Parts:
1. calipers + torque member from a 2004 maxima through a junkyard ($50)
2. Black Zinc coated Dimpled Rotors + Hawk HPS pads via rotorpros ($149)

so a total of 200 spent..

First step is to really clean the calipers.. they were filthy!

Before:

After:


Then sand the hell out of it and mask everything off for paint:





I used enamel based spray paint (high heat as it is really meant for BBQ grills)

 

Rotors and pads get delivered:


Look at the size difference with my OEM ones!



So jack up your car, USE JACKSTANDS, take off your wheel

At this point you want to place a drip pan under the caliper and loosen the brake line bolt (12mm)

Then remove 2 bolts (14mm) that hold the caliper on, hang the caliper to the spring using rope or something similar:




Then remove 2 more bolts (19mm) holding the torque member (these are on hella tight):



Use a C-clamp and an old brake pad to push the new caliper's piston back to allow for the new pads to sit.

Now, connect the brake line to the new caliper and hang that one by the spring.
Place the rotor on. NOTE: some rotors are directional and have curved vanes, follow the instructions!



Put on the new torque member (with those two 19mm bolts). I applied some loctite here for a secure hold.

Put in the new brake pads, apply the special anti-squeal stuff.

 

Put the caliper on using the two 14mm bolts.



Now you need to bleed the brakes, so pick up some Dot 3 brake fluid, and have a friend help. If you don't know how to bleed, the person outside of the car opens the bleeder to allow fluid to escape while the person in the car pumps and holds the brake to provide pressure. Keep bleeding until you don't see any air in the line. It helps to use a tube into a water bottle filled w. some brake fluid so you can see the air bubbles come up. Remember to keep topping off the fluid so you don't start drawing air in. It's also a good idea to bleed a whole bunch of that nasty old fluid out..




So here are some size comparisons (remember my car is 2000 so the rotors were smaller than 5.5gens')

Caliper (04 on left, 00 on right):


(04 on right, 00 on left)


Pad size (newer ones on bottom obviously):

 

And the best before and after lol:




Also notice my old rotor on the ground there, on the backside there is a very THIN strip where the pad was making actual contact.. I couldn't believe how crappily the stock setup was working.

 

niceeeee

 

wow nice write up thanks

 

wow awsome write up and pics... thats what makes this site great..nice work!!

 

nice, might want to look into this.

 

I need the caliper brackets I have everything else if you could source these for me I could pay you even if you have to get the calipers and all or if you know a place I could get them I dont have many junkyards near me thanks. My front rotors are totally destroyed and I need these bad and I dont want to just replace the factory rotors.

 

What is the torque member? Is that the bracket or bolt?

 

Pretty much did the same thing... All bolted on with no problems

The old setup, all stock


Stock rotor, against new rotor


New setup installed

 

A definitive write up, a $200 BBK set up. I'm sold. Excellent stuff.

 

Just in time planed on doing this soon. Thanks

 

Its should still just clear the stock 17"s correct?

 

it will NOT clear the 00-01 stock 17's but will clear the 02-03 stock 17's

 

nice write up - looks great!

 

oh snap!! heck yeah, this would be an awesome upgrade for 4th gens assuming this would work the same way the 5.5 gen brakes worked on 4th gens.

 

SWEET!

 

do you guys know if it will clear the 2000 16 inch rims?

 

Will NOT

 

good write up... and pics all, I have been tryin to do this mod since spring but cant get the funds, I want the rotors with the center hub area coated black "oem style". I cant find a pair of them for the price you got those black zinc ones.

 

nice write up!

 

send an email to rotorpros@yahoo.com

also mine are black zinc coated and after you drive them, the area where the pad makes contact becomes metal (silver) so only the hub area (and where inner spokes are) is left black

 

Nice job.

Friendly tip: rotate the pictures into the correct orientation prior to uploading. So that viewers of your thread don't have to **** their head to the left/right to properly view the pics.

 

Just emailed them. Now on to find the calipers and brackets.

 

Anyone have pics of these behind 02-03 stock alloys?

 

d*mn that sucks...

 

Thanks again. godlyone.

 

very nice job and A+ on the writeup!

 

does anyone know if these will clear the G35 17s?. Thanks!

 

not stock, but 17s nonetheless..



and for those who dont have these brakes, they are a must, the stock brakes on 5.5 gens SUCK!

 

Great DIY and write up!

 

Me = fail @ taking pictarz



This was when I had a lift kit:


Stoopid camera phone:

 

they can fit with the 00-01 wheels with some spacers...as i was told

 

18's-19's look better on the maxima's anyways

You should try to upgrade the wheels too!! Even if its just bigger oem wheels

 

Nice Upgrade and nicely done +1

 

anybody know if that BBK would work with the stock non sport model I35 17" wheels?

 

nice! i might try this

 

I did this to my car this weekend. When all was said and done, I spent ~$300 on this upgrade.

Calipers/torque members: $70 shipped
Rotorpros zinc coated rotors and Hawk HPS pads: $189 shipped (not sure how the OP got them so cheap)
G2 Caliper Paint kit: $40

Overall i'm very happy with the looks/performance. I wish I could give an honest opinion of the upgrade itself, but my old setup was beyond warn out and so I'm thankful to have a 100% brake system now. However, I can tell quite a difference in the Hawk pads, it may be because there is ALOT more surface area on 6th gen pads than there is on 5.5's.

Also, if you plan on doing the G2 kit, I recommend you have the calipers already sanded down, installed on the car, and the brake lines already hooked up and bled. I painted mine off the car and during install scraped them up a bit. Also, during the brake line install, they got a little messy. Luckily, the paint hadn't hardened yet so i put a quick coat on them. Overall, very happy with the results.

Something else I tried that was new to me was a "1-man" brake bleeding. Stick a hose on the nipple, put the other end in a bottle with about an inch of fluid in it, set the bottle physically above the nipple. Fill up the reservoir and leave the cap off. Open up the nipple, you'll see fluid going up the tube into the bottle. Go into the car and pump the brake slowly. It took 1 pump to bleed my brakes. You heard right...1 pump. Tighten the nipple, fill the reservoir up again, and do the other side. I will never bleed my brakes any other way, I couldnt believe how simple this was. I saw an actual kit for doing this at Auto Zone for $8. It cost me $0.18 ($.09/foot) for the hose and a 20 oz. pepsi. Very cost effective.

I hope this helps some of you guys in the future.

-R

 

i just got everything off a 2006 maxima in a junk yard that had 2500 miles on it. i paid a total of $125 for everything, bout what i was about to spend for only pads all the way around.

also guys with 4rth gens will need to drill out the hole where the torque arm bolts through. i helped a buddy of mine put an 04 max set up on his 97. best upgrade i have done brake wise, and i have had 4 different set ups.