What direction is the bridge on the Stoptech caliper supposed to face? I think I put mine backwards but I have seen photos with them facing up and down.

This is Jeff@Performance's caliper

 

This is stoptech's pic in the instructions.

 

The worse part was it came out of the box in one direction but the instructions refer it to a different one!?!

The mechanic that installed it for me, did it according to the installation instructions..

--mike

 

Yeah that is why I am confused. Does it even matter?

 

My brakes seem to be fine...

 

Yes it matters, but more on the track. Just look at it and think, where's the air coming from and what's the best way to direct it towards the rotor. Basically the hole should face towards the front of the car.
As the Stoptech instructions state: "Note: The bridge is directional and the air-scoop detail should face up on the 350 Z kit."

 

Pic for reference.

 

This is the proper direction for the air scoop, but the reason for it to point this way is not to get air into the rotor, but to get air out.

Air flows from the center of the rotor towards the outside, so this scoop on the bridge is there to help the air escape. If you look at the direction of the rotor vanes, you'll see that they angle towards the top of the car at the forward-facing edge of the rotor. Looking at the underside of the bridge reveals a cutout that allows air to come up off of the rotor (out of the vanes and into the bridge when the wheel is moving forward,) and the directional cutout on the outside of the bridge 'knifes' this air out of the brake assembly.

This is a rough paraphrase of what Stoptech told me when I had the same question.

Gary

 

hmmmm, good point. Didn't think of it that way.
That's what you get when you assume
Brake cooling packages do point the air at the inner portion and it has to go somewhere.

 

Looks like I did have them on correctly. Thanks for the help!