john350Z

looking at getting brakes for my touring 350z.

here are the options:

1) stoptech 4 -wheel big brake option with 14" rotors

2) brembo front big brake option

3) stock 4-wheel track brembo system

what do you guys recommend and why?

also, if you had to choose slotted or cross-drilled rotors, which would you choose and why?

thanx,
john350z

DrRick

it would definitely depend on your aspirations on what you want your car to be. is it a serious auto-x'n car. or more of a daily driver with some spirited driving from time to time? for the latter, i would get the track brakes. they should be around the same price for 4 that it will cost for the fronts from brembo. but for some serious driving on a consistent basis, i would more than likely go with the stoptech. are you gonna get the rears with the brembos.......


Doc

john350Z

hi dr.rick,

two of my local brembo dealers called brembo and they said that they didn't have a rear matching big brake kit yet.

does brembo have a 4-wheel big brake option yet?

it looks like stoptech has got their act together for the 350z, but would like other peoples opinions right now.

my car is a daily driver, but will occassionally go to the track or autocross from time-to-time.

i like the bling-bling factor of the big brakes also.

cross-drilled or slotted, what do you guys think?

john350z

Audito350Z

iTrader: (1)

Save your money and get the Stoptech 332x32 with slotted rotors, front only.

You don't gain much going to the 355 rotor (other than looks) unless your car is about to go to the professional racing circuit.

Same with the 4-wheel kit. Looks cool, but does not offer that much in braking ability for the daily drivier and occasional auto x'er. In fact... it will disqualify you from just about every class of vehicle at the autocross.

I used the 332x32 Stoptechs on the front of my Audi A4. The A4 is a few hundred pounds more than the Z. I took the A4 to the track 8 times (8 weekends, with 8 25-minute runs sessions per weekend) with the Stoptechs. I never had to worry about fade, overheating, pad-fade or boiling fluid.

If you want the bling and want to spend the money.... go for the biggest 4-wheel kit out there! Right now, that is Stoptech.

If you are looking for the best performance and lightest weight for the money, still Stoptech.... just the 332x32 front kit.

I mentioned the slotted rotors because they work better at the track. The cross-drilled rotors have a tendency to crack under the heat generated at the track. But, for looks the cross-drilled would probably be better.

Hope that helps.


PeteH

DocofMind

I am actually almost done with my kit for the 350z/G35 and can tell you just a few things that may help you decide.

First of all the pattern on the rotor. As much as you may not believe this, all of the extra machining is mostly aesthetic. I do believe though, the slots do help in keeping the surface of the pad clean and reduces the tendancy of glazing. The cross drills only really help in wet weather braking where it allows a dryer contact patch between the rotor and the pad. The drills will also raise the likelihood of cracking due to stress risers. Since most kits come in a 2 piece rotor design, the chance of cracking is vastly reduced, as is the chance of warping. On the up side, they look darn cool. I manufacture rotors in both styles including a third option which is a combination of a drill and slot pattern together.

Now for the packages you have mentioned. Obviously, as a manufacturer of my own line, i am a bit biased. But i will give you an educated response. Stoptech is one of the only companies (besides us of course) that actually takes into consideration piston diamters of teh calipers when putting a kit together. They do not just randomly choose calipers and make a bracket for it to "work". Without the proper ratio, you may actually get a system that performs worse Only problem is the cost. At $4500, it isnt very practical.

My kit, which consists of a forged 4 piston caliper, choice of either 13 inch or 14 inch directional veined rotors (slotted, drilled, or both) which are cadmium plated do prevent corrosion, Goodridge stainless DOT, EBC Greentsuff pads, anodized hats (for rotors), brackets, and all the hardware you need to convert everything over.
We are also doing a rear conversion which will also use a forged 4 piston caliper, 2 piece 13 inch directional veined rotors and everything else listed above to convert the rear over.

One advantage that my kits have over the competitors is the reduction of unsprung weight. My forged calipers weigh next to nothing. Even though the rotors and calipers are larger, you drop close to 15 pounds of unsprung weight off the front wheels and about 18 pounds off the rear wheels.

As soon as our test cars are finished with prototyping and testing, i ll post photos for you guys to see.

Audito350Z

iTrader: (1)

Hey DocofMind: on the rear conversion... what are you doing to retain the emergeny/parking brake?

Will you forgo that brake or add a small, dedicated parking brake caliper?

Thanks,

PeteH

Traffic

I agree wholeheartedly with Audito and DocOfMind. If you really want to improve braking performance, I would just go with the StopTech 13" front set-up. A 4-wheel package or 14" brakes is just more money out of your pocket that you could be spending elsewhere on the Z. As for me, I intend to go with Endless slotted rotors, pads and stainless brake lines (when they come out, at any rate).

DocofMind

You dont need to add anything for the rear conversion. The Z incorporates the emergency shoe inside the rear rotor. Kina like the old brake shoe type. Ever taken a look at the cost of the rear rotors? Thats why they are so expensive. The rotor is a disk and drum together. Only makes it more expensive on my end trying to machine new hats that will do the same thing

BTW, we will also be doing an industry first. All our big brake kits will incorporate rotors that have been cryogenically frozen. This procedure will more than double the life expectancy of the discs.

Audito350Z

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Doc.... I don't have my Z yet, so I have to ask those questions!

Sounds like you will have a very good system for the Z. I look forward to seeing pictures.

PeteH

D'oh

John,

I've been thinking of a big brake kit as well, and so far I've been most impressed with the Stoptech 13" front kit. It seems to have the best performance/cost ratio. I've also been impressed with the technical knowledge that the Stoptech folks have disseminated, both on this site and on their own website. Finally, you can check out the WRX big brake upgrade review on C&D website from a year back, and they had nothing but good things to say about the Stoptech system.

I think the Brembo's are nice, but the ones on the track Z are not as nice as the Stoptech's (single piece rotor, and 2 piston calipers). If you go with aftermarket Brembo's I am sure you will get excellent performance, but you also pay a premium for what basically comes down to their name.

Now, I have no idea what DocofMind is working on, or what his company is, but he definitely has piqued my interest. The one thing I haven't been able to find out about the Stoptech's are their weight. I'm sure they are pretty light, but the larger rotors will probably add weight over the stock Z brakes, but I don't know for sure.

Currently I like the Stoptech 13" kit the best, but now I will have to wait for more info from Doc.

So, Doc....any new details???


-D'oh!

z461

Does anyone know the exact price of the stock brembo's off the track? Do you need to change anything else other than the pads/calipers/rotors? Do they have any extra parts to the braking system that are different?

cobalt

As other forum members have stated, your final decision on the route to take with regards to upgrading the braking performance of your 350Z will depend on what you are looking to achieve.

The OE brake system on the 350Z Touring model is actually quite good, given the overall performance level of the vehicle. If you will only be driving your 350Z on the street (even if your driving style can be considered "aggressive" or "spirited"), and even for Solo-2 Auto-x or light HPDE, a simple change of pads and brake fluid will be sufficient. If your aspirations lead you to very aggressive track use with r-compound tires, then, depending on the circuit being driven, you may need something more, along the lines of a big brake upgrade kit.

You are certainly welcome to call me toll-free at 877.562.9237 if you wish to discuss you application in greater detail.

Currently, Cobalt has the Axxis Ultimate brake pad for the front fitment of the 350Z Touring model, which will offer ~20% greater braking torque, and 55-65% greater fade resistance than the OE Nissan-spec compound that comes with the 350Z. For most people, this upgrade in braking performance will be more than sufficient, along with an upgrade in fluid to Ate Super Blue or Typ200...not to mention very cost effective.

Best Regards,

Andie Lin

Audito350Z

iTrader: (1)

The Stoptech calipers weighed less than my Audi A4's stock front caliper. I did not put them on a scale.... but they were lighter. The rotors were about the same... maybe a tad higher. The stock rotors are all iron. The Stoptech rotor has the lightweight hat that keeps it light.

Hope that helps!

PeteH

Audito350Z

iTrader: (1)

Somoeone was selling a set off hiw car in the Classifieds. I think he wanted $2500.

I've seen somewhere that to buy all the parts you need from the dealer, you'll need about $4500... it's been a while since I've seen that post, however. You could try a search on "Brembo" and I'm sure it will come up.

Other than what you listed to change, I'd guess the fluid lines are different andwould need to be changed. And maybe a mounting bracket....


Hope that helps.

PeteH

J Ritt

iTrader: (4)

1. Decide what you want to do with the car...if you are going to use it on the street or autoX only, stock brakes are more than sufficent.
2. If you want to track the car, or you're just doing it for aesthetics, I would recommend the Stoptech kit as well. I've met plenty of people at the track that use and love their brake systems. They have a great product, great technical know-how, and very helpful service. When I go with a brake upgrade, that's who I'm going to. You are not going to beat the Stoptech 332 kit's performance, quality, and continual customer support for that price...simple. Good luck.

webcarconnection

If you want to save Big Bucks... here:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=41281

racin

iTrader: (1)

Check out the site below for our findings. Your decision should be based on intended use, allowable price point, and company knowledge and commitment.

Give us a ring if you would like to discuss further.

http://www.ntechengineering.com/inde...ction=projectz

Vivid Racing

iTrader: (67)

I got to throw in my .02 and say, go with the StopTech. Solid brakes, easy install, front and rear, realy big, lots of R&D when it comes to designing an testing. I've had StopTech on my WRX as well as my EVO and they are well worth the $, especially if you take it out to the track. Check out there testing

http://www.zeckhausen.com/testing_brakes.htm

Chris Rogers

keeping on a similar theme.
I live in England and have just bought a jap import 350z.
This unfortunately doesn't have the Brembo brakes on the front as standard.
Could anyone tell me if the Brembo brakes fitted as standard to will just swap
straight over, or do you require substantial modification?