Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Brake Kit Decisions???

I must purchase new rotors & pads for my '99 SE. For those more in the know, should I consider...
1--the BAT/Wildwood Brake Kit (standard rotors),
--does the lighter weight make that much of a difference
in performance (acceleration & braking)
--will the stock 15" SE wheels fit the 278mm rotors (use
the wheels for my dedicated winter tires)?
2--BAT's Big Brake Kit 'B' or 'C'?,
3--upgrade solely to the Mintex A/F or Mintex 1144 pads?
4--any other suggestions????
I use my car 50% of the time for work (inner city & highway driving). I also autocross once or twice a summer. I wish to improve the brake performance, but don't have excess dollars to play with. I'll also be purchasing different wheels (16" or 17"...haven't decided) in the spring.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Here's my take:

1-Nice..but expensive. Anytime you can reduce unsprung weight, its a good thing. $459 if you have the larger 278mm rotors.
2-A-Cross drilled offers no appreciable gains in street/spirited/ameteur track use. $479...way too much.
2-B-Blank rotors are better...you're getting 18mm more swept area and some nice pads. But is that worth $349?
3-Mintex AFs aren't that much better than stock, and dust more. 1144s are supposed to be the sh*t...no experience with them.
4-Yes..here's what I would do:

Get a quality set of rotors (I suggest NAPA, but Stazi is also a quality source). Make sure your calipers are clean and operational. Drain and replace your brake fluid with some quality synthetic. Replace brake lines with SS. Get quality pads (1144s, EBC, Hawk, etc...).

So........
Rotors - $50 each (as I recall for the 260mm)
Brake fluid - $20
SS lines - $49
Pads - $75-100

So by optimizing your system...total price is no more than $275 with superior pedal feel, low fade, and shorter stopping distance.

My $.02

Many thanks, mcgainer, for your input. Your ideas make sense, and at the right price, too!!!! Again, thanks for the help.

For what it's worth, if you go that route, I suggest ordering from Stazi. I just ordered a full set of 4 rotors and pads all around and it cost less than $250 shipped to me. The pads are Bendix titaniums, and full faced rotors. Stazi runs these pads himself and says he loves them, so I'm taking his word that they're good, plus for the price, you can't argue. Shipping to you may be a bit more, as I'm in the same state as Stazi, but you should still come out for less or at most about the same as what mcgainer figured for prices. Just my .02 for what it's worth.
* EDIT *Just noticed mcgainer figured in SS lines and such as well, so obviously the price goes up some, but that's also for all 4 wheels if you have 4 wheel disc. Also noticed you're in Rockford, so shipping should be close to the same.

I'll be going over the E side this month and I can pick up Stazi's kit which is what I have as well and really like. You can get the entire deal for $220 I think.

Originally posted by mcgainer:

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Here's my take:

1-Nice..but expensive. Anytime you can reduce unsprung weight, its a good thing. $459 if you have the larger 278mm rotors.

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Umm, the calipers don't spin so unsprung weight is moot. Weight reduction in general is good but not going to make to much difference unless you went crazy.

You will need bigger wheel. Stock SVT 16" don't fit with out spacers. Most 17's clear.

ATE Super blue fluid is about $15 a can and you can do the whole system a couple times on one can.

SS brake lines would also be a good idea.

My suggestion would be to get bigger rims and just upgrade to SVTC brakets, rotors, and a high quality pad. Unless you are on the track, you won't see the gains in daily driving.

-Andy

Originally posted by ANDYW:

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Originally posted by mcgainer:

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Here's my take:

1-Nice..but expensive. Anytime you can reduce unsprung weight, its a good thing. $459 if you have the larger 278mm rotors.

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Umm, the calipers don't spin so unsprung weight is moot. Weight reduction in general is good but not going to make to much difference unless you went crazy.


My suggestion would be to get bigger rims and just upgrade to SVTC brakets, rotors, and a high quality pad. Unless you are on the track, you won't see the gains in daily driving.

-Andy

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If you look at #4...you'll see what I was sugesting. I was just saying that the loss of unsprung weight is always nice...not a god-send. My total brake upgrade suggestion to him was max $275. How is your suggestion any cheaper? Or better?

It's not unsprung weight. The caliper doesn't move. I wasn't arguing with anythhing other than that. The weight loss would be nice but not as much of a benefit as if you were loosing that much unsprung weight.

The rest was my opinion which pretty much agrees with you. That is why I put a break in there!

-Andy

You're confused about what unsprung weight is. It doesn't matter whether it spins or not, the fact that it's a mass that is not supported by the spring but which will have an effect on the suspension movement due to inertia is what matters. You want to keep unsprung weight as low as possible. 5 lbs added to a caliper will have the same effect on UNSPRUNG weight as 5 lbs added to a rotor, as long as the car is moving at a constant speed. You're thinking of ROTATING MASS which is also a killer and 5 lbs added to a rotor is 5 lbs of rotating mass which will hurt acceleration more than 5 lbs added to the caliper.

Unsprung weight affects suspension operation. Rotating mass affects acceleration.

Well, you could consider the benefits of both. Reduction in rotating mass as well as unsprung weight. And do it with larger rotors, four piston caliper, get the hoses etc. all in one.
And if you purhcase by the end of month, get the free upgrade to the Performance Rotors (high on the bling factor) for those who are more interested in quality looks than all out track use. All for less than a Grand it makes sense to consider.