How Do You All Feel About

Stop Tech Merchandise .??

ROTORS LINES AND SUCH ..

 

It's good stuff, can be expensive depending on where you get it from.

 

TCE may have my business soon!

 

Actually they do perform better especially when your on the track and they get hot. The rubber has a tendency to expand more with heat. When you step on the brakes hard and fast, guess what happens before the brakes react? The hoses on expand like a balloon for a sec then the brakes react. SS lines prevent this and cause a quicker reaction of the brakes.

 

^+1

 

If tracking is not a norm for you ... Big Brake Kit (BBK) upgrades are simply not cost effective.

95% of the brake performance most of you are looking for, stopping on command, is right down to the brake pad compound. A bigger and better kit has a marginal effect on it otherwise.

So save yourself some bucks and go w. new rotors and choose your pad compound wisely.

A good substitute for the Hawk HPS compound is the Axxis Deluxe Advanced/Plus for roughly half the price. The two compounds performs virtually identical.

Mintex Redbox has a very OEM feel - a plus! But it lacks the heat handling capacity (3-4 extremely aggressive stops will see it fade). It also dusts as bad if not worse than the OEM 03/04 compounds. Not recommended by me personally.

 

Trying to justify a BBK purchase for the sake of being "cost effective" can be rather hard to do. Not everyones budget is the same and what's cost effective to one person may not be another.

I think the better term may be "necessary".

Granted a far better set of pads for a particular application can be a huge improvement. Changing to new rotors however (unless really worn) has near zero value as a rotor won't change brake performance if it's the same size.

I think what's often overlooked with regard to any BBK is EFFICIENCY and DUTY CYCLE. Despite ones needs not requiring a BBK, function is improved and duty cycle lowered by way of working more efficient parts to achieve the same goal. Thus wear and tear can be less, feel improved, as well as appearance. (there's nothing wrong with a BBK purchase simply for appearance any more than body parts or other bolt ons)

 

Todd. Well said in terms of being honest about what you want/expect.

I'd like to upgrade my tiny 03 brakes also. I've moved over to some diff aftermarket pads that dust WAY less. They are less grabby but still perform well.

The thing I don't like is most upgrades include larger rotors. Unless you go with 2pc units, that means more weight. So you lose a tad of acceleration but at the cost of much better braking. A good trade. If you opt for the pricey 2pc rotors, getting the outer rotor replaced is going to pricey also (I think)

 

I am in general agreement with you, but I'd also like to clarify further ...

A big disclaimer was placed at "If tracking is not".

As such I personally do not believe upgrading any parts of the OEM brake is "necessary" other than the pads. Rotor replacement as necessary from wear of course, not meant as an upgrade.

On the street ... the utilization is well below the operating threshold, the improved BBK efficiency would go largely unrealized. Duty cycle in this context is mainly a function of the pad (compound) abrasiveness. If OEM pads were available for a particular BBK, it would wear itself out (along w. the rotor) nearly just as fast. Often lover looked is the "upgraded" pads that accompany a given BBK. That's where the gravy's at. The same magic pads can be bought off the shelf by anyone who are BBK-less.

I do believe it fair game that people get BBK merely for the bling, so long as they realize it is just that.

 

Only if you haven't upgraded anything to make your car go faster (beyond intake/exhaust bolt-ons). You need to balance your car's abilities, and brake upgrades ideally should happen before you start thinking about boosting or anything like that. It doesn't matter if you track your car or not; you're going to drive faster on the street whether you admit to it or not, and you need to be able to stop faster too.

 

All of what you ask for above can easily be achieved with a simple change of brake pad compound. Nothing more. It really is that simple.

Conversely run the OEM pads (if possible) with BBK and you'll find that it's not hard to fade them pretty miserably. Meanwhile, the right "sports" pads on OEM brakes will handle the abuse of initial-D at the canyon all day long.

Make no mistake about aggressive street driving against all-out tracking. The duty cycle and frequency placed on the brakes in one 20-minute track session may never be reached from a full day, weeks, even months of the most aggressive street driving. If anyone were so twisted in achieving otherwise, then surely he/she would have a lot more to worry about than brake performance; like their head.