AP Racing brake Kit
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
AP Racing brake Kit
What do you guys think of these?
http://www.stillen.com/emailfiles/sp...eBrPro706.html
How do they compare to Wilwood, Stoptech, Brembo?
http://www.stillen.com/emailfiles/sp...eBrPro706.html
How do they compare to Wilwood, Stoptech, Brembo?
#3
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
The system that comes on the C6R is pure race and with carbon rotors probably cost more than our entire cars. That's too apples to oranges. All the manufacturer make awesome brakes if you spend $15,000(wilwood, brembo, AP). I would imagine that this is more of a street/light track duty kit that is comparable to SL6 and Stoptech. It's probably more off a direct competitor to the Stoptech kit, with the SL6 being at the lower end.
#4
Melting Slicks
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When I was at the Speed GT race at Road America I was checking out the brakes on all of the cars. All of Lou's cars run StopTech, all of the other cars are running AP.
However after looking at both manufactuers it seems as though you have more options with Stoptech (caliper color, rotor choices smooth, drilled, or slotted etc)
However after looking at both manufactuers it seems as though you have more options with Stoptech (caliper color, rotor choices smooth, drilled, or slotted etc)
#5
Burning Brakes
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I looked in to the BBK's for quite a while. There are definite differences between most manufacturer's race and street calipers - which makes them perform better for races, but you probably wouldn't want to run them every day on the street (less seals, etc.)...besides having to take out a second mortgage to purchase them.
One advantage I see of one of the major brands (i.e. AP, Brembo) are the R&D they have as well as the race data set they can tap into, hopefully trickling those advances into their street/track product lines.
About 96collector's comment - I noticed the same thing and thought it was strange also - never did find a reason for it.
About the AP kits - DRM offers a nice package. I'd talk to the different vendors to see why theirs is what you should choose and then decide for yourself.
One advantage I see of one of the major brands (i.e. AP, Brembo) are the R&D they have as well as the race data set they can tap into, hopefully trickling those advances into their street/track product lines.
About 96collector's comment - I noticed the same thing and thought it was strange also - never did find a reason for it.
About the AP kits - DRM offers a nice package. I'd talk to the different vendors to see why theirs is what you should choose and then decide for yourself.
#6
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
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Originally Posted by 95jersey
What do you guys think of these?
http://www.stillen.com/emailfiles/sp...eBrPro706.html
How do they compare to Wilwood, Stoptech, Brembo?
http://www.stillen.com/emailfiles/sp...eBrPro706.html
How do they compare to Wilwood, Stoptech, Brembo?
I could not find those APs on the real AP Racing web site. They look like 6 pots but I am not sure if they are really racing brakes. The capipers the C6r use are $3,000+ for each caliper
http://www.apracing.com/car/caliper/...?family=CP6075
The more I look into 6-pots the more I seam to find the NAME on a 6-pot but it looks nothing like what is on the Gt1 cars.
between those shown I would get the Stop techs
Last edited by AU N EGL; 08-25-2006 at 01:03 PM.
#8
Team Owner
I have LGM Wilwoods front and back for near the price of the fronts. I have the same rotors and pads front and rear so I need to stock less. I like the them-lock pistons on the Wilwoods. If I had the money for the wheel and big buck calipers I'd buy Wilwood Integra caliper. How long are those drilled rotors going to last?
It also stated call for track kit options? Which was 3295 for floating rotors in the front. Sending spec's to me. Sales guy didn't know much. If I was getting AP I'd call Randy/DRM.
It also stated call for track kit options? Which was 3295 for floating rotors in the front. Sending spec's to me. Sales guy didn't know much. If I was getting AP I'd call Randy/DRM.
Last edited by John Shiels; 08-25-2006 at 01:49 PM.
#9
Team Owner
made in the USA
Is this a pad or what? Good for a season!
Also PFCzR33
Is this a pad or what? Good for a season!
Also PFCzR33
Last edited by John Shiels; 08-26-2006 at 12:15 AM.
#11
Have the AP 6 piston front 14" rotor with 4 piston rear work well wit the PFC 01 compound. , also have the ducting to the spindles. no appreciable fade. Also your braking technique will affect brake temps as well. On that kit would avoid the drilled rotors , they crack more easily, drilled is much more for show than go .
#13
Le Mans Master
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When I went shopping for calipers, I made a list of what was important to me;
1) Made in USA
2) Fit with 14x 1.25 inch rotors
3) CNC billet, no castings
4) Thick (.75 minimum) pads in a variety of compounds.
5) Maximum stiffness
6) Designed with thermal management (i.e. 2 piece pistons)
7) Race proven
8) Able to fit within stock wheels (thin spacer acceptable)
9) Differential piston bores, (4 or 6)
10) Light weight
I really like the Wilwood Integra, but the caliper is so wide it won't fit within the stock wheels even with a 1/4 spacer. I started to do my own caliper because I did not see anything that fit the above list until I saw the PFC zR33 Grand-AM caliper (second pic in John's post above). I designed my own adapter for the Corvette spindles and could not be more satisfied.
1) Made in USA
2) Fit with 14x 1.25 inch rotors
3) CNC billet, no castings
4) Thick (.75 minimum) pads in a variety of compounds.
5) Maximum stiffness
6) Designed with thermal management (i.e. 2 piece pistons)
7) Race proven
8) Able to fit within stock wheels (thin spacer acceptable)
9) Differential piston bores, (4 or 6)
10) Light weight
I really like the Wilwood Integra, but the caliper is so wide it won't fit within the stock wheels even with a 1/4 spacer. I started to do my own caliper because I did not see anything that fit the above list until I saw the PFC zR33 Grand-AM caliper (second pic in John's post above). I designed my own adapter for the Corvette spindles and could not be more satisfied.
#16
How do they compare to Wilwood, Stoptech, Brembo?
1. The two piece rotors listed on the Stillen/AP specials are fixed to the hat, not floating. That means that you save weight, but the rotor is not free to expand radially when heated under track conditions. The AeroRotors with our BBK's use a floating mechanism as detailed here: http://8.7.96.35/tech_info/faq_rotorsystems.shtml
While they do offer a floating setup, it is more money as John S. points out ($3295) You have to look very carefully at the listings to be sure what you're actually getting.
2. The AP calipers shown appear to have internal wiping dust seals, rather than external bellows-style seals as used by us and Brembo. They are not quite the same thing. The internal wiping seals are designed to clean the pistons as the retract into the caliper, and sit flush with the edge of the caliper. The bellows-style are better at keeping dirt, and grime off of the piston...they cover the bulk of the piston when it is extended. The tradeoff is that they may be more susceptible to heat. The bellows-style is superior however for a car that is 'mostly' street-driven. That said, if you're running hard on the track, you're probably going to cook them anyway...so may not be a big deal.
3. We did a little digging on the AP products in both the AP catalog and on the Brakepros site. Based on the piston size data we see, the front-only system looks like it should perform fairly well in terms of balance, pedal feel, and abs intervention. The force output of that piston size/rotor combination is very similar to what we sell.
Unless AP is making calipers with special piston sizing specifically for this deal however (highly unlikely but not impossible),the rear setup seems to be out in left field in terms of balance. It has significantly greater force output on the rear vs. stock (+50%). Our prediction would be that you would see extremely early ABS intervention, and longer pedal travel than on our kits. We've actually seen this on other platforms with a similar product.
To give you an idea of what our testing told us, our rear system has ever-so-slightly less force output than stock...so our system is definitely much different in terms of balance and force output.
4. Our standard system ships with slotted rotors, not drilled/slotted. Our research indicates that slotted holds up much better on the track. I believe you may be able to get their slotted rotors as a no-cost option, but I'm not sure.
5. Some others...I believe our replacement rotors are quite a bit cheaper, our rotors flow more air, we manufacture and assemble in Los Angeles, as opposed to England (although we get components from all over the world. Anyone that tells you they don't is lying!), etc.
6. Pads on the front caliper appear to be the same shape that we use...yes we "stole" their pad shape.
The biggest difference in our eyes is point #3. We go to great lengths to size our piston bores specifically for each application, rather than using a parts-bin approach.
The system LG uses on his World Challenge cars is identical to the components we sell to our regular customers. His piston bores are different, because he runs a different racing master cylinder setup with a rear pressure limiting valve. Everything else is the same about the kit though...same caliper squeeze-forging, same materials, same everything. To my knowledge, we're still the only company that sells one line of products capable of winning at the top levels of racing, yet completely streetable. We believe our kit is an excellent value when you look at total cost of initial kit, replacement parts, level of customer service, etc.
If I'm wrong about anything here, I apologize and the Brakepro/Stillen guys can feel free to correct me.
#17
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Awesome information! Thanks for posting. You are the only manufacturer that seemed to care to respond to this thread (or even look at the Corvetteforum)!
I think this is a great benefit to all who browse these posts regardless of what they decide to do. I am suprised that the Stop Tech kit that LG uses is the same. I thought they were similar, but if that is the case, then your brakes are actually a bargain compared to the more expensive "race quality" kits that AP and Brembo sell.
I think this is a great benefit to all who browse these posts regardless of what they decide to do. I am suprised that the Stop Tech kit that LG uses is the same. I thought they were similar, but if that is the case, then your brakes are actually a bargain compared to the more expensive "race quality" kits that AP and Brembo sell.
#18
Awesome information! Thanks for posting. You are the only manufacturer that seemed to care to respond to this thread (or even look at the Corvetteforum)!
I am suprised that the Stop Tech kit that LG uses is the same. I thought they were similar, but if that is the case, then your brakes are actually a bargain compared to the more expensive "race quality" kits that AP and Brembo sell.
#19
Originally Posted by JRitt@StopTech
95Jersey, There are some significant differences between our products and the AP kits being advertised on this site by Stillen.
1. The two piece rotors listed on the Stillen/AP specials are fixed to the hat, not floating. That means that you save weight, but the rotor is not free to expand radially when heated under track conditions. The AeroRotors with our BBK's use a floating mechanism as detailed here: http://8.7.96.35/tech_info/faq_rotorsystems.shtml
While they do offer a floating setup, it is more money as John S. points out ($3295) You have to look very carefully at the listings to be sure what you're actually getting.
2. The AP calipers shown appear to have internal wiping dust seals, rather than external bellows-style seals as used by us and Brembo. They are not quite the same thing. The internal wiping seals are designed to clean the pistons as the retract into the caliper, and sit flush with the edge of the caliper. The bellows-style are better at keeping dirt, and grime off of the piston...they cover the bulk of the piston when it is extended. The tradeoff is that they may be more susceptible to heat. The bellows-style is superior however for a car that is 'mostly' street-driven. That said, if you're running hard on the track, you're probably going to cook them anyway...so may not be a big deal.
3. We did a little digging on the AP products in both the AP catalog and on the Brakepros site. Based on the piston size data we see, the front-only system looks like it should perform fairly well in terms of balance, pedal feel, and abs intervention. The force output of that piston size/rotor combination is very similar to what we sell.
Unless AP is making calipers with special piston sizing specifically for this deal however (highly unlikely but not impossible),the rear setup seems to be out in left field in terms of balance. It has significantly greater force output on the rear vs. stock (+50%). Our prediction would be that you would see extremely early ABS intervention, and longer pedal travel than on our kits. We've actually seen this on other platforms with a similar product.
To give you an idea of what our testing told us, our rear system has ever-so-slightly less force output than stock...so our system is definitely much different in terms of balance and force output.
4. Our standard system ships with slotted rotors, not drilled/slotted. Our research indicates that slotted holds up much better on the track. I believe you may be able to get their slotted rotors as a no-cost option, but I'm not sure.
5. Some others...I believe our replacement rotors are quite a bit cheaper, our rotors flow more air, we manufacture and assemble in Los Angeles, as opposed to England (although we get components from all over the world. Anyone that tells you they don't is lying!), etc.
6. Pads on the front caliper appear to be the same shape that we use...yes we "stole" their pad shape.
The biggest difference in our eyes is point #3. We go to great lengths to size our piston bores specifically for each application, rather than using a parts-bin approach.
The system LG uses on his World Challenge cars is identical to the components we sell to our regular customers. His piston bores are different, because he runs a different racing master cylinder setup with a rear pressure limiting valve. Everything else is the same about the kit though...same caliper squeeze-forging, same materials, same everything. To my knowledge, we're still the only company that sells one line of products capable of winning at the top levels of racing, yet completely streetable. We believe our kit is an excellent value when you look at total cost of initial kit, replacement parts, level of customer service, etc.
If I'm wrong about anything here, I apologize and the Brakepro/Stillen guys can feel free to correct me.
1. The two piece rotors listed on the Stillen/AP specials are fixed to the hat, not floating. That means that you save weight, but the rotor is not free to expand radially when heated under track conditions. The AeroRotors with our BBK's use a floating mechanism as detailed here: http://8.7.96.35/tech_info/faq_rotorsystems.shtml
While they do offer a floating setup, it is more money as John S. points out ($3295) You have to look very carefully at the listings to be sure what you're actually getting.
2. The AP calipers shown appear to have internal wiping dust seals, rather than external bellows-style seals as used by us and Brembo. They are not quite the same thing. The internal wiping seals are designed to clean the pistons as the retract into the caliper, and sit flush with the edge of the caliper. The bellows-style are better at keeping dirt, and grime off of the piston...they cover the bulk of the piston when it is extended. The tradeoff is that they may be more susceptible to heat. The bellows-style is superior however for a car that is 'mostly' street-driven. That said, if you're running hard on the track, you're probably going to cook them anyway...so may not be a big deal.
3. We did a little digging on the AP products in both the AP catalog and on the Brakepros site. Based on the piston size data we see, the front-only system looks like it should perform fairly well in terms of balance, pedal feel, and abs intervention. The force output of that piston size/rotor combination is very similar to what we sell.
Unless AP is making calipers with special piston sizing specifically for this deal however (highly unlikely but not impossible),the rear setup seems to be out in left field in terms of balance. It has significantly greater force output on the rear vs. stock (+50%). Our prediction would be that you would see extremely early ABS intervention, and longer pedal travel than on our kits. We've actually seen this on other platforms with a similar product.
To give you an idea of what our testing told us, our rear system has ever-so-slightly less force output than stock...so our system is definitely much different in terms of balance and force output.
4. Our standard system ships with slotted rotors, not drilled/slotted. Our research indicates that slotted holds up much better on the track. I believe you may be able to get their slotted rotors as a no-cost option, but I'm not sure.
5. Some others...I believe our replacement rotors are quite a bit cheaper, our rotors flow more air, we manufacture and assemble in Los Angeles, as opposed to England (although we get components from all over the world. Anyone that tells you they don't is lying!), etc.
6. Pads on the front caliper appear to be the same shape that we use...yes we "stole" their pad shape.
The biggest difference in our eyes is point #3. We go to great lengths to size our piston bores specifically for each application, rather than using a parts-bin approach.
The system LG uses on his World Challenge cars is identical to the components we sell to our regular customers. His piston bores are different, because he runs a different racing master cylinder setup with a rear pressure limiting valve. Everything else is the same about the kit though...same caliper squeeze-forging, same materials, same everything. To my knowledge, we're still the only company that sells one line of products capable of winning at the top levels of racing, yet completely streetable. We believe our kit is an excellent value when you look at total cost of initial kit, replacement parts, level of customer service, etc.
If I'm wrong about anything here, I apologize and the Brakepro/Stillen guys can feel free to correct me.
Does StopTech have any plans for the C4?
#20
I don't forsee any kits for the C4 at this time. We have so many applications we're trying to develop, that we can't justify it based on demand. As we become more involved in the Corvette market though, I am seeing increasing demand. We're just not quite there yet vs. some of the new applications on our plate. Thanks.