I am running stock front brakes, with the exception of steel-braided front lines and Porterfield R4S pads. I am upgrading the fronts with Stop Tech's 13" 2-piece rotor - 4 pot system. Any of you have any problems with Stop Tech equipment?
Front Brake Upgrade For '04 Terminator
- Thread starter 99 KOBRA
- Start date
I have that kit.
The kit has worked well for me. I got an extemely good deal on the kit which helped me make my decision. I would have to say unless your getting one hell of a deal that the 00' Cobra R Brembo kit would be a better choice for the money. I never thought to check into the cost of replacement rotors until after I bought the kit. The rotors run $225 EACH....... and no, that doesn't include a new hat. The rotors do hold up fairly well, but not well enough to justify the cost. There are lots of rotor options in both one and two piece setups available for the R kit that are substantially less money. I track my car so I have track pads and street pads. Some of the track pads are not compatible with the street pads. So before I can use the track pads on the same rotors the street pads were on I have to use a third set of brake pads to "clean" the rotors with. So I have to take the street pads off, put the "cleaning" pads on, go out and make like 20 stops to do this rotor cleaning procedure, then put the track pads on. If I had the Brembo kit I would have a set of street rotors and a set of track rotors. You can buy 2 Brembo rotors for less than just one Stoptech rotor (that's just the rotor, not the hat or mounting hardware). :nono:
Darin
The kit has worked well for me. I got an extemely good deal on the kit which helped me make my decision. I would have to say unless your getting one hell of a deal that the 00' Cobra R Brembo kit would be a better choice for the money. I never thought to check into the cost of replacement rotors until after I bought the kit. The rotors run $225 EACH....... and no, that doesn't include a new hat. The rotors do hold up fairly well, but not well enough to justify the cost. There are lots of rotor options in both one and two piece setups available for the R kit that are substantially less money. I track my car so I have track pads and street pads. Some of the track pads are not compatible with the street pads. So before I can use the track pads on the same rotors the street pads were on I have to use a third set of brake pads to "clean" the rotors with. So I have to take the street pads off, put the "cleaning" pads on, go out and make like 20 stops to do this rotor cleaning procedure, then put the track pads on. If I had the Brembo kit I would have a set of street rotors and a set of track rotors. You can buy 2 Brembo rotors for less than just one Stoptech rotor (that's just the rotor, not the hat or mounting hardware). :nono:
Darin
99 KOBRA said:
They work well. They definately give a more consistent pedal than the stock two piston caliper. When you get the stock PBR's heated up and are braking very agressively at the track (road course) you can actually feel the caliper flex. You won't get that with a good 4 piston caliper. I still get a little un even pad wear but I don't think there is any way to totaly get rid of that. I've never run a car with the Cobra "R" brake kit but know several guys that track there cars with that kit and every one of them is pleased with the performance.
Darin
the brembos dont taper the pads like the stop techs. stop tech got the pistons sized wrong.
ShelbyGuy said:
I really don't get pad taper, I get one pad on each side wearing more than the other.
The Cobra R setup is really, really nice for the price. Can't get much better. If you want the 2 piece rotor setup from TCE, its going to run about another $500. I'm pretty sure they aren't a floating rotor either and I don't know how much the replacement rotors are.
If you get the Stoptechs, you get the same calipers a lot of the World Challenge guys are running, and they use a similar tire to what most non-racers run (Toyo RA-1's). Its a thicker rotor for more thermal capacity (1.25" thick versus 1.1"), bigger and much stiffer caliper (not read off the Stoptech website, but heard from people who run them), 2 piece floating rotor, and its supposed to be balanced properly for the stock master cylinder and ABS system. I actually just saw what Stoptech goes through to design a system for a car. Very rigorous to say the least.
The word at the track is the Stoptech is a much stiffer Brembo. Similar in design, but better. I've never heard of anyone having problems with any of their equipment. Works like its supposed to.
Its up to you to decide. Will you notice the difference between the Stoptechs and the Cobra R's? Maybe, maybe not. If you're going to run at tracks notoriously hard on brakes, I would think about the Stoptechs for the higher thermal capacity. Otherwise, they may not be worth it to you.
Edit: Just looked in your sig...you will probably notice the difference...get the Stoptechs
If you get the Stoptechs, you get the same calipers a lot of the World Challenge guys are running, and they use a similar tire to what most non-racers run (Toyo RA-1's). Its a thicker rotor for more thermal capacity (1.25" thick versus 1.1"), bigger and much stiffer caliper (not read off the Stoptech website, but heard from people who run them), 2 piece floating rotor, and its supposed to be balanced properly for the stock master cylinder and ABS system. I actually just saw what Stoptech goes through to design a system for a car. Very rigorous to say the least.
The word at the track is the Stoptech is a much stiffer Brembo. Similar in design, but better. I've never heard of anyone having problems with any of their equipment. Works like its supposed to.
Its up to you to decide. Will you notice the difference between the Stoptechs and the Cobra R's? Maybe, maybe not. If you're going to run at tracks notoriously hard on brakes, I would think about the Stoptechs for the higher thermal capacity. Otherwise, they may not be worth it to you.
Edit: Just looked in your sig...you will probably notice the difference...get the Stoptechs
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darin, how noisy are the floating rotors? i use the tce setup which ridigly mounts the rotor disc to the hat.
another reason why i chose the 00r kit is because lots of other people at the track use them so if i run out of brake pads or need a spare part i dont carry myself, i can probably bum one off someone else. not enough people run the stoptechs to be able to do that.
another reason why i chose the 00r kit is because lots of other people at the track use them so if i run out of brake pads or need a spare part i dont carry myself, i can probably bum one off someone else. not enough people run the stoptechs to be able to do that.
I don't get any noise at all from my brakes, track or street pads. Fortunately I've never needed any front brake parts at the track. I usually show up with new pads on and spares in the truck. I have been caught twice without rear pads though. Once my replacement pads were the wrong pads. The other time I never expected the pads to wear out during the event.
I've both read about and talked to one of Stoptech's engineers about their balancing of the stock brake systems. I'm sure that's good to a point, but as long as you keep the front caliper size within reason I don't know how important that really is. I'm brutal on brakes. Don't get me wrong, my Stoptechs have worked very well. I'm just dissapointed with my lack of rotor choices and the cost. My car is heavy and high hp. It consumes tires, fuel and brake pads (front AND rear) like you wouldn't believe.
Darin
I've both read about and talked to one of Stoptech's engineers about their balancing of the stock brake systems. I'm sure that's good to a point, but as long as you keep the front caliper size within reason I don't know how important that really is. I'm brutal on brakes. Don't get me wrong, my Stoptechs have worked very well. I'm just dissapointed with my lack of rotor choices and the cost. My car is heavy and high hp. It consumes tires, fuel and brake pads (front AND rear) like you wouldn't believe.
Darin
have you priced the rotor from coleman racing? they might be cheaper than stop tech. coleman can make anything.
Yes. Bruce suggested I give them a call. I need to take some measurements of the rotors to get some exact prices but it does sound like they will be slightly cheaper.
I was also looking at going to the 14" rotors since I now have 18" track wheels and need new rotors. I figured since they use the same caliper for both kits that I would just need new mounting brackets for the calipers, hats and rotors. Unfortunately it's not that easy. They apparently machine some material off the back of the caliper for the 13" kit that they don't for the 14" kit. Something to do with the center line of something. lol Obviously I din't play close enough attention when the salesman from Stoptech started explaining why. So basically I would need a complete new kit. How convenient huh.
Darin
I was also looking at going to the 14" rotors since I now have 18" track wheels and need new rotors. I figured since they use the same caliper for both kits that I would just need new mounting brackets for the calipers, hats and rotors. Unfortunately it's not that easy. They apparently machine some material off the back of the caliper for the 13" kit that they don't for the 14" kit. Something to do with the center line of something. lol Obviously I din't play close enough attention when the salesman from Stoptech started explaining why. So basically I would need a complete new kit. How convenient huh.
Darin
The Stop Tech front brake kit has been delivered and JBA is installing it next week. I'm going to keep the take offs. I'll be at Buttonwillow, Willow Springs and the Grand Am course at California Speedway this year. I'm anxious to see how the brakes feel.
03'Darin said:I have that kit.
The kit has worked well for me. I got an extemely good deal on the kit which helped me make my decision. I would have to say unless your getting one hell of a deal that the 00' Cobra R Brembo kit would be a better choice for the money. I never thought to check into the cost of replacement rotors until after I bought the kit. The rotors run $225 EACH....... and no, that doesn't include a new hat. The rotors do hold up fairly well, but not well enough to justify the cost. There are lots of rotor options in both one and two piece setups available for the R kit that are substantially less money. I track my car so I have track pads and street pads. Some of the track pads are not compatible with the street pads. So before I can use the track pads on the same rotors the street pads were on I have to use a third set of brake pads to "clean" the rotors with. So I have to take the street pads off, put the "cleaning" pads on, go out and make like 20 stops to do this rotor cleaning procedure, then put the track pads on. If I had the Brembo kit I would have a set of street rotors and a set of track rotors. You can buy 2 Brembo rotors for less than just one Stoptech rotor (that's just the rotor, not the hat or mounting hardware). :nono:
Darin
info like this is AWESOME ....thank you
Dave
I run the 00R Brembos and am pretty satisfied. I currently have the stock Galpher pads they came with, and plan to switch to something a bit more agressive when the wear out. I got rid of the stock brakes because they were noisy, the pins rattled over bumps, and the car didn't want to stop worth a darn from high speeds pulls. In the back I have matching slotted rotors and EBC Red pads. SS brake hoses all around.
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I always bed my pads before any severe duty. If I open tracked my car (and I don't), any spares in the trunk would have to be pre-bedded. If you had done that, then you would know (well before you entered the track) that the pads were wrong and would have had time to replace them before the event. As a side note, replacement rotors should be seasoned as well... before they are used for severe duty. Just my opinion.03'Darin said:
I had my '04 with the Stop Techs at Buttonwillow Raceway last weekend. I had the front pads the kit comes with on and they suck. They are Axxis Ultimates. In all fairness, Stop Tech pastes a warning label on the box the pads come in that they are not for track use. I'll be at Willow Springs Raceway in June and I'll have Porterfield R4 pads on the front. I'm going to see if I mind the noise and dust. The brakes should kick ass with those pads.
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StopTech is the way to go if your going to REALLY track the car. I have them for over 4 years. Worked great! Still have the same rotor (I do need to change them soon). They stop like a champ!
The Porterfield R4 front pads are on and I'm really surprised that, so far, they are quiet and they don't dust as much as I thought they would. Also, they work okay when cold. I'll have the car at Willow Springs next weekend. I can't wait!
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