What's the "pecking" order as far as A/M BBK brakes?
 

Without getting obscene and into the "esoteric" stuff like Endless, Mu, etc, what's the "pecking" order of the readily available aftermarket BBK brake kits such as:

Wilwood
Stoptech
Rotora
Brembo
Anything I miss?

Any "real" advantages to one kit over another? (With the exception of the Brembo GT stuff, they're all in the same relative ballpark price range). I know the Wilwood stuff is probably the lightest among the kits, but any other advantages would be enlightening.

Thanks

The biggest differences between them would be the look and the rotors available.

IMO, the biggest deciding factor should be "does it fit?" If you're using the OEM 19's, then clearance should be easy. Beyond that, the OEM BBK is just as competitive in terms of performance as any other BBK of similar spec as long as you have the appropriate pads and rotors for your application. Remember that a BBK is for increased heat capacity and dissipation; even most basic factory setup is more than enough to lock up the tires. Braking distance is not improved with a BBK.

If you want bling, Rotoras with an obscene amount of pistons seems to be popular, as well as the big names (AP Racing, Brembo).

FWIW, I've seen a lot of Euro cars with JDM BBKs (Endless/PMU on BMW/porsche) and I've seen plenty of JDM cars with Euro brakes.

The biggest advantage is that Wilwood kits tend to be pretty inexpensive relative to the competition, but they're not the prettiest.

I felt and enjoyed the improvement on my Stoptechs. No comparison to OEM BBK.

Don't forget the weight savings....approx. 80 lbs. of 'unsprung' weight with the Wildwood. Probably a little less with the others, but still a savings.

Which kit did you purchase? (ST-40? ST-60? ST-22 on the rear?)


Thanks for the responses, keep them coming.

Did you get stainless steel lines as well? Also, which pads did you get? These two items directly influence pedal feel and modulation.

Simply changing the pads and/or lines on the OEM kit can make the brakes feel completely different. If you have the factory BBK, you may want to give these a try, as they're relatively inexpensive compared to purchasing a BBK. The SS lines should carry over to aftermarket BBKs anyways, so that could be a good starting point.

Do you have a specific goal in mind with the BBK? Increased bite? less/more responsive pedal? Firmer pedal? Higher heat capacity?

I use the car for work everyday and occassionally get up to triple digit speeds. I also have times when I need to stop very quickly.

That being said, my goals are:
1. Shorter stopping distances if possible.
2. Less mass
3. Ease of changing pads
4. Pedal feel (ss lines will solve that for sure, my old car had them and they make a world of differnce)

#2-4 are in no particular order, but #1 is of great importance.

we have the same goals lol #1 and #2 are very important to me and as soon as I knew how much the Akebono's weighed I was like :icon09:

1. Sticker tires are your answer... but they generally ride harsher and louder, cost more, and wear faster.
2. 2 piece rotors for the OEM BBK! The caliper weight is not a rotating mass.
3. Any monobloc BBK is usually pretty easy. If you're local to me, I'd be more than happy to show you how to change pads on your OEM brakes.
4. Good fluid, SS lines if you like em (otherwise replace the regular lines every few years, sooner if you prefer), and pads that have the feel you like.

I'll be going the SS lines/premium pads/synthetic DOT 4 fluid route soon. For aesthetics I will probably paint or powdercoat the calipers and rotor hats. It will probably give me all the improvements I would want and save me thousands over an aftermarket front and rear BBK.

Thx Mike.

1. I'm currently on FK452's
2. IIRC nothing's available yet for the oem Ake's
3. Unless you're out in the middle of the ocean, I doubt it :)
4. I'm planning on ss lines no matter what, even if I end up with the 37s. Fluid recommendations?

1. If you don't drive in rain a lot, consider a stickier tire. The FK452 is similar in grip to a T1R, both of which are not as good as OEM RE050A.
2. Contact Amplified Motorsport or Riverside Infiniti. Both are forum sponsors, and have aftermarket rotors available now (finally).
3. Doh... :doh:
4. Any DOT3 or DOT4 fluid will work fine. If you plan on doing some heavy duty braking, get the DOT4. Make sure you change fluid at least once a year. Motul RBF600 is considered the best DOT4 on the market (specs far exceed DOT4 standards), but is rather pricey like other Motul stuff. When I track a lot, I use ATE SuperBlue/Gold. Both ATE fluids are the same spec, but different color so that it's easy to tell when I'm done bleeding.


If I were to get an aftermarket BBK and budget was not an issue, I'd probably get Brembo or AP Racing....

1. Hmm. I consider the Falken an overall better tire. The compound may not be as soft, but to me the overall handling is better than the oem's.
2. I know they have 1pc, but which company is making 2pc A/M rotors now?
3. :)
4. Thanks for that info.

2pc is only a matter of time given how many cars will be on the BBK now....

You should give Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 a try ;)

depends on what you're looking for out of the kit. rotora has the sick 12 piston for show, stoptech makes great track setups, etc.