Rda Vs Dba Rotors

[SimonR32]

I'm looking at upgrading my R32 GTR brakes as they aren't handling the new power too well.

I'm going to get some good DOT5.1 fluid, braided lines and Ferrodo 2500 pads and I'm looking at upgrading the rotors.

My choices seem to be RDA slotted rotors or DBA 4000 series rotors. The RDA seem to be cheaper but I have not heard of their performance that much, while I have heard stories of the DBA's cracking under hard use.

The car is fairly quick and be used mainly for street use, but driven fairly hard and the street and the occasional track day (possbily at Wanaroo which is very hard on brakes).

What I'm looking for is value for money, in terms of both performance and wear resistance.

Let me know any thoughts.

Cheers

Simon

[Angus Smart]

I'm sure rda make some of dba's stuff.. unless someone can tell me otherwise. but i use rda on the rear of my 32 gtr

Edited July 7, 2007 by Angus Smart

[luke20t]

i got some rda rotors for my skyline but havent installed yet.

i heard they are good and dont crack.

talk to paul from sauwa hes got them on his high powered r33.

[Roy]

If your having brake problems on your GTR, putting replacement rotors on will do very little. Stick with the pads and fluid and see how that goes. If your rotord are undersized and need replacing then i would personally just use the RDA because they are cheaper. Its unlikely that on the street you will pick any difference between a cheap rotor and more expensive. Especially since the 296mm rotors will do a good enough job, but as soon as you start to punt it hard at the track for more then a few laps. no 296mm rotor is going to do a great job

[dangerous_daveo]

That and if it hasnt been done for a while get the calipers rebuilt. It makes a difference.

[djr81]

  Cerbera said:

I'm looking at upgrading my R32 GTR brakes as they aren't handling the new power too well.

I'm going to get some good DOT5.1 fluid, braided lines and Ferrodo 2500 pads and I'm looking at upgrading the rotors.

My choices seem to be RDA slotted rotors or DBA 4000 series rotors. The RDA seem to be cheaper but I have not heard of their performance that much, while I have heard stories of the DBA's cracking under hard use.

The car is fairly quick and be used mainly for street use, but driven fairly hard and the street and the occasional track day (possbily at Wanaroo which is very hard on brakes).

What I'm looking for is value for money, in terms of both performance and wear resistance.

Let me know any thoughts.

Cheers

Simon

My thoughts:

You can get a set of RBA slotted rotors from the group buy at a fraction of the price of the DBA4000's from any normal outlet.

So irrespective of which may be slightly better (I have no reason to believe the DBA's to be superior simply because they crack from the stupid little return slots on the rotors) they cannot be sufficiently different to justify spending extra money on the DBA's.

Oh and don't bother with DOT 5.1 nonsense. Find a bike shop that sells Motul RBF600 & spend $28 for 500ml. You will fade the DS2500's around Wanneroo long before you boil that stuff. Trust me I know from btter experience.

Edited July 8, 2007 by djr81

[SimonR32]

how many laps did you get from ds2500's

with the power im making i'm thinking i wont last more than 3 or so haha

[WRRR]

RDA/DBA - Have a look at the Group Buys the RDA deal is pretty special and looking at the RDA rotors I bought they seem as good as DBA .

I would suggest if you are serious about pushing hard at Wanneroo for more than a few laps at a time you will be better off with a more race oriented pad than the DS2500. It is not that hard to change a set of pads over before hitting the track.

The 2500 are a good compromise for road/some track but won't take long term punishment like you are talking about. Loss of brakes at the end of the downhill is a "puckering" experience.

Edited July 9, 2007 by WRRR

[SimonR32]

yeah the pads are going to be used mainly for street, thats why i said ds2500

ill try using them the first time at wanners and see how they go... then decide on a better pad for track

[djr81]

  Cerbera said:

how many laps did you get from ds2500's

with the power im making i'm thinking i wont last more than 3 or so haha

Well it depends on a lot of things - temperature on the day, how much hp you have, how heavy the car is, what tyres you are running, how aggressive you are under brakes, how much ducting you have, stone guards etc etc etc.

DS2500's will be fine for a three lap run, ie warm up three laps, cool down. Which is pretty standard for drive days & lap sprint events.

[SimonR32]

ok

made a desicion...

going to go braided lines, good fluid, standard calipers spaced to 324mm to fit rda slotted r33 gtr rotors with ferrodo ds2500 pads. rears standard size but rda slotted rotors and ds2500 pads as well

sound good?!?

[Roy]

I found the DS2500s to be a pretty good thing. Really need to back to back them with the Comp 9 pads i used to run on front. But they are much the muchness. Next set of pads im going to try some PFC pads.

[SimonR32]

WOW OUCH!!!

i just got a email from UAS for a quote for just caliper adaptors from 296 to 324mm, i think they must have liked the look of me because they tried to bend me over.

does anyone make them?!?

[Beer Baron]

how much are the adapters?

[msnismo]

  Cerbera said:

WOW OUCH!!!

i just got a email from UAS for a quote for just caliper adaptors from 296 to 324mm, i think they must have liked the look of me because they tried to bend me over.

does anyone make them?!?

There is a place in Sydney where we got the brackets to mount R31 calipers & rotors to a hilux diff in a Datsun Sunny. Its called Craft Differentials... they might have something???? 02 9637 1973

[Roy]

  Cerbera said:

WOW OUCH!!!

i just got a email from UAS for a quote for just caliper adaptors from 296 to 324mm, i think they must have liked the look of me because they tried to bend me over.

does anyone make them?!?

LOL, sell your GTR calipers and rotors and buy my GTSt calipers with near new DBA 4000 rotors, rebuilt and HPC coated calipers and the 280 to 324mm adaptor. the 280-324mm adaptor is more robust then the 296 to 324mm adaptor, its simply a finction of hte meat afforded by the larger change in diameter

If you buy the adpators for less then $250 then they are a steal

[SimonR32]

$365 delivered the the adaptors...

i was thinking more like $250 would be a reasonable price...

[alexk]

I use RDA rotros (group buy) with EBC redstuff pads, RBF600 fluid and braided lines for my R32 GTR. although i haven't taken it to a track, i do take it regularly to the mountains and i push it hard - especially on the down hill. No problems with the rotors so far and no fade.. now imagine if i had cooling ducts to each corner and suspension

[Beer Baron]

$365 is not too far off the money. it's still a bargain upgrade considering you basically then have the same gear as a brembo set-up for only $365.

[Roy]

Yeh $365 seems like a fair whack of money until you consider that the billet they are made form has about 40% wastage. So thats material you have to pay for that isnt ended up beign used. Billet alloy isnt cheap to start with. Then you have time for setup and machining, then tapping threads etc.

So i have no idea how the $180 each is broken down. But consider a machine shop charges for programming and setup time. Then actual machining time. Then materials cost. Then high tensile caps. Dleiveyr between machine shop and seller. Then of course the bloke selling them wants to make a dollar. But thinking about it he isnt making a lot from them.

Anyway, they still work out good value as the 324mm rotor hangs in there a bit longer then the 296mm rotors