370Z Akebono Caliper On Bnr32 ?

[cobrAA]

Have you guys tried these ? they seems like a great option, beside the bracket that need to be fitted. I prefer to get OEM caliper than aftermarket because, IMO, it will be pricier, harder to find rotor/pad for the application.

I heard anything that fit on a 300zx can be fitted on a skyline right? So maybe I should dig up 300zx's forum and see what kind of big brake kit they use.

thanks!

[R31Nismoid]

I prefer to get OEM caliper than aftermarket because, IMO, it will be pricier, harder to find rotor/pad for the application.

I'd totally disagree with that statement.

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

Have you guys tried these ? they seems like a great option, beside the bracket that need to be fitted. I prefer to get OEM caliper than aftermarket because, IMO, it will be pricier, harder to find rotor/pad for the application.

Not really... There would be a lot of aftermarket support with aftermarket brake setups.

I heard anything that fit on a 300zx can be fitted on a skyline right? So maybe I should dig up 300zx's forum and see what kind of big brake kit they use.

thanks!

For starters, Z32's use the same size brake pad and caliper's as the BNR32's.

If you want a factory upgrade, just find a set of Brembo's off a R32 GTR V-Spec / V-Spec II or R33 GTR.

[GTSBoy]

Not really... There would be a lot of aftermarket support with aftermarket brake setups.

For starters, Z32's use the same size brake pad and caliper's as the BNR32's.

Same pad yes, but the caliper is actually the same** as the R32 GTSt, not the GTR. Suits 280mm discs, not 296.

**(Caliper material is iron or alumunium depending on year.)

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

Same pad yes, but the caliper is actually the same** as the R32 GTSt, not the GTR. Suits 280mm discs, not 296.

**(Caliper material is iron or alumunium depending on year.)

I see, thanks for the correction!

[lidz]

concept z performance & z1 (both states based) both sell the akebono kits to suit z32 (& thus r32). Sub $2k plus post for the full kits, then can option 2 pc rotors, etc. Just the fronts is about $1100 I think, plus post.

Another recent z32 option uses z34 rotors with the brembo calipers from a 300c str8. Calipers can be had for reasonable money from ebay US, dogbones are done by a guy on 300zxclub.com

[cobrAA]

thanks for the info.

right now I have dba 4000 allaround and brembo r33.

[Legionnaire]

...

Another recent z32 option uses z34 rotors with the brembo calipers from a 300c str8. Calipers can be had for reasonable money from ebay US, dogbones are done by a guy on 300zxclub.com

I would strongly advise against this upgrade - SRT8 calipers (300C, grand cherokee, charger, challenger, whatever) have some ridiculous construction - they are basically 2 x two piston modules bolted to a sliding caliper bracket, with only one bolt per each end of a twin-piston module (talk about caliper stiffness)!

This link will also give you an idea about their construction.

Since they are el-cheapo 3-piece calipers with steel brackets, no one ever bothered to make differential pistons - that would have introduced the necessity to separate left modules from right ones which would be too expensive and time-consuming to assemble, so all pistons are of the same diameter, and they are HUGE. 4x44mm pistons, that gives gigantic piston area of 60.82sq.cm (sumitomos are 51.28sq.cm), you'll never be able to balance them with rears, car will be heavily front-biased, constantly overbraking front wheels and stopping distances are likely to be increased.

Same calipers can be observed on non-AMG W221 merc S-class without performance brake package, so the most performance-oriented chrysler caliper is the most basic merc one.

Pad is also of pretty unique shape, so the choice of pad compounds may be somewhat limited

Edited September 15, 2012 by Legionnaire

[R31Nismoid]

thanks for the info.

right now I have dba 4000 allaround and brembo r33.

Why not upgrade to D2 356mm or Ksport?

They are a bolt on affair, tried/proven - sell off your Brembo's and it'll cost you MAX $1000, more likely closer to $500

The upgrade price is almost unfathomable it's that cheap to do.

[Risking]

I would strongly advise against this upgrade - SRT8 calipers (300C, grand cherokee, charger, challenger, whatever) have some ridiculous construction - they are basically 2 x two piston modules bolted to a sliding caliper bracket, with only one bolt per each end of a twin-piston module (talk about caliper stiffness)!

This link will also give you an idea about their construction.

Since they are el-cheapo 3-piece calipers with steel brackets, no one ever bothered to make differential pistons - that would have introduced the necessity to separate left modules from right ones which would be too expensive and time-consuming to assemble, so all pistons are of the same diameter, and they are HUGE. 4x44mm pistons, that gives gigantic piston area of 60.82sq.cm (sumitomos are 51.28sq.cm), you'll never be able to balance them with rears, car will be heavily front-biased, constantly overbraking front wheels and stopping distances are likely to be increased.

Same calipers can be observed on non-AMG W221 merc S-class without performance brake package, so the most performance-oriented chrysler caliper is the most basic merc one.

Pad is also of pretty unique shape, so the choice of pad compounds may be somewhat limited

Your slightly off the ball with some of your comments

That setup with 4x44's will be heavily REAR biased if using the master cylinder that was previously used.

The rear surface area has not changed and the hydralic advantage remains the same. With a larger piston area on the front the piston clamping force will increase however the piston travel distance will decrease (using the same master cylinder) the decrease in travel leads to rear bias.

[cobrAA]

Why not upgrade to D2 356mm or Ksport?

They are a bolt on affair, tried/proven - sell off your Brembo's and it'll cost you MAX $1000, more likely closer to $500

The upgrade price is almost unfathomable it's that cheap to do.

I had bad luck in the past with cheap/unknown/no-name rotors. So my idea was to maintain the DBA 4000 or go Brembo plain but to do that, I have to choose a OEM caliper. You think I can fit some brembo plain with this 356mm kit?

Also, I read mixed review on Sau about the D2 kit.

[Legionnaire]

Your slightly off the ball with some of your comments That setup with 4x44's will be heavily REAR biased if using the master cylinder that was previously used. The rear surface area has not changed and the hydralic advantage remains the same. With a larger piston area on the front the piston clamping force will increase however the piston travel distance will decrease (using the same master cylinder) the decrease in travel leads to rear bias.

I'm not questioning your knowledge, but I fail to see how with _incresed clamping force_ I have decreased stopping power. Or, to be more precise, what does travel of pistons have to do with force they generate, because very little force is produced while they travel and majority of force is generated when there is no travel left and pistons push pads against rotor face. True, using same M/cyl as before we'll have to displace more fluid to make pads contact rotor surface (increased pedal travel), on tandem m/cyl this may result in rear pads making rotor contact earlier that front pads, but once pistons are displaced and pad-rotor conact is established, a caliper with pistons larger than factory - like the one mentioned above - will result in more stopping power (braking torque) due to increased hydraulic ratio and fluid incompressibility (sp?).

Or do you mean the situation when m/cyl runs out of travel and "bottoms out" because of excessive front piston area and therefore insufficient fluid capacity to move all pistons out far enough? In that case - I agree with you, there will be almost no front braking at all.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Legionnaire

[Legionnaire]

cobrAA, about your initial question - there was a thread on V36/Z34 akebonos some time ago, some info has been posted there.

Akebonos, while not bad, don't make a very good upgrade for R32-34 skylines IMO because of lug mounts, uncommon pad shape and weird caliper construction, in that it uses narrow pad, but requires wide annulus rotors. There also was some unfavourable feedback about their use on track, can't remember where I've seen it exactly though.

But if you're after similar upgrade, I have a couple ideas for you: you can use Z34 rotors - bolt right on to your hub, 355x32mm - and get yourself some OE brembo calipers with radial mounts. Your options include Audi R8 rear calipers - 4 piston brembos, 2x(38+42)mm pistons, radially mounted, take super-common brembo f40 pad shape, run on 356x32mm rotors.

Other option, Gen III dodge viper calipers, 4 piston brembos front and rear, front 40+44mm pistons, rear 38+42mm pistons, all four run on 355x32mm rotors, radial mounts, take F40 brembo pad. Can be bought off American ebay for reasonable price.

There are other similar options out there, but those I think are the most suitable ones. I'd suggest 38+42mm pistons, they are a bit smaller than your current factory GTR brembos, so your m/cylinder will be fine, and increased leverage from the bigger Z34 rotor will compensate for slightly lower piston area, so you won't need upgraded rears.

This approach basically gives you everything you asked for - quality OEM calipers, parts for caliper repair are easy to find and cheap, readily available and relatively cheap OEM rotors that fit without modifications, and pads available in almost any compound you can think of. You'd only need to make caliper adapters, since calipers have radial mounts that won't be a problem.

[cobrAA]

^^ thanks for the valuable info, wasnt looking for that much option lol!

but if I can only buy D2 caliper without rotor, I could be interesting and I would get myself some dba rotor.

Edited September 26, 2012 by cobrAA