Quote:
Originally Posted by AP - Chris_B
The bigger companies could do a better job than has been done, that's for sure!
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I agree with Chris wholeheartedly on this statement.
It's a topic that comes up in every single product meeting that we have in my company. We get glimpses and pulses into what Brembo is doing conceptually, through R&D, and in testing, every day that is still amazing to all of us (who are able to geek out on these products every day), and we wish that we could just share a fraction of this with the rest of the world.
I know it sounds sounds a bit cliche, but Big companies like AP, and Brembo are "doers" not "talkers". Call it ego if you will, but they really do believe that the results should peak for themselves, and no matter what the other companies will tell you, it's these OEM relationships, combined with years of history dominating all facets of top level racing, that directly influence the products that you guys will be buying for your own cars.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by vividracing
The ONLY negative you ever hear about Brembo is in relation to some of their OEM products, and most of the time that is due to a driver who is inexperienced about vehicle setup and not fully aware that there is a limitation to anything OEM.
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This is another statement that I hope people take a full face value.
Brembo is the largest OEM supplier of High Performance braking products in the world. Because of their reputation in top level racing, people have very high expectations for all of their products, which I believe people should. The problem is that many people have these expectations without the necessary knowledge to understand exactly what they have or how to dial it in correctly.
OEM developed product, Brembo or not, still has to meet a criteria set forth by the auto maker. And unless they are Porsche, setting the criteria for brakes on the next GT3, you are not getting directionally veined 2pc discs, monobloc calipers, and Pagid pads. Many times Brembo is the choice for performance and quality, but budget restraints dictate the final product more so than the original desire to use their products. These cars end up in many different driveways all over the world, different drivers, different driving styles, different road conditions and climates.
An OEM system must operate in a comfortable manner in every situation, and this does compromise peak performance for enthusiasts like you and I. People know that you can enhance a system with better fluid, braided lines, and better pads. But even with this knowledge some people are going too aggressive with pad which can have adverse affects on performance again. There is a proper way to dial in an OEM system, but your expectations still have to be in line with the capabilities of the product.
The benefit to the aftermarket Brembo products...all of the R&D, testing and knowledge from OE development is readily available before the vehicle is even available for sale. The aftermarket products do not need to follow the same criteria to suit the needs of every driver and they are developed specifically for high performance and track use. Budget restraints do not limit the level of product that ends up in the final system and you do end up with components that come directly from top level racing, or that are developed to rival those performance capabilities.
IE:
- The discs used in aftermarket Brembo brake systems are the same that are used every weekend in every top level race series around the globe. The 14" disc used in the 370Z brake kit is the identical part # used on an ALMS race car, or Grand AM GT car.
- The calipers are developed specifically for the High Performance aftermarket but draw from design and manufacturing traits of top level monobloc race calipers. The purpose here is to provide race like performance, weight savings, and stiffness, but in a package that can also be driven for the life of the vehicle without he additional maintenance of rebuilding.
- The rotor hardware has developed for the McLaren F1 as a way to provide full floating performance without the excessive noise of rotor chatter, and is still used in all of our aftermarket 2pc. discs.
No gimmicks, technical white papers, or exciting marketing tactics here...just well developed products by one of the most capable companies in the industry, with real world results.