Well i was wondering if ceramic rotors are available or if its possible that a company would make them for the FD. I realize that ceramic rotors are options on Ferraris new Challenge Stradle and Porsche 911 turbo. So i was wondering any info on this?

 

And what the hell would you need them for? Bling bling?

FYI, the ceramic rotors on the 911 Turbo are an $8000 option....

 

They're not an $8k option because they're neat to look at. Ceramic rotors serve a serious purpose in the form of better braking/cooling/longevity.

 

Ehhhhhh, definately NOT longevity. Witness how often a car with ceramic rotors needs them changed...

Nobody to my knowledge offers ceramic aftermarket rotors for any car. They are tremendously expensive and not worth it unless the car is really tracked hard. And if the car is really tracked hard, odds are you no longer have the stock brakes unless you have something like a Ferrari, Porsche, etc.

 

My point exactly. I believe I read that an Enzo driver had to replace his ceramic rotors already, with less than 10k miles on them, for the small amount of $24,000.

 

Porsche originally marketed their ceramic rotors as basically lasting forever.... in addition to not fading EVER... even with the "street" pad, so you could basically just show up at the track and drive hard without swapping pads...

Guess that blows that..

 

True. Thats the downside of the ceramic rotors they are as expensive as hell. Ok but let me ask you guys this how long will the rotors last if they are tracked moderately and then used for street use afterwards?

 

Are you talking about typical iron rotors? I would say that longevity would depend on the particular track, brake pad used, your skill level (more skill = harder on brakes), etc.

If you are talking stock rotors, they are pretty cheap anyway. Brembo blanks for the fronts are <$60 each from Tire Rack. You got to pay to play, unfortunately.

 

i can get you ceramic coated titanium rotors if you want. stock fitment or other. floating rotor on aluminum hat. they save 10lbs unsprung weight per wheel. $1500 each but they last a long time. when the ceramic starts flaking you can just have it recoated.

 

ONLY $6k for a set of rotors? eeesshhh

I don't think even the most hard-core track junkie would spring that much for just rotors......

 

yeah its only for the hardcore. not sure if you really need them in the rear either. but how else can you save TEN POUNDS per corner? and taking into account the lifespan they get a lot cheaper.

 

I have seen the said Enzo. In fact, I've oogled 3 of them up close but the bastids won't gimme the keys and let me sit in the car

I was told one well driven Enzo had done two track days at Texas World Speedway (very fast track). After that it was time for new pads and rotors and it seems he menioned they were indeed well over $20K just for the brake job

 

A while back I found Carbon rotors at a shop in Indy, Not too expensive really 900.00 each. I forget the shop, but it was on gasoline alley, near earls. Anyway, I dont recall the cost of the caliper or the carbon pad to go along with it. Im sure Manny knows, that is his neighborhood. Amazingly light weigt stuff. !! give it a try !!
1R1

 

I came across a link on Rennlist where a 996 Turbo member was fighting Porsche w/ regards to their "lifetime" brakes. This is a recent article.

(Sorry I don't have the link right now. I'll have to dig it up tonight.)

The lawsuit alledges that Porsche reported and marketed the PCCB brakes as "lifetime" items. Every single salesperson said so. All marketing materials say "lifetime".

Suffice it to say, the owner (being impressed) purchased a new 996 Turbo w/ the PCCB brakes as an option. UNFORTUNATELY, the brakes are nowhere near a "lifetime" (maybe the life span of a fruit fly, but nowhere near the life span of a human being). The brakes lasted a few laps before fading occurred at a major track. And a few more track events (possibly a max of 3 if I remember correctly) showed that the brakes and rotors needed to be completely replaced.

Porsche flew out two representatives to inspect the car (regarding the warranty replacement of these supposedly lifetime brakes).

Basically, Porsche issued a statement saying that the brakes were used in a manner which exceeded local speed limit laws. (Come on!!! You're buying a 996 Turbo and you cannot exceed the speed limit????).

Suffice it to say, the owner is continuing w/ his lawsuit.

 

I have to see these to believe what you're telling me.

 

Regarding the carbon rotors,...ATS makes some for the Skyline GTR and the Integra.
http://www.a-t-s-usa.com/ats-product...n-brakes.shtml

I don't know of any other company that does.... at least not yet.

 

Carbon brakes AFAIK are track only items... They need (track level) heat to really work.

The nice thing about iron rotors is they are equally good on street/track, by just swapping pad compounds...

 

Yes. A carbon rotor has to get hot before it really starts to work. Witness CART oval racers (carbon brakes allowed on superspeedways, must use iron everywhere else) who drag the brakes all the way down the pitlane in order to actually be able to stop in the pit stall.

Carbon discs not a good idea for a street driven car. Your first panic stop on the highway may be your last

 

Interesting comments on Carbon Brakes, I use carbon brakes on a daily basis. The aircraft i fly has carbon and after 3 hours of cold soaking at 43000 ft, they have the ability to stop a 19000 lb. aircraft with such power, it is incredible. I have flown a variety of aircraft and the 2 that i have flown with carbon brakes are truely amazing. I wonder if the aircraft stuff is of a different compound or material than the auto stuff because they can stop the aircraft in very short order.
1R1

 

It may very well be that with 19,000 lbs behind them, they heat up rather quickly in your application :-)

in any case, your making one, and (hopefully) only one stop at a time. If it were possible, you might find that if you were to land again right away, they would be even more impressive. Either that, or they are formulated such that they can produce that performance for *only* one stop...

 

well i dont have any pictures or anything. and the rx7 fitment doesnt exist yet. but the manufacturers booth was near mine at sema and i talked to him for a good while. the vanes and faces of the titanium rotors are MUCH thinner due to its strength and lack of thermal conductivity. the rotor faces no longer have to act as a heatsink since all the heat is shed by the ceramic. he had a stock c5 rotor weighing 28lbs and then handed me the one piece titanium one (stock fitment one piece no hat section) weighing 13lbs.

oh wait here we go. http://www.fearme.com/img/imgview.cg...e=DSC00541.JPG

 

Per the picture,...Red Devil Brakes Inc. huh?

Here is the company's website.
http://www.shopthetown.com/reddevilbrakes/

 

I've spent lots of time around all sorts of aircraft. Most aircraft brakes are tiny in size compared to a car as you already know, especially when you consider the mass each is required to stop. Like ptrhahn said, aircraft brakes just get really danged hot really quick! A car can't put that much energy out so quickly.

Aircraft tires also have a hard life. On a commerical airliner on landing they go from 0-100+ mph (whatever the touchdown speed is) nearly instantly. That's a tough time if you're a tire