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Sports Car Brake Upgrade
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Now that you’ve read and understand everything about brakes (right?), it’s time to explore four
different brake improvement projects. In other words, it’s time to grab the wrenches and head out to
the garage to bolt on some high-performance brake hardware. Each upgrade scenario has its own
set of unique conditions and constraints, but by referencing these four chapters, you’ll be better
prepared to address any challenges your own vehicle may throw at you.
To kick things off, we’re going to get our hands dirty (literally) walking through the installation of two-
piece rotors, high-performance brake pads, four-piston fixed calipers, and stainless steel brake
hoses behind the front wheels of a modern sports sedan—the quintessential big brake upgrade. It’s
important to note that these same steps and considerations apply to practically any vehicle going
through a front disc brake upgrade. Whether you are working on a late-model Camaro, an Acura
Integra, an Audi A6, or a Ford GT, the fundamental sequence of events remains the same.
However, in parallel with selecting and installing the upgraded components, we also take the time to
address system-level characteristics such as gain, balance, and pedal feel. For this reason, we
frequently reference equations from Chapters 1 through 4 in order to juggle these sometimes
conflicting requirements while optimizing overall brake system performance.
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While most brake upgrades can be
performed by the average enthusiast,
remember that you’re tinkering with
one of your vehicle’s most important
safety systems. For this reason, you
need not only your tools, jack, and jack
stands, but also a healthy dose of
experience and common sense. If you
question your abilities in the least,
enlist the services of a professional.
(Randall Shafer)
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The Vehicle
Representative of many compact sports cars on the market today, the BMW 330i is a competent
performance machine. Like several other vehicles of this nature, this particular example is used
primarily for commuting and driving around town, but on weekends it is driven to the limit at
high-speed driving schools and racetrack lapping events. Consequently, a high-performance brake
system upgrade was desired that would balance the needs of street and track use.
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The Objective
Although its six-cylinder engine produces only a modest 235 hp, this car’s 3,300-pound curb weight
contributes to significant brake system temperatures when driven aggressively. Being a BMW, there
is certainly autobahn DNA in the brake system design, but like any production passenger vehicle,
its stock brake system hardware is biased toward high-speed cruising more than toward generating
fast lap times around a road course.
In fact, that last statement is true for practically any street-driven vehicle. Whether you drive a
turbocharged sport compact, a high-performance V-12 exotic, a or a modern muscle machine,
brake systems designed for street use simply don’t cut it when driven hard on track.
Although increasing the BMW’s brake system thermal capacity quickly became the primary
objective, we wanted to make this improvement without making any sacrifices when driving around
town. In other words, a dedicated, race-only solution with dual master cylinders and aggressive
brake pads was not a viable option.
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Therefore, the plan was to replace the brake rotors and calipers with pieces more suited toward
high-performance driving while retaining the stock apply system hardware. An equally important
objective was to accomplish this task while maintaining stock brake system gain and brake balance.
Without the constraints of sanctioning body rules and regulations, our only limiting factor was our
checkbook.
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The objective of this project was to
select and install a brake system that’s
capable of great around-town driving
while being able to sustain the abuse
of weekend track events. For this
reason, we decided to focus on the
front brake system components, as
they were the limiting factor for the
brake system’s thermal performance.
(Randall Shafer)
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Removing the wheels and supporting
the vehicle on suitable jack stands is
usually the most safety-critical step in
any brake system installation. Once
you have the vehicle safely in the air,
you have easy access to its stock
brake system components. Regardless
of which make and model you’re
working on, the stock front brakes
probably look a lot like this. (Randall
Shafer)
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Picking the Right Parts
Even though the vehicle’s front-to-rear weight distribution is a respectable 50/50 at rest, under 1.05
g of deceleration, the weight distribution shifts to approximately 80/20. Typical of most production-
based vehicles, this suggests that the rear brakes are probably not the primary area of concern. As
a result, we elected to focus on the thermal mass and performance of the front brakes while leaving
the rear brakes alone.
Fortunately, a complete front big brake upgrade kit is available for this vehicle from StopTech.
While the kit consists of upgraded front rotors, calipers, brake hoses, and brake pads (smart parts),
the icing on top is that the individual components are designed to be compatible from a gain and
balance perspective as well (smart system).
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Front Rotors
As with any thermal mass upgrade, the most important step is to select and install new front rotors.
The stock 330i rotors measure 12.8 inches in diameter and 1.0 inch in thickness and are tucked
underneath stock 18-inch diameter wheels. In theory, a pair of 14.0-inch diameter rotors would
have fit inside the stock 18-inch diameter wheels, but since we wanted to run 17-inch diameter
wheels at track days, we selected 13.1-inch rotors that are 1.3 inches thick.
To further improve rotor cooling, we chose friction discs with differential vanes to replace the
straight-vaned stock parts. We also went with a two-piece design to reduce radial brake pad taper
at elevated temperatures, with the added benefit of reduced rotational inertia. Finally, we chose to
have the friction discs slotted. (Although the additional leading edges reduce brake pad life on the
street, in this application their on-track performance benefits justify the compromise. Plus, the slots
provide the desirable high-performance look, too!)
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Begin by removing your rotor’s retaining
fastener. Measuring 12.8 inches in diameter
and 1.0 inch in thickness, the stock 330i’s front
rotors certainly aren’t undersized for daily
driving. However, when exposed to the rigors
of track use, the system is barely capable of
maintaining adequate performance for even
three laps. (Randall Shafer)
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Our project 330i came with floating, cast-iron
front calipers containg single 2.2-inch diameter
pistons. They unbolt from the brackets as
shown. We swapped them for four-piston
aluminum fixed calipers to increase efficiency
and to reduce weight. (Randall Shafer)
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Front Calipers
The stock 330i floating calipers are made from cast iron and incorporate a single 2.2-inch diameter
piston. It didn’t take very long to decide to upgrade to a pair of aluminum, two-piece, multi-piston
fixed calipers. After all, decreased weight, increased efficiency (better pedal feel), and optimized
pressure distribution across the brake pad backing plate (reduced taper wear) are desirable both
on the street as well as on the track.
To take full advantage of the multi-piston geometry, StopTech implements differential piston bores
of 1.3 inches and 1.5 inches in this application to reduce longitudinal brake pad taper. While this
design increases brake pad life on its own, the calipers also use larger brake pads than stock,
providing an increased amount of friction material for longer brake pad life.
Note that because the StopTech calipers are a universal design, 330i-specific mounting brackets
are required to attach them to the stock suspension uprights. Fortunately, they were included in the
kit, alleviating the need to fabricate custom brackets.
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Hoses, Fluids, and Pads
While filling up our shopping cart, we also decided to upgrade the stock rubber overmolded brake
hoses with high-performance stainless steel brake hoses. Although there was no reason to
upgrade based on thermal needs alone, the reduced compliance would provide improved brake
pedal feel.
For brake fluid, we chose Motul RBF600, a high-performance DOT 4 blend. A dry boiling point of
594 degrees F indicates that brake fluid fade shouldn’t be an issue when new, and a wet boiling
point of 421 degrees F suggests performance should be maintained even with a significant amount
of moisture adsorbed into the fluid. (In spite of these quality numbers though, brake bleeding on
track days is still a good idea to keep the brake pedal as firm as possible.)
Like many performance street cars, this one will be primarily driven on public roads, so we wanted
to select brake pads that would perform well at low temperatures. However, well-rounded cars like
this also see the track, so high-temperature robustness was just as necessary to prevent brake pad
fade. To satisfy these conflicting needs, we ended up going with two sets of brake pads—one
material for around-town driving and another material for hot laps on the weekend.
For street use, we chose a semi-metallic brake pad friction material to replace the stock non-
asbestos organic material. Why? To allow for moderately increased thermal performance during
spirited driving while maintaining acceptable levels of wear and noise. On the track though, the
street brake pads will be replaced with a dedicated racing compound specifically designed to deal
with the heat generated under green flag conditions. (Unfortunately, the elevated levels of rotor
wear, brake dust, and noise from the race pads would make them unacceptable on a daily basis.)
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At some point, performing a brake
upgrade requires opening the
hydraulic circuit. Brake line fasteners
are notorious for corroding in place,
and as a result, it’s a good idea to only
service them with flare nut wrenches
available from most tool suppliers. In
any case, be prepared to clean up
spilled brake fluid before it gets a
chance to mar your vehicle’s paint.
(Randall Shafer)
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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High-Performance Brake Systems
Design, Selection, and Installation
by James Walker, Jr.
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High-Performance Brake Systems: Design, Selection, and
Installation gives you the knowledge to upgrade your brakes the
right way the first time. Author James Walker, Jr. doesn’t just tell
you what to do—he uses over 330 photos and plain English to
help you understand how and why your brake system works, what
each of the components does, and how to intelligently upgrade
your brakes for better performance. There are chapters showing
you how to choose and install the most effective rotors, calipers,
pads, and tires for your sports car, muscle car, race car, and
street rod. You will even find special sidebars detailing how each
upgrade will affect your ABS.
Brakes might be one of the most important, yet least understood,
vehicle systems. Brakes are relied upon day in and day out
without giving a second thought to their condition, let alone their
purpose, function, or design. Brake systems can be intimidating,
and they aren’t usually the first thing the average horsepower
junkie chooses to upgrade. But there’s no reason to wait until you
have a problem to learn how your brakes work. Whether you are
a casual enthusiast, a weekend warrior, or a professional racer,
this book will tell you everything you need to know about brakes.
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Click below to view a sample
page from each chapter
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Chap. 1 - Energy Conversion
Chap. 2 - Tires Stop the Car
Chap. 3 - System Design
Chap. 4 - Brake Balance
Chap. 5 - Pedal & Master Cyl
Chap. 6 - Brake Fluid
Chap. 7 - Lines and Hoses
Chap. 8 - Brake Calipers
Chap. 9 - Brake Pads
Chap. 10 - Brake Rotors
Chap. 11 - Sports Car Brakes
Chap. 12 - Race Car Brakes
Chap. 13 - Muscle Car Brakes
Chap. 14 - Street Rod Brakes
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8-1/2 x 11"
Softbound
144 pages
330+ color photos
Item: SA126
Price: $21.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book that any performance enthusiast will love!
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Chassis Engineering
Precise and predictable handling the key to high
performance
driving. The art and science of engineering a
chassis can be
difficult to comprehend, let alone apply. In this
book, chassis
expert Herb Adams clearly explains the
complex principles of
suspension geometry and chassis
design in terms the novice
can easily understand and apply
to any project. Hundreds of
photos and illustrations offer the
information on what it takes to
design, build and tune the
ultimate chassis for maximum
cornering power, both on and
off the track.
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Price:
$
18.95
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The Street Rodders Chassis & Suspension Handbook
The experts at Street Rodder have now compiled a
comprehensive handbook on one of the most critical areas
of
street rodding – the chassis. Sections covered in this book
include frame design and construction, hanging suspension
components, independent verses sold front suspensions,
independent verses solid rear axles, steering system design
and modification, driveshafts, brakes, shocks, springs and
much more. The information is this book will give you the
knowledge to properly design and build your chassis and
suspension.
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Price:
$
18.95
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How to Make Your Car Handle
Make your car handle, design a suspension system, or
just
learn about the chassis; you’ll find what you’re looking for
in this book. Basic suspension theory is thoroughly covered
including roll center, roll axis, camber change, bump steer,
anti-dive, ride rate, ride balance and more. How to choose,
install and modify suspension hardware for best handling;
springs, sway bars, shock absorbers, bushings, tires and
wheels. Regardless of the basic layout of your car it’s covered
in this book.
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Price:
$
18.95
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The Metal Fabricators Handbook
How to build structurally sound, good looking metal parts
for
custom street rods, race cars or restorations. Over 350
step-
by-step photos and instructions illustrate proper welding,
metal
shaping and design techniques. Learn to fabricate metal
like a
professional. This book is for the reader who already
has more
than a passing interest in automotive fabrication.
Master metal
craftsman Ron Fournier shares the tips,
techniques and
secrets necessary for fabricating metal
components for race,
custom or restoration use.
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Price:
$
18.95
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Turbo High Performance Turbocharger Systems
This book is the most detailed and up-to-date resource on
turbocharging. You'll learn how turbochargers work, how to
choose the right turbo or turbos for your engine by reading
flow maps, and how to tune your engine to run perfectly with
your turbo system. Uses more than 300 photos and technical
information to help you make more horsepower. It also
discusses the various components of a turbocharger and
explains how to decode turbocharger model numbers,
compressor maps, other specifications and includes a
complete step-by-step turbocharger tear-down and rebuild.
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Price:
$22.95
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Payment, Shipping & Sales
Tax: Iowa
residents must pay 7% sales tax. Items usually ship
within one
business day of receipt of payment! Standard shipping is a flat rate of
$4.95 to
anywhere in the United States with USPS Media Mail.
Priority Mail shipping is available for an
additional $3.00, or
$7.95 for shipping. Shipping is combined and discounted for multiple item
purchases as follows: first item regular shipping price, add
$1.95 for each additional item. For
purchases of 3 or more items
shipping is automatically upgraded to Priority for no additional
charge! We offer world wide shipping and ship to Canada and Mexico
with USPS Priority Mail
International for $14.95, and to most
locations in Europe, Australia, Asia, Japan and South
America for
$18.95. Satisfaction is Guaranteed. Our store has a NO HASSLE RETURN
POLICY
within 30 days of purchase.
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