Lets talk breaks (Help)
 

Ok next month I hope to be improving my stopping power with Stainless steal lines new pads and better fluid. So here is how I need help. For a FWD car what are the best pads? And, what is the best fluid?

My breaks size is good but they are still showroom stock so they arent as responsive as I would like (mushy at first then grab quick). Basicly I want a more linear feel to them.

Any help would be great
Thjnx
Michael

02 Nissan Spec V

Just get some good pads for the front and some stainless lines all around. I think it is the Ultimates that many people like. It's kinda hard because everyone has the pad that they like the most. Call Matt and 1 704 481 8500. He is a nissan guy and can help you out (Works for Carbotech, but they sell many brands). I get the Metal Masters and the Ultimates confused. One type is not that great and the other is a great street pad for a good price.

Ultimates are what you want. (Carbotech ) Metalmasters are old and not half the pad the Ultimates are. Most of the pads on Carbotech's site are for track events, the Ultimates are really the only no compromise street pad and provide 90% of the braking power of the much costlier pads for autox.

Honestly, I would hold off on stainless lines. I swapped mine out and... the only effect I could discern is that the brakes lines were now blue. IMO, I don't think it's worth $150... especially on an autox car.

OE fluid is fine for autox. Don't bother with it.


Andy
'91 SE-R
'94 325i
Team Grocery

Thanx guys I'll look into those pads. I just figured that breaks were the next logical step scince I just bolted up 15 more HP!!!!!!!!!! Man the new header and exhaust are awsome!!!!!! Now I need the stopping power!!!

Thanx again

Michael
02 Spec V
Team Grocery

Your brakes are pretty good to begin with. You may just want to bleed the system and change the pads then see what you think. Autocrossing does not require much out of the brakes. A good stock setup is ussually plenty of brakes for a bolt on NA car.

Autox doesnt let the brake temps stay that high to worry abuot boiling the fluid and having to heat up a sticky set of brake pads. I used ATE Super Blue fluid with a bleed, stainless lines, and Hawk HP plus pads for VIR. They worked great when they were warm but produced 9759438759483594375947594375983 things of dust (which is a lot) but i dont think any of the above is that necessary for autox. Good luck though.

They are all correct. I use Performance Friction street pads. The Porterfield R4S are amongst the best. Hawk HP or HP+ are god for most cars. The reason I got the Performance Friction pads for the Mustang is that they are available from Autozone with a lifetime warranty. I paid about $60 for the pads once, and from now on they are free. That is pretty hard to beat. I have replaced them once already.

One thing to avoid for autocross is a true racing brake pad. Pads that are purely a racing pad compound will never get warm enough in a typical autocross and you will have worse brakes than the guy that has completely stock brake pads.

On the importance scale I would put brakes after tires, shocks, springs, sway bars, more horsepower. While they do make a differance, the best brakes are only going to make a small differance over what came stock in your car.

My first autocross car was a '64-1/2 Mustnag with 4 wheel drum brakes. Times were different then.

Got tires, springs, swaybar, more HP, no dampers out for the car yet so breaks are next.

Oh yeah I had one during spring, winter, Xmas, Easter and a long one during summer. :):) ... get it?

You can get them you are just not willing to pay the 2K that it would cost from truechoice I am sure I can get you a set of 8611 fronts for your car for about $750. For rears you would just get the standard B14 rear Koni struts rebuilt to your needs. That would probably be about 500 or so for single adjustable. The Koni's I am talking about are the 8611 racing ones not the street ones that I have on my car. You could probably adapt a Tein setup for the car as well. My next set of struts will probably be the Koni 8611's.

stainless steel lines will take you out of STX (if they are non-flexable)

........must be stock except for the following.......
17.6 Brakes
B. Alternate DOT approved flexible brake lines.

SCREW PAX AND JUST SET UP YOUR CAR!!!!!
SCREW AUTOX AND GO TO VIR!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH AND SCREW CLUTCHES... (right dave. ;)) HARDY HAR

Many of the SS brake line amnufacturers now make a DOT approved Stainless Steel braided brake line. That is what I have on the RX7 and the Mustang now.

If the line isn't flexable then it could not be used to take up the for the movement on the wheel. It has to flex some. Therefore any line you use is flexiable if it works.

Trip is right again. August 2nd. BE THERE.

I've got DOT approved, flexable SS lines on the Talon.. Along with a few other updates.. Need to update pads though. When I bought the Metalmasters, they were pretty good.. They aren't so hot now. Finally wore out the rears though, only took 5 years.

haha

i don't think it's the clutch, it's nearly impossible. it's only been three days. we think it's something in the hydralic system. on top of my great experiences w/ cars, my parking lights went out, and a lug nut fell off today....on the same wheel one fell off before. god loves me, this i know.