EOI: Titanium Brake Shims for OEM Akebono (Sport) Brakes
 

Guys,

After coming across this...

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/118/wornakebono.jpg

after a track session with the Akebono brakes I've been thinking that to keep heat out of the caliper could be through Titanium brake shims.

Version for the OEM 350Z/G35 Bembos:

http://www.z1auto.com/images/titaniumbrakeshim.jpg

Titanium is a poor conductor of heat and relatively lightweight given its strength. It is an ideal substance to use for this application.

Z1Auto (manufacturer of the above shims) will consider making these for the Akebono brakes if there is sufficient demand. Therefore, I'm posting this on G37/370Z related webistes to gauge interest only.

I'm doing the Akebono upgrade on my 350Z and hope that a product like this will assist other 350Z/370Z/G37 owners.

Rough pricing would be around US$100 (the 350Z Brembo versions goes for that price) depending on the amount of material required. That is for 4 to do the front.

Rears can also be done for similar price I believe.

Titanium shims helped on my 05 STi a little bit. If I ever had brake issues with the 370Z on track I would do this mod. So far my brakes have been great though.

I think proper ducting of the brakes would do more good than titanium shims. IMHO. Not trying to talk down on titanium shims or anything but I just dont think it would do that much. The titanium shims are just too small to prevent that much heat transfer.

I would agree that ducting would help also but every little bit helps. This is also much easier to install.

For my old Alcon 6 pots, I made 2 sets for under $20 and an hour in my garage. I noticed an advantage.

I bought a sheet of Ti from eBay, then traced the pads on the sheet and cut it with my air powered cutting tool. Fine trimming with the dremel.

The sheet was cheap because the corners were bent and would not feed into a machine. I used them for 3 seasons. They do change into cool colors. 8-)

Unfortunately I don't have the skills (or tools) to be able to do something like this myself.

bump!!..i want some ti shims..

I just stumbled onto the hardbrakes.com web site and they have a titanium thermal isolating shim listing for the Z. Lots of info on the site. Looks promising. Unless it's just a scam it seems like it would be a worthwhile improvement considering all of the issues our brakes suffer from. Any thoughtful comments would be appreciated.

Just get a set from the regular brakes, you are fine

? The regular shims or ti shims for regular brakes?

off the sport package

I'm confused. Are you saying that the shims/spacers on the sport package pads are titanium already? That would be a bit of a surprise.

The reason for titanium is to provide superior (to the typical steel or aluminum shims) thermal isolation between the pads and the calipers. Right off hand are there any standard pads for the Z that come with titanium shims/spacers?

I just read about these after reading the Car and Driver review of the disaster they experienced with the 370Z NISMO at the track in 2010. I can't imagine that these thin titanium shims could prevent or slow heat transfer to the calipers. I would have to see some test results before I would spend the $200.