Originally posted by warmonger:
Todd I'm wavering.

What benefit will I get with just bigger rotors with a stock caliper (As in FSVT setup) versus a full brake kit from you?
I understand lighter is better but how much better are the rotors in performance to justify the cost?
What about replacement parts and will I loose my pants on the first brake job?
On the other hand I'm tired of smoking out a set of brakes/rotors because I can go so darn fast and then I have to brake really fast too....



Going to a larger diameter rotor with a stock calipers will get you two things.
1. Some increase in stopping power for a given pedal pressure. note that it won't stop much quicker than the stock setup on the same tires and pads, maybe just a little because of the initial buildup being quicker. It will feel like it stops harder though, because it will take less pedal pressure to get the same braking.

2. Improved fade resistance. The larger diameter rotor has more more mass, and therefore can absorb more energy before overheating the pads than the stock rotor.


Now, Todd's setup will improve a few other things.
1. Increase in stopping power. Same idea here, only a little more so. Plus there is a wide selection of high performance pads for the Calipers that Todd uses.

2. Improved fade resistance. Again, more mass where it counts than the stocker, but couple that with a multi-piston caliper, where less heat reaches the fluid, combined with a rotor designed for better cooling and higher performance pads, and fade becomes virtually non-existant.

3. Less rotor "warpage". Most "warped" rotors are just worn unevenly from minor off-brake dragging against a pad. Fixed calipers are much better at fighting this than the stock floating type of caliper. Pistons on both sides retract when the pedal is released, allowing both pads to move away from the rotor. The result is that the driver gets less pedal pulsation than they would w/ the standard caliper.

4. Less Taper wear. most performance brake setups take extra special measures to combat uneven pad wear. Todd's setup uses calipers with staggered piston sizes, which ensure the pads wear nice and evenly.

5. Improved pedal feel. A proper fixed caliper will be much more stiff than your typical floating caliper. The result is less pedal travel eaten up by compensating for deflection in the system. A good analogy is that the stock caliper is like the stock rubber brake hoses, and the fixed caliper is like stainless steel braided hoses.

6. And of course, there is always something to be said for "bling factor"

Balance is the Key. rarasvt@comcast.net