I have an 05 touring with the crappy small OEM brakes. I have recent started tracking my car and would like more resistance to brake fade.

Obviously anything would be an upgrade over the stock 03-05 brakes. I have been checking the for sale section and found you can get a set of brembos or akebonos for ~$1300 with everything. BBK's obviously go for quite a but more. Will the brembos/akebonos be good enough for casual track days? Is it worth spending the extra $1000+ for a true BBK?

Also, I have been doing research about brembo vs akebono, and most people say brembo is better. How is this so when the rotor is bigger with the akebono?

 

I had both in my hands and trust me there is a big weight difference between them.I was planning on keeping brembos but I knew I wasn't going to get the money I paid for my akebonos so I just decided to keep the akebonos. As of track I haven't tried them, I'm waiting to upgrade my suspesion.

 

I find that the Akebonos and accompanying hardware are quite heavy compared to the brembos

 

If you are only doing casual track days I would say that the Brembos would be enough for you, as taryon says the Akebonos are a lot heavier thus adding to the unsprung weight. Also Brembos have a proven track history.

 

oem brembos arent good enough for track use. after a couple of hot laps the brake fade if terrifying. it really depends on how seriously you are going to track your car. if you talk a bout tracking it and it never happens, then get the brembos otherwise put a little bit of money into front rotors that can handle the heat soak. I had a buddy who upgraded the brake pads, brake fluid and got stainless braided lines and still got brake fade with the brems. the rotors arent big enough to handle the heat. I had a set of brembos and got these instead.



brake fade is now nonexistent.

 

So, based on what everyone is saying the akebonos are definitely heavier. I'm not that concerned with the weight of them, im more concerned about brake fade resistance.

Can anyone comment on the brembo vs akebono brake fade resistance?

Also, what would be the thoughts about brembo/akebono vs just a front BBK for now?

 

Just get Brembo, pad selection is much better and rotors are cheaper. if you outgrow them, move up to a true BBK

 

So does Akebono.

Wut lol ^

Rotors are one component of a great braking system. Oem Blank rotors are the best for heat dissapation and it really depends on the quality of the materials and design of the rotor to determine if it will heat soak less or more. If your buddy got brake fade after a couple laps with the Brembos, he doesnt have his setup right or he doesnt know how to drive, I am leaning towards the latter. A few quick lessons on entering a turn and exiting a turn can eliminate a LOT of brake fade.



Seriously +1 ^


Seems like everyone in this thread rides the brakes and thats why you get fade so easily. If the Brembos were trash for the track, Nissan wouldnt have put it on the car, it was designed to go direct from dealership to the track with no additions to the car.

With that being said, get some SS lines, better fluid, and some better pads, than try to fade out your brakes on the track, once you do that move up to a BBK, if you can.