G4 Brake Calipers Are They Any Good ..whats An Alternative ?

[josh23457]

Hi all

I've recently purchased a '93 R32 GTR for track work.I want to upgrade the standard front brakes to something that will cope with constant track work.

The G4 kit gets lots of mention in this forum but most of the info is now over 12 months old.I'd be very interested in knowing how these have performed for those that have fitted them.I'm a bit sceptical about the long term effect due to the fact that they are made of aluminium.All high end cars like Porsche ,Audi ,BMW and Mercedes all use steel.As do Brembo, AP,Alcon etc.

If not the G4,what can you recomend.....Price is important but not as much as good consistent braking.I 'm told that the brembo's are the best but I'm not sure if my budget can stretch that far.

Are R32 rotors compatible with R33/34's?

Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated !!

Josh

[Duncan]

Hi Josh, I am still using the G4s have had them for almost 2 years now. No problems at all.

[Roy]

What makes you think that "hiogh end" cars use steel brakes? They are all alloy of various compositions. Certainly not steel. Rotors may be steel, but even then most high end cars have alloy hats with carbon or steel rotors.

[No.96]

Any more G4 convert out there I would like to here from you too.

[tacker]

aye i have been using them for 2 years on a track only car and still working ok.

[Stig O'Tracy]

Fitted these to my R32 GTR (front only) earlier this year. I went for the 330mm rotors but in retrospect I sorta wish I'd gone for the 356mm.

No problems with the calipers but supplied pads were crap (lasted one outing to Wakefield). Since switched to carbon ceramic pads recommended by Specialised Brake & Clutch Services (Penrith). These are much better wearing but (probably) at the expense of rotor life as I've spotted some small cracks after a further 2 track days.

The guy at SBCS was a bit ambivalent towards them - he reckons he'd seen some "bend" (splay open) after hard use resulting in uneven pad-wear. And also reckoned the piston diameter was relatively small. Then again, he's selling AP racing gear.

For the mony I reckon they're OK.

[padey]

What pads are you guys using?

[MrStabby]

What pads are you guys using?

Good point. The supplied pads are the Street pads, so you wouldnt expect them to work at the track, and they dont. JustJap sell "street", "sports" and "track". The Tracks are a bit of a ripoff at $440 a set (a while back) but reportedly work well. I will be trying EBC yellows next time i hit the track, using the street pads ATM.

I like my 330 G4s...

[woolls]

i have been running the 356mm kit on my r33. Street pads didn't last long (track car) and I got uneven pad wear. I am now running the g4 track pads. I am happy with them and there doesn't seem to be any uneven pad wear.

Edited October 27, 2008 by woolls

[gslrallysport]

Good point. The supplied pads are the Street pads, so you wouldnt expect them to work at the track, and they dont. JustJap sell "street", "sports" and "track". The Tracks are a bit of a ripoff at $440 a set (a while back) but reportedly work well. I will be trying EBC yellows next time i hit the track, using the street pads ATM.

I like my 330 G4s...

What pad reference do the G4 (same as D2?) calipers take? Is it an off the shelf number, or something that's G4 only? I've been told the same as AP Racing 6 pot, but the only AP Racing 6 pot pads I can find (VZ HSV, same pads as VE HSV) look nothing like the G4/D2 pads?

Any takers?

[woolls]

What pad reference do the G4 (same as D2?) calipers take? Is it an off the shelf number, or something that's G4 only? I've been told the same as AP Racing 6 pot, but the only AP Racing 6 pot pads I can find (VZ HSV, same pads as VE HSV) look nothing like the G4/D2 pads?

Any takers?

+1

[tacker]

they are and i have used a ds 3000 compound which was hard to get in the 52mm radial depth, still didnt notice much difference to the track pads from just jap. i will continue to use the green track pads as they work well and seem to last.

[MrStabby]

I'm not 100% sure the pads i have will fit. I had to trim the backing plate "feet" so it didnt overhang the rotor, and they might be a little too wide. Does anyone have a new G4 pad they can measure for width? IIRC the ones i have are 16mm

[Abo Bob]

I've used both the street pads and the track pads from JJ. They are good for what they say they are. Can't fault them.

[MrStabby]

The yellows i have are DP4005 - AP caliper CP3894D51 (18mm). The 18 is of course the thickness. When i trial fitted them to work out how much to grind off the feet, they seemed like they might be a bit thick. They're about 2/3s the price of the JJ racing pads.

Greens are DP2005, reds are DP3005.

[Ben101]

Don't mean to go off topic but what master cylinder are you all using with the g4?

If your using stock master do you have good pedal feel

[MrStabby]

I use the standard master, pedal feels great. Much firmer than with the stock calipers. Brake bias seems ok on the street with G4 330s at the front and standards at the back, but i havent tried it at the track.

[woolls]

Don't mean to go off topic but what master cylinder are you all using with the g4?

If your using stock master do you have good pedal feel

I am still running the standard one. pedal feel is great and bias is good on the track too.

Edited October 28, 2008 by woolls

[padey]

The yellows i have are DP4005 - AP caliper CP3894D51 (18mm). The 18 is of course the thickness. When i trial fitted them to work out how much to grind off the feet, they seemed like they might be a bit thick. They're about 2/3s the price of the JJ racing pads.

Greens are DP2005, reds are DP3005.

What's the radial depth of those pads compared to the JJ pads?

[MrStabby]

What's the radial depth of those pads compared to the JJ pads?

IIRC pad mating faces are identical.