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| The ST40 front caliper was chosen so that the proportioning will match the stock rear brakes. The ST40 is a 4 piston caliper with staggered pistons to avoid taper wear of the pads. Stoptech can vary the piston diameter in 2mm increments to obtain good proportioning. |
For the rear, to maintain parking brake function, we used a pair of Powerslot OEM replacement slotted rotors and Stoptech DOT approved braided steel brakelines. We also opted to use Stoptech’s 309 series Street Performance brake pads since Sera doesn’t own a trailer and drives her car to the track. The 309 series pads have good high temperature characteristics while maintaining reasonable rotor life. The 309 pads use an aramid based asbestos free formula and have a consistent coefficient of friction across their operating range. They are also scorched to ease bed-in. We are not sure what that means but we assume that this is a special cure cycle to reduce volatile components in the pad material that can outgas and cause green fade.
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| The race caliper bracket relocates the caliper from the top of the rotor to the front. This makes the brake system less sensitive to spindle flex and play in the hub bearings. Both problems with the 350Z. |
When installing the brakes we used Motul RBF 660 brake fluid as we have always had good luck with it in the past. It is one of the best brake fluids you can buy for the price and we have yet to experience fluid fade with it in any of our racecars.
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| Whoops, we forgot to tell Motegi about our big brake plans when we ordered our TrakLite wheels and we did not have enough clearance for the brakes. We ordered 10mm hubcentric spacers from H&R with longer studs. The hubs center positively on the hubs. This is not ideal but its the right way to add spacers if you have to. |
When we attempted to bolt on our front wheels we had a problem with rotor clearance with our Motegi Wheels. We had forgotten to specify that we were running big brakes when we had the wheels made and our wheels did not have enough spoke clearance. We solved this with some 10mm H&R hubcentric spacers and longer wheel studs that came with the H&R kit. Whoops. If you are having your wheels made be sure to be specific on this detail!
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| Howard Watanabe presses out the stock studs and presses in the new longer studs using a hydraulic press. |
After driving the car on the street, it was readily apparent that the Z’s brakes were much improved. The brakes had a nice firm pedal and did not require much effort to slow the car. The brakes felt fine when cold as well.
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| The H&R wheel studs in place. |
