Baer vs. Wilwood

[malbright]

Beings that Baer and Wilwood 6 piston 14" package runs the same price....

Who makes the best brake for an overall street/track setup? Ive heard Baer makes the nices product but also that Baer copied the Wilwood set up. Im not opposed to either one and I know that both companies make a quality product but from experiences out there who has the overall best product.

Ive spoken with Frank at Prodigy I just wanted to get everyones opinion based off of experience. Sometimes this can be the overall best advice. :hmm:

Thanks.

[aronhk_md]

This opinion isnt based on experience, but it is based on a lot of research. I wont name names here, but I know of someone that purchased brakes from one of the brands you mentioned. When they decided to manufacture their own brakes they dropped the lineup of brakes that were being made for them and left prior customers with no way to buy replacement parts for their brakes.

If one of those companies goes under through some unforeseen circumstance.......where will you get pads or parts?

My vote is for the Kore3 system, which uses corvette c5, c6 or Z06 calipers, rotors, etc. While I know GM almost went under last year I still have more faith in them than in the smaller aftermarket companies. Especially when I want to think I'll be able to buy parts in 10 yrs.

Besides, I like the fact that I can go into any NAPA or auto zone and order the parts and get them the same or next day.

Kore3 is getting my money in a short while when its time to upgrade.

[David Pozzi]

The C5 and C6 two piston std calipers don't compare to a Baer or Willwood 6 piston calipers. The C6 Z06 Calipers would likely be comparable but I hear they have wheel clearance issues that need to be looked at carefully. I'm not saying the C6 Z06 calipers are bad. The Willwood calipers use a pad size pretty common to circle track usage. The Baer I think use a pad the same as late model Corvette.

[Bryce]

I have a wilwood set up on my falcon. I have not tracked the car yet. But under hard street driving I have zero issues.

My 65 mustang drag car is getting a baer ss4+ set up. I will compare and report back.

[gearbanger]

I am in agreement about the KORE 3, but to answer your question, I think Baer is better stuff due to the more OEM construction of their calipers. They are sealed and accept OEM pads. The rotors are still proprietary and you will need to source those from Baer if you ever need one, but the pads can come from the local parts house.

Wilwood is fully proprietary I think and with non dust sealed calipers, I can only imagine that they will require much more service on a street driven vehicle.

[406 Q-ship]

The Baer 4T on my Chevelle use 4th Gen F-body brake pads and Corrvettes in the rears. I would always avoid parts for my car that can't be replaced easily, especially in "Resume Speed Iowa". I believe David is right in that the Wilwoods use drop in pucks like the road racers and circle trackers use.

[brownz]

The C5 and C6 two piston std calipers don't compare to a Baer or Willwood 6 piston calipers. The C6 Z06 Calipers would likely be comparable but I hear they have wheel clearance issues that need to be looked at carefully. I'm not saying the C6 Z06 calipers are bad. The Willwood calipers use a pad size pretty common to circle track usage. The Baer I think use a pad the same as late model Corvette.


agreed on the c6z clearance i had a issue with that and my forgeline wheels. just had to switch the light weight hardware and problem solved

[79T/Aman]

Wilwood has been in business for many years and pads are easy to get in fact many of the Wilwood pad sized have been copied by others world wide.

[silver69camaro]

If one of those companies goes under through some unforeseen circumstance.......where will you get pads or parts?

That's reaching to say the least with Wilwood. They're a pretty large company, and many people here do not know they are an OEM supplier for companies like Harley Davidson, John Deere, etc. The aftermarket is a division on their brake business.

I agree that it's nice to get pads from Napa, but lets face it: Parts store brake pads aren't ideal. Why would you bother with them? 90% of the people here would order their pads online anyway, so that shouldn't exclude any brake systems from Wilwood or Baer.

[Charley Lillard]

Even if all things were equal wouldn't you want to support the company that supports the kind of events we do ? Baer is involved and supporting the pro-touring community. I don't think I have ever seen Wilwood support at our events. I also happen to like the folks at Baer.

[dipren443]

Beings that Baer and Wilwood 6 piston 14" package runs the same price....

Who makes the best brake for an overall street/track setup? Ive heard Baer makes the nices product but also that Baer copied the Wilwood set up. :hmm:

Thanks.

If Baer copied anyone, I would say Alcon. Before Baer started making their own calipers, the high end kits used Alcon pieces. Regardless, the recipe for making custom calipers is not necessarily a secret. There are MANY companies out there making fixed caliper designs. You could say Baer copied Alcon, Alcon copied AP, AP copied Brembo...

There are so many players in this industry.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I have been trying not to comment since I will be the supplier. The OP and I talked extensively and he will be ordering one or the other brand from us.

I cannot negative sell either brand. Fact is I really see the brakes as equal, especially when comparing the Superlite to the 6P. In fact as the OP mentioned the 6P Baer caliper is very similar to a Superlite. And they are priced very close to one another.

The brake pad issue is a non issue as Matt mentioned, who would spend 1000s of $$$ on a brake kit and run parts store pads? If your that worried about brake pads self destructing in BFE, order a set of front and rear pads and throw them in the trunk, they are only $100 or so for all 4 wheels.

quote aronhk md "If one of those companies goes under through some unforeseen circumstance.......where will you get pads or parts?"

As for worrying about a brake company going out of business and not being here to service you, if that was directed at Wilwood, I can speak from personal experience, I have done the tour and have Bill Wood on speed dial. Wilwood is a 100,000 square foot facility and they own the building. And have zero debt. There are zero cash flow issues at Wilwood.

Yes we sell more Wilwood then Baer. We are one of Wilwoods top dealers and have just started selling Baer. Quite honestly until the 6P came out there was a lot more call for Wilwood over the last few years and Baer did not have a answer. However Baer has answered the call and recently we do have some people asking for Baer and we now sell it. But I really think it is more about branding, brand recognition and brand loyalty then a matter of which is better. They are both great brakes.

quote Charley Lillard"Even if all things were equal wouldn't you want to support the company that supports the kind of events we do ? Baer is involved and supporting the pro-touring community. I don't think I have ever seen Wilwood support at our events. I also happen to like the folks at Baer."

Baer came in this year and supported the Pro Touring events and it is much appreciated. Look for Wilwood to come into some of the new events. The talks have been in the works, the opening simply has not been there.

So to the OP...........we are right where we started a week ago, LOL!

[Bryce]

To expand on the what if i need brakes during a road trip.

With all the custom parts on these cars why choose brake pads to draw the line on what we need to buy at the local parts store. If you race hard you will brake something, so you might need to trailer the car home and fix it.

If you are going on a 3000 mile road trip you probably give the car a thorough inspection. If you are questioning your brakes you may want to put in new pads before you leave or have spares in the trunk. just in case.

On road trips I tend to bring a few extra parts, just for that oh crap momment.

[TnBlkC230WZ]

I agree that it's nice to get pads from Napa, but lets face it: Parts store brake pads aren't ideal. Why would you bother with them? 90% of the people here would order their pads online anyway, so that shouldn't exclude any brake systems from Wilwood or Baer.

I agree, I wouldn't even put parts store pads in my D52 calipers. I'm using Willwoods and I'm happy with them. Replacement parts are available the next morning anywhere in the USA or Canada if you need them that quickly. You can usually plan ahead for brake replacement parts if you inspect them periodically.

[aronhk_md]

Not arguing that these people produce good brakes. Or that they are in ok financial shape now. But I have seen good companies go under because of foolish things some CEO does. Its one reason I dont invest in the stock market.

And I'm really not talking specifically about pads. But think.....10 yrs from now your left front caliper is having issues. Are you more likely to be able to get a replacement C5, C6, Z06 caliper........or a wilwood/Baer? Maybe both companies will still be here. But if they stopped producing that type caliper 5 yrs ago and went with something new and beautiful.....you'll have no choice but to upgrade your entire front brake system. Chances are though NAPA and auto zone will still have your 2010 Z06 caliper.

Just my opinion. As for supporting the aftermarket companies that support our hobby...I'm all for it! But with certain things I'm going to stick with practical. Great to order that new front spindle/hub assembly....as long as it doesnt use proprietary bearings......etc. I want to be able to get off the shelf parts for wear items. And in the case of brakes......wear items include calipers, rotors, and pads in my opinion.

[LateNight72]

My $0.02

As mentioned above, Wilwood is a HUGE company that makes brakes for OEM companies, they're not going anywhere. While the Bear 6P's are nice, I can't get over the fact that for pretty much all the company's existence, they sold rebadged OEM/PBR calipers, and just produced various brackets to fit them to a wide range of vehicles.

This isn't a knock on Bear, but who would you rather buy brakes from, a company that makes brakes, or a company that makes brackets?


My obvious choice would be Wilwood. But then again, I'd probably do AP's before all those..

[Vegas69]

You have a great point. Big companies fold everyday. After building my car I've gained a huge amount of respect for GM engineering. The bottom line is if you want your car to be servicable that day, put a GM part on it that you can walk into a dealer or local part store and source the part.

[aronhk_md]

I agree Todd. In addition....unlike a GM product where other companies step in and produce parts that NAPA and the rest sell.......nobody is going to produce parts that work for wilwood/baer products.

So like I said, in 3-5-7 yrs when they hang up their present offering in favor of the new and improved.......what then if you need a caliper or other part?

[Vegas69]

Brake pads can be sourced through Hawk and Carbotech for Wilwood, but calipers and rotors are another story.

[aronhk_md]

Yeah.....wait and see if those companies still carry those pads if wilwood stops making that model in a couple of years.

[TnBlkC230WZ]

EBC makes pads for most aftermarket calipers too. Just checked their catalog and they have the Yellow Stuff pads for my Dynapro 6 calipers.

[Roadrage David]

Witch company produces the absolute best bold on road race brakes(80 road racing/20 street) for a first gen, to fit in a 16 inch wheel and have 6 piston calipers up frond and 4 ore 6 in the rear with parking brake. must be able to use EBC yellow pads races wil last 4 to 6 hours GT3 class .im orientating what to use. car wil run goodyear eagle 300 front tires and 355 rear. please advise...PS what do you guys think of this company http://www.thebrakeman.com/home

[thedodgeboys]

I'm no expert just a customer get the Wilwoods better customer service, from my experience with baer. IMHO

[YancyJohns]

Even if all things were equal wouldn't you want to support the company that supports the kind of events we do ? Baer is involved and supporting the pro-touring community. I don't think I have ever seen Wilwood support at our events. I also happen to like the folks at Baer.
I'm with Charley, that's why I have Baer on the Fairlane and on the Camaro. Before, I had SSBC and after two laps on a road course the Fairlanes brakes were gone, since then I switched to Baer 6s they have made a huge difference. I have an Automatic w/ 3200 stall, meaning no engine braking, having to rely heavily on the brakes. The Baer 6s are Fantastic. As for OEM, let Finch chime in on the Baer vs Z06 brakes.

[transformationhotrods]

finch would know the difference but he is busy building cars and doing less internet posting.check out www.thebrakeman.com alot of stuff wilwood is doing has been done for years at brakeman.we switched from willwood billet superlite and dynalite to brakeman and there drop forged calipers and less caliper flex means more stopping power ask for warren gilliland he is the owner and very helpful in all your needs.sorry to ramble on.ps i know on this forumn is very good about supporting the site sponsors todd is a great person iam not knocking BAER.

[Taman]

I would buy whatever you think looks the best. All are quality systems and will work equally as good. It's all about what type of pad you run. What fits and looks the best in your eye is the way to go. I run Wilwoods because of the screaming deal I got. If I got the same deal with Baer, I would run them.

[Roadrage David]

finch would know the difference but he is busy building cars and doing less internet posting.check out www.thebrakeman.com (http://www.thebrakeman.com) alot of stuff wilwood is doing has been done for years at brakeman.we switched from willwood billet superlite and dynalite to brakeman and there drop forged calipers and less caliper flex means more stopping power ask for warren gilliland he is the owner and very helpful in all your needs.sorry to ramble on.ps i know on this forumn is very good about supporting the site sponsors todd is a great person iam not knocking BAER.
I found out about The brake man brakes tru SC-C.
we where talking brakes and he told me about them.
funny thing is i have never seen ther name came across on this site.
They seem to be serius about there stuf.

Anybody els that whants to chim in dont whant to hyjack this topic , but im intrested in Wilwood and the brakeman stuf.
I curendly runn 13 inch SSBC force 10 4 piston caliper brakes and they impressed me , but sins im going to a smaller wheel i need some real racing stopping power with a 12 inch system...

[Ron.in.SoCal]

Ahhh, the old vendor A vs vendor B discussion. In reality, they're both good companies. They make good looking products that perform for most of the members on this board at PT events. People will always have their opinion of parts and how they perform and in the end, it's an individual choice based on your preference, fit for your intended use and budget.

I gave the slight edge to Baer, even though there were few deals to be had. I felt they have less caliper flex and and it's good enough for Rupp and fast Mary. If budget was not an issue, I would've bought Brembos...

[Thomo5150]

The PBR (ZO6) are an Australian company the supply many OEM like Ford and Holden was well as USA OEM.

These are some other proven and very well designed brakes from Australia.

But I still want some Brembo ZR1 brakes:cheers:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[MCB Matt]

We are a dealer for Baer, Wilwood and Ssbc...

All are great companies! We have been selling Baer for years and are a stocking warehouse distributor for them. We just picked up wilwood about 1 yr ago. So far i can say BOTH are great products.....Baer hit a home run with the T4 kit because wilwood does not have a comperable kit for the $$$

I met with wilwood not too long ago and spoke to them about this....they are hoping to develop a comperable kit in the future.

We can still get Baer 2 piston front pbr calipers as well as 1 piston rears...those kits are VERY affordable now!

For all the years I have been selling Baer i can count on one hand the warranty issues i have had and baer ALWAYS steps up to take care of our customers as they are also taking care of us, being the middle man!

Rick Elam at Baer is one of the best manufactures reps out there, give him a call if you want to discuss his kits, he knows his stuff!

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Matt

[Fuelie Nova]

If I have problems 10 yrs from now on my new Baer setup I will probably just replace with the latest and greatest. Things change a lot in 10 years.
I cannot say enough about the quality of my new Baer setup... very happy.