Brakes - The best of

[RXHEAVEN]

Please post examples of great brake upgrades.

We already know that the FD3S came out with a great braking package on base model, further improved on higher models, however we also know that F40 brakes fit directly to FD3s and so on, so please post examples and pics of your best known work :D

PS: Here is a link to Black Talon's thread about the stock FD3S braking package/s http://fdowners.com/showthread.php?t=1254

[Kin]

luke.. might want to edit ur post

brakes fitment depends on wheel size and offset too

[Rix]

F50 Brembos also fit, along with Porsche 993 iirc. Sorry no pics...:(

[R-R-Rx7]

Great brakes?

APP from RHDjapan

RHDjapan hooked me up with the APP 6pot 355x32 brake setup. A special request from me, and custom made from APP and all through RHDjapan.

Apart from the great titanium looks this setup is also very aggresive. Great stopping abilities. If you need something that will stick you to the floor thats the setup you should be getting

[RHDJapan]

Yes, this is the first FD3S in the world with an APP Brake upgrade kit for the FD3S!! Costas has been a long time customer and he came to us looking to see what type of quality brake kits were available for his highly precious and one of the last manufacturered FD's, his baby Dirty Diana (j/k). Being a particular customer we discussed a couple different possibilities including the usual suspects, Project Mx, AP Racxxx, Brembx and Endlxx. After discussing the standard induscty top-rankers the newly released and most beautiful to look at APP kits also came up. With their visual appeal, performance base and unique factor the APP kit stared to become the favorite. Although we had a base price on the other kits from APP the FD3S was not in the lineup. After making a call to our sales rep and discussing with them that them the fact that the FD is still too great of a machine in order to not include in their lineup I hung up the phone with a positive message for Costas. APP had the blueprints for the FD3S and had intended to make it available at later date.

After making one last confirmation on price and that the 6-pot Rotor 355mm rotor layout was enough to safely stop his baby, Dirty Diana after a rough and semi-violent night the order was confirmed and APP came through in just a couple weeks. And that is the story of the first FD3S in the world with the APP Brake Kit!!

Not to take away from your pictures but here are some additional pictures of this one-of-a-kind kit:
http://www.rhdjapan.com/images/product/53761/Image/Normal/Image1.jpg
http://www.rhdjapan.com/images/product/53761/Image/Normal/Image2.jpg
http://www.rhdjapan.com/images/product/53761/Image/Normal/Image3.jpg
http://www.rhdjapan.com/images/product/53761/Image/Normal/Image7.jpg

[Rix]

Very impressive looking kit. What sort of price range are we looking at for the APP kit?

[ADJUST]

http://www.adam.com.au/ljbarnes/S6%20Modifications%20and%20Pics/slides/G2K71452.jpg

Around the 2800 mark.

[joe]

oh those APP brakes are hot, 2500 is not that much, they look like animal brakes..
are the PMU kits any good for the FD also was looking at the GREDDY kits..

[ADJUST]

2800 was for the CSC kit. I got that through Ric Shaw in sydney 0418649320.

The APP kit is closer to $6,000.

Can't see any reason why anyone would need any more than that CSC kit, other than for brand name. Ric used the CSC kit on his 24Hr Nurburg car.

[joe]

by the looks of it your csc calipers anr 4pot, are they enough or is it better to go 6pot??

[ADJUST]

Enough from what point of view Joe? They have enough clamping force to lock the wheels up easily, the pad is a porsche pad so is huge, the disc is a 353x32mm 2 piece rotor so is the same size as the APP kit.

Below is a pic of the pad sized compared to a standard FD pad so you can see there is plenty of area. As i said, if Ric used these on the car he took to Germany to compete in the 24Hr at Nurburgring, they will stand up to anything any of us will do.

Number of piston sizes doesn't determine how good brakes are, just look at those G4 (or what ever they have branded that cheap shit as now) 8 spot calipers!

http://www.adam.com.au/ljbarnes/S6%20Modifications%20and%20Pics/slides/Image008.jpg

[SpiritR]

Anyone got a Photo of the Brake Pad from the SP/RZ/SpiritR calipers

if they are the same size as the stock FD one then I need to upgrade

my hectic dodgy driving really relies on good brakes.

[Black Talon]

They are definately the same pad Nathan... They are the same pad right back to the beginning of the FC...

Rears go back even further...

[ADJUST]

Its the same pad all the way from S4 to SP/RZ on the front and the same from S3 to SP/RZ on the back.

edit- beat me ya bastard.

[Black Talon]

:p:p:p:p:p

The pad compounds have certainly changed over the years. But any aftermarket pad the the FC/FD will fit all models.

I swear I did a brake thread that detailed the stock setup...

EDIT... found it... used my UBERPOWAAH's to sticky it too... http://fdowners.com/showthread.php?t=1254

But please... let the discussion about aftermarket stuff continue...

[IBL17Z]

my turn... F50 Brembos...355mm two piece rotor...min is 18s now they look okay....they stop great however most of you guys know its overkill for me....cause i drive like a girl lol

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/rxIBL17Z/DSC00051.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/rxIBL17Z/DSC_0023.jpg

[[BTLSPC]]

I'm currently working on this kit.
Porsche 6Pot & 4Pot Callipers with Ceramic Pistons
Custom CNC Hats w/ AP Racing Rotors
355x32 & 328x28

[joe]

yea brad i know that the number of pistons means shit, its just more even pad wear..
i think you have sold me on the csc kit mate..

[rx-1973]

More pics of Rics kit on my car http://www.fdowners.com/showthread.php?p=31370#post31370

My opinion is Do It

AB

[t01-100]

I've used the CSC kit, now know as Bmax on my previous Nissan GTR tarmac rally car with impressive results. We have supplied these kits for many teams including Nissan GTR's finishing as high as second at Targa Tasmania.
Through my company Benson Motorsports who are official agents for CSC/Bmax we have a promo with High Performance Imports Magazine at the moment for the 343x32 4-piston kit for $2750 delivered within Australia.

[glenn]

I've used the CSC kit, now know as Bmax on my previous Nissan GTR tarmac rally car with impressive results. We have supplied these kits for many teams including Nissan GTR's finishing as high as second at Targa Tasmania.
Through my company Benson Motorsports who are official agents for CSC/Bmax we have a promo with High Performance Imports Magazine at the moment for the 343x32 4-piston kit for $2750 delivered within Australia.

Stu, I have seen you mention that the G4 kits work well. How do they compare to the CSC and other offerings?

[Aaron]

Anyone running the Stoptech kit?

[t01-100]

Stu, I have seen you mention that the G4 kits work well. How do they compare to the CSC and other offerings?

Interesting question Glenn… bottom line is that in testing they provide similar results.
The testing was between a G4 Racing 355x32 two piece rotor with 8 piston caliper and G4 Racing Road pads and CSC/Bmax 343x32 two piece rotor with 4 piston caliper and Pagid RS4-2 pads.
Both calipers used stainless lines and Motul 600 fluid and standard master cylinder and no ducted cooling.
The G4 provided consistently lower operating temps and than the CSC due to rotor size and pad friction. The G4 Road pad began to fade after 12 laps, the Pagid after 17.
With the same pad in the G4 caliper I'd expect 20 laps before fade.
Looking at the two side by side the CSC has large pistons, the G4 small, but of similar total diameter and a slightly larger pad.
I would expect the G4 to flex more than the CSC as it has a more open deck.
Both are good value and has Ric Shaw (Nurburgring 24hr - RX7) and Steve Glenney (Targa Tasmania - Nissan GTR) have shown the CSC are excellent items with endurance events. That said the G4 product has been used on Nissan GTR's placing well at Targa Tasmania in recent years also.

I’ve used both many times and to me it comes down to one thing - CSC/Bmax are Australian made, G4 Racing are Taiwanese and if you can get you head around that they are provide similar results for less money. My company sell both, as well as Brembo and AP Racing and I used everything from these, to carbon ceramics, to 8 piston Brembo and AP widebody endurance calipers designed for professional motorsport... what’s on my circuit racing RX7? Mazda RX7 SP/RZ calipers and two piece rotors, Motul 600 fluid and Pagid RS4-2 pads front and rear with ducted cooling. The maximum distance for my racing is 15 laps so I figure why add weight and waste even more money on super fancy brake porn… but never say never!

[ADJUST]

Great input mate.

[t01-100]

One more thing... if I were tarmac rallying my car I'd upgrade from the SP/RZ rotors. There is an issue found with rotors warping in tarmac rallys as the rotor has to suffer quickly running through so many heat cycles.
Try as much as you like eg. Trying to roll the car through time controls, not sitting on the brakes in control and even running fans Nascar-style through the ducting while waiting at a control will still cause even an slightly under-size rotor to warp... I did this in my tarmac rally GTR with brand new bedded two piece rotors under standard GTR Brembos, Pagid pads, really good ducting and thanks to late and left foot braking I've warped rotors within three 10k stages.
Some people say its crap and that the rotors just weren’t up to scratch, but it’s very real and DBA, AP, Brembo and Alcon have all experienced it with they’re products.
You could race the same car with the same brake package on the circuit and never experience the problem, but tarmac rally it and you'd best take a bunch of spare rotors if you keep your small brakes and push hard.
The only fix is bigger rotors, the minimum I'd personally run on an RX7 if I were planning on having a serious crack would be 343x32, but the bigger you go the softer pad you can run and therefore less pad and rotor wear so, an extra $500 spend on a larger kit could save you plenty in a year of racing eg. Pagid pads are around $500 an axle set.

[initial-d]

What about rear upgrades?
Ideally ones that retain a handbrake without costing the earth!
I've seen R-magic does a 335mm two piece disc with spacer for the stock rear calipers, which obviously helps brake cooling, but I'm running 8pot brembos up front so maybe something a bit bigger is needed on the back?:confused:

[ADJUST]

I'm using the CSC front kit with 343mm rotor and using the RZ/SP sized rears. I've maintained balance by just running a more aggressive pad on the rear.

[Rix]

What about rear upgrades?
Ideally ones that retain a handbrake without costing the earth!
I've seen R-magic does a 335mm two piece disc with spacer for the stock rear calipers, which obviously helps brake cooling, but I'm running 8pot brembos up front so maybe something a bit bigger is needed on the back?:confused:

Ben, how hard would it be to add a handbrake to Pauls rear kit off the Whifbitz car?

Rob Matthews is selling his RZ calipers, might be worth a try?