Folks:

I want to upgrade the front brakes on my car to the 2004 rotors and pads. I have a few questions:

1. Can I reuse the original 2002 hoses?
2. Based on what I've read, I shouldn't have any fitment issues with the 2002 SE OEM rim, correct?
3. What is the weight difference between the OEM 2K2 rotor and the 2K4 rotor - do I even need to be concerned with this?

Thanks in advance.

Andrew

 

Yes, they won't fit. If I am not mistaken, you will need to upgrade to 6th gen calipers in order to run the rotors/pads...you can't simply put them in since 6th gen rotors are +1" larger in diameter. The 5th gen has en OEM caliper bracket for this, so I guess it's we have you you...

 

Yes, you need the calipers as well, the 04 rotors are pigs, heavy as hell, not sure the weight diff, but it's significant.

 

the 04/05 rotors are like 21-22 lbs. the stock 00-03 rotors are about 15 lbs. im assuming your gettin the calipers as well.. the hoses will fit.. and yes the 02-03 SE wheel will fit.. i have pics on my page..

 

do you guys prefer the 6th gen caliper over the Z32 30mm caliper? how's one perform different than the other?

 

I think the idea to keep the 6g calipers in this application is to retain the ability to keep the OEM wheels. But, in asnwer to your ? I don't know how the performance difference is.

 

Yes, sorry about that - I did mean to replace both the calipers and the rotors. I am not sure how much of an impact there would be to acceleration by using the heavier 6th Gen rotors but this is a concern for me. Does anyone know of a high quality yet inexpensive x-drilled 6th gen rotor which might do the trick of lightening the weight of the rotor?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I'll be using this with aftermarket 18's in the summer and OEM 17" SE 2k2 rims in the winter.

 

to tell you the truth.. i did feel that the front end was a bit heavier.. you can jus tell.. but youll get used to it.. you have an 02.. so acceleration shouldnt be too bad.

 

Can anyone recommend to me a set of lighter weight 2004/2005 rotors? They could be x-drilled or slotted . . . Thanks!

 

ABS -

You're going about this all wrong.

You're talking about a total of ten pounds difference between 2k2 and 2k4 rotors. You've probably got 10 lbs. of crap in your car that you could ditch instead!!!

Seriously, it's NOT going to make a difference in acceleration.

Here's the BIG DIFFERENCE:

More weight = more Iron. More IRON means great capacity to displace HEAT.
Less heat = better braking efficiency.
Frankly, this is EXACTLY what you NEED to do to haul these big-*** vehicles down from speed!!

This is one of the reasons the 5.5's constantly "warp" rotors: the car is too big for the braking capacity ( thermal ) on the car.

The more Iron/steel on the brakes the more efficient your brakes will be, and the longer they will last.
Do the research, seriously -- you WANT more weight in the rotors, and unless you're auto-crossing, why be worried about a few extra pounds?????

**If you buy all these parts, let us know what you paid -- I'm curious about this. I SHOULD'VE done this mod, instead of just the Frozen/OEM -- i think the cost is relatively comparable if you can get a cheap source for parts.

gr

 

Adding 10lbs of rotating mass is equal to adding about 80lbs or more of weight inside the car.

 

By example, there is a huge difference in performance (handling/braking/acceleration) in my Maxima when running OEM 17" rims and heavy snow tires in the winter vs. OZ Superleggara rims and light weight performance summer tires (Falken GRB FK451) . . . Yes, I want better braking but I'd like to avoid the performance hit in other areas by increasing the rotating mass at each front corner. Since the 6th gen calipers are larger I know they will be heavier, but I'm not even thinking about that yet. My biggest concern is the additional 7-8lbs per side from the rotor. I'm guessing that a x-drilled rotor would be somewhat lighter but I'm not sure how much this would help.

My other option is just to keep my existing rotors and pick up some Porterfield R4S or Carbotech Bobcat high performance pads. I've been running the Porterfields and they really do make a huge difference versus the OEM pad. But, I am still looking for something better. When there is a lot of weight in the car I really feel like I need better brakes.

Unfortunately, I have to make decision today. The Porterfields don't come with wear sensors and I inadvertantly ran them down to the metal. I can see some very mild scraping damage on one rotor already and I won't drive the car until this is resolved. One way or the other I need to order some stuff tomorrow.

Any help/recommendations/advice would be appreciated.

 

Hey dizmax96, how did you get this brake upgrade to fit the 02-03. I am assuming you used Matt Blehms relocation kit, and he specifically states on his website it is strictly for the 00-01 models. Sorry but I cant access your homepage to see the pics.

 

Timothy ... It bolts directly on there using 04-05 rotors/calipers.

Matts brackets wont work for the 02+ because the rotors are slightly larger than the 00-01 so therefore things just don't line up.

 

yeah everything bolts up.

 

Right on, my bad I wasn't aware you were using the 04 calipers too. Thanks for the info!