No worries...not being rude at all...we do have quite a few products, so it can be a bit confusing!

Essex Competition Systems vs. AP Racing Formula Big Brake Kits

You can see the differences between the Competition and Formula kits on this page. That should clarify the differences.

• The six piston Formula Kit that starts at $3k is more geared towards street and track performance. These Formula Kits are fully built in England and imported by Essex. They are indeed much more attention grabbing, and those who are interested in show as much as go love them...nothing wrong with that at all. There is also a smaller Formula front four piston setup, and a four piston rear. These fit stock wheels, and they are discussed in this thread.
• The small four piston Competition Systems discussed in this thread are a different type of product geared at track use. They are designed purely to reduce lap times, without consideration for much else. We (essex) create the kits using AP Racing components, but the implementation on the FT86 is done by us...we make the brackets, hats, use Spiegler brake lines, do all of the testing, etc.

Competition System vs. Formula Kit Performance Differences

• The large six piston kits are absolutely not worse performers in terms of braking. They are an excellent system, and would be great for any FT86 on the track or street, regardless of power level, etc. They just accomplish their objective of heat reduction in a different manner than the Competition kits. Primarily, the Formula Kit's larger disc mass allows them to absorb a great amount of heat, while the Competition Systems are built around efficiency...a classic club vs. scalpel situation.

Rear Systems

• As mentioned above, there is a rear four piston Formula Kit that will fit stock wheels. It mates up with either of the six or four piston front Formula Kits.
• At this time we have no plans to produce a rear Competition System. The OEM rear system on the car is fairly solid in terms of performance, and not overly taxed under high heat conditions. It also doesn't weigh nearly as much as the front. A good rear pad, rear SS lines, and good brake fluid are sufficient for heavy track use when mated with our front systems. We've investigated some options, and have come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be cost effective to produce in terms of a pure performance gain (which is what the Competition Systems are all about). In other words, to achieve the huge performance gains and weight reduction that we achieve on the front of the car, we would have to eliminate the parking brake, use components that aren't currently in our parts bin, and it would cost a considerable amount (more than we think the market would bear).
  • In other words, if you pay $2000-$2500 for our front system and get a hypothetical 100% improvement, you'd be paying another $2500 and only getting a 20% improvement to the car. In other words, it is a diminishing returns situation. The return on investment in the rear of the car just isn't as high in terms of pure performance.

Hopefully that clears things up a bit for you.:thumbsup:

I'm doing well, thanks for asking!:D

What he said!:thanks:
Most people just think of brake ducts as something to add cold air to the brake system. They are actually more of a tool in managing heat in the brake system, as you don't always want more cool air. On some tracks, one would want to have your ducts wide open, on others partially blocked, and on some possibly even closed. The goal is to reduce the temperature swings on the discs as much as possible. That's what leads to cracking. Also, most brake pads have a temperature range in which they are most effective. So on an easy braking track with a quality big brake kit, you could possibly be running below your ideal temperature range if you have your brake ducts fully open with maximum airflow into the discs.

The temperatures your brakes see depend on the car setup/power/tires/driving style/and on course layout...how far is it between brake zones? How much will the brakes cool during that time? How heavy are those brake zones (140mph down to 50mph, or 120 down to 80mph)? The first step to finding out what works best is to record data as Dave-ROR is doing. Once you have your data, you can analyze it and work towards the best solution.

For example, in NASCAR Sprint Cup we provide the teams with different calipers and discs for each type of track. On a Super Speedway, they use the lightest setup possible to reduce unsprung weight. If you took that setup to Watkins Glen though, you'd fry them easily. For a tough road course like that, we provide them with a heavy duty package that uses a disc with more thermal mass. It just depends on the particular situation.

The point is, gathering data and knowing what your car is doing is always a good thing. With that info you can optimize performance. With brakes, ducts give you an additional tool at your disposal to do so. They add some flexibility to the system by either increasing or limiting the cooling airflow to the brakes. It's just like using a tire pyrometer. You can take temps across the tread block to figure out how much camber you need to optimize your contact patch. In that example, your camber plate/bolts/whatever would be the same sort of tool as your ducts. You adjust them based on the heat data for any given condition/situation. :thumbsup:

This came up in another thread...here are all of the fitment templates for the various brake kits Essex offers:

Essex Sprint Kit wheel fitment template

Essex Endurance Kit wheel fitment template

AP Racing Formula Big Brake Kit Six piston front wheel fitment template

AP Racing Formula Big Brake Kit Four piston front wheel fitment template

AP Racing Formula Big Brake Kit Four piston rear wheel fitment template

Jeff, what do you recommend when storing either stock or AP calipers? I've read conflicting ideas such as leaving brake fluid in, taking it out, spraying brake fluid on them, etc

You either want to leave the fluid in and seal them so they don't get air/moisture in them OR you want to drain them so there's no fluid in them. Store in a cool, dry place.

Personally, I have some disassembled Brembo calipers in the garage. The seals are double-bagged in brake fluid and the calipers are unsealed with no fluid in them. Make sure they're dry if you do it this way, as the calipers can mold if there's leftover brake fluid.

Caliper can provide a better answer, but that's what I've done in the past.

This is honestly a question I've never even considered. My OEM clappers (that will be Caliper's next name BTW) are sitting in a plastic bin.. somewhere. I don't even remember where :)

You slay me, Dave.

Thanks

Not sure how a caliper can answer the question better tho :D

Caliper = JR = J Ritt = Jeff Ritter.

Soon Clapper = Caliper = etc.

Hmmm our OEM calipers are just sitting on a shelf...

There's always a PROPER way to do things and then the way they're done. Nothing wrong with OEM brakes rotting a shelf since you're not likely to need them again.

anyone know or can chime in if the AP sprint kit will clear konig feathers 17x7.5 45 offset? just ordered the sprint kit and didn't realize that these don't clear certain wheels. If they don't clear then they are going up for sale, just don't have a printer handy right now to print out the template, thanks.

Just finalising my endurance system order:D

So I tracked my car for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It has the Sprint Kit fitted with DS2500 pads + 225 AD08s . I have temperature strips attached to each caliper as well. I didn't rate my skill level very high before going to the track but now I rate it even lower. Why? The temperature strips haven't registered!! That is I haven't even warmed the brakes enough for the strips to turn black at 149c. I'm going to cry.

(Do temperature strips have a use by date? Yeah, I bet that's it. They're broken)