R33 Front And Rear Discs

[KrazyKong]

I've been thinking about upgrading my front and rear discs possibly to some GTR ones. Can I still use my stock GT caliper covers, or won't they fit even with modifications?

The reason being is I've recently replaced my front pads with some QFM HPX pads. The front discs were very smooth still and didn't look to me to need machining. My back discs however might need either replacing or machining, and I'm overdue to replace the rear pads.

I know very little about brakes and so on. But figured if I have to either machine or replace my rear discs, why no upgrade to some larger GTR ones eh.

Many thanks.

[Ben C34]

No. You can't use gtr rotors and your current calipers.

Just get new stock rear rotors. Typically it's not worth upgrading rear brakes, and it is totally crazy to only upgrade the rear discs.

[KrazyKong]

No. You can't use gtr rotors and your current calipers.

Just get new stock rear rotors. Typically it's not worth upgrading rear brakes, and it is totally crazy to only upgrade the rear discs.

The front discs are still in great condition and have new pads on them, I figured I'd use them till the next change. The rears need new pads now, and either machined or new discs. Since I'm having to look at both options, it occured to me to maybe look at upgrading them. Thanks for the reply though. I'd like my car to look as stock as possible. Do people sell their old GTR calipers or are they an item folks keep and never get rid of?

Edited August 14, 2014 by KrazyKong

[GTSBoy]

Is your car NA or turbo?

[M@&k]

I had my front rotors machined and it cost stuff all. I think about $60 for both. Certainly cheaper than buying new ones.

[hardsteppa]

you can still use your front gtst calipers on gtr discs, you just need to use an adapter like the GK Tech ones. Fairly recent thread about doing this.

Rear brake upgrade; Holford Motors had a bolt-on kit on sale a while back, very cheap upgrade. I've been happy with mine, great value for price.

[GTSBoy]

you can still use your front gtst calipers on gtr discs, you just need to use an adapter like the GK Tech ones. Fairly recent thread about doing this.

Depends on what car he has and what GTR brakes he's talking about. If he has an NA car then all bets are off without buying more gear. If he has R33 GTST brakes, then they will fit over 296mm GTR rotors (thickness being a small issue perhaps) but need your beloved adapters for 324mm rotors.

This is why I asked what car he has, because in the OP he says, and I quote, "stock GT caliper covers". Whatever he means by covers is unclear, but GT implies not turbo.

Edited August 15, 2014 by GTSBoy

[hardsteppa]

Thanks, he has a gtst.

Stock r33 disc is already 296mm, so only 324mm would be upgrade, needing adaptors.

[jjman]

If you are reasonably handy with a spanner then

-take the rear discs off yourself and then take them down to be machined

-pick up a set of pads and put it all back in at once.

Its a good easy job that will save you a few $.

Also perhaps consider doing all 4 corners if you do really want a brake upgrade. Some new slotted rotors and decent quality discs (as well as a fluid flush) will enhance the braking. But really unless you are doing regular track days you should not need to upgrade R33 GTS-T brakes. They are pretty decent. They do have a pretty soft intial pedal feel/bite but sink your foot into them and they are strong and will easily lock all 4 wheels.

P.S. when pushing the calipers back to get the new pads in and over the discs remember to take the top off the brake reservoir.

Also, tho im sure it wont be in your case unless you do all 4 corners, I actually had to suck a fair bit of fluid out of my reservoir but that was going from old discs and worn pads to brand new discs and pads all round = the pistons were a lot further back in the calipers on all 4 corners pushing a fair bit of fluid back up to the reservoir.

Edited August 15, 2014 by jjman

[KrazyKong]

Is your car NA or turbo?

It's Turbo so a GTST.

Getting my discs machined and new rear pads I'm sure would probably be all I need, but if it's not too expensive, if not now then later, I would like to get larger front and rear discs. I have a set of stock R33 GTR rims on my car, so having the GTR discs i think would be cool. But having said that, how much bigger are the GTR discs vs my stock GTST ones?

[GTSBoy]

Normal GTR rear discs are the same size as you have anyway. V-spec only slightly larger, so not worth the effort. As has already been said, upgrading rear discs is a looooong way from being a worthwhile exercise. You certainly DO NOT upgrade rear discs without making the front ones MUCH larger.

If you were to upgrade the fronts to 324mm rotors then it would still be a waste of time to upgrade the rears. Won't need it, won't benefit from it. If you were to upgrade the fronts to a real package involving ~>360mm rotors, then sure, upgrade the rears.

[niZmO_Man]

Grab the D2 big brake kit or Alcons from the UK.

[sweefu]

Grab the D2 big brake kit or Alcons from the UK.

What's a kit like that worth these days? I remember the D2 being around the $1600 mark or something similar?

[hardsteppa]

If you were to upgrade the fronts to 324mm rotors then it would still be a waste of time to upgrade the rears. Won't need it, won't benefit from it. If you were to upgrade the fronts to a real package involving ~>360mm rotors, then sure, upgrade the rears.

what a load of shit, yeah right no benefit. Clearly another thing you're spouting off as fact without having actually tried it to know.

Krazykong you're welcome to give mine a try next time you're in the area, I still have stock discs here so can refit and try the "before and after" so you can see for yourself.

[Trex]

what a load of shit, yeah right no benefit. Clearly another thing you're spouting off as fact without having actually tried it to know.

Krazykong you're welcome to give mine a try next time you're in the area, I still have stock discs here so can refit and try the "before and after" so you can see for yourself.

I've driven a car with better rear brakes than the front, It's not easy to control when they lock. The rear will push the front of the car until the rear steps out. Imagine that while setting up for a corner.

GTS is one of a handful of members who tries to help every member on this forum with an answer, most of the time is correct. He isn't a dick when asked why or how something works, maybe next time ask why he believes what he is typing.

[Ben C34]

what a load of shit, yeah right no benefit. Clearly another thing you're spouting off as fact without having actually tried it to know.

Krazykong you're welcome to give mine a try next time you're in the area, I still have stock discs here so can refit and try the "before and after" so you can see for yourself.

Lol.

Upgrading rear brakes and leaving the fronts is RETARDED.

You don't need to try it and see.

[niZmO_Man]

When you brake, the weight transfers to the front tyres (simply physics), so you'd want more stopping power up front. Especially on a nose heavy car like the Skyline.

What's a kit like that worth these days? I remember the D2 being around the $1600 mark or something similar?

I think the group buy was done through Import Monster, they might be able to get some. They wouldn't be more than $2k. Or you can grab an Autech kit from Just Jap.

[hardsteppa]

At no stage did i say only do the rears, not the fronts. To say the rears won't benefit from an upgrade is untrue, and from my own personal experience, worth doing. I did the rears first cause that's the kit that arrived first, and always interested to feel the change it makes; it wasn't undriveable but certainly not how i'd want to leave it....with bigger discs on the front too the brake bias feels fine to me and a massive upgrade over leaving stock at both ends.

[GTSBoy]

Nearly every Skyline has a tendency to excessive rear bias from the moment the factory pads are changed. If you put the same pads front and rear it seems to undo what must be a biased pad combo in the factory compounds.

Ergo, unless you go to the effort of working out a pad combo that puts the bias back (towards the front), it is quite reasonable to do fairly significant upgrades to the front brakes before you will even go close to needing to upgrade the rear.

Face it - the R32 V-spec had the 324mm fronts and the rears were basically the same as every other Skyline.

Unless you are fairly heavily tracking the car, you will not need the added mass of rotor at the rear that would come from an upgrade. And if you were heavily tracking it, then you relaly want a much bigger front rotor (than 324mm) anyway. At that time then it makes sense to upgrade the rears.

It just doesn't make much sense, either from a performance perspective or from a money persepctive to upgrade the rears when the fronts are only at the 324-330mm size. You can get all the brake bias at the rear you need with those size fronts just with correct pad selection. Save the rest of the money for coke and hookers instead of rear brake rotor size bragging rights down at the local skate park.

Edited August 17, 2014 by GTSBoy

[75coupe]

Why get the rears machined, i havnt needed to machine a rotor in years and it gets tracked, my daily doesnt need rotors machined either...