Brembo or AP

[Removed user as requested]

Hey guys,



I am about to start on my GT40 project, building it myself... wanted to know when I get to brake package, am i better off with the offered AP racing, or Brembo?

In a performance setting, which offer more/less weight etc?

[79-TA]

Hey guys,

I am about to start on my GT40 project, building it myself... wanted to know when I get to brake package, am i better off with the offered AP racing, or Brembo?

In a performance setting, which offer more/less weight etc?

AP and Brembo are really one in the same company-wise. AP has been more aggressive with design and technology. Stillen sells AP brakes while making brackets and hats to fit different applications. That might be an option for you, especially if you need something custom. I don't know if your GT-40 will use steering knuckles from a common donor like an SN95 Mustang or not. Any of their 2 piece calipers should be fine and far stiffer than a Wilwood while also having better internals.

Weight will be mostly a function of what you choose for a rotor in terms of overall diameter and air gap width. 2 piece rotors will save about 3-5 pounds per corner thanks to aluminum hats. It's easy to focus on caliper weight, but other components like mounting brackets also matter.




2 Piece caliper tangent:

If you're going to spend the money for premium brakes, don't end up with (relatively) flimsy monobloc calipers. Get something that is reinforced with steel bolts. A significant amount of braking force can be lost to compliance even with a strong looking monobloc caliper.

Below is the best demonstration of caliper deflection I have seen. It compares a 2 piece caliper to a beefy monobloc. Both calipers have the same piston sizes and the same lever pressurizing the circuit. In the video, the guy just pulls the lever all the way and compares the results. The caliper deflection costs pedal (or in this case, lever) travel which ultimately costs braking force and consistent linear feel. The monobloc produced about 20% less braking force for the same lever pull.

[Removed user as requested]

So I take from that the APs... ?

Car will be 1000kg. Thats 2200lbs or so. How big would I actually need on the brakes?

Drilled or non drilled... some say drilled is better because cools down faster, to my understanding however, that also means heat up much quicker to.

[benno505]

14" should be fine, depending on wheel, if racing go a drilled and slotted if only street than its upto you

[IronChevy]

I don't like Brembo, they gave me a lot of trouble... For a street car better use slotted rotor.

[Matt@BOS]

A set of 4 piston APs or Brembos should stop the car more than adequately. It only weighs 2200lbs, you don't need huge calipers with large piston bores, or 14 inch rotors.

Matt

[Apogee]

Given your weight and just guessing at the speed potential for the car, I'd suggest you look at what the Lotus guys are having success with...Mr. (Greg) Weld, where you at? What size wheels do you intend to run, or are you going to run whatever your brakes require? I'd be surprised if you needed anything more than an adequately sized 13"x1.1" to 1.25" kit up front, 12"x.81" to 1" in the rear with 4/2-piston fixed calipers. You can certainly overkill it with more brake, but that's going to add weight as well and hurt you in other ways.

Tobin
KORE3

[Removed user as requested]

Given your weight and just guessing at the speed potential for the car, I'd suggest you look at what the Lotus guys are having success with...Mr. (Greg) Weld, where you at? What size wheels do you intend to run, or are you going to run whatever your brakes require? I'd be surprised if you needed anything more than an adequately sized 13"x1.1" to 1.25" kit up front, 12"x.81" to 1" in the rear with 4/2-piston fixed calipers. You can certainly overkill it with more brake, but that's going to add weight as well and hurt you in other ways.

Tobin
KORE3

Thanks for that, including the other posters.

That is what I wondered... since the car is light, I didn't want brakes that would be overkill as it would just 'add' weight and be no better than something smaller... which in turn meant, worse not better though it was bigger.

I plan to run either 17 or 18" rims. I am not sure for tyre availability though. They say 18" has a lot more tyre options... but... are there 'better' options than in the 17" range? I pick one option, and that's the option I would stick with, so having 'options' (plural) doesn't really mean anything when I will only use the one sort.

I am wanting something around the 335 wide for the rear.

Michelin had the PIlot sport 2, which was also available for the 18". I couldnt seem to find anything else at that size anyway and what was available on 18 was available on 17.

Would the 17" be overall a lighter package, thus reducing the rotational mass (since the brake size I need will fit in a 17) or is there a reason to hit 18"s ?

[Motorcitydak]

Because you mentioned it, my Lotus uses pretty small brakes but they are sized to the car. You can get 4 pot AP calipers on the front tho for some more force, does not take a huge amount to slow down 2000 pounds. Like it has been said, no need to over-brake a light car. You will be able to lock up the tires too easily if you have massive brakes. A light car will need a properly sized tires, my car only runs 195's up front and 225's rear.

335's in the rear sound awesome but may actually not be the best for you. It really depends on the weight of the car. See if you can find a traction dyno graph of the tires you would want to run. That will show you how much traction the tire will provide VS the amount of weight applied to it. Also a 335 wide tire will weigh a lot plus the weight of the wheel you are probably looking 55 pounds just for the wheel and tire! Rubber weighs less than aluminum so yes a 17 inch package would be less than an 18

[Ron.in.SoCal]

14" should be fine, depending on wheel, if racing go a drilled and slotted if only street than its upto you

Not sure I agree with this...

[Apogee]

Not sure I agree with this...

X2...I'm pretty sure I don't. If racing, I would go plain or slotted only, if street, do whatever you like.

To the OP, what's the targeted HP to the rear wheels?

[Removed user as requested]

X2...I'm pretty sure I don't. If racing, I would go plain or slotted only, if street, do whatever you like.

To the OP, what's the targeted HP to the rear wheels?

Was looking around 700HP at the fly with a Whipple. Not sure how much would be lost before it got on the wheels. 500-600 +/- ?

[Matt@BOS]

Was looking around 700HP at the fly with a Whipple. Not sure how much would be lost before it got on the wheels. 500-600 +/- ?

What kind of engine? A mod motor, I'm guessing...

I personally decided against putting a blown mod motor in a GT40. Packaging is a bit of a challenge, and weight is another. If you put in an iron block engine with the Whipple, you've got a 700 lb lump in the back half of a car with a 95ish inch wheelbase.

[Rifleman_Racing]

60% weight on the rear wheels can make for a well handling car. I had fun chasing this guy in my camaro:


On topic the AP racing stuff with cooling ducts would be the best of the two options. StopTech or BrakeMan would be better though.

[Removed user as requested]

What kind of engine? A mod motor, I'm guessing...

I personally decided against putting a blown mod motor in a GT40. Packaging is a bit of a challenge, and weight is another. If you put in an iron block engine with the Whipple, you've got a 700 lb lump in the back half of a car with a 95ish inch wheelbase.

The option of engine I have is: Coyote, or the Miami version of it, which I did not quite understand what that was.

Not even sure if a Whipple can be attached to them, and I assume they are alloy blocks not heavy Iron...