Different Big Brake Kits Discussion - Pros and Cons

Which big brake kit would you get? (purposely left vague for discussion)

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Guys don't forget the JBT's......still working fine after my trip to spain and saved me from totally wrecking my car in france on the highway :eek:

Here is the link: ///3148&goto=newpost

I won't go for the K-sport as i don't like the quality and finish of it compared to other brands.

Ohh and Btw ...Turbo......i think you missed your calling.....you should be a writer buddy......damn those text sometimes.......but must say you are really thoughrough :wink:
 
raymond said:
Guys don't forget the JBT's......still working fine after my trip to spain and saved me from totally wrecking my car in france on the highway :eek:

Here is the link: ///3148&goto=newpost

I won't go for the K-sport as i don't like the quality and finish of it compared to other brands.

Ohh and Btw ...Turbo......i think you missed your calling.....you should be a writer buddy......damn those text sometimes.......but must say you are really thoughrough :wink:
Click to expand...

Hi Raymond, thanks for the info. Can you clarify a bit more on the KSport? They seem to be somewhat popular in Europe, so if you've seen them first hand, let us know.

I don't know anyone who's physically seen them, only pictures that I've personally seen.

On a side note, I talked to Brembo North America and StopTech on why they only offer front kit applications.

Brembo states it has nothing to do with demand, it's research and development and if they don't come out with a rear kit, it's due to brake bias and other factors. Brembo recommends getting just the front kit and leaving the rears stock if that's the only application made for the vehicle. They have the specs for the front and rear when they measure but R&D decides not to create a rear and for front only applications, was made to only be a front big brake kit.

StopTech states they only created a front because not enough demand to create a rear and the time/effort it takes to make a rear kit. Not to mention the front does most of the braking, so StopTech cannot spend money on R&D for a rear kit where the demand isn't there.

As you can see, I'm really thrown off by having a front only BBK, but found a place that will duplicate the rotor for the rear OEM's using Centric Rotors.

So far it's looking like Brembos and K Sport are on top of my list so Viet, I might be hitting you up for that Brembo FX specific kit depending on what Raymond says about the K Sport....

Forgot to add, JBT seems really reasonable in price now that I re-read your post Raymond.
 
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R&D for most of them is going to be the rear brake drum diameter and backspacing. Unfortunately the demand really isn't there. Even the FX50 rear brakes will take a long time if ever for those to get a 2 piece set up.

Had a brake component discussion on the g forums a few weeks ago. This is some data gathered up.

Adapter Brackets, front left and right: 1.8lbs
Hardware, front: 2 lbs (reuse existing rear hardware)
Front Calipers: 10 lbs each
Rear Calipers: 5 lbs each
Front Rotors (14" Stoptech Slotted): 27lbs each ()
Rear Rotors (13.8" OEM blanks, vented): 18lbs each ()

CZP new 2 piece rotors for the Akebonos
1pc 09+: 29lbs
2pc 09+ 17.30lbs

Brembo
Monobloc 6 front
Caliper 11lbs
380mm rotor 19.4lbs

Monobloc 4 rear
Caliper 8.4lbs
345mm rotor 14.6lbs
 
sweet ed. i'm definitely in for that. i need to get an oil change at least.......... haven't really been driving the FX too much lately.
 
Honestly i haven't got that much experiance with K-Sport to give a good opinion....it's just a feeling and from what i hear from other guys out of the bussines scene.

The reason you see it much in Europe....IMO cause it's cheap.....can't exactly talk about all the countries here....but netherlands......all about cheap cheap cheap.

D2....K-Sport.....are cheaper brands......but you can just see the difference in quality as well. As i noted in my JBT topic the guy from JBT said that it was better to go with casted calipers the these alu "Billit" onces.
But must say a client of my drives the K-Sport on a Audi A6 3.0 TDI and runs it hard and has no issues with them.

On my prior car ( Audi S4) i had Hispec brakes but only available at the front as well....something what anoid me as long as i had the car.

If the FX had OEM bigger size disk it wouldn't be such a big deal but going BBK at the front and rear OEM is IMO a big difference in size.

If the difference between K-sport and the Brembo kit rookie can get for you i'd go for the Brembo's for sure.
Further i'm still very happy with the JBT though also.....:tup:

Good luck with your choice bud...:wink:
 
Thanks Raymond, that helps a lot.

http://www.execstudio.com/

I just talked to Peter M. at Exec Studio. Really nice guy and is a distributor of most aftermarket big brake kits (Brembo, Rotora, StopTech, JBT, etc…). JBT retails for less than all of the other brands and he said in terms of quality, almost everything is now made in Asia. He is the exclusive dealer for JBT United States and suggested a 4 piston front / 4 piston rear or 6 piston front / 4 piston rear is the ideal setup for the FX. He said for the price, you can't beat JBT. He's run Rotora's and said they're very simliar to JBT in performance, except JBT retails for less.

I added pricing to my first post in this thread, and they pretty much go for MSRP (which is listed) since he has to pay $160 to import a set. He can work a little with price if you buy a front and rear kit and will throw in free shipping. TheMerchant added really cheap pricing that he added over the phone, and I couldn't confirm those prices, only the MSRP prices.

The only downside I see is if you are stuck on 2 piece cross-drilled (as I am), they cost an extra $60 for 2 rotors or $120 for 4 rotors to swap with the standard 2 piece slotted.

Also, you have to pay an extra $60 for 2 stainless steel brake lines, so $120 for all 4 brake lines (front and rear).

I confirmed they work with ABS and Traction Control. The only thing they don't work on are brake wear electronic sensors, which our cars don't have. If you do have this, you just have to leave it unplugged and it's fine.

I would have purchased the K Sport straight away (I've been hanging out with too many colleagues from Amstelveen=) ) but since I haul my family around and my wife also takes my car when her sedan doesn't have enough room, it brings another level of review to this mod since it's a safety mod as well as "bling". I can't have a leaking brake kit or some other type of failure due to crappy manufacturing.

Viet – can you send me a PM with how to contact you for getting a quote on the Brembo's shipped to my door (is it 20% off MSRP + shipping?)

I know someone that knows someone at Brembo North America and the best I could manage was 13% off MSRP + free shipping… 20% off would be very nice if you have the time to help a fellow IS member! You always have the hook-ups...
 
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better quality AFAIK. My buddy has 6pots on his STi and has nothing but good things to say. AP was British owned but like most of the British car industry, it had good ideas but couldn't keep it together.

For the most part, AP > Brembo. Brembo has done a great job with getting OEM placement while positioning AP as the enthusiast upgrade. To do better than the common Turismo and Gran Turismo kits from Brembo and the AP line, one has to go to the Brembo GT/R series (real race parts...NASCAR is one series they're used in).

BremboGTR_2.jpg
 

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Chedman13 said:
Found a front and rear Brembo kit, but only in Japan.

http://translate.google.com/transla...ion/option02.html&sl=ja&tl=en&history_state0=
Click to expand...


Crazy Pricing.....these guys are nuts. They think anyone who can drive an FX is a millionair. I've asked for the overhead display....and with shipping it was 1130,- USD for a piece of plastic. So made it myself......

They do have nice things though......even see they have the Audi Blinkers as well wich i did a short time ago......cool stuff.....but they really want to become rich i a short time...........................:err:
 
since I was complaining about the squeal I was getting with the rotoras here, just figured I'd also add here that I did solve this... a bit of disc brake quiet sprayed on the back of the pads did the trick... funny in that the rears do use anti squeal plates behind the pads but the fronts don't... unless I just never recieved the fronts & maybe there supposed to be there too?

also, another thing to add here, when replacing 2 piece rotors discs, the torque value they give for tightening the rivets is very very critical... learned this the hard way:tongue: I didn't have available at the time a 5 ftlb torque wrench so I just figured ah, I know about what 5 ftlbs of torque is approx., well, no, even overtightening them a little can lead to problems with warpage, this is one of those things that you MUSt be very critical with the torque values so the disimilar metals can each expand & contract at there own rate unihibited by the other, the rivets are designed to allow the disc to "float" on the hat when torqued properly...
 
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