I own a XS sedan and I am planning on going to the dealership and just buying all 4 akebono calipers for 1500 CAD, since everything from that states will be close to 2500. Will the calipers clear the OEM 18 inch waffle wheels, or should i just upgrade to 19 inch wheels first


These are the wheels i have.

 

Those wheels are known here as Duckfeet and come on the G37S sedan which is equipped with Akebono brakes.

 

Your wheels will clear the Akebono calipers. It's really only the fronts that are ever a concern. Those are 18x7.5" factory Sedan Sport wheels, and in your case they're square at 7.5" wide front & back. The RWD Sport package had the same, but staggered 8.5" wide in the rear.

If you replace them with 19" wheels, you'll still be hard put to find ones that clear the brakes. And if you go with 20" wheels, odds are good they will all clear the brakes. That said, the offset on most any aftermarket 19" or 20" wheel will probably look goofy unless the car is lowered.

The one exception IMO are the factory 19" Sport Wheels from the Coupe. They clear the BBK, and look pretty darn good on the Sedan even without lowering the car. It's the reason why those are the go-to replacement wheels when sedan owners want an OEM look while still upgrading.

"Duckfeet" is just a name a buddy of mine coined a long, long time ago. It got mentioned here on the forum and kind of stuck with the community. Odds are if you call them "duckfeet" at the dealership, they will look at you funny, but everyone here knows exactly what that is, LOL.

 

dang that kind of killed the plans for my dream wheel Avant garde M510 wheels 19x8.5+35 squared

 

do you happen to know anyone on the forums that maybe run the wheels I want with the bbk?

 

I don't. All I can say from personal experience with the BBK and the Sedan are that my front Vossens are 19x8.5 +32, and the only reason they clear the big calipers is because I'm using a TPMS adapter which has a short valve stem. Still, that configuration only gave me 1mm of clearance from the body of the caliper to the wheel spokes, so I'm also using 3mm spacers.

Good luck.

 

So from what I am understanding correctly? The diameter of 19 will clear but the face of the wheel is the issue? So I could just go with a more aggressive spacer is need be?

 

Sure, the spacer could add clearance, but the wheel will probably poke and look wrong. And spacers themselves are a whole additional consideration, with a few different options.

blnewt was the resident expert on wheel fitment, and he's gone. I'm not really the guy to give total advice here. If I keep answering your questions, I'm going to say something inaccurate or stupid... if I haven't already.

Good luck with your research.

 

Lmao thanks for your time and help!

 

Looks like they’re fitting, by chance I found a fellow G37xs coupe with the exact same wheel specs he has 20mm spacer has there is still almost 1.5 cm of space so I should be good!

 

wait, 1500CAD, thats like 1200USD right? Just for calipers? lol you are about to get had. Thats double what a lot us pay for calipers. Shipping ain't that expensive. For around $900 you should be able to get calipers, rotors, pads and some SS lines. I know this because i JUST refreshed my entire brake system. New everything.

 

Where in the he’ll can you find em that cheap. The kit from z1 with the oem dust shield is almost $2000 usd so like 2500-2600 Canadian

 

Keep am eye on our classifieds forum, Akebonos show up an a fairly regular basis.

 

It's because OE equipment on a mass produced car, this means lots of people are going to be able to supply you with parts. Look around ebay, rockauto, Carid etc, you will find all this stuff for decent prices. My rule is if its more than 15-20% lower than what i see on rockauto/summit racing/jegs, because those are reputable and authorized dealers, i dont buy it thats too low to be a quality item lol. There is a guy on ebay that sells reman calipers powedercoated in any color you want stickers installed for 700 shipped. Rotors for this car are generally cheap, on Rockauto they range between $30-50, i know a local vender that gets me rotors for $25 a pop. Pads are just pads i have stoptech sport pads all round, so i spent a few pennies on those, however its all depending on the flavor pad you want pretty much anything for $40 and up from a decent company(Centric, benedix, Raybestos, akebono, brembo, EBC to name a few reputable companies) will be decent on the street. I'm using ISR braided lines they were i think 120 shipped. As far as dust shields those i have not sourced those because my car is a sport but they are not necessary, run them if you want to keep your suspension clean and free of brake dust however i cannot imagine them being more than 200 for all 4 corners, i would personally just get them used not new. They are only shields.

My refresh was:
Calipers: powerstop pre painted red calipers, Rockauto and Summit $430 after core return.
Rotors: local hookup, its Advanced Auto rotors basically: $100
Pads: stoptech sports, $150 carid
Lines: ISR $120
fluid: Pentosin DOT4 stuff from autozone $30, i had a stubborn air pocket i went through a lot of fluid.

all in all, i spent around $850 on refreshing the brakes.

 

That MO takes me back. Coming in with borderline bait, then responding with good info when asked for help.

Hello, Crusher. You're getting older.

Since this is sliding into a parts list... what's your opinion about the 2-piece rotors at Z1 Motorsports? I'm about 3 weeks away from ordering them on Black Friday, having already come to peace with the cost / benefit expectations, real or imagined. Rotors, pads, and lines... I'm thinking $1,300 in parts plus 3-4 hours shop time.