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Suspension | Chassis | Brakes -- Sponsored by 949 Racing Relating to suspension, chassis, and brakes. Sponsored by 949 Racing. |
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06-21-2017, 05:24 PM | #1 |
A.K.A. Starlord
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Quick Review of AP Racing Factory BBK from Essex Parts Services
Quick Review: AP Racing 4-Piston Factory Big Brake Kit (Front) ---------- Full Disclosure: Essex Parts Services offered me a friendly discount on this AP Racing Big Brake kit in exchange for the promise of a thorough review of my experience with the product. They wanted an unbiased review, and that’s what this is. (Also, a huge shoutout to @JRitt for dealing with all of my annoying questions!) ---------- Big brakes. Everyone loves big brakes. Everyone wants big brakes. It seems even the OEMs are fascinated with big brakes these days. The horsepower wars have been raging for several years now, and cars such as the Mustang GT350, the Challenger Hellcat, and the Camaro ZL1 are setting the power and speed bar ever higher. With these big (and in the case of the Hellcat, heavy) vehicles capable of reaching obscene speeds in hilariously short periods of time, brakes have had to evolve too… mainly by getting bigger. All of the previously mentioned vehicles have ~15.5″ diameter front brakes, which is huge! So how does my tiny little BRZ sports car stack up? Well, moving up from a 17″ to an 18″ wheel didn’t do my brakes any favors from a visual standpoint. Unlike those other muscle cars, whose brakes fill virtually the entire wheel, mine don’t even come close. The Series.Blue came with red-painted brake calipers for that “sporty” look, but they were the exact same brakes as the other trims, and if anything that just made it look like they were trying too hard, because they might have been red, but they were still small. In my mind, you don’t call attention to small brakes with bright colors. This isn’t really a fair comparison, though. The BRZ is a budget-minded, low-horsepower, light-weight car, and all three of those criteria mean it isn’t going to come with massive brakes from the factory. The stock front brakes on all of our cars are 11.6″ diameter disks. (New for 2017 is an optional Brembo Big Brake kit which bumps that up to 12.8″ diameter front rotors.) They might be smaller, but they are adequately-sized for the task they need to perform. A Hellcat traveling at its 200 MPH top speed has more than twice the momentum of a BRZ traveling at its 140 MPH top speed. So why, then, upgrade my brakes at all? Well let’s discuss a few of the benefits of a Big Brake Kit:
There are quite a few Big Brake Kits on the market these days, with brands such as Wilwood, Stoptech, and AP Racing being among the most popular. I had originally honed in on AP Racing’s Competition kits. They offer two such kits: Sprint, and Endurance. The Sprint kit has a smaller rotor, and weighs less, while the Endurance kit has a larger rotor, but weighs more (both weigh less than the factory setup.) However, after a bit of back-and-forth with the folks at Essex Parts Services, I began to understand that those kits are not really meant for my use case (year-round, daily driving on salty roads.) They then pointed me to AP Racing’s Factory kits as one potential alternative. These kits are considerably more expensive than the Competition kits, but while they are more than capable of handling occasional track use, they are also designed as OEM-quality replacements that can be used year-round in all conditions. Here’s a quick comparison of the three kits’ major features... Click here to read the rest of the review. (Unboxing, Installation, Impressions, and lots of photos!)
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06-21-2017, 05:27 PM | #2 |
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"Shark_Bait88, the man who’s spent the most money modding his stock FR-S and it’s still stock." -@jdnguyen
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06-21-2017, 05:41 PM | #3 |
A.K.A. Starlord
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I hatechyu! <3
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Check out my blog, read all about my BRZ adventures, and oogle my sweet cell-phone photos! You can also find me on Instagram, and on Facebook. |
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06-21-2017, 07:26 PM | #4 | |
Because compromise ®
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Quote:
In Australia (and possibly other markets) the GT has smaller brakes (277mm front, 286mm rear) than the GTS (294mm front, 290mm rear). [/pedant]
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My car is completely stock except for all the mods.
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06-21-2017, 08:41 PM | #5 |
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I sometimes wonder if it may make sense retrofitting those smaller ones as to maybe increasing compatibility with 15" wheels. I still haven't dropped thoughts on more rallyish use of twins
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06-21-2017, 09:00 PM | #6 |
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Title says "Quick Review", OP got discount for a "thorough review"
I expect a part 2 mister. |
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06-21-2017, 09:22 PM | #7 |
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I have a set of these brakes as well and love them. They've performed flawlessly. It might be worth noting that while it clears the stock wheels (and other 17in wheels) in terms of width, depending on where the wheel weights are applied in the barrel, you may have some minor contact with the caliper. Just have to rotate your wheels until you find one (or two) that clear, lol.
Also, Jeff is awesome and super knowledgeable, and aside from an empty wallet afterward, ordering from Essex was painless. I received one of the first kits in the US and when he heard about an issue with the kits, he promptly contacted me to notify me (luckily before the installation) and then facilitated the expedited exchange. A+ company. Last edited by Ro_Ja; 06-21-2017 at 09:33 PM. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Ro_Ja For This Useful Post: | Stang70Fastback (06-21-2017) |
06-21-2017, 10:41 PM | #8 |
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First he has to let go of his fears and drive hard and brake hard... Cones don't hurt that much... and it's just a car. A little battle scar here and there is something to be proud of.
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06-21-2017, 11:02 PM | #9 |
A.K.A. Starlord
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Sheesh! You beat me one time and suddenly you're Mr. Fancy Pants! :P
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Check out my blog, read all about my BRZ adventures, and oogle my sweet cell-phone photos! You can also find me on Instagram, and on Facebook. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Stang70Fastback For This Useful Post: | Shark_Bait88 (06-26-2017) |
06-21-2017, 11:04 PM | #10 |
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I should add, the brakes are beautiful. Lovely way to accessorize, always a hit with the fans - a surefire way to set yourself apart in a crowd.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to cjd For This Useful Post: | Shark_Bait88 (06-26-2017), Stang70Fastback (06-21-2017) |
06-21-2017, 11:09 PM | #11 |
A.K.A. Starlord
Join Date: Oct 2013
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I hatechyu too! Lol.
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Check out my blog, read all about my BRZ adventures, and oogle my sweet cell-phone photos! You can also find me on Instagram, and on Facebook. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Stang70Fastback For This Useful Post: | cjd (06-21-2017) |
06-21-2017, 11:09 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
Also, I have to get fancy pants, no one else makes them in my size. I don't have problems finding hats at least. |
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The Following User Says Thank You to cjd For This Useful Post: | Stang70Fastback (06-21-2017) |
06-22-2017, 09:44 AM | #13 |
A.K.A. Starlord
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Thanks. I forgot about markets outside of the US. I'll amend my post when I have an opportunity!
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Check out my blog, read all about my BRZ adventures, and oogle my sweet cell-phone photos! You can also find me on Instagram, and on Facebook. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Stang70Fastback For This Useful Post: | Captain Snooze (06-22-2017) |
08-18-2017, 07:43 AM | #14 |
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"Quick review" with the most useful information, sorry understatement : best review I peronally ever read about BRZ BBK and DIY. Interest in this stunning kit aroused. Respect!
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@jritt |
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