deciding on BBK

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Reaper

well after doing some MORE research im leaning towards the Essex sprint kit. I don't think i'll ever out grow it unless my car turns into some widebodied active aero monster and in that case im sure I won the lottery or something and wont care anymore. But ive got a shop that kinda/sorta owes me one and is offering me a good price on stoptechs. Theres also a member on here selling a still in the box set. But what worries me is the consumables expense. AP rotors and pads seem ALOT cheaper than stoptechs. Maybe im comparing the wrong stuff but it looks like its half the price! That would sway me right there.

Stoptechs are cheaper up front, by the time time you finish off a few sets of pads and rotors, you'll already have spent more. Plus, Stoptechs will turn an ugly brown if you get them really hot... all paint does that.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Reaper

who's running the essex sprint kit on the street? im curious how a bootless caliper does as a DD, and its price isn't bad. The formula/endurance stuff is getting out of my budget quick.




edit:looks like the other kits include pads and fluid so they are actually a better deal. Damn I need to walk away before I end up impulse buying a small fortune on brakes tonight.

Pads are $25 with the purchase of an Essex kit. Race or street pad, it's $25 regardless. Tell me that's not a deal

We run our Essex kit on the street, as do a LOT of members. Salt is the problem; if you drive on a salted road, rinse off your calipers.

[Reaper]

I leave for 5 seconds to top off my drink and @CSG Mike drops this on me. damn. Essex sprints look damn tempting. thanks guys.

[Squishy]

The only reason to not go with the AP Racing Sprint kit is road salt.

I DD my sprint bbk and love it - I should have gone with Carbotech 1521 street pads and kept some XP10 for track days as I am not even close to pushing XP12 levels. Most important thing to know is how you are going to use the brakes. Definitely talk it over with CSG or some vendor that has experience and won't try to push you into buying something you will never need.

Stock brakes are actually very good with lines/fluid and good pads.

Best to know what you will need before you buy. Note that now I am boosted - I am even more glad that I went with the AP Racing sprint kit. That thing hauls your butt to a stop with no worries. It held up well over the 3 HPDE's I have been to cold and hot. Now the Ferodo DS2500 squeal like a banshee but they work. Probably get some replacement pads and rotors maybe next year but do not see any excessive wear so I know that it's just me not pushing it as hard yet.

[Reaper]

true, I had no intentions of upgrading the brakes on this car but between the 450whp I put down and the glorious monoblock brembos on my bikes I just cant stand them anymore.

[glamcem]

Originally Posted by Touge86

Where did you get that information from? I thought wilwood made seperate BBK set-ups for the BRZ/FRS now?

+1 Also, Wilwoods come with 6 pot calipers vs the 4 pots on Stoptech and AP kit and costs about $500-600 less than AP Racing and about $400 less than the Stoptechs.. I am seriously considering Wilwood BKK as an upgrade and don't understand why people keep bashing them

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by glamcem

+1 Also, Wilwoods come with 6 pot calipers vs the 4 pots on Stoptech and AP kit and costs about $500-600 less than AP Racing and about $400 less than the Stoptechs.. I am seriously considering Wilwood BKK as an upgrade and don't understand why people keep bashing them

The Wilwood BBK certainly does work, but I wouldn't say they are amazing or complete crap. They are priced exactly to how they will function. You may want to play with different brake pads to get the proper bias you're looking for, or if you're experimental, swap pistons to make the system much more balanced.

Rotor sizes are different and the pad wear is definitely different as well. We have supplied pads to Wilwood users for some time so we know what compound has been working and what hasn't.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by glamcem

+1 Also, Wilwoods come with 6 pot calipers vs the 4 pots on Stoptech and AP kit and costs about $500-600 less than AP Racing and about $400 less than the Stoptechs.. I am seriously considering Wilwood BKK as an upgrade and don't understand why people keep bashing them

More pistons doesnt mean better braking. It doesn't even mean more force. The same amount of braking force is going be spread over a larger or smaller piston surface area, but the net force doesn't change.

Now, you do get more braking torque if you change the positioning of the piston force relative to the OEM position, but this is already specifically addressed with the AP Racing kit.

Even the pads used in the Sprint and Endurance kits are different, to prevent a change in brake bias.

Wilwood/Stoptech just take an existing caliper and make a bracket and hat to make it fit a car. Stoptech makes just *6* calipers for front applications. AP Racing makes over 700.

Wilwood is like the BC Racing of brakes. They do make a slim caliper for tight clearances... but if you gotta go to that extreme compromise to make the brakes fit...

[glamcem]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

More pistons doesnt mean better braking. It doesn't even mean more force. The same amount of braking force is going be spread over a larger or smaller piston surface area, but the net force doesn't change.

Now, you do get more braking torque if you change the positioning of the piston force relative to the OEM position, but this is already specifically addressed with the AP Racing kit.

Even the pads used in the Sprint and Endurance kits are different, to prevent a change in brake bias.

Wilwood/Stoptech just take an existing caliper and make a bracket and hat to make it fit a car. Stoptech makes just *6* calipers for front applications. AP Racing makes over 700.

Wilwood is like the BC Racing of brakes. They do make a slim caliper for tight clearances... but if you gotta go to that extreme compromise to make the brakes fit...

Yes, I know this, I know it doesn't improve the stopping distance but more pistons generally mean better force distribution which yields less chance of tapering AFAIK ..Like the padlet design on the C6Z06 and GS..

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by glamcem

Yes, I know this, I know it doesn't improve the stopping distance but more pistons generally mean better force distribution which yields less chance of tapering AFAIK ..Like the padlet design on the C6Z06 and GS..

Tapering is a result of caliper flex, which is common on floating piston calipers, but not monoblock calipers. It's impossible for a liquid to distribute force unevenly over a flat surface, like a brake piston.

Imagine prying a caliper apart... that's what happens when you brake hard and the caliper is really hot. That's why the upper/outer edge of the pad wears faster under harsh conditions

[AZFA20]

Another viable option is Baer brakes. The only thing is they are 14" rotors in the front so 17" wheels that would fit are scarce. It would require an 18". Pads are readily available in just about any compound since they are corvette pads. Essex and Stoptech are obviously good choices too but this gives you another option. They utilize 6P (6 piston) front calipers with piston seals and S4 (4 piston) rear calipers also with piston seals. I personal'y run the Baers and have been for 1.5 years now. I have owned several Baer products (mostly BBKs) and have never had a failure. I can tell you the Baers on this platform literally make me sick to my stomach under full brake from 120+ mph coming into a turn from straights.

[Reaper]

more and more points to the sprint kit. pm'ed you @CSG Mike

[Model Citizen]

Originally Posted by Reaper

ok so the sprint kit has no boots, which kit has boots and is powdercoated. I mixed them up in my head. I DD my car and those are features I want.

you do realize wilwood uses no boots either right?

Originally Posted by Reaper

who's running the essex sprint kit on the street? im curious how a bootless caliper does as a DD, and its price isn't bad. The formula/endurance stuff is getting out of my budget quick.

edit:looks like the other kits include pads and fluid so they are actually a better deal. Damn I need to walk away before I end up impulse buying a small fortune on brakes tonight.

I'm using mine on street and track use (cl rc5+ pads), as stated 0 issues, but limited timeframe. Planning on going back to stock brakes for winter if I don't garage the car, haven't decided.

Csg mike is who i bought through, great bundle price with the throw ins.

Though if i do have a complaint the unexpected csg shirt in the box didn't fit my fat ass.

[Reaper]

I planning on just swapping back to stock when the winter wheels go on.