I have started several threads over the past few months attempting to get input or advice on the things I feel should be upgraded or replaced in my car. These things are generally functional improvements, not visual, with the caveat that some things are, well, both. Tires, for example, are one of those things that exist in both camps; most of us prefer high-performance tires, but we also want them to look era-correct, AND be easy on the wallet. We've spent a lot of time discussing the merits of different tire manufacturers, models, sizes, brands, compounds, applications, etc., and everyone seems to have their own opinion on where that "sweet-spot" is. Some of you have no problem spending $2,000 on a set of tires that last 5k miles, others want the least expensive tires they can find, and most of us are probably somewhere in the middle... I guess most things we do or don’t do to our cars could be debated in the same way. Brakes are another one of these topics…
My reasons for upgrading some of the functional elements on my car stem primarily from my experiences driving at speed; on the track, doing vintage rallies, or participating in other events where the car is being asked to perform at a relatively high level. I found that my car is wonderful to drive in anger, fantastic in fact… it handles like a housefly, is totally stable at high speed and inspires loads of confidence. This wonderful-ness is not without a few exceptions however, brakes being one of the top, if not THE top concern. My brakes overheat and totally fade after 4-5 hard laps and take a while to come back down in temp. I think I understand why, and what to do to fix the problem, but I’d like to hear what some of you guys have done to address this issue. But before you chime-in, let me expound a bit.
Under normal driving conditions, my car stops very well… it’s got SC front calipers, and vented rotors all around, and they do the job nicely… so I don’t think I need larger calipers – I just need to keep what I have cooler. I understand most of why they overheat, but I want to work through each part of the system to thoughtfully upgrade where needed. To that end, I just got a cooling duct kit for the fronts (thanks, Marco) and that should help a lot. I am also replacing the stock rubber lines with stainless lines and will be doing a full system flush with high-temp fluid. That will also help, but I know there’s more to it than that. I’m not in a position to replace the calipers, and don’t want to run giant 930 brakes, so I’m looking to upgrade or replace the next most important items; rotors, pads and brake fluid.
Yes, I’m wrestling with what to do with rotors and pads… and like the tire thing, this a worthy area for stupid questions to be hucked over the fence, and expert opinions to be howitzered back. I’ve read a ton about cryogenic crystal alignment, slots vs. no slots, aluminum carriers for lower unsprung weight, rotor mass for heat dissipation, this pad compound vs. that compound, but a lot of what is said varies wildly. Some say cryo-treated rotors are the best, others say they don’t have any noticeable benefit over non-cryo rotors. Low unsprung weight is a key element for quick rotational direction change, but having rotors with more mass helps them dissipate heat better, like a great big heat-sink… Tons of directions to go on this one, but I’m seeking that sweet-spot where I stick with solutions that look mostly correct, and offer noticeable improvement over what I have now, but that aren’t overly high in price.
I’d like to hear from you guys about what rotors, pads and fluid you use, and why. Your opinions on what the factory used, and why, are also something I’d love to hear more about. Functionality, price, looks, availability, authenticity; these are all factors I’m interested in.
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