| Stopping Power - Buyer's Guide
Everybody knows it's good to be able to get out of trouble faster than you can get into it. With the hellacious speed that modern boosted-up turbo cars generate quickly getting out of trouble is no easy task. The braking system is one of those all-purpose players that does so much for the driving experience but is often overlooked and underappreciated. Enhanced stopping power means you can drive deeper into your favorite canyon corner but there is also a big safety factor; dropping 10-12 feet off your 70-0 braking performance is a car length, which can be the difference between a near miss and complete disaster
Beyond the performance attributes, ballin' big rotors plain look hot behind the wheels and the colorful calipers that come with most kits set off the system nicely
We have compiled this guide to illustrate the possibilities out there. Brake performance can be enhanced in one fell swoop with a complete kit or by merely adding high performance pads and/or stainless lines to your existing stock setup; based on need and/or finances. If your rotors have worn out; upgrade don't replace
May the (stopping) force be with you.
Late Braking NewsThese SEMA-licious Products Are Hot Off The Show FloorWe are kicking off this guide with brake offerings we spotted in the New Products section at the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Complete Big Brake KitsBig brake kits are the end-all solution to braking. You get it all in a single shipment; rotors, calipers, brackets, lines, pads, even brake fluid in some kits. These beasts are designed to be a straight R&R install and are available in model specific applications as well as universal kits that can be "tweaked" to cover more than one application.
Rotor KitsAftermarket rotor kits cover OE replacement rotors in the stock diameter as well as performance rotors with cross-drilled and slotted design in stock circumference and larger than stock rotor kits that include a caliper adapter bracket that repositions the factory caliper to fit the larger-diameter rotor. The enthusiast can then save money and upgrade the calipers to attain a full system upgrade.
Performance Brake PadsPads are a drop-and-stop solution. They are very cost effective and can address braking performance and well as brake dust generation and brake noise. Another important factor is the wear characteristics of the pads. Be sure to select a pad that meets your style of driving, i.e. selecting full race pads that require great heat build-up to attain its peak efficiency does not make sense on a daily commuter street car.
Stainless-Steel Brake LinesA soft brake pedal can often be attributed to soft rubber brake lines that expand or swell when under pressure from the master cylinder. In some cases you may have been living with that soft pedal so long that you don't even know it's soft. Replacing OE brake lines with stainless-steel or Teflon-reinforced lines means no expansion in the system, a firmer pedal and better performance.