i have to agree with you...i just have stoptechs on the front and it is a night and day difference...

i would like to get the rear setup at some point as well, as i think this would be a fun car to autocross...

 

I noticed on EVOSPORT's website that the AMG brake lines are $249 and BRAIDED steel lines while the Brembos and Rotora brake lines are NOT braided and cost only $59. This leads me to think that the SOME of the AMG brake components are even better than aftermarket Big Brake Kits.

Are the Stoptech brake lines braided? Does it matter if they are or not?

 

I went with Brembos for my car.

 

I'll take your word on it. Given the way I use my car (361 days/year on the street averaging 25 MPH in traffic(!) and 4 days driving like a nut job on the track) the AMG brakes have been great. Good brakes are about stopping and NOT acting up (vibrations, overheating, etc.). So it's possible that I could be stopping more quickly with StopTechs, but I'm certainly not experiencing any problems either. So do I spend a couple thousand bucks to make those 4 days more fun? Maybe reducing the weight of your wallet helps with stopping power!

To really know the difference, you'd need to do a back-to-back test with identical pads on the same car, same tires and under the same conditions, and test stopping distances.

The only data of that quality that I've ever seen (http://www.zeckhausen.com/Testing_Brakes.htm) shows that big brakes provide a little benefit in stopping power (2 or 3 feet, all other things being equal), but they provide a great deal of benefit in temperature control. Rotor temps are MUCH lower as rotor size increases. That comes into play if/when the heat gets high enough to cause fade.

 

Well it costs to go fast and if I wanted to save money I would not bother driving at the track! I honestly say that I would destroy a set of pads and rotors EVERY day at the track ad that adds up with time. As far as fade goes the stoptechs are so far beyond oem. I honestly used to make my c32 brakes fade driving to work. That was on the street not going all that quickly too. You will never see huge changes in stopping distances from 60 but tht 25th time you ask the brakes to haul that 3700 lb car down for 130 it does it just as well as the first time. The racing brakes are a big upgrade and maybe a used set would suit your cost/benefit equation? But its a great upgrade.

From where I stand half the fun of driving is how the car feels and going for the brake it improves the brake feel to such an extent that its worth the upgrade. If its coming down to justifying each upgrade with its cost on the bottom line nothing is worth it as a stock car will still get around the track just fine. It just wont stop, turn and go like an upgraded car. Parts for making big powre really are the last thing this car needs. Power is great stock and anything beyond a pulley and chip is just crazy at the track. Plus you just end up needing to upgrade the cooling system since the pullied car cant shed heat quick enough for hard track use.

 

I do not think amg lines are Braided. Maybe they are selling upgraded lines for the car. I know my C32, C55's and just about everything else out there has rubber lines from the factory.

 

StopTech used SMG's Car for the fitment kit on a C32. They were going to do the whole testing idea out at Camarillo Air field but after driving the car stock and upgraded they said its night and day and the feel was just right. They figured there was no reason to go about testing it and seeing if different piston sizes could work better. They used the info they had from W210 E-class cars and the oem C32 brakes and went from there.

Back to back testing will likely say exactly what you posted. 3-5 ft shorter with the kit (with street pads) and much lower brake temps compared to stock.

Add a set of racing tires to the car and the distances will fall even more between the stock and upgraded brakes simply because the racing tires when warm have so much more grip that they can actually use the extra stopping power to slow the car and not just locking up the tires. In the oposite direction adding race tires to the stock brakes puts even more stress of the system because it now has the ability to actually use the stopping power and that makes more heat that the oem kit can shed. All in all the oem brakes will end up smokin and likely on fire. Pads should not be on fire after a session and I have done that to many oem kits!

 

I know we've been down this road before, but you seem to have had serious problems with brake pads on your OEM setup. I've run my OEM rotors with EBC RedStuff ceramic pads to over 700 degrees (as measured after a cool down lap) with no pad smoking or deterioration of braking power. I run street tires, so I'm not putting the same strain, but I am running on "legit" race courses in 20 minute stints without incident.

 

We consistantly see temperatures over 1,000 degrees as measured by two seperate pyrometers after we get into the pits. This means that under braking we are at least several hundred degrees hotter at threshold breaking. Spring mountain was especially abusive to breaks. Our BMW, which never has overheating issues with race pads, could have smoked a whole pig after a few sessions. We run 30 minute back to back sessions, so the car sees 55+ minutes every hour for a minumum total of 10 run group sessions. All road courses are different and some "legit" racetracks are very easy on brakes and some are not. It all depends on where you track your car and how fast you drive. Most track event participants don't drive their cars at 10/10th. It is typical to see an average of 7-8/10th as a maximum. At this pace, most modifications don't show their true potential. Stock brakes on the C32 will fail if driven consistantly at the limit of the car's capabilities, period. I thought as you do, that the stock brakes were fine; large rotors, 4 piston calipers, how can these be bad. Then I drove the canyons a few times and a track event at the car's limit, and it was immediatly obvious that better brakes and pads were in order. Have you ever seen your pads catch on fire? It is quite the specticle. Other C32 owners that have heavily tracked their C32 have experienced cracked rotors and chunked pads.

Racing brakes and pads do not stop the car in shorter distances,especially for single brake events. What they do do, is provide more consistant braking under repeat conditions without fading as much. With enough force, you can make any race brake system fade. You are limited in braking to the tire's adhesion. The better the tire, the better the braking. The new Nitto NT-01's are awsome and are the best tire we have driven so far. We run Pagid Black race pads with titanium backing plates and RBF 600 fluid.

Stoptech provides steel lines because this is what customer's want. steel lines do not stop the car any better, but only provide a firmer feel to the brakes. Our BMW race car uses stock rubber lines because they are more reliable. Steel lines are more brittle and less flexable, including their fitting and are know to break more frequently.

Come and drive our car anytime you are in the area.

 

Thanks for all the info. It's nice to see what's myth and marketing versus the real deal. For the use you describe (R compounds, 55 minute stints, 10/10ths running) clearly the stock brakes get overwhelmed, particularly given the limited pad options available. I'm not there yet (I'm at 20 minute stints on street tires at 9/10ths since I need to drive the car home and to work the next day!), and for my use profile, aftermarket brakes would be a waste. The courses I visit (HPDEs only) are VIR and Summit Point. They're both relatively easy on brakes. If I get more serious about tracking, and get into time attacks or club racing, the first thing I'll change is the car! I'll go 10/10ths with a car that I can afford to chuck in the trash!

 

I use AP Racing. F: 6 piston(CP7040) .R: 4 piston(CP4296 Water Cooled Balanced Braking Kit for BTCC). The weight is extremely light.
F: 6 piston.362mmx34
R: 4 piston.356mmx32
Pads:F:PAGID RS
R:MINTEX 1166

 

please explain water cooling portion of your brake kit.

 

Why are we all worked up about braking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To brake fast, one has to go fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


At this time I do not see this as being an accomplishment for this particular C55.................!




Common Rob!!!

Show us that you can go fast.....................

We are all good at making you slow down, but you got to be at speed first...

Call Kleemann............. and ask for Cory.....

 

AP Racing is another good brand and the size you listed are even bigger than the Stoptech or Rotora. Here is the prices of each.

Brembo GTR 6P front/4P back = $5,500
Stoptech 6P front/4P back = $4, 595
Rotora 6P front/4P back = $4,157
AP Racing $??. I can't find any application guides for W203

 

I'm still waiting on a discounted quote from Dale@EVOSPORT but for now my HPS kit is putting down about 420rwhp now that the intercooler was upgraded. I'm going Kleemann because 420rwhp is still not enough. My goal is to hit 475rwhp or wait for the TT from ActiveWerks in Florida to hit 500rwhp.

 

Random Question:

Does anyone know where i can get just the rear 4pot Stoptech brake kit?


everywhere i look online seems to have the front and rear as a package only, and i already have the front...

 

from me of course!

 

shoot me a PM with a price...

 

i have a question to anyone that know , what kind of pads does a rotora uses. i need new pads for my rotora caliper but i don't know what kind of pads it uses.

 

I have installed a complete Rotora big brake front and rear kit on my C55.
They are nice to work with and I can now stop as well as my CLK63 BS, maybe even a little better.

Jim

 

I love my stock 55 brakes, have a friend with rotora and im not impressed