ottacat

Hey collective wisdom:

My car is used as both a weekend fun car and a track car. It is a 2008 with non-Brembo brakes. I'm now getting fast enough that I'm eating brake pads like crazy. I'm moving up to EBC Bluestuffs but I know I'll still go through them quickly.

My main issue is I can't go to full track pads such as HP+ due to making the car very unpleasant to drive on the street.

When discussing upgrading to a BBK with friends who are quite knowledgeable they strongly cautioned that because I'm not a mechanic and that my car is a road and track car to make sure any BBK I look at has dust boots for the pistons. Others have said that a good set of Wilwoods can go just fine without dust boots as long as they are cleaned properly when the pads are changed.

So, are dust boots really a must have?

What about other options such as picking up a used set of Brembo's and installing brake ducts?

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Dust boots are exactly what their description says: they keep brake dust and dirt away from the inner seals as the brake piston moves down the bore. They are a must have if you plan to keep your brakes (and car) properly maintained over time. I've used Wilwoods and other monoblock type calipers over the years and it's way easier to replace and adjust them with dust boots.

The answer to your knowledgeable friends is to join them and start learning more about how to work on your own car. Brakes are a good place to start to get your hands dirty. And yes, if you intend to continue tracking your Z, a good set of used Brembos and some brake ducts are a good idea. Plenty of threads on here about both topics.

dcains

iTrader: (15)

I've got Wilwood's on one of my Alfa Spider's, and when I received them I was surprised to see the lack of dust boots. It's not a track car, only driven a few thousand (if that) miles per year, and I haven't had any problems in almost 10 years. Small data point, but that's all I've got.

i8acobra

iTrader: (6)

PM Terrasmak. he's got Wilwoods.

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

No dustboots , daily drove my car for years. Here is the thing, different areas , different corrosion. Last Vegas , I am pretty safe , and the car hardly ever saw rain.

ottacat

Good point, I'm up in Canada and the car certainly will see rain. No snow though, she gets stored by end of October each year and doesn't come out until after the salt is well gone.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Somehow this thread has taken the assumption that the OP has Wilwoods or is going to get them. Rereading his original post, it seems he has the OEM Z brakes, which do require a dust boot. But more than that, he's using up brake pads (and likely rotors) fast, which can happen with the standard Z brake package. I stand by my original suggestion to go to a good set of used Brembos for a cost-effective upgrade. Furthermore, brakes are a good area to take on for the a first project, and will save both time and money to DIY (with maybe some local help from his friends).

ottacat

This is correct, I have the standard brake package and am eating pads and rotors on track and need a solution. In looking at solutions, I found BBK's such as Wilwood's typically do not have dust boots and was advised that given it is a road and track car and only serviced when the pads are changed to stay away from them in favour of ones with dust boots. My garage is a woodworking shop and my laneway is on a slope so servicing at home between brake pad changes is a challenge.

My first step will be to install brake ducts with the standard brakes and EBC Bluestuff pads (a step up from my current EBC Yellowstuffs) and see what kind of wear rate I get. If it is still too high, then I'll be upgrading the rotors. Going to used Brembo's is one option. However I do have hesitations in spending 1K CDN on just calipers which are 10+ years old (I will also need new rotors and pads). Thus I've been looking at kits such as the Wilwood's as another potential option. While these are more expensive they are new and often include rotors and pads. However this in turn raised the issue of dust boots and which BBK's have them and which don't and how necessary they really are.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

If you are tracking, don't waste any more time and money trying to fix your standard Z brake package. It's simply not going to be enough, unless you go back to simple street driving. Research a BBK of your choice and make sure the Nissan brake master is adequate for its use.

guitman32

iTrader: (15)

You will find that toeing the line of street and track performance becomes more and more difficult with the more experience you get. You need better pads irrespective of caliper choice, that is the bottom line.

HP+ are not really a full track pad and wont offer you full session performance and give you the longevity you desire. Especially not on a heavy platform like ours. Though from the sound of it you probably arent on that sticky of a tire (yet )

You should look into the DTC 70 or Blues. Better yet PFC or Pagid. Centric high carbon blank rotors are just fine.

I bet the OEM Brembos will be just fine for you, and if you can find a used BBK, even better (remember if you plan to TT or whatever it may affect your classification).

Whether or not to run dust boots should be the least of your concerns. I stopped replacing mine after realizing they get cooked quite quickly on track with sticky tires and hi temp pads, even with titanium shims. I also had a daily driven g35 w/Brembos with no boots for some miles with no issues when I tore them down for service.

Go for it!

ottacat

Thanks all for your input, my 3 big lessons are:

1. Learn to change my own brake pads and clean the calipers myself as I'm going to be doing this a fair amount.

2. Pad choice is just as critical as caliper type / size but proper choices for both are necessary.

3. Dust boots are a benefit but may not stand up well to high temps while tracking

iideadeyeii

iTrader: (6)

Just run dual factory calipers front/rear. Very cheap and easy to do