Thoughts on the '08 Coupe's Sport Brakes

[helldorado]

Us lucky 05-07 owners never had the option of the Brembo BBK on our coupes. Would have loved to have gotten them, but no use crying over spilt milk, right? But the downside is anybody with any kind of track aspirations knows that those non-Brembo setups will only last a couple hot laps before they start succumbing to heavy fade.

As most, I've been looking at a BBK. The problem is even the cheapest options still run a solid $3k for 4/2 piston setups. Those run at a 13.0"/12.6" size on average.

Which brings us to the new brakes that are coming on the 2008 coupe with the sport packages.

http://photos.freshalloy.com/gallery/d/21389-1/GCPL014_2.jpg

They're 4 piston 14.0" x 1.3" in the front, 2 piston 13.8" x 0.8" in the rear. This is actually beefier than the Brembo brakes that came on the Z and G. Those were 4 piston 12.7" x 1.2" in the front, 2 piston 12.7" x 0.9" in the rear.

I'm expecting that these will be a straight swap for the current coupe's and sedan's brakes. If the price from a friendly dealer is good for a replacement set, we might have a cost effective alternative for BBK's now, especially when the aftermarket comes in with upgraded pads and lighter 2-piece rotors. :D

[Riffster]

If the price from a friendly dealer is good for a replacement set, we might have a cost effective alternative for BBK's now, especially when the aftermarket comes in with upgraded pads and lighter 2-piece rotors. :D

I don't disagree that the new coupe calipers would look and function nicely on older coupe models, but ....

I wish everyone lots of luck in finding a 'friendly dealer' who will sell the brakes alone for anything but an extortionate price.

The way I see the brakes becoming available at a reasonable cost is getting them from an 08 coupe owner who wants even more stopping power and has decided to move to a 6/4 puck setup or even larger kits. That's the way I came onto the Brembos on my coupe, buying them from Eagle1 back when he upgraded to a Stop-Tech BBK.

- Riff

[07G35S]

Are these brakes really even necessary if you're not going to be on a track somewhere? (other than for bragging rights of course)

[Riffster]

Are these brakes really even necessary if you're not going to be on a track somewhere? (other than for bragging rights of course)

Unless you intend on driving steep-angle mountain passes for hours on end .... no, you'll never need to touch the 08 coupe brake setup (and even then I don't know .... the new coupe is pretty much set in the brake department!)

For even the track though all I think most would have to do is check the brake lines - see if they're steel-braided, upgrading to StopTech, Goodridge or Earl's lines if you want that bulletproof, firm feel to the pedal in all braking conditions. Lastly upgrade the fluid to DOT 4 or 5.1 and install a higher-temp pad and you probably don't need to touch the calipers or rotors.

Now if you decided to add FI and start increasing the braking force needed to stop the car, THEN it's time to look at 6-piston fronts and 4-piston rears for track use.

And of course, there is always the need to have the biggest, baddest brakes available, regardless of application. :D

- Riff

[helldorado]

I'm expecting the Z, at least the track model, will get these brakes as well, but with a Nissan stamping.

I'm not a 100% sure, but I think a Nissan dealer can still order an Infiniti specific part. If that's the case, once these become available, R Nissan should be able to give us all a great price, being a forum sponsor and all. If these can be had for less than $2500, its going to be a much better value than any other aftermarket BBK option.

[lowrider]

It's my understanding that the new Infiniti Sport brakes are made by Akebono. Not as big a performance name as Brembo. However, it is my understanding that they make excellent products.

BTW, I have an '03 with the Brembos, and I love them.

Lou

Oh, Helldorado, there is no more Track Model "Z". The Brembos are available on the '06 Grand Touring Coupe Model. Nissan's current brochure spends a whole page extolling the virtues of Brembos. You'd think if they were going to drop them, they wouldn't waste the space.

[ZYAL8R808]

I put Akebono pads on my mom's '03 G35 sedan because the factory pads wear way too fast and squeak a lot. So far so good.

[helldorado]

Oh, Helldorado, there is no more Track Model "Z". The Brembos are available on the '06 Grand Touring Coupe Model. Nissan's current brochure spends a whole page extolling the virtues of Brembos. You'd think if they were going to drop them, they wouldn't waste the space.
True, I forgot that. :)

Or it could just be they're trying to finish up their order commitment.

Akebono is good stuff. I'm definitely going to have to look into see what's involved in sourcing the OE components and how much it'll run before I commit to a BBK.

[ryan.mccabe.2]

Just curious, but do you have any thoughts as to how well these calipers would cooperate with paint? I wonder if it would just fill in the Infiniti goodness.

[07G35S]

I'm guessing the "INFINITI" is machined into the metal. I wouldnt think it would hurt to fill them in with paint.

[helldorado]

Haven't gotten a good enough shot yet to tell if its just painted on or part of the casting.

[ryan.mccabe.2]

Seems to me that it would be simpler to cast them that way. What was the case when Nissan was on the Z calipers?

[07G35S]

I just noticed yesterday that the wife's grand cherokee has "JEEP" cast into the metal... surely Infiniti can do it ;)

[nismo604]

It's my understanding that the new Infiniti Sport brakes are made by Akebono. Not as big a performance name as Brembo. However, it is my understanding that they make excellent products.

BTW, I have an '03 with the Brembos, and I love them.

Lou

Oh, Helldorado, there is no more Track Model "Z". The Brembos are available on the '06 Grand Touring Coupe Model. Nissan's current brochure spends a whole page extolling the virtues of Brembos. You'd think if they were going to drop them, they wouldn't waste the space.

Akebono calipers should be good they use them on Mclaren's current F1 car.

http://www.f1technical.net/f1db/cars/920

[BC427]

We are just now getting information from Japan regarding the McLaren calipers. I know Akebono Japan wanted to show off some of their engineering capabilities to other markets.
I also asked our product manager to find out if Akebono did get the caliper contract. I'm fairly sure we did not get the pad contract for the fronts. When I get an answer I will post it.

[ryan.mccabe.2]

Braking performance is provided by standard 4-wheel vented discs with 4-channel, 4-sensor Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). The standard G37 Coupe adopts the "sport" braking system of the recently introduced G35 Sedan. The G37 Coupe Journey with Sport Package and G37 Coupe Sport 6MT are further enhanced with aluminium four-piston callipers (front)/two-piston callipers (rear) embossed with Infiniti lettering and large ventilated rotors – 14.0-inch front and 13.8-inch rear.


I guess the lettering is actually raised above the surface of the caliper.

[Riffster]

I also asked our product manager to find out if Akebono did get the caliper contract. I'm fairly sure we did not get the pad contract for the fronts. When I get an answer I will post it.

I'm not clear on what you're saying - do you mean you're not sure whether or not Akebono got the caliper contract for the G37 brakes?

- Riff

[helldorado]

As odd as it sounds, pads and calipers can be different contracts. You get get the work to design and manufacture the caliper, but its not a given you'll get the contract to design and manufacture the pads.

[07G35S]

I'm not clear on what you're saying - do you mean you're not sure whether or not Akebono got the caliper contract for the G37 brakes?

- Riff

I was confused as well, BUT I think he was referring to the McLaren Contract that akebono didn't get. But the statement was very ambiguous. All the literature I've been reading says Akebono is go for G37

[helldorado]

We are just now getting information from Japan regarding the McLaren calipers. I know Akebono Japan wanted to show off some of their engineering capabilities to other markets.
I also asked our product manager to find out if Akebono did get the caliper contract. I'm fairly sure we did not get the pad contract for the fronts. When I get an answer I will post it.
By the way, do you happen to work for Akebono or another OE brake manufacturer? :)

[BC427]

I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear.
Yes I do work for Akebono. I did not reveal this before because I did not want to make it appear as "bias" information.
Akebono does have the calipers on the F1 McLaren.
I asked today for our North American product manager to confirm if Akebono received the caliper contract for the Sports Coupe. This may take a few days since this information comes from Japan.
The concept of two different suppliers for a brake package occurs very often. Akebono just received six pad contracts from GM for 2008 and 2009. The lead brake Tier 1 supplier is Teves. Teves will be the caliper on these models. The brake hydraulics could be someone else. Cost drives awarding contracts first, unless a problem has developed and someone has found a fix for it.