Hey all.


I'm looking at purchasing Z1 MotorspMotor"Forged Street Big Brake Upgrade" kit and from what I understand these calipers are just forged aluminum instead of however Akebono makes the factory calipers and I believe are slightly bigger than OEM, front being 14" and the rear 13.8". I'd just like to know if anyone has purchased these and how they hold up compared to OEM.

My hopes are that these calipers may provide better braking force on a track compared to the OEM brakes and may be lighter so i can shave off even just a tiny bit of weight. If anyone has other suggestions for brake upgrades I should look into I'd greatly appreciate it.


Thanks in advance, have a good one yall.

 

Size wise, the Z1 forged are the same as the Akebono calipers. I'm trying to find weights but there isn't much available information about the Z1 forge calipers. I suppose it could be slightly lighter since the OE Akebono are cast.

 

Yeah that was my though exactly. I cant remember if its fron the video they have or if its written in the description but i swear i remember seeing that they wont shift under hard breaking unlike the OEM Akebono brakes. Other than that I'm really not sure if there are any benefits.

I would hope this thread can gain a little more traction so there could be more info on them.

 

I haven't found any source that claims the OEM Akebonos are cast.
Or forged or made of bubblegum, just that they are "OEM"
So are the Z1 calipers an improvement, or simply comparable?
I emailed Z1 about it, but have not gotten a response yet.

If you are looking to shave unsprung weight, two piece rotors and/or lightweight rims would be the way to go.
Don't forget the weight of the tire can vary by brand, style and size

 

This. I feel that most people overlook that aspect of a tire purchase.

 

I only assumed it was casted since it’s mass produced and saw this off their website when I was searching

ours aren’t monoblock but if their monoblock are casted, might be a good chance ours are also. But I could be wrong. I'm sorta reaching for this.

 

So from what I see Z1 is quoted saying "These are an easy bolt-on solution that provides a substantial increase in braking potential over factory base model brakes". Also stating "These calipers feature fully forged aluminum bodies, making them more durable and rigid than their cast aluminum counterparts"

That is the only information regarding any kind of a difference between them and OEM calipers (if there really is a difference).
Aside from the calipers I do plan on buying 2 piece rotors from them aswell to shave off a little extra weight and I'm currently working with someone to have custom forged monoblock wheels made up for my wide body kit I'll be installing. 19x9.5 if you are curious but the offset has yet to be determined, as for tires im still trying to think of what will work on a tracl best and what I can also use for daily driving.

 

DanaT, those two-piece rotors from Z1 look amazing, and truth is you will feel a change in handling, but only at low speed, quick turn-in situations. To get a real sense of what I'm talking about, find yourself a tight little traffic circle, and experiment before and after the installation. That said, the gains are so minimal that the real-world benefit is hard to justify the cost, which is substantial.

If you want to offset the cost, wait for Z1's Black Friday sale. These rotors are always on sale then, and you'll save yourself a few hundred dollars.

But man do they look cool. Can't deny that.

 

Oh yeah I'll definitely be waiting for them to go on sale first. I think they're 1,200 for a set which is crazy. luckily I do have a pretty tight traffic circle in my town and with my stock rotors it feels I guess what I would call "choggy" or chunky and hoggy because they feel heavy and slow.

I'm really trying to save as much weight as I can wherever I can without stripping my interior so I can keep dallying it and take it to the track from time to time. The Attesa system adds alot of weight which I didn't expect but man is it a wonderful awd system.

 

Z1 got back to me today, via email....
"The Z1 calipers are forged, I believe the OEMs are a cast aluminum."
Inconclusive
Sent an Email to Akebono too, but I doubt they will respond

Z1s add copy is vague,using the term "cast counterparts" and not sighting the sport/Akebono calipers specifically

As far as weight savings go, think balance.
Try to shave weight everywhere, but don't just toss out the spare without deleting equal weight up front.
Lightweight Battery. Moving the windshield fluid resivior to the pass footwell,
loosing the cats, lighter seats, sunroof delete.
Speaking of,
I wish there was a plug and play solution to ditch the heavy *** cd player/radio module.