking is a 13.5x 1.25 frount rotor aluminum hat with a 6 piston caliper either wilwood or ap and a 12.5x.750 rear rotor aluminum hat with a 4 piston caliper , the only thing is trying to find a 4 pot caliper with a e-brake incorperated or posibly switch to drum rear e-brake. i have a spare rear assembly that i if needed will do some r&d with and make what i would need. and as for the frount, well thats fairly cut and dry.
would anyone else be interested in something like this?
if i cannot come up with a big brake set up store bought i will be force to build my own. what i am thinking is a 13.5x 1.25 frount rotor aluminum hat with a 6 piston caliper either wilwood or ap and a 12.5x.750 rear rotor aluminum hat with a 4 piston caliper , the only thing is trying to find a 4 pot caliper with a e-brake incorperated or posibly switch to drum rear e-brake. i have a spare rear assembly that i if needed will do some r&d with and make what i would need. and as for the frount, well thats fairly cut and dry.
would anyone else be interested in something like this?
12-11-2005, 10:27 AM
#4
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Originally Posted by 86fc3sMatt' post='785413' date='Dec 11 2005, 12:32 AM
just find some cross drilled/slotted rotors. i got mine (all 4) cross drilled and slotted rotors and converted to 4 piston calipers off of a gxl and the car stops awesome. i got the rotors off ebay for like $130
i already have powerstop rotors and goos pads, still get brake fade
12-11-2005, 04:44 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by donhayes' post='785475' date='Dec 11 2005, 04:51 PM
bigger brakes won't stop you any better. It'll just keep the temp down on the rotars.
exactly.
big brake kits do nothing to stop your car better UNLESS**** your current braking system can not keep temps down enough to prevent fade. All big brake kits do is keep the temps down due to a larger rotor size and cooling area.
Brakes do not stop cars, tires stop cars. Im sure the stock brakes can still lock up all 4 wheels correct? So unless your having fading issues from overheated rotors, big brake kit will be a waste of money, especially for street use.
12-11-2005, 05:03 PM
#9
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Location: Ireland
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Trying to lock up the wheels will tell you nothing about brakes. The idea is not to lock them up - and when you do that, the difference between good and bad brakes is when (not if) they start to fade. Which is why people upgrade brakes.
And I don't know if the only advantage of bigger brakes is cooling, if the caliper is further from the discs centre you're getting better leverage on the disc. You also usually have a bigger pad and more pistons which are less likely to lock up unintentionally. The bad thing about big brakes is the increase in unsprung mass.
Mark
And I don't know if the only advantage of bigger brakes is cooling, if the caliper is further from the discs centre you're getting better leverage on the disc. You also usually have a bigger pad and more pistons which are less likely to lock up unintentionally. The bad thing about big brakes is the increase in unsprung mass.
Mark
12-11-2005, 05:10 PM
#10
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Originally Posted by inanimate_object' post='785509' date='Dec 11 2005, 06:03 PM
Trying to lock up the wheels will tell you nothing about brakes. The idea is not to lock them up - and when you do that, the difference between good and bad brakes is when (not if) they start to fade. Which is why people upgrade brakes.
And I don't know if the only advantage of bigger brakes is cooling, if the caliper is further from the discs centre you're getting better leverage on the disc. You also usually have a bigger pad and more pistons which are less likely to lock up unintentionally. The bad thing about big brakes is the increase in unsprung mass.
Mark
No, no "leverage" matters when it comes to brakes. The only thing more pistons and a larger rotor does is allow for more cooling which in turn allows for reduced chances of brake fading.
I didn't say you WANT to lock up the brakes on your car, I ment if you COULD then you don't need a big brake kit on your car, especially for street use.
I was trying to bring this point across basically, once your brakes are locked and your experiencing no fading issues, whats REALLY stoping the car? TIRES, tires are what stop a car, no matter what, tires stop a car.
In fact, big brake kits have been proven to actually stop slower then stock brakes in a 60 ft test if the master cylinder hasn't been upgraded.
http://scirocco.dyndns.org/faq/brakes/pulp...on/pfpage1.html if you want to learn about braking systems, you must read this
as stated by grassroots...
In Summary
You can take this one to the bank. Regardless of your huge rotor diameter, brake pedal ratio, magic brake pad material, or number of pistons in your calipers, your maximum deceleration is limited every time by the tire to road interface. That is the point of this whole article. Your brakes do not stop your car. Your tires stop the car.