Originally Posted by al503

In fact, going to a larger BBK might actually hurt your stopping distances as the new, larger rotors are usually heavier (especially going from the non-brembo brakes to a large 14" kit) thus increasing rotational mass.

Originally Posted by Stoptech

You have to look at what you use your car for to figure out the right upgrades. When a lot of people start to think about brakes they want more "stopping power."

Now "stopping power" isn't really a technical term. What kind of units would you use with such a term? Braking distances are determined by suspension, tires and brakes. Once you start to separate those things you can start to see where things start to matter. Tires have their friction mu's. Brake systems as a whole have brake torque which is measured in ft-lbs. Just like the torque on motor.

Well, you could create a brake system with so much brake torque that you lock up the wheels with barely any effort. But, that would give you something like an on off switch for your brakes. Once you lock up the wheels, your brakes can't do anymore. It's up to the tires. Imagine that on off switch for your throttle? It wouldn't work out too well would it? So you have to have the right amount of brake torque for a good system that would enable you to modulate the brakes. Not only that but brakes are more about balance like suspension rather than "power" like the motor.

There are 4 contact patches that stop the car. The shortest stopping distance comes with all 4 wheels are in sync. The ones that aren't in sync are just going along for the ride and not doing their share of stopping the car. Stock brake systems come with near perfect balance. That's why increased rotor diameter kits using stock caliper don't always work out for the best.

Now you can enter the variable of repeated stops or braking events. Larger rotors with more mass allow for more heat capacity. But, clamping down on a larger rotor means more leaverage and more brake torque which can throw off the balance. Brake torque at the calipers must be adjusted to maintain balance. This can be done through pads, or different sized pistons in the caliper. Pads have a direct relationship with the amount of brake torque at the wheel. The equation for brake torque can be found here. http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/fo...g_dynamics.pdf

So if you want to upgrade your brakes to get more brake torque with less pedal effort, upgrade the pads to something with more mu.

In terms of driver feedback, the stiffer pedal is prefered among driving enthusiasts. You can upgrade the lines and get a better pedal, but the stock single piston calipers had a weakness and it is the amount of flex that they have. Once you start to feel resistance in the pedal and keep pushing, there is something in the brake system that is flexing. A lot of it is in the stock caliper. Big brake kits often provide stiffer calipers which give better pedal feel. You want to find the stiffest caliper possible. Weaker calipers succumb to pad taper or uneven pad wear. The best brake systems out there have little pedal travel. The pedal move a little bit, which is the pads moving up against the rotor. The rest of the effort that goes into the pedal is just pressure which goes directly to the pad.

Originally Posted by Dan_K

Damn Monkey, you are throwing money left and right into your car!!

I was wondering how these brakes compare to the stock brembo's on feel and fade. I went to auto-x this weekend and drove the car hard and felt no real fade in the stock brakes. And I was stomping on the brakes from 60mph sometimes.

Originally Posted by Dan_K

Damn Monkey, you are throwing money left and right into your car!!

I was wondering how these brakes compare to the stock brembo's on feel and fade. I went to auto-x this weekend and drove the car hard and felt no real fade in the stock brakes. And I was stomping on the brakes from 60mph sometimes.

Originally Posted by jdj27x