Does an after market BBK actually improve braking performance? Me and a friend were having a huge debate about this. He was arguing that most people get a BBK for purely aesthetic reasons and that there are no measurable performance gains. He also said that the only difference was an improvement in 'brake feel', but not actual performance. I was arguing that a combination of increased rotor surface, more pistons, bigger calipers, stainless steel lines, and pads would help with stopping and would translate into a measured performance increase. Could anyone please chime in?

 

most bbk's actually perform worse than stock in single stop situations. BBK's are for increased heat capacity for track use, not to improve stopping power. Anyone that tells you they can stop on a dime is full of bs

 

^ exactly what Lude said.... in daily driving you may or may not feel a difference.

The difference between stock and BBK can truly be felt on the track however, since most BBK's are meant for track purposes and once you warm them up and get them to the right operating temperatures they shlt all over stock brakes

 

QFT. I recently put on a BBK and the stopping power has not improved by much. I "feel" like it does and I'm more confident in stops but as far as pedal feel goes and to be completely honest, not much has changed. It was mainly an aesthetic mod for me. Otherwise, no one needs a BBK unless they are tracking mainly because of what Redlude97 has said.

 

well a bbk is also used for show

 

http://www.zeckhausen.com/Testing_Brakes.htm

 

mine actually did feel like it stops better than my oem brembos.

 

Going back and forth between my 03 with a BBK and her stock 05, hers definatly stops better around town. On the track , well, i murdered my stock brakes and thats why i have a BBK now.

 

Think about it this way. With fully stock brakes, it's not hard to lock up the tires. What that means is that the factor limiting your braking distance is TIRE TRACTION, not your brakes.

With a BBK, you get relatively good stopping power, but with the expense of additional rotating mass. The reason to get a BBK is if you're at risk of overheating the stock brakes, due to prolonged/repeated high intensity use, as they are designed to better dissipate the heat.

As a side note, stainless brake lines will improve brake feel and firmness, while fighting some expansion of brake fluid due to heat. However, on the stock G35 brakes, this isn't really too big of an issue.

 

Most people "feel" like they have better stopping power because a BBK has greater braking torque, so pedal travels becomes shorter. This is actually a bad thing because it becomes harder to modulate the brakes. But some people seem to equate this with better performance, when they aren't actually locking up their brakes. Unless ABS is activated when braking, then BBK "performance" doesn't mean squat, brake performance and comparisons should only be done when the brakes are locked up

 

Actually from what I read/experience, BBKs usually offer better braking "feel" or modulation. Multi-piston setups if sized correctly usually offer better feel/modulation. Being able to press the brake pedal with less effort to achieve a desired force is nicer than having to jump on a lesser sized/single piston setup to achieve the same.

The only time a BBK hurts you is when people install improperly sized front BBKs that move too much brake bias up front.

 

I've seen/read about many instances where a bbk has too much brake torque and the brakes become very touchy. Then it becomes very hard to apply varying levels of braking below full lock. Many of these same people associate this feeling with being able to "stop on a dime."

 

OK.. This is one of those things I like to get my teeth into. BBK's are much better in track situations, (circuit, not drag). For road use, they really don't improve the stopping distance over a 'good' stock setup. When I say good stock setup, I mean decent pads, good fluid, and good rotors. The biggest factor in braking is by far the tyres. These are the things that obviously provide the friction between the road, and the vehicle. Theoretically, if you can lock up your brakes, or get the ABS working on your stock setup, then ON THE SAME TYRE, a BBK won't make a blind bit of difference, as you can already exert enough stopping power to break the traction between the tyre and the road.

If you want to improve you setup you can get a BBK, but it will be an aethetic change, and a lot more expensive than new fluid, pads, rotors, and a braided line, for the same stopping. This is all in road situations. Circuit racing is a different matter, and cooling WILL become a factor. If you require that cooling in a road scenario, STOP DRIVING LIKE A ****! They do look nice though! Some people point to Porsche, ferrari, etc, and say "hey, how come they have huge brakes if they don't do anything".. Well, folks pay a huge premium for the best, and that's what they get, as well as having to be able to cope with track situations as well. When people do get them fitted, they often say "Oooh, it feels much stronger", but that really is psychological. All is happening is that you don't have to exert as much pressure on the brake pedal to get the same result. Think of it as a longer lever.

If you want them, get them. They do have an advantage, but for 99% of folks, it is an aesthetic alteration.

 

so i'm pretty sure you were wrong.

it's pretty much this... BBK's don't fade whil under the pressures of constant breaking.... on my Base Model 350z i had the regular breaks and halfway up to canyon run it would hardly stop at all.... now on my track 350z, and on my sport pkg Coupe... you can definately feel the lack of brake fade during those same said runs. most people who have BBKs either: Track a lot or do canyon runs a grip... or like their car looking like pure SEX with those big calipers. Don't get anyone wrong... with an upgraded breaking system you will definately think you're braking faster but i'm not sure that you actually do.

 

If the fronts are locking up too soon then I'd say that's a brake bias issue.

I ran a front bbk on my maxima before I put on my rear bbk. Fronts would lock pretty fast. When I put the rear set on, the car braked flat (no dive) and the front lock (touchiness) was gone. Car just hauled down flat and quick. And the feel was much improved. I could modulate alot better at or near the limit.

With the single piston/small rotor setup, yeah I could haul the car down but I had to STAND on the pedal to get the brakes to achieve the same force (relative). So essentially modulation was almost nil.

IMHO, more pistons acting on the pad over a greater area yields better braking feel. (assuming the setup is sized right)