Moderator: volvite
I bet that lightweight CRX will put your face on the windshield when you hit the brakes hard! That has got to be fun.SETI20 wrote:This is good stuff! I have worked in the Honda Import Performance world for a good number of years (besides tinkering around myself) and we used to do swaps like this on our civics, Integra's etc all the time. I'm running NSX equivalent brakes on my '91 CRX and something similar on my '09 Civic.
I am surprised that it hasen't been done before to be honest. Their was a guy on a Frontier forum that tried bolting up these calipers but never got a rotor figured out. I couldn't find anything to work either, which is why I had to go 2 piece. I might get a bunch of the rotor hats milled out so that other people can put one of these kits together themselves.SETI20 wrote:Never occurred to me to figure something out for the pathfinder, but knowing how easy it turned out to be to swap brake components between other nissans in the past, this doesn't surprise me.
Do you have experience with these pads? I didn't seem to see the squealing reviews until after I bought them. They are supposed to be pretty aggressive though, which is what I was after.SETI20 wrote:And yes, those pads squeal like a glass cutter if you're lucky enough
Anyway, subscribing to this. Please post more pics! (Also of the flare setups)
That is great, would have loved to see that! I hope that the Pathfinder is a bit less touchy.SETI20 wrote:The CRX I built when I was still living in Europe was lethal. For the annual safety, they have to measure brake friction per corner on a device that looks like a rolling road dynamometer. It kept popping out, so a big fat mechanic had to sit on the front end to keep it planted enough to get a measurement.
They did it 3 times because they couldn't believe how much braking torque it put out. (it was sitting on semi slicks too, so that just exaggerated the numbers)
SETI20 wrote:I put some track time on those pads. The description is a little misleading. Did you read the operating temperature specs on the ones you got? Most race pads won't work for shit on a cold day.
You should be able to bolt on the V8 Pathfinder/Base 370z calipers and the V8 Pathfinder rotors up without any spacers or modifications to a V6 Pathfinder. I think you would need at least 17" wheels to fit the 320mm rotor though. That does open up a wide range of more aggressive pads, and more brake torque due to the larger rotor. Now, I have no experience with the V6 set up, but I obviously don't find the V8 set up adequate so I can't say it is much of an upgrade.SETI20 wrote:I'm a little vague on some details. Did you find that on the regular V6 patty you can run 350Z calipers and disks with a spacer? Or would I still need to go to a 2-piece rotor?
I will be doing the rear as well, to balance it front to back, or at least to help balance it. It is certainly a possibility that the pedal will feel very soft with the new brakes, but the V8 master cylinder has the same bore as the Infiniti G37's that run these calipers. I know the stroke might be different, but I won't know how it works until I try it. I had a chat with one of the engineers from SSBC about moving from a sliding caliper to a fixed caliper, and how the fixed calipers move less fluid. They make a crazy 8 piston caliper for the 99-04 F250/350 trucks that replaces the factory 2 piston. They say that it actually gives a firmer pedal feel then the stock brakes, As I understand it even though the 8 piston is much larger, it actually requires a bit less fluid overall to move all those pistons. I am hoping for the same effect in this situation.SETI20 wrote:Now, there is a little caveat with a setup like this. ABS operation and brake balance. By vastly outbalancing the car front to back like this, you might run into some issues during an emergency stop. (The track examples are a little irrelevant in this case) Also the ABS system basically is tuned to a certain friction coefficient and rotation speed. It'll be a bit of a surprise to see how this pans out.
I plan on using the 370z 2 piston rear caliper, I really hope it bolts up, but I have no idea if it does, I have yet to buy one to test.SETI20 wrote:Fascinating! What's your plan for the rears?
The last SUV I had was an LR3, a heavy beast, but it has great brakes. I never worried about panic stops. Same with X3 and X5 BMWs in my family, fantastic brakes. Even the stock brakes on my tuned S4 are enough to cope with double the horsepower from stock. I have been spoiled by the good brake feel and performance of European cars, and just can't stand the mushy inadequacy of Nissan's stock brakes. Hopefully this upgrade fixes that, I'll let everyone know either way.SETI20 wrote:I'm frugal, so I drive the path like an old man, but I agree that braking always has felt inadequate and mushy. I just accepted it because of the size.