warren is in the late stages of finalizing a front/rear brake upgrade (see FD... new brake options thread) for the FD which will use the OEM calipers, E brake and will greatly improve braking performance.

he needs your input as to aftermarket wheels and caliper clearance versus the OEM wheel.............

please post your experience as to any clearance issues w aftermarket wheels and calipers.

if you have been following this thread you may remember that after developing the RX8 one of the owners ran into a clearance problem w a set of Enkies. Warren made a deeper hub and changed the caliper mounting bracket to accomodate the wheel.

here's a recount and picture:

https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=130

ideally, it would be great to sidestep the problem so please do post any info you might have on this matter.

thanks,

howard coleman

 

I hope it clears the SSR Professor MS1's I want to get.

 

I know that if the disc size goes beyond a certain point that I will have problems with caliper clearance with my 17" FM-5 Fikse wheels. It's been the stumbling block that has prevented me from getting a BBK kit such as Stoptech or Brembo. With the stock calipers, I can try and measure to see how far the caliper can go before clearance becomes an issue; the Fikse wheels' thick spoke curves a bit inward just at the rim junction, which will probably be the biggest clearance problem.

 

Yup, I've experienced this same damn problem . If they can make a BBK that will fit with the FM5s, I'll definitely consider it.

 

how about estimating the clearance you have between the inner wheel and caliper and referencing it to the approx tightest spot on the caliper.

thanks,

howard

 

I say build the best possible kit and if manipulating the hat and bracket don't cause a problem then keep it off the wheel. Those who really care to have the best brake kit will buy the wheel that fits it.

With that said the most popular road race wheel for the FD is the classic CCW 18" wheel with a 50mm plus offset and you could run into problems with a fat caliper so I would start there. CCW would have all the measurements needed.

 

I agree. I rather have better performance vs. trying to fit it on to stock wheels.

 

^^ Agreed. Soliciting input from folks to get estimated clearance #s based upon their current wheel of choice seems to me to be a fruitless endeavor. Too many different wheels and very imprecise measurements.

 

Everytime i've tested the stock brakes- or rather whatever i have on the car since i bought it this way: Stock caliper, cross drilled slotted rotor, unknown pads. -i've been pleasantly surprised. Poor surface traction, emergency/panic, etc.

I can't imagine having better brakes on stock size tires.

 

When I had Fikse's, I downloaded their template, and it JUST barely scraped the inside of the wheel. Whatever dimention the ST template is, is the dimention of the Fikse wheel. I seem to remember 42 mm being something... or 24 mm maybe?

 

It's not so much the inside diameter of the wheel that's the problem; it's the damn fastener bolts/nuts on the inside of the wheel at the rim/hub junction (one of the major disadvantages of the Fikses that I didn't take into consideration before I bought them; however, I got them at a smokin' deal, so it was a fairly easy decision back then). If the stock 93-95 caliper moves out farther than 34mm to clear a larger diameter disc, then the caliper will come in contact with the protruding fastener bolts unless it is moved inward a few millimeters. With the stock 292mm discs and calipers (correct me if I'm wrong on that measurement), there is no problem with clearance to the spokes or the rim/hub junction until you get to that 34mm mark, which I guess in a sense means that if the disc goes larger than 326mm with the stock 93-95 caliper in the stock wheel track position, you will have clearance problems with the fastener bolts. As it sits, there is a good 6mm of clearance between the wheel and the caliper (measured from the protruding "Mazda" on the face of the caliper to the spokes) up until that point. With a 330mm/13 in. disc, I would need to have the hats changed to move the caliper inward to clear the bolts.

 

My impression is that RB wants to offer cost-effective upgrades, not simply maximum hardware for its own sake. If this kit were solely about "best possible," RB wouldn't be trying to keep the stock rear caliper. Saving a few hundred dollars on a BBK that requires $2+k wheels works against this.

With that said, I don't see a big compromise in performance from using a deeper hat for better wheel compatibility. A slight increase in weight that allows the kit to work with most any wheel is a good move for my needs.

But I am a cheapskate...