Are Big Brake kits really better?
Big brake kits that are incorrectly designed can acutally perform worse than your stock brakes. Bigger pads and rotors primarily do one thing: They dissipate more heat than the stock brake setup. They do not necessarily stop you in shorter distances. Stopping distances are impacted by the coefficient of friction of the brake pad used and the clamping force applied by the caliper. Bigger brake pads do not apply more pressure- they only apply the same pressure over a bigger area. But- Don’t take our word for it: Here’s a link to the test data for StopTech with their upgrade kit on an Audi S4: http://www.stoptech.com/products/BBK/balance.shtml Note the next closest stopping disance in the chart is the OEM system! Here’s another link to another test using a Nissan 350Z: http://www.zeckhausen.com/testing_brakes.htm#Summary Note that the stock brake system on the 350Z (non track model) utilizes a 11 3/4″ front rotor. For their test- they upgraded this to either a 13″ or 14″ rotor! So- you ca
