I would like your input as to the ultimate BBK with weight savings in mind, first and foremost. Definitely want to lighten up the rotor (probably means 2 piece), as it will reduce rotational mass. The Caliper must weigh the same or less than stock 4th calipers. When I say BBK, I mean everything from Rotors, pads, lines etc etc.

Upon a search, this is the only thread that came up that was worthy. I used “lightweight” as my key word. I like how the respective weights are shown; 15.8 lbs were shaved!! Nice, not too shabby at all!! Anything better currently out there?

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ht=lightweight

However, in the “Show off your BBK” thread, it was noted by Chunger that he prefers his AP racing BBK over the Wilwood for several reasons. I haven’t eliminated the Wilwoods, but I’m taking what he said into consideration.

What I want:
Less weight
Better stopping power
Little or no maintenance
Reliability
Did I mention less weight?

What I don’t want:
Brake bias
Pads that overhang the rotor and squeal like a pig/grind
Excessive brake dust


So, in your opinion, what’s the best and lightest BBK out there for the 4th gen Max??

For what it’s worth, I have ABS. I’m also supercharged.
I have 17” Centerline rims (only 14.1 lb each)
(I’ll take a measurement tonight from the spoke to the rotor and report back)

 

I think eventually I'll be going for an aluminum Z32 + Blehmco 2k4 Maxima 2pc rotor combo, 4th gen stock rotors are ~15lbs, regular 2k4 12.6" Maxima rotors are ~20lbs and IIRC the 2pc direct replacement 2k4s are ~14lbs.

FWIW... seems like you're looking for a "true" BBK though i.e. something tailor-fit to the Maxima. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread as when I get the $$ I'll be looking for the same type of thing.

 

well you didnt mention price. if price isnt an issue then i believe the ksport BBK would be a nice choice for you. it comes with 2 piece light weight rotors and 8 piston calipers. you can get both front and back kit which will come out to a bit over 3 grand.

on the less extreme side, i think z32 30mm + 13" 2 piece cobra rotors upfront and 350z rear rotors and calipers would be an affordable bbk with great performance.

 

IIRC, those Ksport rotors really were pretty heavy for 2pc rotors - alot heavier than my 2pc'ers.....

 

300ZX aluminum 4 piston calipers and two piece Project Mu 300ZX rotors is the lightest I can think of. But I wouldn't call it a BBK, just a way to save on some weight and have some better brake pad choices. The aluminum calipers weigh 6.6 pounds a piece with the hardware and bolt to the hub. I've yet to weigh the stock calipers and stock bracket but I will post when I do so.

Not so sure on the Mu rotor weight but surely it's less than a stock 4th gen rotor, but at $600~$700 per pair there are cheaper two piece rotors out there.

 

You are on crack if you think the KSport brake kit is any good. It's some random Taiwanese crap. They are not serious brakes.

If all one cares about is a lightweight brake kit, go with a Wilwood setup. Choose the lightest calipers they offer, and specify the lightest rotor option. It will be much better than stock, but probably won't hold up at the track due to limited heat capacity. (Real track, not that auto-x parking lot crap)

 

IMHO, if you want the very best performing bbk, you need the rear bbk. But that greatly increases the costs. IMHO, I'd much rather have let's say my cobra bbk with either the 1pc or 2 pc rotors and Matt's rear bbk vs just a front bbk from let's say AP. The AP stuff is quality, no doubt. But there they don't offer a rear bbk that I think is necessary for top performance.

 

+1, stock rear brakes blow...

I'd also have to agree with this, it really doesn't seem like they're good brakes, they just want to make money, and as such make "bbks" with "8-piston" calipers and "2-piece" rotors for a better price than kits with similar features, but ignoring the rest of the package. Good brakes take a LOT of engineering and are priced accordingly. I personally wouldn't put 'em on my car unless they were free. And even then, they look kind of ghey.

 

Great info so far guys. Keep it coming!

Anyone have any weights of rotors/calipers they would like to share? ie Jeff92se

I should have prefaced that money is not a concern, just looking for the best kit/combo out there. I don't want to do this twice and waste money.

I also should have prefaced that I ideally would like a full brake kit....front and rear.

Thanks.

 

if i had the money to purchase a complete aftermarket kit, id go AP racing or brembo

 

Yeah really. Money no object, AP's kit is pretty nice.

 

yea...... only reason i mentioned Ksport initially is cuz they offer a rear BBK. i would never own a set just becuase at the minimum, they look like ****

 

IIRC, when I asked Cattman about Brembo bbk a while ago, I remember I wasn't impressed with the weight of the kit, much heavier than stock. Unfortunately, I don't remember the weights. I'll find out again.

Anyone here with AP's know the weights of their rotors/calipers?

Just throwing this out there....how about AP racing's kit up front and Matt's kit in the rear. Good combo?

 

i spoke to matt few days ago and he said he doesnt produce the hardware for rear z32 bbk anymore nor does he have any free time. if thats what u are looking for then u are prolly out of luck. check the 6th gen forum, there is a guy doing 350z rear bbk with calipers & rotors

 

Yes, I've read that Matt is extremely busy. I was hoping that it was short term. If it's going to be a while, or indefinite, then I'll look into what you mentioned. This guy in the 6th gen forum, is his kit equivalent to what Matt offered/the same?

 

no... its pretty much a bolt on. the benefits are a thicker rotor and a bigger piston ! http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=523336

 

Where did you get that information from? If I recall correctly the 4th and 5th gen maximas do no have a drum style ebrake like the 6th gens and 350Z's so how would it be a bolt on? How would he use his ebrake?

 

correct. the 350z setup will only work with 6th gens, not 4th/5th.

 

I was at a 12-hour SCCA enduro race last weekend. The gen-2 RX-7 in improved touring stock class, running STOCK BRAKES (except pads and lines) did just fine.....

Most brakes will hold up fine to the most punishing conditions anyone here can put on them. Maximus_95, you're just a moron who doesn't know what he's talking about.

Too bad you're on vacation

 

well i was talking about a bolt on for the 6th gen. i didnt pay much attention into the detail within that thread cuz i wasnt interested in a rear BBK. but it appears that its the same story as rear z32 bbk

 

I got my brakes to fade today.

 

and do you blame it on your brakes themselves, or the pads, or the fluid you use?

Even with my stock brakes, they were almost impossible to get them to fade using Hawk HPS pads and ATE blue fluid. The setup I have now...yeah right.....fade is a thing of the past.

 

Pads and fluid are part of the braking system last time I checked.

But yeah, I'm using OEM pads. They **** me off even when at normal operating temperature when I hit the brakes at 75. I need teh mad feel and modulation upgrades y0.

 

pads are the single best improvement you can make. The OEM pads for the maxima are total junk...worst I've ever had on a car (including my 27-year-old Triumph GT6).

 

Well aware of that. I'd have HPSs on there already, but I was in a huge rush last time I had the brakes done.

 

Yeah when you do that thing you like to do..... what I like to call PARKING LOT RACING

Try doing road racing and get back to me. My rotors are cracked, grooved and what not. SS lines, Motul fluid and Hawk HPS pads ALL around with OEM blank rotors.

Stock size brakes are garbage if you make any kind of good power and get down the track at high speeds- and have to stop many many times over and over again.

 

Stock brakes do not cut it even with a pretty decent pad on all 4 corners (like an HP+ in front and HPS in back for instance) and brand new 550* dry BP fluid throughout the system out on a road course. My car wasn't even fast back when I had that setup - all I had were GC coilovers, Y-pipe, and T1-S tires and the car was lighter than most 4th gens - lastly the track wasn't even a fast track. 1.88 miles and I'd hit a maximum of about 100mph on the front and back straight before diving into a 90* corner at the end of each. About 3 laps in I'd have to start braking earlier than I'd otherwise have wanted to and I'd end up going 8/10ths the rest of the session. I dropped that setup with a quickness after that track day.

 

you more than likely didnt bed your brakes in the right way and thats why fade is an issue for you right now. did u smell any smoke ?

 

thread has been derailed already.....

 

...

They're stock brakes. They've been on for about 15k miles. I drive my car HARD down mountain roads. It's going to happen no matter how you bed them in.

 

In HAWKs defence I will say they are excellent "sport" pad. By saying this its ok for spirited driving like autoX or some mountain road carving. High speed highway stops and what not should not be any issue. I thought my brakes where great till bout 5 min on the track, after that I was limited to bout 7/10ths driving.

Hopefully I can go ahead and get some more track time this summer, with a LSD and BABK

 

Don't get too hung up on the caliper weight... The Stillen AP calipers are about 2.6kg each but it's the rotor weight you want to keep down if you are really worried about acceleration being affected. In that case get the 2 piece rotors with aluminum hats. In general heavier calipers flex less and give you a better pedal feel (AP vs. Wilwoods in my experience).

IMO getting the rears to work more with Matt's kit would probably be good but I haven't gotten them so I can't speak from experience.

 

Mike, GTFO with the condecending attitude already

1. You are not "road racing," you are hot lapping and doing time trials. There is a difference. BTW, IIRC you've done quite a bit of "parking lot racing" too, so what exactly are you trying to say?

2. FTL..... assumptions that I haven't had plenty of time on road course circuits....just not necessarily in the maxima. When I refer to brake usage, I am not talking about autocross, where braking is limited. Autocross is just what I do because I don't feel like thrashing the maxima up at Summit or VIR....since it has alot of miles and is my daily driver.

Perhaps I should bring up brake usage in rally racing, since I've participated in one of those before.....brake usage is considerably more than at any road course, that's for sure, lol. And my Lancia on stock brakes (with street pads) did just fine...a car just as heavy as a maxima, and with just as puny stock brakes.

3. Like I said, I was crewing for a 12-hour enduro race last weekend where alot of the cars (by rule) were running stock rotors/calipers, and doing just fine for...oh....ABOUT 12 HOURS of hard driving..... Of course they're going to get beat up...but in real road racing, alot of parts of the car get beat up. If you're going to run road courses, you should already be expecting to ruin a set of tires and a set of rotors. That's a given. Good thing is that rotors are cheap and expendable...so who cares?

4. You're the only one here talking about hot lapping. Everyone else is talking about a good street setup. The OP doesn't say anything at all about track use. He seems to be asking about a lightweight street setup....and the Maxima stock brakes or a 6th gen setup are "ok" for street use with good pads. I'm not saying they're great....but they're "ok" for someone who is just driving to work and back. I fully agree that our stock brakes are not sufficient for long-term road racing. But few stock parts of a Maxima are, right?

Few people actually track their maximas. And few people (if any) need a $2K+ brake kit for a Maxima.

Uh...yeah. Hence the "S" at the end of "HPS"

The HP+ is a great track pad, which is why most club racers use it.....the HPS doesn't have the heat capacity for hot lapping, though...no doubt.

Hawk also makes plenty of race compound pads for the more hardcore racers (which doesn't include YOU or ME)....

 

Alright Alright, I guess you don't get the parking lot racing jokes.... sorry if I offended you in any way Josh.

My take is, if you do not do hot lapping (happy Josh :P?) at very high speed and your car doesn't see any track- WHY DO YOU NEED BIG BRAKES ?

I have never found the limit of my brakes at ANY autoX (parking lot racing HAHAHA :P) or street. This is with just HPS Hawks (I know they make other ones, but try using those on the street !) and cheap 19 dollars each Napa rotors. If I can't find the limit with lots of high speed braking, and what not.... I doubt anyone else can. I drive my car like I intended it to be, I need a practical sports car and for various reasons I can't have a real one (and thats nothing to do with $$$) so I made my Maxie into one.

Josh I never said you have never been on a track or anything remotely close to it- just making fun of parking lot racing :P. But trust me, take a Maxima on the road course..... you will forget about your fears of stuff breaking down.

My car has 174K miles on it, it runs and feels better than any Maxima I've ever driven- and I have driven pretty much anything but a turbo Maxima, which I can care less about. I care about handling and what not.

Bottom line is, if you are concerned about weight- STAY WITH STOCK BRAKES ! Unless you need bling bling... there is absolutely NO reason to change them out. Stockers are light, they stop good with good pads- if you start hot lapping, thats when you will finally find the stock rotors limits.

<back to lurk mode>

 

lol I love arguing with you Mike Especially when I had a crappy day at work and am in a bad mood, lol.

Trust me, I'd rather be running at Summit Point every weekend...it's less than an hour drive and I know the head inspector there.

Unfortunately, between the cost of running, the wear on my daily driver, and house-hunting I can't justify it. I haven't even run an autocross this season yet

I do need to get out to Summit and smoke Cutler's miata one of these days though.

I agree about the lack of need for big brakes. that's why I like the z32 setup - it's pretty inexpensive and saves weight because of the light calipers. The 2pc rotors were really a gratuitous add-on on my part - I just wanted to have them because few people do

For street drivers, stock brakes are fine. the 6th gen brakes are a nice stopping upgrade, but they are heavy (which is why I got rid of them). The z32 setup is a combination of awesome braking and really nice looks behind my 18's (yeah, sometimes I like a little bling too)

 

I did find the limit of the brakes at an autocross last season. first event with the z32 setup. they don't work very well when not completely bled

 

People think that the Z32 brakes save weight but alot of times they are misinformed and purchase the iron calipers - which are stronger and don't have as much flex.... but are much heavier.

Reason I don't like the A34/Z32 setup is weight, yes the calipers when aluminum are much much lighter- BUT thats just curb weight diff, its not added rotational mass. Where the A34 rotors add like 10lbs over the stockers- and that is rotational mass. I doubt anyone would feel the "weight" of the iron TTZ calipers, yet I could tell you the A34 rotors weight a ton.

So to make this more understandable, in English- heavier rotors = more power needed to spin the wheels, lighter calipers= lighter curb weight, yet no affect in performance.

I am going with Matts 2 piece rotors, and I also want his rear BABK too.

My car doesn't stop well when you are pushing some crazy power. By contrast my friends 20valve 4AGE MR2 would barely hit 90MPH down the straight, and he had brakes and suspension.... my car was knocking on 110MPH. Thats a pretty big diff when you think bout it.... its only like 1/4 long- the stretch.

 

I've actually considered switching to the iron calipers because the aluminums do flex, especially when hot, and have a tendancy to cause the infamous "woot woot" sound on tighter turns.

The 2pc rotors....you will feel a HUGE difference between them and OEM 6th gen rotors. About as much diff as I feel when I switch my g35 18's with my 5zigens at the track.

2pc rotors are still my most expensive single mod (except wheels) and I consider them well worth the big price tag.

 

FYI the 2k4 rotors are about 6lbs heavier than the 4th gen rotors. 15lbs vs 21lbs IIRC.

 

^^Thanks for coming back and posting. Good info.


To answer irish's question, I plan on getting into Autocross as it looks like a ton of fun, and would like some variety. I currently drag race. It's fun, but it's over before you know it. LOL

How do I know which AP calipers/rotors are compatible with the maxima? Their website isn't the most user friendly. I can't pick my Maxima and have it show me what's compatible. So, is there only one AP caliper that works with the Max? or do I have choices? (Thanks for the link Chunger) Which two piece rotors work with the Max? Also, they don't list a phone number so I can drill them with questions. All I can find is contact information for distributors. I'd rather hear the info straight from the horse's mouth.....

AP site=