Big Brakes

[maxnix]

I notice that a few members have larger diameter rotors (front only?) like ZX TT, Skyline, and Brembos. But no one has said anything about these except Dennis.

So members with big binders, what do you have (rotors and pads, front only or rear also)?

Do the rotors or the pads wear any better than stock before warping? Any trouble mounting different calipers? Do you turn your rotors or replace them? What are the costs to convert and maintain? Do they perform in daily driving, or excel more in high-speed, high load driving? What did you with the pad wear indicator wires?

[911/Q45]

I bought the Skyline kit from Stillen. It included larger and thicker rotors front and rear. The rears are also internally ventilated like the fronts, not solid like factory. All are cross drilled. The calipers are similar to the 300ZX TT, but slightly larger to accomodate the larger than 300ZX rotors. 4 piston front and 2 piston rear fixed, as opposed to 1 piston rear and 2 piston front sliding factory. Installation was pretty much bolt on, the splash shields interferred and had to be chiseled off, tedious but not neurosurgery. I cut and spliced the sensor wires so the light would stay off. The Stillen pads include a noisemaker that lets you know when they're getting skinny. The pads are right on the limit of hardness for a street pad, I had to get the 300ZX shim kit and coat everything with gooey brake quiet to get rid of the squeal. Not too much dust. You can use any 300ZX TT pads, softer would squeal less and make more dust. I added the stainless brake lines at the same time, can't swear to their effectiveness, but they were easy to add at that point and relatively cheap. The kit didn't include the pins for the rear calipers, the shims for the pads or the clips that hold the pins in place in the calipers. I believe the kit was about $2100, subject to negotiation depending on how much stuff you are getting at once. I notice a firmer pedal, a more authoritative braking action and better pad wear. There may be some ride degradation due to increased unsprung weight, but I made so many suspension and wheel/tire changes at once that I can't say for sure what to blame. System works great with the ABS and clears 17" wheels with ease. My 16" spare clears the rears but not the fronts, so if I ever get a flat on the front, I'll have to swap back to front and put the spare on the rear.

[Sopdadope]

I used to talk to this guy from the maxima forums that owned a "tuned" Q. He used 13" Powerstop x-drilled front rotors from a Mustang Cobra R and MM pads. The only mods he did himself was machine a bracket to move Skyline GTR front calipers outboard and he drilled the rotors to make them fit the Q lug-pattern.

[Rmay]

I run the Brembo/Stillen's on the fronts of my Q. Had the Stillen rotors, and have now replaced them with Porterfield rotors. I have always used Porterfield pads. Also put in stainless lines. Got the brakes used, so I got a great deal. ($1200). Installation was straightforward, but as with the Skyline installation mentioned above, needed some cutting of the shields. Never had any squealing with the Stillen drilled and slotted rotors, but they had miles on them when I got them. The Porterfields have done nothing but squeal. Got them to where it was almost gone with shims, goop, beveling, etc. Just got new pads, and of course the squeal is back - loud enough that little old ladies look at me when I stop in town.

Now, for all this how about performance. Excellent. The set-up works great. One mod I've always been glad I made, (except for the noise, of course!)

[Mayhem_J30]

I run the Brembo/Stillen's on the fronts of my Q. Had the Stillen rotors, and have now replaced them with Porterfield rotors. I have always used Porterfield pads. Also put in stainless lines. Got the brakes used, so I got a great deal. ($1200). Installation was straightforward, but as with the Skyline installation mentioned above, needed some cutting of the shields. Never had any squealing with the Stillen drilled and slotted rotors, but they had miles on them when I got them. The Porterfields have done nothing but squeal. Got them to where it was almost gone with shims, goop, beveling, etc. Just got new pads, and of course the squeal is back - loud enough that little old ladies look at me when I stop in town.

Now, for all this how about performance. Excellent. The set-up works great. One mod I've always been glad I made, (except for the noise, of course!)

Rmay, which porterfield pads are you using...street? hows that brake dust compared to OEM?

[Rmay]

I run the street pads. (In Porterfield lingo, they are Ferrari F-40 street pads -catalogue number AP F40 R-45.)

As for dust, it has been a long time since I ran stock pads. I was using Axxis MetalMasters on the stock units, (with replacement drilled rotors and stainless lines), before switching to the Brembos. They worked well, and I don't think there was much dust difference between them and the Porterfields.

[Q45tech]

Brake dust is good it means that the pads are wearing faster than the rotors. That's why you have 7-8 mm of pad thickness to wear vs 1 mm of rotor metal.Ideally as the Q brakes were designed to wear 2 sets of pads per each rotor change [roughly 20,000 miles per pad set in city driving]."The brakes don't stop the vehicle - the tires do. The brakes slow the rotation of the wheels and tires. This means that braking distance measured on a single stop from a highway legal speed or higher is almost totally dependent upon the stopping ability of the tires in use - "

http://www.stoptech.com/whitep...1.htmh ... ep...h.htm

The front Metal Masters are around $35 wholesale $75 retail.

Porterfield types available for Q $189 front $100 rearR-4 Carbon KevlarTen years old and still an outstanding race pad, the original R-4 Carbon Kevlar has proven to be versatile and a superior performing product. R-4 E: Endurance Racing Pads with Longer Life This endurance pad, with special formulation for long races, runs cool and wears longer than our regular R-4. Great for extended time events.

Actually all brake pads cost around $8-12 per set to make as the pad formulation [dead chicken parts, saw dust, magic powders, copper, metal scraps, carbon fibers, dirt is all part of the secret magic ingredients just like MackyDees special sauce.

Every company knows how to make great pads, its just that the specifications [temperature range vary by car].

Concern for dusting is the greatest impediment against performance known to man.Just to show you the type of test:http://www.this-is-me-at.myweb.nl/aprac ... boAB8.html

http://www.raybestos.com/OnLin...1.htm

[EWT]

Porterfield types available for Q $189 front $100 rearR-4 Carbon KevlarTen years old and still an outstanding race pad, the original R-4 Carbon Kevlar has proven to be versatile and a superior performing product. R-4 E: Endurance Racing Pads with Longer Life This endurance pad, with special formulation for long races, runs cool and wears longer than our regular R-4. Great for extended time events.

R4 and R4Es aren't very good street pads. I use them on my Supra for racetrack use, but take them off for street use. They dust a LOT, are noisy, and don't work particularily well when cold. They are also very expensive for street pads. The R4S compound would be the one to use on the street if they make it for Q45s.

[Mayhem_J30]

Actually all brake pads cost around $8-12 per set to make as the pad formulation [dead chicken parts, saw dust, magic powders, copper, metal scraps, carbon fibers, dirt is all part of the secret magic ingredients just like MackyDees special sauce.[/url]

seriously dennis, do they put all of that in pads? i think that was in the hot dog i just ate.

but as far as brake dust, obviously if you're creating brake dust you're using pads and not rotors. but are they creating pads that make brake dust that isn't so 'adhesive' to your wheels and other parts in that area? or how about not as corrosive? is carbon kevlar a more or less corrosive material than stock metal pads?

[sijoko]

I'm also running the Skyline brakes, but on the fronts only. As 911/Q45 stated, installation is pretty straightforward. There will be some small modifications.

The biggest concern is the clearance between the face of the caliper and the back of the wheel spokes. First, you would need to upgrade to a minimum of 16" wheels. The best wheels are the type that don't have a lip. I shaved the "NISSAN" logo of the caliper to get enough clearance. I painted the calipers flat black, which suits me fine as I like the stealth look.

I paid $1050 for the kit(front calipers & rotors) from Jim Wolf Technology. This was about 2 years ago.

Braking is much improved over the stock set-up, especially from high speed ( 80-100 courtesy of the Texas Autobahn ). There should be no squeals as long as you use the brake shim kit for the 300zx turbo. I use the brake pads from Stillen designed for the Z car. So far everything is good.

I also have the SS braided brake lines on the car.

For the money, the Skyline brake set-up is very good.

Also, you can buy the front calipers and rotors at this site:

http://nismoparts.safeshopper.com/34/cat34.htm?986

click on the link for: "Skyline GT-R Brake System"

you would need: rotor rf & lf, caliper rf & lf

the rest of the stuff you would have to get elsewhere: (brake pad retaining pin kit for z32 turbo, brake shim kit for z32 turbo)-Nissan dealer, brake pads for z32 turbo, stainless steel braided brake line kit.

-sijoko

[sijoko]

I forgot to mention that I did not remove my splash shields. I enlarged the space for the caliper with a hack saw.

Also, remember that the Skyline rotors are directionally vented. Each side is specific so don't mix them up when you do the install.

-sijoko

[Sopdadope]

Where can I buy Skyline Calipers and rotors? I've tried looking online but can't seem to find any.

[911/Q45]

Stillen in LA sells the kit, it's listed on their web site under 300ZX brake stuff.

[Sopdadope]

Wow one and a half grand for that! I'm not willing to pay that much for something only slightly better than stock. Hmmm...I'm going to a friend's tuner shop later today to see if I can get some help on a custom setup.

My O.Z. wheels are real banged up, major curbrash, all the more reason tfor me to jump on those 18" Work Meister rims I've had my eyes on for awhile now. The inner diameter on these wheels is 16.85" which should be plenty enough to fit some huge rotors. Possibly 13.5" and up. I'll be seeking the counsel of the same man who fabbed the 22mm swaybars for me. We'll see.

[AZhitman]

I still have a set of 4 stock Z rotors and 4 calipers for sale....