Hopefully this is the right forum.

Basically looking at the big brake kit, and wanting to know which LASTS longer...I wouldn't really expect that the brembo's would last longer, even though they cost substantially more. This is not necessarily for a P-car application, just in general.

Anyone have a better brand? How's AP racing?

Any info on this is appreciated.

 

what do you mean last longer?

are you talking about in terms of reliability or pad life?

why not just stay stock then?

i'm using ap racings 6 pot

 

AP Racing (IMO) is the BEST on the market... they are run and win in major racing series like NASCAR, LeMans, Rally, ect. Not to mention come stock on the new Aston Martin, Bugotti Veyron, and more very hig end and high performance vehicles.

Great life, performance, and style!

My buddy Chris is the Brake manager for Brake-Pros, the exclusive distributor for AP, and he is the most experienced person in this respect that I know! Call him for some info if you need...
714-540-5566 x.163

 

Although I agree with you, what do you make of this? It's one of the 1st results with "Ap racing" searched. http://www.carreview.com/cat/parts/b...1_1579crx.aspx

It is an old review though..

@ Curtis, I want to use these for the track and the street, but do not want to have to change them every few miles...I want to get something that will give me that track performance (5-8 trackdays/summer) as well as a long life. Pads are replaceable, but the rotors and calipers are what I'm worried about.

 

from what I understand, when brake-pros started to dist. AP racing, they were very big with Brembo also. Then they got exclusive right to AP and started manufacturing parts for the AP kits in house. I know the quality has gone up and they are very good about warranty on parts. If pads go out witin 2500 mi., chances are they will cover that in warranty. Also, keep in mind that there are different grades of pads and everyone drives differently.

My pad recomendation for a street/track car would be the Mintex Extreme pads. They seem to be the best all around pad that I could find.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I will look into it soon.

 

I too would recommend staying within the "Top 3" brake manufactures when shopping for a Big Brake Kit.

- Brembo
- AP (actually owned by Brembo)
- Alcon

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, you just want to closely pay attention to exactly what you are getting. AP and Alcon both offer complete systems out of Europe, but the majority of the systems you see available in the US are developed and assembled by third parties.

- Request information on the caliper before you make the purchase.
How long has it been in circulation?
What is the pad shape being used and are there a good supply of pad options?
Is the caliper still in production by the manufacturer?
Can you get replacement parts if needed?

- Request information on the disc the discs that are being used, not just the calipers. Make sure they are not substituting a Brembo, AP or Alcon disc for another manufacturer’s disc. Are the discs the proper diameter and dimensions for the calipers being used?
IE: If they are using the same caliper style on a 320mm disc or a 380mm disc there is something wrong with one of the applications.

- Also, the type of connecting hardware for the rotors is important.
Is it a true floating 2pc. disc, or is it hard bolted (not floating)?
This ultimately adds the hat/bell to the list of consumable items along w/ pads and rotors.

- Ask about additional types of maintenance.
Do the calipers need to be rebuilt?
Do I need to inspect the hardware, rinse them after use, safety wire anything?
You’d be surprised with some of the recommendations for “common” maintenance you get from some of these types of suppliers

The system will only be as good as the combination of components, engineering, and hardware used. A weak link in any of those categories will be a reflection of the final product.

 

AP is totally seperate from Brembo.... just a heads up

 

I will make sure I ask all these questions and thanks for the heads-up, you've been very helpful.

Also, when you mention substitutes, etc...that would seem like the 3rd party sellers would do this. Where can I get a list of authorized dealers for each system?

 

what is the application for the brakes?

 

Street/track

 

vehicle?

 

e92 m3 in the near future. brakes are not up to par imo

 

i agree on the mintex pads.

To be honest you really can't go wrong with ap / brembo / or alcon.
they all make great brakes far beyond what most enthusiasts will ever need. That said, my allegiance is with AP

 

to answer your original question the biggest differenve between StopTech and Brembos or AP, etc is that Stop Tech custom designs their kits to be installed on street cars with the OE brake system, so the calipers are made to match the master cyclinder size, etc...and the pistons have dust seals on them for street use.

Brembo, Alcon, AP, etc are generic calipers designed for race applications. They are made to be used in custom designed braking systems that are speced out with other components by race engineers that understand how they work together as a system, considering tires, suspension, weight, tracks, drivers, etc... They are also designed to be inpsected and maintained regularly.

There are many reasons why your current braking system may not be "up to par". Caliper design is probably the last one...depending on your use, a good set of pads and rotors, some steel brake lines and decent fluid should be more than enough for street and light track use. If its a dedicated, highly modified track car then maybe a larger swept area and fixed caliper are appropriate...if propperly matced with other components. Otherwise its a lot of expense and bling that may or may not improve actual braking.

There is no reason why AP is better than Brembo or Alcon in the abstract...they are all top quality brakes. Race teams choose between them by whomever is cutting the best deal for them, not out of some measure of superiority. And, whats best on the track is not always best on your street ride...