The new lineup of domestic sports cars definitely comes in with a lot of power and performance, and a big need for brake upgrades! One thing for sure is that they are pretty big and bulky. Stopping these big cars in a short distance definitely calls for an upgrade with a big brake kit Many times during the process of tuning a car, people build tons of power before making any serious upgrades to the brakes. In cars like the new Camaro SS, building high horsepower is easily attainable. Being able to get up to speed is an amateur’s way of having fun in a sports car. A real enthusiast knows it’s about attaining speed, slowing down, cornering, speeding back up and repeating the process all over again. Track days, time attack, auto cross, and drifting have made it a must to upgrade every part of your car in order to stay with the competition. Suspension, aerodynamics, braking, and weight are all added factors that must be met in addition to power. Let’s talk about brakes, why they need to be upgraded, and what kind of choices do we have?

 

Ok, let’s throw it out there. Big brake kits are not cheap. Were looking at around $2,500 most of the time. For two grand there’s many things you can upgrade that will probably give the typical tuner more of a satisfaction like suspension, exhaust, or even exterior mods. If you do not use your car to its full potential, or just have a street car that you seldom track track or auto cross, your brake upgrades can go as far as upgraded pads and maybe some drilled and slotted rotors. If you are a serious gear head and find it's necessary to have the best parts for your ride on or off the track, the big brake kit is right for you. Going back to the price; it is a slightly scary number for many of us but, that 2 grand will cover all of your stopping needs. It really is a good deal where as you cannot get a fully built engine, built suspension, or modified exterior for $2,500. Once you think about it, it’s actually a pretty good deal!

 

Brembo makes great drilled and slotted rotors which do not require a larger caliper or relocation brackets as the rotors are stock size. Not only do they help cool down faster than stock

but they also look so much better! Brembo offers the options of drilled, slotted or both so you can choose to your preference. Hawk Pads are a great upgrade to stock pads. They are less likely to brake fade, the dust is kept at its minimum, and best of all, they grip onto that rotor better than a stock pad ever will. You can go with a nice setup for the front and rear which will upgrade your stopping power and make the car look way more sporty. Even though the caliper and rotor size stay the same the improved pad grip and rotor heat exempting slots and holes make a decent improvement in braking performance. This is an excellent setup that you can get for a few hundred bucks.

 

 

Installing a big brake kit is not much more difficult than a regular brake job except for everything being a lot bigger! When we talk about the new 2011 Camaro SS, were not talking about a light weight car. It comes in a little over 3,900 pounds! Imagine being on a straightaway and at the end there is a hairpin turn. You might as well write your will and death wish because you’ll never make it! It would be like stopping a train, unless you just go slow and completely throw all the fun out the window. That’s ok though, because every car has some sort of weakness and with the right parts those weaknesses can be changed.

 

Stoptech has come out with a big brake kit for the new Camaro that will make driving a whole lot more intense ( Part #: 83.193.6800.71 ) . The huge 6 piston calipers, 15 inch rotors, front big brake kit is a massive stopping power upgrade! With calipers that big and powerful it makes you wonder how they don’t crush those rotors. Stoptech has been making big brake kits for a very long time and they know their stuff best. The large slotted or drilled rotors dissipate heat much faster than stock as well as leave a much larger area that the brake pad can grab on to. The 6 piston calipers leave you with a lot of leverage for when you need to stop fast! The steel braded brake lines offer a stiffer and less spongy brake pedal feel so you have ultimate braking control instead of pushing halfway down and barely stopping. The stopping power improvement is huge! Reduced brake fade, much shorter stopping distance, and the ability to make hard braking over and over is going to get you from corner to corner faster than every before.

 

Not only does Stoptech make big brake kits for the front but also for the rear. A 4 piston caliper that mates with a 14 inch rotor for the rear makes for the best pair. Big brakes up front and rear make for optimum stopping power. For many the front is enough but if you’re serious about performance driving the rear will benefit you just as much.