The V8 Owners Forum -

I've been looking into a front big brake kit for the skyline, not an off the shelf one due to cost but something cobbled together using oem calipers and a bit of nouse.

A common upgrade for nissans is to use the Evo 6-9 Brembo 4-pot calipers, they are relatively cheap and easy to get hold of. These usually go with 330mm rotors, however the adapter bracket is a bit iffy (thread size/spacing/depth), but I have found another version of this which uses the larger Evo 10 350mm disc brakes, which means the adapter is much better. So, that was my first option.

I have also been looking at the Brembo 17z and 18z series 6-pot calipers. These are found on high end VAG and Porsche motors, again relatively easy to get but a little more expensive than the Evo calipers. These are for 17" and 18" wheels using 330mm & 350mm discs respectively. However, I have read that the 17z are actually better (read: more powerful) due to larger piston sizes.

So, I've done a bit of a piston comparison of the three calipers mentioned above:

Brembo Evo 9: 2x40mm, 2x46mm = 58.38cm2
Brembo 17z: 2x34mm, 2z36mm, 2x38mm = 61.2cm2
Brembo 18z: 2x30mm, 2x34mm, 2x38mm = 54.98cm2

I've read on a few evo forums that the 18z kits are a good improvement over standard evos ... but would the 17z be a better caliper due to larger piston area? And could you run the 17z on a 350mm rotor? <Don't see why not?

As for rotors, I am getting some alloy bells this week so will be able to pic and choose whatever I need to fit the application/calipers so they're not an issue.

Advice welcome!!!

Choose the caliper that has the most affordable pad range.

Some of them can be crazy prices.

Really cant see overall perfomance being vastly different ?

Choose the brakes that fit inside your rims


Having to buy new rims can be expensive

Ian

Bear in mind that brakes are designed as a matched set with a master cylinder that is sized according to the piston area and travel of the matched calipers, so your wanting to fit X caliper with Y master could lead to problems of pedal travel or pedal effort to achieve the desired effect.

Hi
remember brakes can run too cold as well as too hot, if you fit discs and calipers that are too big with too much pad area they will hardly ever get up to proper working temperature and not be predictable.
best regards
Mike

Thanks for the replies, I already have 18" rotas which give a lot of clearance. Master cylinder isn't an issue either as running pedal box with twin wilwoods (.75 & .7) and bias. I'm after a good enough set of brakes to not have to worry about them on track days etc.

Can anyone comment on the calipers/piston area further? I'm pretty sure running 350mm disc will be the optimum size, any bigger is unnecessary and I'm not keen on going smaller. The evo calipers are good, but a lot of Evo owners replace them for the 6 pots .... I'm kinda leaning towards those at the moment.

Pads is a good point tho stevie, some can be v.expensive!

Are the guys going to 6 pots to keep up with the Jones' or is there a genuine reason to do that? I can't see a high end car like the Evo having dodgy brakes as standard in today's litigation rich environment.

Take a look here for a good source if info on brakes...
http://www.carbibles.com/brake_bible.html

How heavy is the car ? What sort of usage ? what sort of grip available ?