Lets Talk Brake Kits

[The GMR]

Thanks for the links. I was looking for some real technical content though.



Here are a few other links to writings by the founder of Brake Man, Warren. He can be a little abrasive with his writings, but his content is real. There is some real life independent testing done by a Nascar Team that should be posted soon I believe. Either way, He has more then what I'm linking to, but this is all the important info on his site.

http://thebrakeman.com/articles



Honestly, I have never used the Brake Man products or the OEM PBR's. But I have to say, is that site for real?

Yes, Warren has been involved with the higest levels of racing for longer then I have been alive. He is also the gentleman who holds multiple patents that not only the brake man uses but from what I understand maybe a few other "large" manufactures. From Calipers to Rotors, Warren has the patents / results to back up his statements. So take what he says for whats it's worth.
His products have a place, but not with everyone and even I understand that.



I can't really understand why they chose to pick on the 4th gen / C5 / C6 / Mustang STOCK caliper. Those front only kits are $2400. They better perform better. Why don't they compare their stuff to Wilwood FSL, W6A, Brembo GT, CTS-V, PBR Z06, etc... ?

They have on many occasions, the results turned out to produce about 30% more clamping force from the F4 caliper then a high end AP counterpart, and that was at ambient temp (not race temp). The true strength of the Brake Man components are seen at race temperature, where the standard monobloc will loose strength while the Brake Man calipers actually increase in strength with approaching 400deg.

Their stuff may be the best ever. But I am highly skeptical solely based on the fact they compare their stuff to 15yr old OEM stuff. I just checked the price of 2 front PBR calipers and 2 front rotors for a 2000 Corvette, total is about $250.

So lets make this a good discussion. I really don't have any doubt "The Brake Man's" kits are better than stock. But lets gets some good discussion going.

How do they compare to 2009+ CTS-V calipers? Since that is probably the best "easy" swap for a 4th gen. Cost of CTS-V front rotors and calipers is ~$1000. Figure another $500 for pads, lines, brackets.

Sorry I do not have any direct hands on knowledge of the CTS-V calipers so I will not be commenting on any comparison.

Jay, I believe you are a dealer for the Z06 calipers as well. I understand if you would prefer not to comment, but how do you feel about the Z06 vs Brake Man calipers?

Great Question, but I do not classify them in the same field. The OEM Z06 calipers are a great monobloc caliper for the price, arguably the best "bang for the buck" monobloc on the market. For those that really do appreciate the corvette OEM style products I really cant suggest a better caliper other then the Brembo Ceramic packages from the ZR-1. For the "hardcore" applications I will suggest Brake Man, in fact we are working on a package for the pro-touring / road race / drag race market that will be revealed for SEMA.



Finally, the OP is interested in a setup that will allow him to drive street, auto-x, road course without changing pads. I am just not sure if the 12/13" x 1.25" rotors on The Brake Man kits are going to get that done.

Well, the rotor size really is not the issue. I honestly prefer smaller rotors for the race applications, the way I see it, larger is only more rotational mass. Now, for a pro-touring car where the style of the 14 inch rotors is unmatched, I strongly suggest going with equal size rotors front to back. The reality is that depending on how the setup is designed as a whole the overall goal of stopping the car properly will not be an issue. I personally love the look of the large 14 rotors with the PBR monobloc calipers, great performance and the style I prefer. Project BB is running a rear 12.19 by .810 rotor and the owner has reported that since we upgraded the rear end the brake issues were solved.

Sorry for being blunt. I just want to make sure we talk about facts, not marketing.

No problem, its all in good fun and this is what forums are for!

John

thanks
Jason