AP Racing Big Brake Kit Installed!

travisjb · 08-09-2009, 02:59 PM

Sure thing, Chris

I'd urge folks to think about doing this sooner rather than later, so you get a good price when you re-sell your OEM brakes. I got a grand for mine, but I sold to the first guy that came along. You can prob do better than that.

OnCallZ · 08-09-2009, 03:34 PM

Would you say these brakes are too aggressive for street use?, I only do an occasional track day maybe once per year.

travisjb · 08-09-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnCallZ

Would you say these brakes are too aggressive for street use?, I only do an occasional track day maybe once per year.

Great question, I should have mentioned that before... when you use these brakes with a reasonably 'soft' pad like the mintex extreme that comes with the kit, they are PERFECTLY SUITED for the street... no joke, a lot less bite and jerkiness than I had with my stock brakes combined with hawk HP+ pads... having said that, you do not need these brakes for the street... I know you realize that... the benefit for you would be once per year and bragging rights in between events!

ChrisSlicks · 08-09-2009, 05:18 PM

Only the front backing plates require modification correct? The rear rotors look like they are smaller than stock.

travisjb · 08-09-2009, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Only the front backing plates require modification correct? The rear rotors look like they are smaller than stock.

Yes, I believe only front backing plates require modification... I'll ask robert (redlinewins) to come in here and verify/comment

I believe rears provide more contact patch than stock... pads are bigger... I'll ask Josh to comment further on this one

Shunya · 08-10-2009, 04:16 AM

AP Racing is one of the best brake systems out there imo.
looking good travis

shabarivas · 08-10-2009, 11:09 AM

Wait ... 18'' forgestars are lighter than the stock 19's? ...

LiquidZ · 08-10-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shabarivas

Wait ... 18'' forgestars are lighter than the stock 19's? ...

By roughly 2-3 lbs. depending on offset/size.

alan93rsa · 08-11-2009, 09:03 PM

Another item you might want to factor into the AP's price is pad and rotor costs. When I switched from the factory brakes on my 93 RSA to the Porsche Turbo Big Red setup I went through fewer pads and rotors per season. Those costs add up quickly.

travisjb · 08-12-2009, 01:22 AM

Good point.... I haven't done the math on that but expecting it to be longer intervals and higher cost per interval... too soon to tell how it nets out but hoping it is a lower cost

boosted180 · 08-12-2009, 12:49 PM

hey travis. glad to hear the bbk completely eliminated your brake problems. can you explain a little more about how it's doing this? from the specs, it doesnt look like the kit is that much bigger than the sport brakes which are already pretty huge (14.25" vs. 14"). from comments made in other threads, it seemed more of an abs/ brake assist problem than with the actual calipers/ rotors/ pads themselves. would the 1/4" increase in rotor size make that much of a difference in heat dissipation to prevent the problem?

i'm kind of hesitant to do a bbk b/c of the cost, but if that's the only way to solve this problem, then i guess i dont have a choice.....

Ken in AZ · 08-12-2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boosted180

hey travis. glad to hear the bbk completely eliminated your brake problems. can you explain a little more about how it's doing this? from the specs, it doesnt look like the kit is that much bigger than the sport brakes which are already pretty huge (14.25" vs. 14"). from comments made in other threads, it seemed more of an abs/ brake assist problem than with the actual calipers/ rotors/ pads themselves. would the 1/4" increase in rotor size make that much of a difference in heat dissipation to prevent the problem?

i'm kind of hesitant to do a bbk b/c of the cost, but if that's the only way to solve this problem, then i guess i dont have a choice.....

One thing to notice on the stock rotor versus the AP racing rotor is the fact that the AP kit uses a different internal vane structure that acts like a fan to draw the air from the inside of the rotor to more aggresively assist in the brake rotor cooling.

The stock rotors do this too but on a much smaller scale than the AP's. Couple this with the much larger mass of the stock rotor and yes they take longer to heat up but once they are hot - they will stay hotter longer making it more difficult to dissapate the heat.

Also as Travis points out - there is more pad contact with the rotor on the AP's - therefore there is less heat built up during brake pad application.

I'm sure someone with an engineering degree can come in here and explain better than us - but overall these are the contributing factors.

Oh - and I have the 370z sport akebono's on my 06 M45

Lovin every minute of em

Ken

RCZ · 08-12-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken in AZ

One thing to notice on the stock rotor versus the AP racing rotor is the fact that the AP kit uses a different internal vane structure that acts like a fan to draw the air from the inside of the rotor to more aggresively assist in the brake rotor cooling.

The stock rotors do this too but on a much smaller scale than the AP's. Couple this with the much larger mass of the stock rotor and yes they take longer to heat up but once they are hot - they will stay hotter longer making it more difficult to dissapate the heat.

Also as Travis points out - there is more pad contact with the rotor on the AP's - therefore there is less heat built up during brake pad application.

I'm sure someone with an engineering degree can come in here and explain better than us - but overall these are the contributing factors.

Oh - and I have the 370z sport akebono's on my 06 M45

Lovin every minute of em

Ken

Kinda-almost, the larger mass doesn't perform better because it takes longer to heat up per se, it performs better because the heat is spread across a larger area and because the larger surface area allows for for more efficient heat dissipation. In a way that does allow it to take longer to heat up, but not in the way you were thinking.

As far as less heat being created because of the larger pad...the pads on the AP Kit have a much higher coefficient of friction and since braking force (or grip for that matter) is a product of pressure and the coefficient of friction, they require less pressure to create the same amount of braking force.

The internal vanes (cooling) + the greater mass of the rotors (cooling) + the slotted pattern on the rotors (cooling) + the grippier pads (friction) = a system that can dissipate a whole lot more heat and produce more clamping power per applied pressure than the stock setup.

I studied business management in college though..

PS: Travis those things are beautiful.

travisjb · 08-12-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

PS: Travis those things are beautiful.

Thanks! I'm psyched to test these out for you all and share my thoughts, data and pics. Let me know if any other questions.

travisjb · 08-12-2009, 02:37 PM

will respond more later, but it is the area of pad contacting rotor and the heat dissipation qualities of the materials not just the diameter of the rotor to look at... more later

08-09-2009, 02:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
travisjb A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GSO Posts: 2,803 Drives: VIR Rep Power: 189	Sure thing, Chris I'd urge folks to think about doing this sooner rather than later, so you get a good price when you re-sell your OEM brakes. I got a grand for mine, but I sold to the first guy that came along. You can prob do better than that. __________________ 2009 370Z #104 For Sale

08-11-2009, 09:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
alan93rsa Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 412 Drives: 16 Cayman GT4 Red Rep Power: 221	Another item you might want to factor into the AP's price is pad and rotor costs. When I switched from the factory brakes on my 93 RSA to the Porsche Turbo Big Red setup I went through fewer pads and rotors per season. Those costs add up quickly. __________________ 16 Cayman GT4, Carmine Red, Buckets, PCCB etc.

08-12-2009, 01:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
travisjb A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GSO Posts: 2,803 Drives: VIR Rep Power: 189	Good point.... I haven't done the math on that but expecting it to be longer intervals and higher cost per interval... too soon to tell how it nets out but hoping it is a lower cost __________________ 2009 370Z #104 For Sale

08-12-2009, 02:37 PM	#15 (permalink)
travisjb A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GSO Posts: 2,803 Drives: VIR Rep Power: 189	will respond more later, but it is the area of pad contacting rotor and the heat dissipation qualities of the materials not just the diameter of the rotor to look at... more later __________________ 2009 370Z #104 For Sale

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08-09-2009, 03:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
OnCallZ Base Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 108 Drives: g37 Rep Power: 17	Would you say these brakes are too aggressive for street use?, I only do an occasional track day maybe once per year.

08-09-2009, 05:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 654	Only the front backing plates require modification correct? The rear rotors look like they are smaller than stock.

08-10-2009, 04:16 AM	#6 (permalink)
Shunya A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver Posts: 3,069 Drives: You Crazy! Rep Power: 22	AP Racing is one of the best brake systems out there imo. looking good travis

08-10-2009, 11:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
shabarivas A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,188 Drives: 370z MB 6mt Rep Power: 914	Wait ... 18'' forgestars are lighter than the stock 19's? ...

08-12-2009, 12:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
boosted180 Base Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: long beach Posts: 188 Drives: '09 370z sport 6m Rep Power: 16	hey travis. glad to hear the bbk completely eliminated your brake problems. can you explain a little more about how it's doing this? from the specs, it doesnt look like the kit is that much bigger than the sport brakes which are already pretty huge (14.25" vs. 14"). from comments made in other threads, it seemed more of an abs/ brake assist problem than with the actual calipers/ rotors/ pads themselves. would the 1/4" increase in rotor size make that much of a difference in heat dissipation to prevent the problem? i'm kind of hesitant to do a bbk b/c of the cost, but if that's the only way to solve this problem, then i guess i dont have a choice.....