Thread: Brake suggestions?

One of my rotors is going bad. Still stopping the car with no trouble, but braking at high speed or down hill has a vibration to it. Was thinking of just upgrading the whole front brake system (rotors, calipers, ss lines, pads). Any suggestions? My budget will only be ~$400 but could be a bit more if I wait a few extra weeks. Mostly stock 200sx SE-R btw (ghetto intake, header, exhaust).

Or would I be better off saving the money and just picking up some brembo rotors and better pads?

Get motors from napa like 25 each. And good pads and lines. Like 175-225 depending on pad and line choice. Just regular old pads and motors in the rear.

Take a nap.... Lol



Seriously you can get some NX calipers(~$100), rotors from Napa(~$50) and some good pads(~$70) and still got money left. its all in the pads and tires you use.

Why do you want to upgrade your front brakes? Stock OEM SE-R brakes are fine for most street applications. The main reason to upgrade to NX2000 brakes or beyond is to avoid fade. Are you getting fade with your current brakes on the street?

If you have plans to do lapping days or turbo your engine, then upgrade your brakes. Otherwise, I would think that you would be better off getting new stock rotors and some good pads.

Here are some things I have learned about SE-R brakes in the last 10 years:

1. Your tires are the controlling factor in stopping your car, not your brakes, unless and until you get brake fade. You can lock your wheels now with your stock brakes. You are probably not going to make your car stop faster on the street by spending money to upgrade your brakes.

2. Stock SE-R brakes are all I need for the street. I have never experienced fade with stock brakes on the street. NX2000 rotors add several pounds of rotating mass to each of the front wheels -- not something that you want to do if fast acceleration is something that you seek. We pay hundreds of dollars to buy light wheels, why would we add pounds of rotating mass by selecting larger rotors unless we absolutely need them?

3. Stock SE-R brakes are not adequate for track use, no matter what pads you use. The NX2000 brakes with track pads are all I need for the track for my SR20VE. If you drive a turbo on the track, you may need more brakes.

3. Nissan OEM pads stop the car well and provide good long service on the street. They produce little dust. After market performance pads provide a higher coefficient of friction so your brakes feel like they are more capable (remember, all brakes are limited by the tires) but also produce more dust. If you choose the extra coefficient of friction, you will be cleaning your wheels every few days or driving with dusty wheels.

4. SS brake lines are OK, but most people really cannot feel the difference between SS lines and OEM lines in good condition. SS lines are subject to fraying and make it harder to move the calipers for pad swaps. They may be difficult to attach to the struts, requiring some special attention.

These are my opinions based on my experience. When it comes to brakes, as most things with cars, everything is a trade off.

Boost is planned for the near (4-6 months tops) future, but will be minimal (probably t25 @~8lb).
What about keeping the stock setup with drilled/slotted rotors and good pads? I guess I can skip the SS lines for now, and maybe upgrade later?

Also, pad suggestions would be appreciated. I know right now I definitely need new rotors, and pads are at about 30% so I figure it's a good time to change those while I'm down there.

If you are going turbo, then upgrading brakes is a reasonable step to take. For the street, if you want an upgraded pad, Axxis Ultimates, Bobcats by Carbotech, or Hawk HPS (if available) are all good. Don't spend the extra money for slotted or drilled rotors - they really don't add anything but bling.

don't forget new fluid.

What are you looking to get out of your brakes ...street /autox/road race ? I dissagree with not going with drilled/slotted rottors but rather go with just the slotted/dimmpled rotors insted as the drilled are known to crack from my experiance of heavy use .

I want something that is going to hold up. The car is my DD. Will be seeing light boost here shortly.

The winding mountain roads out here tend to cause a lot of wear and tear on the breaks though. Trying to break at 55mph for a stop sign at the bottom of a steep hill is not always fun.