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Huge performance improvement over the stock rotors and pads, using the RB rotors front and rear with G-Loc RS1 pads front and RB910 rear. Did the stainless steel hoses too.
Street braking is much more aggressive than the stock brakes with a more linear feel through the pedal.
Plus the rotors just just look so much more stylish than the originals.
The rear rotors have an odd wear pattern, not sure if it's just the nature of break in or the use of different pads.
True, I can't say the car stops any faster than the limit of traction. But I was able to exceed the original brakes running slicks before so it will be interesting to see if stopping distance gets shorter in that regard.
But I bet the car stops in exactly the same distance it did before the brake change...
If you want to shorten braking distance, put some Hoosier slicks on it.
If you reduce the static and unsprung weight (i.e. lighter front and rear rotors), shouldn't that take less effort/energy for the car to stop and the result be a reduction in your breaking distance?
If you reduce the static and unsprung weight (i.e. lighter front and rear rotors), shouldn't that take less effort/energy for the car to stop and the result be a reduction in your breaking distance?
No. Stopping distance is a function of one thing - the brake's ability to create more torque than the available traction from the tire. Translation: the brake can lock the wheel and slide the tire. If the brake can't do that, then the brake is the limiting factor and that does not happen to modern automobiles with any street legal tire at full operating temperature. Slicks will challenge some factory brakes, but not ours. All the F cars have outstanding brakes from the factory and when you do what the OP did, you're gaining reduced unsprung weight and sometimes additional heat capacity, but these changes are incremental and not ground breaking. I have considered alternate braking setups for my IS F, but it's difficult to complain about the OEM brakes with dedicated track pads when they will survive Carolina Motorsports Park HPDEs. Mike Puskar Jr. at Carbotech says CMP is one of the hardest tracks in the Southeast for brakes, and the only time I had a brake issue was when I left the stability control on and let it modulate my speed.
All of what you see here is a result of hard track use. It will happen to ANY brake you put on these cars because the cars are heavy and the brakes have to absorb and release a lot of heat.
There's a reason I didn't take pictures of the passenger side!
Originally Posted by Ne1tHeRe
If you reduce the static and unsprung weight (i.e. lighter front and rear rotors), shouldn't that take less effort/energy for the car to stop and the result be a reduction in your breaking distance?
On a 4400lb car, saving 10lb per rotor is a tiny, tiny thing. It might accelerate or handle slightly better, but I don't think the difference will be measurable. Bigger savings might be had by using different wheels, but there is a significant price/performance tradeoff there. However, what you can gain by changing to different rotors and pads is better heat resistance during sustained braking sessions. So while you don't stop "faster", you do stop "longer".
My primary reason for changing to aftermarket brakes was my dislike of chewing through pads and rotors at an insane rate. I don't even use the brakes in corners that much, I tend to rely on gearing to slow down. I still got 30k miles out of the OE set, but I was well past the wear mark at 25k. I found the limit of the OE brakes on the Tail of the Dragon (running Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S 305/35/19 rear), will retest on the new brakes eventually.
All the F cars have outstanding brakes from the factory and when you do what the OP did, you're gaining reduced unsprung weight and sometimes additional heat capacity, but these changes are incremental and not ground breaking. I have considered alternate braking setups for my IS F, but it's difficult to complain about the OEM brakes with dedicated track pads
My feelings exactly. The Brembo Calipers are outstanding IMHO, with a good set of rotors, (slotted and not drilled) and pads they will provide decent service life with excellent performance. I'm a fan for Ferodo DS2500 for the front and PM +800 in the rear. I don't know about Ferodo fitment for the RCF.
Op, congrats.
Even tho we may not need or can exceed the limits of the oe brake set up, sometimes it's just nice to have something cool.
Modification is a means of personalization and not just utilitarian function.
We own fast cars but 99% of the time, we can't drive it fast. If that was the premise, we would all be driving Camrys.
sorry to thread jack for just a second...
Lance,
saw your pic of the dust boots all burnt up. Was that just one CMP track day??!! Guess I better inspect mine.
Op, congrats.
Even tho we may not need or can exceed the limits of the oe brake set up, sometimes it's just nice to have something cool.
Modification is a means of personalization and not just utilitarian function.
We own fast cars but 99% of the time, we can't drive it fast. If that was the premise, we would all be driving Camrys.
sorry to thread jack for just a second...
Lance,
saw your pic of the dust boots all burnt up. Was that just one CMP track day??!! Guess I better inspect mine.
No, that was after five track weekends, but yes, they do need regular inspections because they do crack and fail.
^^^
hey Lance,
yeah thanks for the heads up.
I already checked mine. Looks perfect.
You must have really got em hot since I've had 7 track days with the current brake set up. I know yours had more exposure since 5 track "weekends" is 10 days.
I will say that when I rebuilt my calipers during the powder coating process, I bought stop tech seals. Not sure if they hold up better than oem.
Also the griodisc aluminum hats may dissipate the heat better/faster than oem also.
I know CMP is harder on brakes than all the tracks I've been on so that's another variable.
...You must have really got em hot since I've had 7 track days with the current brake set up. I know yours had more exposure since 5 track "weekends" is 10 days...I know CMP is harder on brakes than all the tracks I've been on so that's another variable.
Those white brake pads in the photo are Carbotech XP12s. I'm running them on the street now and they're not your ordinary pad at all. They feel and work just like the Project Mu HC+800 I had previously - make all the same noises too - but the point is, yes, CMP eats pads for lunch because you have four major braking events every two minute lap, and you really don't get much high speed at CMP. I've heard some folks says it's like a fast autocross, and I don't disagree in some ways. I still like the track a lot because it really makes you think, and it's hard to get lulled into complacency. The track has four distinctly different rhythms to it, so you never get bored.
I need to get back to track days...I've missed it since my son was born.