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Who would be interested in a StopTech Big Brake Kit?

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Old 12-22-03, 10:18 AM
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Originally posted by ptrhahn
It would be smart (for StopTech) to offer a front-only 328 or 332 kit meant to work w/ 17" wheels (the most common track size), and the stock rear brakes (and hopefully master cylander as well).

Then offer a full-blown, 4-wheel 355mm kit with ebrake option.

Despite all the enthusiasm on this thread, i doubt you'll sell more than a couple $5.5k brake kits. I can't see that many owners parting with that sort of $$ for brakes, regardless of all the "count me ins". 90% of the folks out there need a semi-economical, track-worthy front setup that they could match with their standard rear brakes, or upgrade to the 99 rear later.
Agreed..
Old 12-22-03, 02:56 PM
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I agree as well, after reading the "Rear brake upgrades" link. I'll probably just upgrade the fronts, and just replace the rear rotors with stock diameter aftermarket components when they get worn.
Old 12-22-03, 06:35 PM
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Thumbs up Big Brakes

I'm interested but a two wheel kit is fine with me. I have 18" wheels.
Old 12-22-03, 10:16 PM
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Count me in for the front. I've been waiting for 4years for this!
Old 12-23-03, 08:25 AM
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Some thing for STOP TECH to consider:

1. A great many people who "track" or autocross their cars use the original 16" stock wheels for their R-compound rubber. Currently, the M2/Wilwood 6-piston kit is the only 13"x1.25"-rotor kit will fit those wheels.

328-332 mm is pretty close to 13". IF you were to produce a kit with those rotors that fit in the 16" wheels (even barely), worked with the stock master cylander, and was priced under $1800, and readily available (unlike M2 stuff) you'd probably sell alot of them. As a fall-back, fitting inside 17" wheels would be crucial.

Many people also upgrade to a Mazda 929 master cylander (about a $100 upgrade) to push bigger calipers with similar pedal travel. If it would help you use a different (6-piston perhaps) caliper to fit within the 16" stock wheels, i'm sure many people would find that preferable to buying a whole new set of 17" track wheels/tires.

What is your timetable for development? I'm going to need an upgrade very soon (for coming track season) so will need to make a decision soon. Thanks!
Old 12-23-03, 10:29 AM
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I'm definitely interested. Probably a 4 wheel kit. I'll be waiting to see package prices and every last thing that's included in that package. I'm getting a lotta go, now I need some whoa!
Old 12-23-03, 10:36 AM
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Originally posted by Railgun69
I'm getting a lotta go, now I need some whoa!
That reminds me of the German brake company called Mov'it. (I have their brakes on my 1996 Impala SS). I always figured they should have named themselves Stop'it!
Old 12-23-03, 11:41 AM
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for your enthusiastic responses. Yesterday, I got the green light to move forward with development of the kit(s). We are going to bring a local car in asap for measurement. I will provide updates and answer questions as necessary.

Thanks for the info on wheel choices.
I agree. The factory brakes pretty much fill up the stock 16" wheels. Any brake upgrade that would provide a meaningful improvement in capacity would require at least 17" wheels.
I think its safe to say that we will not be producing a kit that will fit 16" wheels. Most people that track their car will need more heat capacity than we can provide and still fit the 16" wheel. Also, producing a kit for the 16" wheel would necessitate an entirely new caliper design, which isn't going to happen at this point. If feasible (we will find out when we measure), we will produce a kit that will fit 17" wheels. My guess is that a 328mm kit should be sufficient for this car (similar to what we have for the NSX), although we'll probably offer a few options with even more thermal capacity.

Would you be interested in painted or anodized calipers? For some platforms we offer both. The anodize cools a little better, but it doesn't hold up to the environment as well as the painted. We typically offer the anodized kits for a couple of hundred $ cheaper. So, a ballpark cost for a 328mm front only anodized kit would be roughly $1695-1795 vs. approximately $1995 for a painted 332mm kit.

A lot of people have mentioned a full 4 wheel 355mm kit. I'm not sure if you guys realize that a kit such as this is most likely overkill! If you have more rotor than you could possibly need on your car, all you're doing is dragging around added weight...just something to keep in mind. My hunch is that a 4 wheel 328x28 kit, or a 332x32F/328x28R might be appropriate. These kits would still fit 17" wheels. We'll see.

At any rate, I just wanted you guys to know that we are moving forward on this.
Old 12-23-03, 11:57 AM
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Originally posted by J Ritt
At any rate, I just wanted you guys to know that we are moving forward on this.
Excellent! I'll hold off a little longer then! I think a 332/328 kit would be great! I would probably opt for the anodized kits as I'm a cheap bastard and by function well before form.

I know its way to early for projections, but can you ballpark how long a timeline would be before kits become available, using past experience?

Regards
Old 12-23-03, 11:59 AM
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What about the e-brake will you be add'ing a seperate e-barke like the NSX kit?
Old 12-23-03, 12:05 PM
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Thanks for you consideration!

Two thoughts for you as you proceed:

1. Make sure the car you bring in has the stock 16" wheels, and at least give it a shot. As mentioned, there is a 13" rotor kit that fits, and its possible yours could just fit this particular wheel, and that sure would be worth a look.

2. i'd offer the kits annodized for price consideration, then painting as an option. One can always paint their own calipers as well.

If you could produce a kit identical to the RX8 kit for the same price (it would likely lend itself to use with either the stock rears, '99 rears, or your rears at customers choice), you'd have a winner.




Originally posted by J Ritt
Hi everyone,
Thanks for your enthusiastic responses. Yesterday, I got the green light to move forward with development of the kit(s). We are going to bring a local car in asap for measurement. I will provide updates and answer questions as necessary.

Thanks for the info on wheel choices. I think its safe to say that we will not be producing a kit that will fit 16" wheels. Most people that track their car will need more heat capacity than we can provide and still fit the 16" wheel. Also, producing a kit for the 16" wheel would necessitate an entirely new caliper design, which isn't going to happen at this point. If feasible (we will find out when we measure), we will produce a kit that will fit 17" wheels. My guess is that a 328mm kit should be sufficient for this car (similar to what we have for the NSX), although we'll probably offer a few options with even more thermal capacity.

Would you be interested in painted or anodized calipers? For some platforms we offer both. The anodize cools a little better, but it doesn't hold up to the environment as well as the painted. We typically offer the anodized kits for a couple of hundred $ cheaper. So, a ballpark cost for a 328mm front only anodized kit would be roughly $1695-1795 vs. approximately $1995 for a painted 332mm kit.

A lot of people have mentioned a full 4 wheel 355mm kit. I'm not sure if you guys realize that a kit such as this is most likely overkill! If you have more rotor than you could possibly need on your car, all you're doing is dragging around added weight...just something to keep in mind. My hunch is that a 4 wheel 328x28 kit, or a 332x32F/328x28R might be appropriate. These kits would still fit 17" wheels. We'll see.

At any rate, I just wanted you guys to know that we are moving forward on this.
Old 12-23-03, 01:28 PM
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I'll be a guinea pig for R&D purposes
Old 12-23-03, 01:48 PM
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Originally posted by J Ritt
I think its safe to say that we will not be producing a kit that will fit 16" wheels. Most people that track their car will need more heat capacity than we can provide and still fit the 16" wheel. Also, producing a kit for the 16" wheel would necessitate an entirely new caliper design, which isn't going to happen at this point.
Although I agree with your heat capacity assessment, I still think that it would be worth it to STOP TECH to at least try a few combinations and see if they could make a setup that would work with the stock Mazda 16" wheel. The majority of FDs (3rd gen RX-7s) I see out at track days have their race rubber mounted on stock wheels-- but they're all crying out for better fade resistance.

If feasible (we will find out when we measure), we will produce a kit that will fit 17" wheels. My guess is that a 328mm kit should be sufficient for this car (similar to what we have for the NSX), although we'll probably offer a few options with even more thermal capacity.
I'm almost certain you will be able to assemble a kit that will work with 17" wheels. Most of the halfway decent brake setups I've seen that will fit 17" wheels utilize 328mm discs, although there are a few that are larger. I will definitely be interested in the 328mm kit for 17".

Would you be interested in painted or anodized calipers? For some platforms we offer both. The anodize cools a little better, but it doesn't hold up to the environment as well as the painted. We typically offer the anodized kits for a couple of hundred $ cheaper. So, a ballpark cost for a 328mm front only anodized kit would be roughly $1695-1795 vs. approximately $1995 for a painted 332mm kit.
You will probably sell far more anodized (read: less expensive) units than painted ones.

My hunch is that a 4 wheel 328x28 kit, or a 332x32F/328x28R might be appropriate. These kits would still fit 17" wheels. We'll see.
I'll be interested to see if you could get a 332mm disc to work with a 17" effectively. I use 17" Fikse wheels, and I found the clearance to be too tight with 332mm discs to use decent calipers. If you could, I'd be very interested.

Thank you for showing interest in and helping the RX-7 community.
Old 12-23-03, 07:01 PM
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I'll be waiting to see package prices and every last thing that's included in that package.
For a typical 2 wheel kit, this would be included:
Floating Directional 328mm x 28mm Drilled or Slotted Rotors, with four 4 Piston ST40 Calipers Black Anodized, Stainless Steel Brake Lines, AXXIS Ultimate Brake Pads That kit for the RX-8 runs $1695.

I know its way to early for projections, but can you ballpark how long a timeline would be before kits become available, using past experience?
A safe answer for me is...a couple of months...probably I honestly can't say at this point. It depends on a ton of variables. Some that can be controlled, and others that can't.

What about the e-brake will you be add'ing a seperate e-barke like the NSX kit?
No idea until we see the car up close. We will make sure to retain e brake functionality though.

Make sure the car you bring in has the stock 16" wheels
To my knowledge, we have yet to find a single 16" wheel that our ST-40 will fit under. It is safe to assume that you will not be able to use our kit with anything smaller than a 17" wheel.

I'll be a guinea pig for R&D purposes
You live in MD! We live in LA...oops.

I'll be interested to see if you could get a 332mm disc to work with a 17" effectively. I use 17" Fikse wheels, and I found the clearance to be too tight with 332mm discs to use decent calipers. If you could, I'd be very interested.
Our 332 kits fit with quite a few 17" wheels. Wheel fitment primarily has to do with spoke design, not offset. On our website, we have downloadable templates to test fit in your actual wheels. A popular 17" wheel that many use with our kit is the SSR Competition. BBS' latest wheel guide will designate which wheels fit StopTech's as well. HRE, Kinesis, etc. can build you something that will fit. They know our brakes well. Luke at THe TireRack can recommend something from their lineup.

Thank you for showing interest in and helping the RX-7 community.
No problem. A number of our employees really like this car. We're all car nuts, and we are well aware of their versatility and capabilities. We'd love to see our brakes on some nice FD3's!
Old 12-23-03, 07:33 PM
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Originally posted by J Ritt
Our 332 kits fit with quite a few 17" wheels. Wheel fitment primarily has to do with spoke design, not offset. On our website, we have downloadable templates to test fit in your actual wheels. A popular 17" wheel that many use with our kit is the SSR Competition. BBS' latest wheel guide will designate which wheels fit StopTech's as well. HRE, Kinesis, etc. can build you something that will fit. They know our brakes well. Luke at THe TireRack can recommend something from their lineup.
Well, appreciate the references, but I don't want to give up my Fikse's. I guess I'll have to download the template to see if the 332mm kit will fit my wheels.
Old 12-23-03, 07:45 PM
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David and Jeff are over here. Cool!!!

I'm interested in a 14" 4 wheel kit.
Old 12-23-03, 09:21 PM
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Interested in Stage II.
I run 17's, on the street.
I'm not up to $5.5K.

Thanks for asking.
Ken
Old 12-23-03, 10:50 PM
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I would REALLY like to see an application for the FC. Considering the stock brake caliper between the FC and the FD are nearly identical, is there any remote possibility that Stoptech could release a FC application? (Although I do understand that there are very very few individuals who are insane enough to spend a large sum of money that is easily 2x-4x the purchase price of the car. I just happen to be one of those insane individuals.)
Old 12-24-03, 10:42 AM
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Kento,
If your Fikse's are pretty close, you could always consider running a small spacer.

Hi VQ! I didn't know you were even interested in anything other than the Z!

Montblu,
Our 328 kit would be more in the $1700-1800 range...only the 4 wheel kit will be in the $5k range. Thanks for the note on the stage II thoughl...I definitely want to examine interest for that as well.

DomFD3S,
Unfortunately, I'd say the odds of doing an FC kit are slim to none at this time. I just don't think we could get the return on our investment that we need. Are there any other options out there for the FC?

Thanks guys...keep em coming...questions, concerns, etc.
Old 12-24-03, 10:52 AM
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For those of you interested...how much horsepower are you typically running, and how much does your car weigh? Thanks.
Old 12-24-03, 11:22 AM
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Most of us typically in the 300-400 rear wheel horsepower range. A stock third generation RX7 weighs between 2800and 3000 lbs
HTH,
Crispy
Old 12-24-03, 11:30 AM
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J RITT -

I just picked up this thread. I am very interested in the 332 front kit and possibly the rear 328. I agree a full 335 kit is way overkill. I know some people who are currently using your rotors in competition and are very happy with the heat dissipating characteristics. Basically all requirements have been stated by other forum members. Mandatory is an E-brake for the rear kit. I use it to swing the back end on tight corners. I try on to abuse my clutch too much. I have been working on a kit for my car because pricing was unreasonable for most store kits. Your prices are in the ball park and as I said I am very interested. Purchase time in around 5 to 6 months. A couple of questions though.

- Caliper puck size and quantity per caliper
- Cost of replacement rotors.
- Cost of a caliper re-build kit.
- What pads are compatible with your kit.

My car -
99 % street driven
Prox. weight 2900LBS with driver
Prox. 380 RWHP goal 415 - 425RWHP
Old 12-24-03, 11:50 AM
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For the FC, there are only a few options that I know of.

One of them, is using Endless (www.endlessusa.com)
http://www.endlessusa.com/estore/bra...26&submit.y=14

(BTW, Endless also makes a Big Brake kit for the FD).

Generally speaking,...there isn't much for the FD and even less for the FC.

I may just have to pick up the FD Big Brake Kit and modify it to fit the FC application.
Old 12-24-03, 01:02 PM
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80-CU.IN.T

Caliper puck size...proprietary info...sorry. We won't know until we test a car anyway. The calipers would be our semi-solid forged ST-40 4 piston opposed. Check out our website for full technical details. www.stoptech.com

Replacement rotors would be $185 each for replacement slotted 328's, and $195 each for 332mm...not too shabby for the best rotor on the market.

Caliper rebuilds:
Seals and dust boots for each caliper: $50 (4 pressure seals and 4 dust boots)

Pistons, seals, and dust boots for each caliper: $150-180 (4 pistons, 4 seals, 4 dust boots).

Pads compatible with our kit that we sell:
Axxis Ultimate, Deluxe +, Metal Master; Cobalt GT-VR; Ferodod DS-2500 and 3500; Hawk HT-14, HT-10, HPS, HP+, Blue 9012; Pagid Sport Blue, Orange RS 4-4, RS-14; Performance Friction 01, 97;StopTech street, club race. Lots of nice friction for street and track...that's why the pad shape was chosen.
Old 12-24-03, 01:36 PM
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Originally posted by J Ritt
Kento,
If your Fikse's are pretty close, you could always consider running a small spacer.
The problem there is I'm right at the limit as far as fender lip clearance is concerned, although that's not to say it couldn't be done. I'll figure something out, because I want the STOP TECH setup. Thanx again for the info.


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