500hp GTST brake ideas

[Zadnik]

Hi all, I am looking for some recommendations for front & rear brake kits for a 500hp r33 gtst.  Don’t want to spend a crazy amount but want some good quality brakes.

Cheers

[Murray_Calavera]

How is the car going to be used?

Depending on that answer, upgraded pads/rotors might be all you need.

[Zadnik]

3 hours ago, Murray_Calavera said:

How is the car going to be used?

Depending on that answer, upgraded pads/rotors might be all you need.

Mainly a street car with the very occasional track day.

[robbo_rb180]

New rotors (non slotted/drilled) and a quality pad and fluid. Project mu, endless or a bit cheaper Intima do decent street pads. Penrite 600f fluid.

 

[Duncan]

Agreed, pads and good quality fluid should be fine.

If you are determined to put something bigger on, the ATTKD 330mm are excellent value

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Good pads, i.e Not Benshit pads, decent rotors such as DBA5000 or DBA4000, good brake fluid and it's more than enough.

For years I was doing track work with the stock brakes on a 372kW R33 GTS-t to give you some perspective - albeit it was a bit sketchy trying to shave speed off turn 2 at Wakefield LOL.

Another cheap option besides @Duncan's suggestion is finding a set of R34 GT-t calipers and rotors. They're 310mm, and still use the same DB1170 pad, but with the benefit of additional surface area. I would have recommended 350Z Track Brembos and rotors however it seems like everyone has caught on they can be made to fit the GTS-t so have rocketed in price (probably due to that article I wrote like 10 years ago) lol.

[GTSBoy]

I second the R34 310mm brakes option. Although, it's not as if you can get them for cheap these days.

[Zadnik]

Hi all, thanks for your suggestions. This is what I have selected, what're your opinions?

Front: https://justjap.com/products/dba-4000-series-front-brake-rotors-nissan-skyline-r33-gts-t-sumitomo-type
Rear: https://justjap.com/products/dba-4000-series-heat-treated-rear-brake-rotors-nissan-skyline-300zx-sumitomo-calipers

Pads: DBA Xtreme Performance Brake Pads or something else (if anyone could help me find the compatible pad that would be great)

The problem I am having is with the brake calipers. Currently, my stock calipers are pretty badly damaged and would need a touch up if not a replacement. Problem is OEM replacement is over $1k-$2k each (compared to stock r33/r34 gtst rotors about $200-$300) each, so will have to buy some 2nd hand or if anyone had any aftermarket recommendations?

[Duncan]

Well, price up discs + pads + calipers before you go down that path, it will really add up.

$2,700 for lines, pads, discs, new calipers - https://justjap.com/collections/attkd/products/attkd-brake-kit-nissan-skyline-r33-93-98?variant=42485721891015

Not exactly cheap, but good value, especially if you are trying to find 2nd hand r34 callipers

[robbo_rb180]

26 minutes ago, Zadnik said:

The problem I am having is with the brake calipers. Currently, my stock calipers are pretty badly damaged and would need a touch up if not a replacement. Problem is OEM replacement is over $1k-$2k each (compared to stock r33/r34 gtst rotors about $200-$300) each, so will have to buy some 2nd hand or if anyone had any aftermarket recommendations?

what is the issue exactly? pistons need replacing or bore is scored?

[Zadnik]

12 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Well, price up discs + pads + calipers before you go down that path, it will really add up.

$2,700 for lines, pads, discs, new calipers - https://justjap.com/collections/attkd/products/attkd-brake-kit-nissan-skyline-r33-93-98?variant=42485721891015

Not exactly cheap, but good value, especially if you are trying to find 2nd hand r34 callipers

Yeah, I've seen that but for some reason thought it was only the fronts included. I think I'll end up just going with that kit and save myself the hassle of buying everything separate. And the fresh hardware is nice ahah

3 minutes ago, robbo_rb180 said:

what is the issue exactly? pistons need replacing or bore is scored?

These are one of my brakes right now, I haven't looked too closely at the calipers but from the outside you can see they are pretty badly scratched up, and I am going pretty full-out on this build so may as well just get new ones. 

[Duncan]

To be clear, the kit I linked is fronts only. 

Rears on a 33 gtst are fine up to about a billion kw, just do pads and discs

[GTSBoy]

13 hours ago, Zadnik said:

I haven't looked too closely at the calipers but from the outside you can see they are pretty badly scratched up,

Just to be clear - external scratches on a caliper are unlikely to be a problem. It does look like someone has ground off the Nissan casting and otherwise gone over them with an abrasive to smooth out a lot of flashing etc, then perhaps treated them a bit roughly on the car or kicked around a workshop floor.

Unless the material thickness is excessively compromised where the scratches are unusually deep, you'd just file them a bit smoother and paint them. I didn't even bother touching the R34 calipers on my car in any way except to throw some black paint on them. Because....they are brakes. They are for doing things, not looking at.

[WMDC35]

Usually when Nissan is ground off it's just for wheel clearance.

[WR33KD]

These Wilwood only set me back $2800. Better stopping and not really a huge cost when people want $1500 got beat up 33 brakes 

[TurboTapin]

I'm running 350Z Track edition Brembo's with 324mm discs in front on my 32 gtst. I think the calipers were 250$ a pop new. See my link below for info.

R32 Skyline – Budget Brembo Brake Upgrade – GoodeZilla

[GoHashiriya]

I wrote this in a post not long ago but seeing as your question is a tad different:

I'm running the OEM R34 brakes for frequent track use with stock power. Have had them rebuilt, Dixcel Z type pads, slotted Dixcel rotors (this combo is noisy as sin) and Nismo braided lines - they're fine and hold up well, the engine begins to get into dangerous temp levels and I have to cool off before the brakes lose effectiveness. Also ran the car with oem pads, rotors, hoses, it also performed fine. 

My friend is running a 500hp 4 door R34 with the stock r34 brakes with good pads/discs and has no issues. 

As others have said, the r34 calipers have recently increased in price but probably are still cheaper than any alternative. From memory they're about 400USD in Japan.

[Blakeo]

On 3/21/2023 at 4:31 PM, Duncan said:

To be clear, the kit I linked is fronts only. 

Rears on a 33 gtst are fine up to about a billion kw, just do pads and discs

My friends girlfriends dad has a r33 gtst and his rear brakes didn't hold up with 989 million kws of power. 

[niZmO_Man]

try ducting, helps