https://www.myg37.com/forums/brakes-...the-cheap.html

​​​​​Since you dont have the luxury of time...
get the powerstop kit and SS lines from RockAuto, the Banjos from Z1. You can custom order high temp vinyl decals to get the Infiniti logo, or drop the $$$ for re-powder coating with the logo.
If you want the tuner look, I have a set of high-temp Akebobo decals I ordered but never used, I'll sell at cost.

 

Thank you for pointing out the PowerStop kit... jeez, just in time before I blew $800 I didn't need to spend... Bought the vinyl stickers off some random website that does them, bought the PowerStop kit off Amazon, along with 2Qts of Motul RBF 600, front and rear stainless steel brake lines. Also got 2 Qts of Nissan E-PSF so I can do a power steering flush while I'm at it (car is at 70,000 miles, probably doesn't need it but we'll see, it was $30 for the fluid anyway).

For anyone else reading this, it seems that the consensus is that PowerStop kits are just refurbished/re-manufactured Akebono calipers (i.e. repainted the housing, replace rubber parts like o-rings, and sometimes pistons if need be)--the only difference is that since they are resurfaced or repainted, they no longer have the Infiniti sticker, which leaves room for you to choose a sticker to throw on there (I've seen Nismo and Akebono stickers but I just wen't went the Infiniti, its quite nice). Stickers cost me $15 for a set of 6 (idk why it came in 6) with tax and shipping.

Sad that I didn't get the chance to try out the Wilwoods, but there were too many variables and I really would prefer to not have to replace my transmission before I hit 100K miles, my calipers are dragging and I cringe every time I have to use the car to get somewhere... Just needed a solution as quick as possible, and I don't think the Akebono's/PowerStop's will disappoint. I'll update the thread with the install and maybe throw some pictures in there. Pretty sure my wheels clear the set (other similar sets from Enkei and other manufacturers clear at this size, and TireRack listed the wheel I purchased as compatible with the Sport model, so should be fine).

 

Holy ****, what a mess. Alright, if anyone is interested in hearing what has been the last two weeks for me: I ordered the full kit from Amazon, I waited 2 weeks for it to get here (I get it, heavy and corona), but turns out, since this box is so heavy, they actually parted out the set into two boxes, but when Amazon shipped it out, it seems that they made one combined label for both boxes and shipped them with the same tracking number. The weight of the package on this one label is listed at 148lbs, but thats the weight of the entire set, so it seems like they just weighed them and labeled them together. I received only the front brake parts last night, and I am now missing the rear brake parts but Amazon and UPS are listing the tracking number as delivered (because technically, it is). After hours on the phone and a few hours of going around UPS customer service locations, I came to the final point which is that I will not be receiving the second box and it is probably lost right now. After a few Amazon calls, I settled on keeping the front brake parts I have with me right now and just getting a partial refund to cover a purchase of the Z23 Evolution rear brake kit. That has an estimated arrival date of August 20th, this was the option that resulted in me waiting the least time (estimates for other options were into September). I contacted PowerStop because the real problem is that their calipers are out of stock across the board and they need to manufacture more, they say that rear calipers for my car will be shipped to them by the 27th of July, so I am praying that I receive the brakes at least a week or two sooner than August 20th. Wow, what a way to try to save time... At this rate I would have been better off just ordering all kinds of BBKs and just test installing them until one finally fit. But I am where I am now.

If anyone has any suggestions for other options here, I still have the option of canceling all of this and rethinking my strategy here. Until the rear parts actually ship, I am free to cancel everything, return the front parts I have and receive a full refund. It would be more headache, but so is having a limited vehicle for another month.

 

Rock Auto

🖕 Amazon

 

Man, I ****ing wish. I would go for RockAuto and just pay the $900 upfront if I could, unfortunately when I said that the calipers are out of stock across the board, I meant across the board; RockAuto, Jegs (doesn't say in/out of stock, but they say "ships directly from manufacturer", and after contacting Power Stop they said they just don't have any calipers manufactured right now), AutoAnything, CARiD, AutoZone, literally every retailer is saying that the ship dates and delivery dates for these calipers or kits is into August or September. I understand why, with everything that is going on, but it's just so sad. I just want to enjoy my car .

In any case, I'm going to keep looking around for people that fit other BBKs in 18x8 wheels with a +45 offset, because maybe other manufacturers aren't having this level of shortage and I can just full refund these and jump on another set. I wanted to get my foot in the door by just biting the bullet and placing this order, and in all likeliness, I do see myself waiting until late July/early August before installing this exact set, but we'll see...

Also, super unrelated but I noticed something upon starting my car before taking it back to my apartment from my parents house; it was a cold start and I revved it a little (just at 2K for like 5 seconds after the initial 15-30 second diesel-sounding warmup) and when I put it in reverse, I noticed a little bit of wispy-like vapor coming out the exhaust. After about a minute of driving just down the street, I got back out and there was nothing. From my Googling, seems like this is normal condensation in the catalytic converter, and I don't need to worry about it, I've just never noticed this before. Should I be worried or would you say completely normal?

EDIT: And just to clarify for anyone that may be thinking I am misplacing the blame here: the item I ordered was shipped and "fulfilled" by Amazon. As in, it was not PowerStop that tried to pull a fast one here, it was Amazon's Fulfillment Center. Never had anything but good experiences ordering from Amazon, but I guess I have never ordered an item that weighed 150lbs off Amazon before, either.