Art of Zen and BBKs
Ah, ah, ah. I was asked to put my grain of salt in the discussion. I have commented enough in the past years on this forum. And we know how it ends ;-)
Nonetheless someone mentionned the very wide selection of pads available for Wilwood's Superlite caliper (same pad shape as for AP Racing's CP8350 and CP8250 BTW). The available selection of pads should be an important element when you pick a caliper. Not to mention the specifics of the pad shape. In the case of the 7420 Superlite pad, it's a very thick 20mm. If you track, that means that you can very well spend a whole year on one set of pads.
One other element that was mentionned in this thread is the availability of front AND rear kits. Doing front-only is fine if it is well balanced in term of braking power. But be aware that chances are that the front brakes will be able to handle more heat than the rear, and that if you start pushing, the rear rotors will reach their own thermal capacity limit. Solid discs don't evacuate heat as well as vented ones. Also, a 318i will not have the same weight distribution as a 325, or a swapped e30. Different weights on the front axle requires different piston sizes to properly fit a specific cars. Not to mention that some people like a front-heavy brake set-up, and others prefer a bit more rear. That can only be achieved if the BBK supplier offers a choice of pistons. The good guys at Ireland Engineering probably can offer different sizings as they use Wilwood calipers. That other supplier "that moved South" doesn't offer a choice of piston sizes as far as I know. Also, make sure that pistons are stainless steel and not aluminum if you want to keep your brake fluid cooler, longer.
Also, identify if you need a light, medium or heavy duty kit. That would influence your choice of fixed discs or floating ones. There's no one size-fits-all BBK. Pick the one that fits your needs and budget best. If you say you never track the car, then get a light to medium duty BBK. If you track only twice a year, then you still need a heavier duty kit, unless you can settle for disapointment for those two times.
As a sidenote, if there was a motorcycle section on R3V, you bet I would come here more often. ;-)
Ah, ah, ah. I was asked to put my grain of salt in the discussion. I have commented enough in the past years on this forum. And we know how it ends ;-)
Nonetheless someone mentionned the very wide selection of pads available for Wilwood's Superlite caliper (same pad shape as for AP Racing's CP8350 and CP8250 BTW). The available selection of pads should be an important element when you pick a caliper. Not to mention the specifics of the pad shape. In the case of the 7420 Superlite pad, it's a very thick 20mm. If you track, that means that you can very well spend a whole year on one set of pads.
One other element that was mentionned in this thread is the availability of front AND rear kits. Doing front-only is fine if it is well balanced in term of braking power. But be aware that chances are that the front brakes will be able to handle more heat than the rear, and that if you start pushing, the rear rotors will reach their own thermal capacity limit. Solid discs don't evacuate heat as well as vented ones. Also, a 318i will not have the same weight distribution as a 325, or a swapped e30. Different weights on the front axle requires different piston sizes to properly fit a specific cars. Not to mention that some people like a front-heavy brake set-up, and others prefer a bit more rear. That can only be achieved if the BBK supplier offers a choice of pistons. The good guys at Ireland Engineering probably can offer different sizings as they use Wilwood calipers. That other supplier "that moved South" doesn't offer a choice of piston sizes as far as I know. Also, make sure that pistons are stainless steel and not aluminum if you want to keep your brake fluid cooler, longer.
Also, identify if you need a light, medium or heavy duty kit. That would influence your choice of fixed discs or floating ones. There's no one size-fits-all BBK. Pick the one that fits your needs and budget best. If you say you never track the car, then get a light to medium duty BBK. If you track only twice a year, then you still need a heavier duty kit, unless you can settle for disapointment for those two times.
As a sidenote, if there was a motorcycle section on R3V, you bet I would come here more often. ;-)
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