Wilwood 14" rotor vs 13" rotor with Wilwood SL6R

[72blackbird]

I'm in the market for better brakes for my 72 Firebird, and I was looking at Wilwood's front brake kits for my car. I noticed Wilwood offers a 14" rotor front brake kit and a 12.88" rotor front brake kit with their Superlite 6-piston caliper. Is the 14" rotor kit worth the extra money? I hear different opinions and I was wondering what advantage a 14" rotor would have over the 12.88" rotor, other than a larger surface area to dissipate heat with.

Geno

[Apogee]

More thermal mass equals lower operating temperatures for any given use, so if you're trying to build a car that does everything reasonably well running street pads, then the larger rotors (and cooling ducts) can be well worth the added money. If you intend to swap pads for open track days/HPDE's, then the 12.88" kit is probably more in line with most people's needs and will actually have less unsprung/rotational weight than a larger rotor kit, making them advantageous in auto-x cross environments where quick and nimble acceleration is more the name of the game.

HTH,
Tobin
KORE3

[jpgolf14]

Also, keep in mind the 14" system will produce more toque for the same fluid pressure. So to the driver that means a shorter, softer pedal.

[Gandalf]

Be sure to check for caliper clearance, esp with that 14" setup. Many guys here running both but a lot will depend on your wheels. I was also surprised at the difference in weight between the two size rotors.

G.