Cheap Brake Upgrade

[WazR32GTSt]

has anyone considered upgrading their standard spec brakes?

i'm talking about those with 03-04 auto's or manuals wihtout the brembo's..

i have been looking at different options and its almost impossible to find some OEM brembo's from a V35 or 350z.

however... a set of slotted rotors would be significantly cheaper

the group buy thread: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...howtopic=158914 offers a good value upgrade.

i cannot post the price but i have PM'd him and he gave a very cheap price which is about 1/5 of the price i would expect to pay for second hand brembo's

has anyone upgraded to slotted rotors?

anyone else consider this a good upgrade for not much cash?

..certainly cheaper than spending $2.5k on OEM brembo's.. IF you can find them that is

just thought i would get some people's opinions on this, i am currently deciding if new slotted rotors are worth it or not or if i should just stick with the standard stuff

cheers,

Warren

[cookie--monster]

has anyone considered upgrading their standard spec brakes?

slotted rotors are a better alternative.

consider the cost of pads for the brembos and the fact that they dont preform that great in daily driving-they have to be HOT to operate at their best.

not worth it.

[NISMO]

The standard non brembos on the V35 are quite good. Definately slotted rotors can be better than stock (depending on which ones).

I tried to change my pads a while back, and got my brakes place to order in a set of 350Z non brembo pads from Bendix, the new SRT pads.

When they came in we checked the size and the V35 pads were bordering on twice the size.

I've contemplated trying the 4 pot callipers from R33's and R34's but it seems that these also have smaller pads. So going with the idea of a larger pad equals more surface area braking, I've pretty much decided to stick with stock callipers.

I'm also looking to order a set of HAWK pads from the US soon. With delivery these are equivalent to what I would pay here, and a lot of the US guys swear by them. Very good alround performance, no sqealing and minimal dust. You can get pads such as Endless and the like from Japan, but again going of reviews from the US, the HAWKS seem the best value for money by far.

Cheers

Bobby

[-= SKiZO =-]

I've got the HAWK HPS on my car with DBA Gold Rotors.

I can tell you that on my car the combination is nowhere near as grippy as stock, sometimes during hard braking you have to brake harder than normal for them to grip, so I was a bit disappointed as the US guys all rave about these pads, but there is much much less brake dust and I've never had any squeal at all.

The brake pads were fairly cheap from EverythingG35, less than $180 for front and rear including shipping so yes definitely worth getting them.

Edited September 12, 2007 by -= SKiZO =-

[Eug]

I've got the HAWK HPS on my car with DBA Gold Rotors.

I can tell you that on my car the combination is nowhere near as grippy as stock, sometimes during hard braking you have to brake harder than normal for them to grip, so I was a bit disappointed as the US guys all rave about these pads, but there is much much less brake dust and I've never had any squeal at all.

The brake pads were very cheap from EverythingG35, less than $150 for front and rear including shipping so yes definitely worth getting them.

i run the Hawk HP+ and they have been the best pads i've used thus far, better than bendix ultimates and (another highly rated brand, name escapes me at the moment). the hawks do need a fair bit of temperature in them to be at their optimum. i am circuit racing though, not sure if you're commenting on street driving - which if the case you shouldn't/wouldn't need fancy rotors or pads.

my hawks squeel like a bitch though.

[-= SKiZO =-]

Purely street. Maybe I need to drive harder for them to work better! I do love that I don't have to clean brake dust off so often.

There is a ceramic version of the Hawks as well that I was going to try but were out of stock. If anyone has tried these please post your comments.

ps. I quoted US prices before, I've fixed it now.

[Eug]

Purely street.

fair enough. some positive criticism if you don't mind. you really aren't doing yourself any favours by running track orientated gear for street use. the rotors, pads and fluid would be well below the efficiency zone or window, and thus hindering the quality of your braking.

[-= SKiZO =-]

Nah mate, I don't mind at all, tell me. You mean the discs or brakes are meant for track? When I was asking around I was being told they were both specifically for street driving. I do know that the mechanic put in some fancy hi-temp brake fluid which I forget the name of.

[Eug]

here's a link to hawk's range of pads.

http://www.bestbrakes.com/hawk_brake_compounds.shtml

i personally run the: Hawk HP Plus (High Performance Street PLUS Race Worthy) - but that's only because i do a bit of track work.

you mentioned how you have the: Hawk HPS (High Performance Street), which claims a:

Higher operating temperature range compared to Original Equipment

so if you're simply commuting around and braking normally, you aren't generating enough heat to get into the higher temperature range where the pads are supposed to be giving you the extra braking ability (i.e. most effective).

pretty much what the guys above said initially:

slotted rotors are a better alternative.

consider the cost of pads for the brembos and the fact that they dont preform that great in daily driving-they have to be HOT to operate at their best.

not worth it.

in regards to the rotors and fluid, they all contribute obviously in their own way. so assess the style/types of driving you intend on doing and have a quick research into which combo would give you the best performance in your given situation.

so like you said, just need to drive harder or give the ceramics a go for your next set

[WazR32GTSt]

can anyone confirm that the OEM 03-05 rotors are the same as the 350z touring rotors?

they are the same for the G35 03-05 so i assume the V35 too, but not sure. the G35 and 350z touring have the same part number for rotors..

anyone else itnerested in teh aformentioned slotted rotors?

[rs73]

Hi,

I've just spotted this thread... that will be good if anyone can measure at least the diameter and thickness of a V35 just to confirm that the following part will fit the 350Z33 rotors:

front RDA 954 - 296mm x 24mm (cross reference DBA 954)

rear RDA 7657 - 292mm x 16mm (cross reference DBA 574)

Also if anyone interested to try out EBC Redstuff on your V35 Skylines then I might be able to source them, will have to check first...

But I think it will be DP31636C front and DP31666C rears... I can source yellow too if anyone want to take them to the track...

[WazR32GTSt]

ok i've just confirmed with spikey that hte fronts are the same as the 350z touring

can anyone else confirm the rears are the same?

i know for 100% sure that the rears are the same between the G35 and the 350z but i'm not sure if this translates tothe V35 also (though i'm 99% sure it would)

[scathing]

i have been looking at different options and its almost impossible to find some OEM brembo's from a V35 or 350z.

If you're looking for a set of Z33 Brembos, I know someone who's just upgraded to AP Racing and got a set for sale. F&R.

The rotors are goneskis (they're probably still "usable" but quite warped) and I can't vouch that the pads are any good, but you can at least obtain the calipers and probably the lines (although I'd source braided ones if I were you).

Drop me a PM if you're interested, and I'll pass on the guy's contact details.

[scathing]

has anyone upgraded to slotted rotors?

anyone else consider this a good upgrade for not much cash?

I went to DBA LongLife slotted when I had the OEM non-Brembos on my Z33, and I found them to be an OK upgrade.

I did find the brakes were a little more confidence-inspiring on the track after. I'd already upgraded to RBF600 and DS2500s before the rotors wore out. That said, I didn't really push them to their limits as I was always afraid of them fading and lacked the confidence to really brake late on the track (old road driving habits die hard).

That didn't stop them from cracking on my third track day, which would have been under 15,000km of life. I was less than impressed with that.

[scathing]

consider the cost of pads for the brembos and the fact that they dont preform that great in daily driving-they have to be HOT to operate at their best.

That's a function of the pad material, not the caliper itself.

When I was using Ferodo DS2500s (both in the Z33 non-Brembo and now the Brembos) I found that they were consistently grippy from "cold" (a Sydney winter's morning) all the way until they (over)heated. An absolutely awesome pad for a daily driven car that will get hammered on the track, if you ignore the way they dust up if you even look at the brake pedal.

The Endless CC-X pads I'm using now are a bit wooden and need a firmer jab when cold, but not dangerously so.

Admittedly the pad cost was about $50-100 a pair higher for fronts going to the Brembos, but for the extra heat resistance its more than worth it if you do regular track work. If your driving is limited to street driving, and you're not some crazy Initial D touge monstering street racer who'll drive at ten tenths, then the non-Brembos are more than adequate.

That said, I've now hit the limits of the OEM Brembos (I'm starting to hit fade at the end ofa 15 minute session) and so I've got to consider my options. If you do regular track work and can carry a reasonable pace, you might want to skip the Brembos completely and go straight to a BBK.

[NA_R33]

BBK???

[NISMO]

BBK???

BBK = Big Brake Kit

Think, Endless, Ap Racing, Brembo F50 etc

6 piston fronts, 4 piston rears,

Consider selling limbs or a small child - seriously though I think there upwards of $6k as a starting point.

[NA_R33]

ah, should have got that... personally when i free up some cash ill be looking at the G4 8 piston and 6 piston rear kit ~5g's total

[WazR32GTSt]

I went to DBA LongLife slotted when I had the OEM non-Brembos on my Z33, and I found them to be an OK upgrade...That didn't stop them from cracking on my third track day, which would have been under 15,000km of life. I was less than impressed with that.

true i have heard many a story about this happeneing,and for htis reason

- i am going slotted rather than cross-drilled

- i am going with RDA rather than DBA (thus no kangaroo paw)

- i don't go to the track

i'm after a street upgrade that can add some functionality and some looks, and the RDA slotted rotors looks like a winner to me for the price

[scathing]

Consider selling limbs or a small child - seriously though I think there upwards of $6k as a starting point

Yeah, about that.

The Stoptechs, AP Racing, Endless and Project Mu won't leave you much change from $8K plus fitting.