Stoptech brakes
Discussion
As you know I have spent the past couple of weeks researching this; here are my findings:
Even though mine has the upgraded PBR brakes from the Corvette C6, they're still crap. The discs were replaced at 12k miles under warranty and just 8k miles later need doing again.
The most obvious replacement are the APs but at £2600 a set they are expensive.
Next came the DBA 4000 replacement discs www.dba.com.au/view_product.php?part_id=3576&FK_vehicle_model_series_id=1502 .4 discs came in at £1500 inc fitting and pads, retaining the original calipers. However I was told from several sources that they are "too hard" and can crack.
I thought I'd struck gold when I found http://stores.ebay.com.au/MR-SPARES as they offered me some slotted GMH replacements for about £700. However, someone pointed out to me I'd have to pay import duty and VAT, pushing the price up to about £1k and the discs themselves would be no better than the ones I'd taken off!
StopTechs, while good work out about the same price as the APs.
Finally I spoke to Mark at Rapid and he told me about the Wilwood brake upgrade. He's fitted a few of these to Monaros and Corvettes over the years with no problems & happy customers. The complete package including 6 pot calipers (4 pot rear), discs and braided hoses works out at about £1800, although he's going to give me a proper quote on Monday. Assuming this is the case, this is what I'll get:
www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/03/index.asp
Even though mine has the upgraded PBR brakes from the Corvette C6, they're still crap. The discs were replaced at 12k miles under warranty and just 8k miles later need doing again.
The most obvious replacement are the APs but at £2600 a set they are expensive.
Next came the DBA 4000 replacement discs www.dba.com.au/view_product.php?part_id=3576&FK_vehicle_model_series_id=1502 .4 discs came in at £1500 inc fitting and pads, retaining the original calipers. However I was told from several sources that they are "too hard" and can crack.
I thought I'd struck gold when I found http://stores.ebay.com.au/MR-SPARES as they offered me some slotted GMH replacements for about £700. However, someone pointed out to me I'd have to pay import duty and VAT, pushing the price up to about £1k and the discs themselves would be no better than the ones I'd taken off!
StopTechs, while good work out about the same price as the APs.
Finally I spoke to Mark at Rapid and he told me about the Wilwood brake upgrade. He's fitted a few of these to Monaros and Corvettes over the years with no problems & happy customers. The complete package including 6 pot calipers (4 pot rear), discs and braided hoses works out at about £1800, although he's going to give me a proper quote on Monday. Assuming this is the case, this is what I'll get:
www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/03/index.asp
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 19th April 11:06
isn't the problem with the Wilwoods that they lack the dust seals needed for the crap on our roads and they have a tendency to jam up unless driven daily? Sure that was the feedback I'd had from a couple of owners with them. Meant to be excellent stoppers but just need a bit more care if not on a daily driver.
BigNige said:
Cheers Wormy, let me/us know how you get on wont you?
No problem, expect a full report. Took my wheel off today for a bit of an inspection and found the disc rusted to hell & scored. Looked at the pads and they were only 50% worn; the other side is exactly the same. What utter crap considering the price of the car, sooner they are in the bin the better!
Well_Fans said:
isn't the problem with the Wilwoods that they lack the dust seals needed for the crap on our roads and they have a tendency to jam up unless driven daily? Sure that was the feedback I'd had from a couple of owners with them. Meant to be excellent stoppers but just need a bit more care if not on a daily driver.
I've read similar warnings but nobody saying it's actually happened. I'm not bothered as the calipers on my bike need rebuilding every couple of years and it's neither hard or expensive to do.
found this on one of the Subaru forums from somebody asking the same question:
"BoB Christensen has calmed my nerves on dust boots and containmation of the calipers, I quote this from him "
Perhaps this will help answer your question. The fourth paragraph states our belief and knowledge regarding the Wilwood products:
Caliper Dust Boots
This is a rubber concertina style boot which snaps into the caliper around the piston or pistons and onto the piston protrusion itself. This “bellows” configuration allows the piston to move in and out of the caliper without contamination from the environment. Road grime, dirt and especially moisture can corrode production type caliper pistons leading to premature failure of the piston seals rendering the caliper inoperable.
Vehicle manufacturers typically design their products around a minimum criteria list which almost never includes special materials for components such as caliper pistons. Many production style caliper pistons are therefore aluminum or other easily corrodible metals for obvious reasons, not least of which is cost. It is less expensive by far to make aluminum pistons and rubber boots than to make stainless steel pistons for example. A huge percentage of production car calipers HAVE to have dust boots or they will not last to the end of the warranty.
Aside from some of the obvious weight and capacity drawbacks of production calipers, dust boots can be a hazard to high performance drivers. Brake components are designed to convert kinetic energy (inertia of the moving vehicle) to heat energy and then dissipate that heat. The heating and cooling cycle occurs with higher frequency under spirited, or race driving conditions where it is not unusual to develop enough heat to make rotors glow red hot. Radiant and conducted heat developed under hard driving conditions can easily heat the calipers to the point where the brake fluid boils and the boots burn. Dust boots are not installed on true racing calipers.
The best solution for safe and reliable high performance calipers is to eliminate the rubber boots and build pistons from good quality, non-corroding stainless steel. Such calipers are built by Wilwood Engineering and other quality companies. Precision Brakes Company has been supplying Wilwood calipers for high performance street and race use for nearly 15 years without complaint. Our experience has been that companies who do build aftermarket calipers with dust boots make an issue of this fact to justify the exorbitant cost of their products.
I hope this answers your concern. We have never experienced the difficulty you mention with any of the thousands of Wilwood pads or calipers we have sold."
I guess if they are good enough for NASCAR racers, they're good enough for me
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 19th April 16:30
I know someone who has Wilwoods on his track car, rates them quite highly. Not that well known over here, but very popular in the states. Don't think you're likely to have problems with them.
Would be worth pricing them up sourced from the US, dollars so cheap at the moment, even if you get clobbered for duty could still work out reasonable, set of hoses for mine still came in less than a One'er, even with the thieving post office charges!!
Would be worth pricing them up sourced from the US, dollars so cheap at the moment, even if you get clobbered for duty could still work out reasonable, set of hoses for mine still came in less than a One'er, even with the thieving post office charges!!
wormus said:
Finally I spoke to Mark at Rapid and he told me about the Wilwood brake upgrade. He's fitted a few of these to Monaros and Corvettes over the years with no problems & happy customers. The complete package including 6 pot calipers (4 pot rear), discs and braided hoses works out at about £1800, although he's going to give me a proper quote on Monday. Assuming this is the case, this is what I'll get:
http://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/03/index.as...
Thats a unbelievable price for a front and rear wilwood setup. good find id sayhttp://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/03/index.as...
Edited by wormus on Saturday 19th April 11:06
Well_Fans said:
Interesting note on the whole piston/rubber dust boot thing. Mark was actually one of those who advised me against the Wilwoods because I wasn't using it as a daily driver, although he did also say they were very good brakes for the money. Be interesting to hear how you get on.
Sure. From what I've read they don't need them because all the pistons are stainless steel, unlike the cheaper OEM calipers. If the seals do go the servicing kits are only a tenner anyway which is a small price to pay. Like I said, motorcycle brakes have the same setup so you just get them serviced every couple of years. It involves removing, cleaning the pistons and renewing the seals; not expensive assuming you even have to do it in the first place.
Gassing Station | HSV & Monaro | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff