not to rain on the parade or anything but the j30/g50 upgrade isn't much more price wise (if any) and offers much more performance wise with the only limitation being 17"+ wheels.

new beck/arnley loaded remanufactured calipers - ~$150
2004 12.6" rotors - ~$75
brackets - ~$100

seems like the much better buy to me.

 

Performance wise yes it would be. However, not everyone wants to be forced to run 17"+ wheels.

Not everyone NEEDS that much performance. Lets face it, most people here on the org dont really drive their maximas to the point to take the stock size brakes to the limit, let alone merit the bigger 6th gen brakes other than for the great looks.

Just upgrading to the 5.5gen front brakes is more than enough of a performance upgrade to surpass the needs of most people, plus the slightly bigger brakes do look better. Replacing the rotors although more expensive than A32 rotors, they are still cheaper than the A34 rotors that dont let you run anything less than 17" wheels.

Most importantly for me... For us that use slicks at the track, I can still squeeze some K1s (I believe its K1 15"s that do clear the 5.5gen brakes by a few milimeters) and still be able to use my M/Ts. That's really what sold me on these brakes

 

i would think that for us 4th genners who don't have ABS, this mod would increase the likelihood of inadvertent brake-locking

 

i'm doing this on my 3rd gen for an estimated total cost of $175. got everything but the rotors themselves, and already test fitted and it all lines up fine.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but that rotor is on backwards? I believe the fins go the other direction.

 

Thx a lot for this upgrade. For a while my brakes have really been sucky. i have a 95 and i recently did a front brake job, cheap rotors and wagner thermoquiet pads. I never bedded in the pads... in the beginning the brakes were awesome, and maybe a week or two later the pedal traveled further and i felt they didnt brake like they should. also, when we took of the pads during the last brake job, the pin was stuck and it wasnt easy to push it in... Currently im having the same problem, when i brake my wheel pulls to the left meaning either the left caliper is stuck close or the right caliper isnt closing....

With that all said, my friend from the org had done an upgrade on his 03 infiniti i35 with 6th gens and i bought his 5.5's!
I got a really good price and i am very excited to upgrade my sad brakes and not brake the bank...
I wonder how it will feel with ss lines??
Also prestone has a synthetic brake fluid? Anyone use it? any difference? i minus well drain all the brake fluid with this stuff.

 

I did this upgrade 2 days ago on my 3rd gen. Everything fit perfectly. Thanks for the writeup! I'm making a writeup specific to the 3rd genners as we speak.

I got 5k-used HPS pads with my calipers so it's gonna be a little while before they match up with the brand new rotors... so hopefully it won't take too long before i get proper grab. These things were a full 6mm thicker than my passenger side rotor! it was just 18mm thick. Scary. My neighbor lent me the drill and bit... he had the bits for his 1/2" press and then when i asked if he had a 1/2" drill he was like "no, but i have been wanting one for a while now.. so if you need one I'll go ahead and get it since I know I'll be using it alot as soon as I get one". Word.

Anyhow here's a few pics

before

after




edit: my writeup http://forums.maxima.org/3rd-generat...r-3rd-gen.html

 

This weekend I installed the gen 5.5 brakes on my Max. The old brakes were toast, and even before they were worn out, I didn't feel comfortable having the 3.5 engine with the smaller gen 4 brakes.

The difference is very apparent in my situation. The brakes are much stronger.

However, I think these brakes are TOO strong for a gen 4 using OEM sized tires and without ABS. The brakes on my car easily lock up the front wheels. I have OEM spec Michelin MXV4 tires in great condition, and they lock up easily now. My car doesn't have ABS, so I need to be mindful of this issue.
BUT, the brake feel is much better. The larger rotors and increased caliper leverage actually make the brakes FEEL very strong (until they lock) and the pedal response is very good now. Now the brakes match the 3.5 engine=too powerful for stock tires. I think when the car needs tires I will buy stickier tires that are 10-20mm wider tread than the OEM stuff I have now. Maybe then I can get traction either way.

For people with good tire/suspension setups, I think the 5.5 brakes are a very worthwhile upgrade. They are quite a bit stronger than the OEM gen 4, and the feel is much better. I am sure people who autocross could benefit from these brakes, the heat capacity (and fade resistance) of the gen 5.5 should be much better than the gen 4 parts.

 

sorry if this has been answered, but will these fit with the stock 97 se rims?

 

296mm/280mmX100 = 105.714... in other words, the rotor is less than 6% bigger and pistons are the same size. If you know anything about physics, you'll know that kinetic friction is independent of contact area. I highly doubt that if you have the skill to brake at 95% of tire grip that you're gonna have problems coping with such a small mod.

I just wouldn't do it seems like such a small change but again, it's very cheap compared with a big brake kit.

 

is there an advantage to this over the j30 upgrade? isnt the j30 a two pot caliper?

 

it's not just the 6% bigger rotor. It's also the fact that the caliper is further out from the hub, giving the brakes a slight leverage advantage in conjunction with the larger rotor. And the increased mass of the rotor improves the thermal capacity.

seeing as how a 5.5 gen brake swap only costs as much as a normal brake overhaul, it's a valuable option for someone to explore, especially if their car can cope with it. My car, not so good with the 5.5 brakes. Locks up the front wheels too easily at times.

 

In case anyone is interested, Nissan Rogue rotors are the same diameter (11.65") but larger thickness than 5.5G rotors (26mm vs 24mm). So they could be substituted in this swap to gain even more heat sink and fade resistance. Nissan Quest rotors could also likely be used, they are .25" smaller diameter (negligable) but yet again 2mm thicker than Rogue rotors (and 4mm thicker than 5.5G rotors), 28mm thick.

 

the big question i have is if the stock 16" se rims will fit with these on a 4th gen? Has anyone tried it?

 

Do you know the year Rogue that fits this? And I am assuming that this rotor will fit on a 5.5 with no problems (has anyone tried this before)?

Also, i know you have done the j30 swap before on a 4th gen....it has two piston calipers but a smaller diameter rotor. what do you think would provide better performance? rotor size, or two piston calipers?

 

that's what I am running.

 

Does anyone know if this will fit the 15" "Sawblade" rims? I'm up for a brake job, and would love an upgrade, but wheels and tires are out of the question at this point.

Also, has anyone done an upgrade using the Quest rotors (11.40"x28mm per Nealoc187)? Would this fit under 15" rims?

 

Make sure you install the calipers on the right side. Bleeding nipple goes up, not down,(air doesnt sink, who knew) 2 scary trips to a part store and repair shop with a pedal down to the floor taught me that.
basic brake logic>me
also does anybody have the weight of the difference in rotors?

 

This looks like a good mod, but im runnin 15" stock wheels. Will these rotors be too large on the 15 stock rim. Wheels lockin up is also pretty scary.

However, seems to me that if a person really didnt like the mod then they could revert to the old setup if they wanted??

 

This is a great, super cheap to DIY mod. I'll be looking in to the cost of the parts in my area, and I'll pick up that bit fairly soon. (for those interested, in Central Florida, I'm willing to help out on any mods on your Nissan/Toyota cars {I'm pretty good with 280ZX, old school Celica - 20R, 22RE - and most any of the 1.8L Toyota.} - just contact me here if interested)

 

Ok...new to 4th gen and have a question. How do you tell a 5th from a 5.5. I am going to the junk yard to get the calipers but not sure how to tell the difference between the 2 for a 2003. Is there a manufacture date or vin number to look for.

I checked rock auto and it seems like they list before 01/2003 and after 01/2003 for calipers. But there does not seem to be a difference for the rotors or pads.

Any help would be helpful.

 

5th gen are years 2000-2001. 5.5 gen is 2002-2003. The 2000 & 2001 models have the VQ30 & the 2002 & 2003 models have the VQ35. That's another way to tell the difference. You can also go by bumper/grill & taillights but that's a little harder to point out lol

 

I realize that but what is confusing to me is the change in calipers. Again rockauto is showing a caliper before and after 01/03. Does this change affect this mod?

 

Take a look at this before you settle for 11.6". ALOT cheaper too.

$200 6th gen brakes on 4th gen

 

What size wheels would you need to clear that, do you know? It doesnt delve into that, I wonder if I can get away with it on 16's

 

It can definitely work with 16's & up.

 

I am running 17"s with 1 fingers width clearance. 16"s will be close. Research 6th gen wheel options to see what fits and what hits.

 

Sounds to close for comfort for me.

 

https://maxima.org/forums/advanced-suspension-chassis-braking/684012-6gen-brakes-swap-into-4gen-fits-16s.html

 

Simply amazing piece of information. I really didnt want the 5th gen brakes, but now there is hope. Just need to find some where I can get both those front calipers so I can start the process. I wonder if the junk yard has them.