lukemc01

Wouldn't larger brakes increase the unsprung weight? BTW - check out the Stoptech site - they have a pretty good article about going to a BBK. Grassroots Motorsports ( www. grassrootsmotorsports.com ) has a great technical section that will answer a lot of questions about brakes and more. IMO I feel that the OEM brakes are great - the "sliding" calipers are effective, inexpensive to build, and have a lower failure rate than multi-piston calipers ( www.howstuffworks.com ) They just aren't as pretty. Also, slotted and cross drilled rotors are more for looks than anything else (in street applications). The drilled rotors give you less surface area to clamp. They also can crack under extreme heat. Slotted rotors are theoretically designed to allow trapped gases to escape. However, your pads have slots in them for the same reason. Like others have said, tires will probably effect braking more than changing the brakes (Classic Motorsports has a great article about comparing different tires from touring to race that greatly effected stopping distance). One warning about switching to R-compound tires (or brake pads) if you're not on the track is that they take some time to warm up before they are effective. It's better to stay with street applications for the street.


But if you're looking for eye appeal, the Wilwoods look pretty nice... and seem relatively inexpensive.

Go to the racing and competition forum for their opinion...

AxeAngel

thanks for the excellent responses guys.

Do save some rotational weight, I am going to be going with the 4piston kit.
I figured, the cost of stainless steel lines, new pads and new rotor to be used with the stock setup is not a whole lot less than the cost of a 12" rotor kit.

can anyone with firsthand knowledge on the wilwood kit answer this question:
If i move from 12" to 13" rotors with the 4pot calipers, what if anything do i need? just caliper carriers?

once again excellent threads thanks for all the info.

mxt_77

Wow, I think you're the first person that I've heard state that you're unimpressed with the braking on this car. What are you comparing it to? I'm pretty sure that even most of the hard-core track guys are still running the stock brake setup (with upgraded pads, fluids & some ducting for cooling).
If you want improved braking, you might consider a wheel/tire upgrade. A nice lightweight wheel can shed 5lbs of unsprung, rotational weight per corner, and may allow you to run wider tires. You could also go with a tire with a stickier compound (not sure what tires you're running now).
Also, if you're lugging around extra weight (stereo equipment, for example), you might get rid of that, too.

AxeAngel

running Michelin Pilot Sports on forged rims. 17x9 in the rear 17x7.5 up front.
no added weight from audio equipment.

i know i am going to get flamed for saying this but...
compared to previous brake setups that i have had, the pedal feels mushy/spongy, and this is even after correctly changing fluid and bleeding.

seems like wilwood is a more cost effective solution than brembo's for the S.

as soon as someone answers the question about different rotor sizes and if carriers or any other parts are needed, I will be ordering a kit.

visser

I'm installing a 13", 4 piston, slotted Wilwood big brake kit (from Precision Brakes) this weekend. If you're willing to wait, I can let you know next week what my initial impressions are.

Aside from off-setting the added weight of my SC & AC and modestly improving braking performance (sounds like I shouldn't expect major gains based on the responses here), I'm after the unsprung weight benefits, although I don't think this kit is as light as some of the others out there because of the extra thickness and design of the rotors. But Precision assured me the thicker rotors are better for cooling, strength, and life span.

My recent upgrade to lighter, wider rims and wider tires (bfg g-force kd's) made only a minor difference in braking performance and instead made greater improvements with cornering, rear end traction under acceleration, and controlling oversteer.

CrazyPhuD

everyone here seems to be so in favor or reducing unsprung weight. I'm not so convinced that it will have a significantly greater performance improvement than removing weight that is 'sprung'. Remember unsprung is not always reducing rotational weight.

Here's a decent article to think about.....

http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/sprung-c.htm

mxt_77

I'm not flaming, but you never answered my question about what you are using as a basis for comparison. What are your "previous brake setups" that felt so much more firm? With their extra-firm pedals, did they improve stopping distances, or did they just feel better to you?

If your pedal feels mushy/spongy I would wager that the system was not properly bled. The only time my pedal has felt spongy was when I ran the OEM pads on a brake-abusing track in 100+ degree heat. You might upgrade to SS brake lines and see if the extra support gives you the firmness you desire... but I haven't heard many people say these really make a big difference.

Anyway... I'm not sure whether your goal is improved pedal feel or actual improved braking distance, because one may not necessarily equate to the other.

Stealth Operator

The CCX, NA-R and NA-S will squeak when cold. These are ideally designed for high temperature braking. The lower grades of those will be fine, but if you're going any lower. The OEM pads on the Spoon calipers work better. I found the OEM pads to work best in the cold and mountainous/spirited driving whilst Endless high temperature pads only for track work.

JSR_AP2

The only affects less unsprung weight would have is a bit better comfort and not working the dampers as hard for more consistency in damper performance over extended durations of hard use. It's not likely many will ever get to see the latter benefit. But, opposed-piston calipers do typically provide very good initial bite, which may be useful for street use (just don't outbrake the buy behind you). There's a company called Tarox that makes 12- or 16-pot (forgot which exactly, but one of those) calipers...I found that funny when I first saw that a few years ago. The overall piston area isn't any greater than a typical 4-pot and the pad size is likely the same as a typical 4-pot. I'm waiting for the 30-pot caliper to come out!

BerlinaBlackS2kguy

hmm, thanks for the link; very interesting. maybe i'll save some money and just paint my calipers! (that's good for a few extra HP, isn't it? )