AP Racing brake systems in development

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by JRitt

If you can get me all of that info I'd be happy to run the calculations and see what brake bias looks like for our front brake kit on a GT model.


The other option (assuming the master cylinder is the same), would be to just put a US spec OEM rear brake setup on the car and call it a day. You'd benefit from the larger vented discs and pads on the track anyway. These will be a dime a dozen soon, as more cars are crashed and parted. Also, I believe the Legacy 2.5 GT 2010+ has the same rear brake setup as the US spec BRZ.



Thanks.

FWIW I'm pretty sure the GT rear rotors are just WRX rear rotors. Size and lack of venting matches. I'd assume they are running the WRX rear calipers too, but not sure.

Yep, 2010+ 2.5GT/3.6R uses the same rear brake setup as the US Spec BRZ and "high spec" versions of the JDM cars.. maybe Aussie GTS too?

[jamal]

The front caliper is the same, but the bracket is shorter to work with a 276mm rotor. The rear caliper is almost the same, but narrower to work with the non-vented disc. Piston size should be the same. So the stock bias might be a little farther back.

[uncivilised]

Thanks for the reply jritt, I had a feeling it would be the case

I don't have my car yet so I can't measure. I hope someone can chime in with that info.

[JRitt]

I'm still seeing chatter here and there on this forum and others, about how a big brake system is "unnecessary." I put together a post on our blog that looks at some of the benefits of a brake system that you may not have considered. A posted something similar in a different thread a couple weeks ago, but I'm not sure how many people saw it. Check it out. Thanks.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by JRitt

I'm still seeing chatter here and there on this forum and others, about how a big brake system is "unnecessary." I put together a post on our blog that looks at some of the benefits of a brake system that you may not have considered. A posted something similar in a different thread a couple weeks ago, but I'm not sure how many people saw it. Check it out. Thanks.

Jeff, As you know I'm impatiently waiting for my kit at the moment so I'm torn on even replying To clarify, most of this reply is about designing something correctly to make it worthwhile.

If you search my old posts here people will find I've stressed brake upgrades should be done if needed, if it's beneficial and if it's done CORRECTLY. I haven't been a fan of just running STI fronts, or some other large front setup only (in terms of most front upgrades, massive rotors, massive calipers, etc with no regard to whether or not the BMC can push enough fluid while still maintaining a firm pedal with great feel, brake balance, etc).

IMO your kit is beneficial and is done correctly in regards to keeping the system balanced while adding a lot more heat capacity and better cooling. The benefits of cheaper pads and longer pad and disc life are just icing on the cake IMO.

"Not necessary" and "Not worthwhile" are different. As you know I am one of those who tracked the car without issue on OEM sized brakes, but I'm also getting one of your kits (albeit sooner than I planned to ). I can see both sides of the arguement here but for those who heavily track their cars it's a no-brainer.

[Ro_Ja]

I just really wish this kit was more street friendly. Granted my FR-S is just a weekend fun car and will probably only see a track day about 2 times a year, the majority of its life will be spent on the street (and backroads *cough*). The AP Formula kit is probably a better choice for me, but I can't get past the benefits your kit offers. :\

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Ro_Ja

I just really wish this kit was more street friendly. Granted my FR-S is just a weekend fun car and will probably only see a track day about 2 times a year, the majority of its life will be spent on the street (and backroads *cough*). The AP Formula kit is probably a better choice for me, but I can't get past the benefits your kit offers. :\

What's not street friendly about it? Just run street pads instead.

My order from Jeff/Essex is basically:
-Front sprint kit
-AP C300 track pads for the rear OEM calipers to match front AP C300 included with the kit
-AP S100 pads all around for the street
-Rear stainless lines
-6 bottles of fluid

That'll cover track and street

[RYU]

Did I miss a GB on this somewhere?

Unfortunately, some of us are working with a budget so maybe a GB will help all parties involved?

[JRitt]

Understood, thanks Dave. My overarching point is just that I don't want people to dismiss the idea until they've fully wrapped their head around the details, and taken a look at the big picture ownership experience.

As with just about every product in the automotive aftermarket, our Essex Competition Brake Systems are intended for off-road use only.

Did I miss a GB on this somewhere?

Unfortunately, some of us are working with a budget so maybe a GB will help all parties involved?

We actually have put together some great pre-order packages for our customers. You can read about them on our blog. The Sprint Systems are supposed to start shipping late next week. Once we start shipping them out, the pre-order specials will no longer be valid. If anyone wants to take advantage of this offer, they have about a week to do so. Thanks.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by JRitt

Understood, thanks Dave. My overarching point is just that I don't want people to dismiss the idea until they've fully wrapped their head around the details, and taken a look at the big picture ownership experience.

As with just about every product in the automotive aftermarket, our Essex Competition Brake Systems are intended for off-road use only.

We actually have put together some great pre-order packages for our customers. You can read about them on our blog. The Sprint Systems are supposed to start shipping late next week. Once we start shipping them out, the pre-order specials will no longer be valid. If anyone wants to take advantage of this offer, they have about a week to do so. Thanks.

[Ro_Ja]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

What's not street friendly about it? Just run street pads instead.

My order from Jeff/Essex is basically:
-Front sprint kit
-AP C300 track pads for the rear OEM calipers to match front AP C300 included with the kit
-AP S100 pads all around for the street
-Rear stainless lines
-6 bottles of fluid

That'll cover track and street

My concern was more in reference to posts 24 and 25, which give me the impression that Essex's kit is tailored to the person who tracks his or her car often since their kit lacks some street friendly additions such as dust seals/piston boots, etc.

While whichever kit I get will see some track use, the majority of its life will be spent on the street. I'm primarily interested in the benefits of performance, cost effectiveness, and ease of maintenance.

Essex really hit the nail on the head with this kit, and while I'm sure AP Racing's kit will be similar and possibly just as good, I hold Essex's knowledge and products in higher regard after reading about their process of R&D, hence my wish that it was more capable of street environments so that I could support a company that knows what they're doing and provides quality product and service.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Ro_Ja

My concern was more in reference to posts 24 and 25, which give me the impression that Essex's kit is tailored to the person who tracks his or her car often since their kit lacks some street friendly additions such as dust seals/piston boots, etc.

While whichever kit I get will see some track use, the majority of its life will be spent on the street. I'm primarily interested in the benefits of performance, cost effectiveness, and ease of maintenance.

Essex really hit the nail on the head with this kit, and while I'm sure AP Racing's kit will be similar and possibly just as good, I hold Essex's knowledge and products in higher regard after reading about their process of R&D, hence my wish that it was more capable of street environments so that I could support a company that knows what they're doing and provides quality product and service.

Gotcha. The lack of dust boots doesn't bother me, they've melted off all my cars (maybe not on the BRZ yet, haven't checked) and are still going without a rebuild on the calipers 150k+ miles later, at least on my gsr

[JRitt]

Essex really hit the nail on the head with this kit, and while I'm sure AP Racing's kit will be similar and possibly just as good, I hold Essex's knowledge and products in higher regard after reading about their process of R&D, hence my wish that it was more capable of street environments so that I could support a company that knows what they're doing and provides quality product and service.

First of all, thank you for the kind words, and we appreciate your support. However, I have to say that this comment shows a lack of understanding about who/what AP Racing is. That is okay though. Not all that many enthusiasts in the US know the scope of what AP does or can do. They are much more well-known in professional racing than they are in the aftermarket.

AP is arguably the most advanced brake manufacturer on the planet. They design and manufacture brake systems for Formula 1, NASCAR Sprint Cup, ALMS, WRC, DTM, V8SC, Super GT, etc. AP recently celebrated having their products on the winning car in over 700 Formula 1 races! Here's an interesting fact from AP's website:The very first car to win a grand prix with AP Racing's brakes was the Ferrari 312B driven by Mario Andretti in the South African GP at Kyalami back in March 1971...not too shabby company to share! AP Racing knows what they're doing, and they have for a very long time! They are the brains that actually came up with the patented ideas captured in the calipers and discs that we're selling in our systems.

On the road car side, AP Racing has enormous experience. I haven't provided that many details on the Formula Systems yet, because they're still not quite ready. I will be however in the coming weeks, and I think people will be quite impressed with them. AP designed and manufactured the brake systems for the Bugatti Veyron and Mclaren MP4-12C. Their technology is frequently used by Aston Martin, Lotus, Ferrari, etc. You can read more about their OEM products on AP's page. The same people who designed those systems are the ones who came up with Formula Brake Systems we will be selling to our customers. There should not be any concerns about the quality or capability of what is contained in those kits. I've been to AP Racing in England, where I met their people and saw their processes. They are extreme sticklers for doing things the right way, and they're driven to come up with innovative ideas.

Below is the new six piston caliper that will be used in the BRZ Formula Systems...they are beauties.


Here's the brake setup AP designed for the Veyron Grand Sport. I actually had these calipers in my hands when I was in England, and they are huge!


Essex is a close partner with AP Racing, and we actually have an awesome AP Racing engineer who lives and works with us here in Charlotte, NC. He works with our technical director, who has vast experience with brake and clutch design and implementation.

So, if you buy any of the systems we sell with AP Racing components (Competition or Formula), you will be supporting both Essex and AP Racing. Also, when you buy an AP Racing product, you're buying the rich racing heritage I mentioned above. Some of the most iconic racing cars in history have used AP, and many of the top cars at the elite level of motorsports are currently running them.

See anything familiar here?

Multiple 24 hrs. of Le Mans Champion C6R Corvette


Super GT BRZ


AP Racing on a Champion F1 Car


Below are some other cool product shots I thought people might enjoy...these are the big brothers to the calipers we are using in our Competition Systems...again, all designed by the same fine folks at AP Racing.

Carbon Fiber air bridge on an AP Racing caliper


V8 Super Car Caliper


German Touring Car Caliper


NASCAR Sprint Cup Caliper


And the grand-daddy of them all...Formula One caliper that was sitting on my desk at one point.


Hopefully that gives you a little better understanding about AP Racing, what they've done, and what they can do. You should be supremely confident about the quality of anything they produce. They are at the core of everything ever discussed in this thread. They have an incredibly talented group of people designing and manufacturing these products. Essex is just in the fortunate position of being able to bring this rich heritage to the average enthusiast.:happy0180:

[gmookher]

Originally Posted by JRitt

Ferodo DS2500 in the OEM rear shapes are supposed to be here within the next few weeks. We recommend those if you're running DS2500 front. The rear pads were a new design. All of the pad manufacturers are scrambling to get them built and delivered. The smaller pad manufacturers are a bit more agile, thus we're seeing their pads enter the market first. The huge and foreign manufacturers (like Ferodo, which is part of Federal Mogul), are a little slower to respond. Also keep in mind that the European companies didn't have access to these cars as early as Japan and USA did.

Kindly put me down for a set of the ds2500 rears. Let me know where to send what money. I enjoy the compound for my needs. all these BBK prices need to come down some before I ante up.