I'm like literally kicking myself for not having
done this sooner.
Despite the best laid intentions, the FA Project 350Z always
lacked in one crucial area that all 350Z and its related
platforms lacked. Brakes. I don't care if you have the track
edition with the fancy Brembo brakes; the system was never
designed for serious track use. And don't get me started on the
replacement cost, even the non-Brembo brakes cost in excess of
$100 a rotor and at least $50 per axle on just the OE
replacement pads. And at the rate that I'm chewing through pads
and rotors, I can easily spend over $1,000 in a year just on
brake replacement cost.
Darn it, now you got me
started on the brakes. Quite frankly, I was never
comfortable with the 350Z on the track due to the constant
brake issues. More often than not, I would experience brake
fade half way through the session and have to really take it
easy and let everyone pass or pull in the pits to let the
system cool off. It's embarrassing when old BMW E30 318ises
with less than 130 HP is passing the 350Z with more than 300
horses on tap, with wider, stickier tires and better
suspension.
Upgrading pads and rotors only got me so far. I knew I had to
have something that can effectively manage and control the heat
while providing me with consistent brake torque that matches
what this car is capable of. Part of the reason why I've gone
two plus years without looking at a serious big brake solution
was cost, another part was no vendor wanted to help. Luckily for
us, RacingBrake stepped up and realized the value of the
Nissan/Infiniti market. With the escalating Brembo replacement
costs and rapid growth of the 350Z/G35 market, RacingBrake has
applied some of their groundbreaking technology with innovative
solutions to help this particular segment of the market.
RacingBrake has provided several performance upgrades to suite
your particular budget and need. First up is their OE rotor
replacement for Brembo and non-Brembo solutions. With decades of
knowledge behind them and advanced metallurgy techniques,
RacingBrake has come up with a rotor solution that is more
durable than your OE cast iron rotors while providing a
performance boost with a lighter slotted or drilled rotors. Not
only are their rotor solution more durable, it also act as a
better heat-sink due to the intricate directional vanes built
inside the rotors to accelerate air flow through the rotors. You
should see significant brake fade resistance and warp resistance
by just upgrading to their rotor solutions. And the biggest
benefit is that their OE rotor replacement is often times more
affordable than purchasing OE rotors. Save $$$ and improve
performance? Sign me up.
I was also looking for an effective way to increase the brake
torque and performance by using a larger rotor. A larger rotor
means better heat dissipation and also more leverage by the
brake calipers to slow the car down. That and a 11" rotor behind
a 19" rim just looks pathetic. Again, RacingBrake has an
innovative solution here. They have designed and built a larger
and lighter rotor in conjunction with a re-designed caliper
bracket that moves the OE caliper out, in effect providing a
brake upgrade without the cost and inconvenience of replacing
the calipers. The end result is a more aesthetic looking
wheel-well with improved stopping power and a 2 lbs per corner
drop in un-sprung weight. This effectively allows the re-located
caliper to increase brake torque without the penalty of
rotational mass being moved further away from the center.
Considering that it cost me over $500 to replace the first set
of brakes that I chewed through after 1.5 day of track driving
and 3,000 street miles, the cost to "upgrade" the rear brakes
from RacingBrake is virtually free if you need to replace rotors
and pads. The OE caliper upgrade kit essentially gives you a
13.1" big brake for ¼ the cost of a big brake kit.
Most importantly, I wanted stopping power that is capable of
harnessing the 300+ HP the FA Project 350Z is laying on the
ground and the tremendous grip the Bridgestone tires provides. I
want a brake system that can take full advantage of all the work
that I've put into the FA Project 350Z, be able to brake from
110+ mph down to 40mph at full threshold braking repeatedly and
still function at the top of its game and provide the consistent
feel at 5 minutes into a session AND at 30+ minutes into a
session. Well, believe it or not, RacingBrake also provided me
that ultimate braking performance in their 4 piston, 13.1"
floating disc kit. Here again, RacingBrake has applied their
patented technology in creating a center mounted floating disc,
which allows air to flow in from either direction, in
conjunction with their advance cooling vane design and superb
heat-treated metallurgy. The result is a system that is 4-5 lbs
lighter than the OE caliper setup with larger all-around rotors
and an innovative open slot design that combines all the
benefits of slotted rotors and drilled rotors without any of its
drawbacks. Best of all, I can swap out the Hawk HPS street pads
to Hawk DTC-60 track pads in less than 30 minutes. I just need
to remove wheel, withdraw the two pad guide pins, and pull the
pads up. No more fumbling with the caliper guide pins and
getting all dirty changing pads.
The most impressive part is how well the system performed on the
track. For the first time since I started working on and
tracking the 350Z I was able to push the car to its limits
without having that fear and doubt in the back of my mind…Will
the brakes work the next time I approach turn 1? Time and time
again I decided to punish these brakes more than I should, and I
tried braking harder and deeper before a turn, and time and time
again the RacingBrake system just shrugs off my attempt and give
me that confident performance that I've been missing since I
started driving this 350Z. At the end of the day I was nearly
brought to tears, when at the last session of the day in searing
110+ degree heat, the TIRES gave out before my brakes did. The
front pushed and the ABS kicked in on these tremendously racing
compound tires that I have.
Personally, I am grateful for RacingBrake for stepping up and
providing me a set of brake system that works as well as
advertised, but I think the overall product line that they offer
and the quality and excellence of the product, to perform as
they're advertised at such a competitive price, is the best
value they bring to the market. If you have a 350Z or G35, with
immediate need for upgrade or replacement parts, take a look at
what RacingBrake offers first.
