General Benefits of Big Brake Kits Big Brake Kits give your vehicle that Supercar look and feel, and exceed stock performance in two areas. First, larger rotors increase heat capacity. Second, stiffer calipers and stainless steel lines reduce system compliance. Advantages of StopTech over other brake upgrades: Shorter Stopping Distances Better Brake Modulation Firmer Brake Pedal Less Brake Fade

In simple terms, optimum brake bias (balance) is obtained when a vehicle's front-to-rear brake force ratio (or force bias) exactly matches the same vehicle's dynamic front-to-rear weight distribution (or weight bias) under a given loading and deceleration condition. As shown in the figure to the right, distributing brake force so that all four tires are simultaneously generating deceleration proportional to the four individual corner weights will maximize brake efficiency. Consequently, the stopping distance will be minimized.

It is purely the combination of these two factors - brake force and corner weight - that determines a vehicle's optimum brake bias. Therefore, when selecting a big brake upgrade one should be aware that changing the force (or torque) output of the front brake components without changing the force (or torque) output of the rear brake components can cause an undesirable shift in bias.

The most dramatic brake bias mismatches are usually brought about by big brake "upgrades" which are not properly matched to the intended vehicle. How can this occur? Any time that a bigger front rotor is installed there is a simultaneous need to decrease the effective clamping force of the caliper (installing smaller pistons is the easiest method) to offset the increased torque created by larger rotor effective radius (see the chart on next page). Unfortunately, too many of these "upgrades" do not take this factor into account, and those applications end up with both bigger rotors and larger pistons which serve to drastically shift the brake bias forward. As a result, stopping distances can go up dramatically.

So why does brake bias matter? On the race track, outbraking your opponent by just two feet every lap might not sound like much, but over the course of a twenty lap sprint race it can result in a three to four car length advantage at the checkered flag. To the racer, decreased braking distance is the same as free horsepower.

Street drivers also need to take heed of bias, as the effects of improper bias not only result in sub-optimal stopping distances but can also include sub-optimal brake pad life (too much front bias) and/or premature ABS activations. For example, if a car is too heavily front-biased in its typical operating deceleration range, it will wear front brake pads more quickly due to the fact that the rear brakes are not contributing as much as they could be.

StopTech is the only brake upgrade company providing proper brake bias with front only or four wheel brake upgrades. As our test data below clearly shows, attention to brake bias matters whether you are racing for the lead or are simply driving to work. This is exactly the reason why StopTech performs instrumented testing for new applications we develop. You're not just buying parts - you're also buying the assurance that the brake bias has been developed, tested, and ultimately optimized for your exact application.

Improved cooling and heat capacity means less fade
StopTech has incorporated several design innovations to improve rotor airflow, cooling and heat capacity. The ability to absorb and dissipate heat is essential to brake system performance.

STIFFER CALIPERS MEAN BETTER PERFORMANCE AND FEEL
Using finite element analysis (FEA) modeling software, we have designed a bolt-in bridge strong enough to stop distortion without sacrificing cooling through the top of the caliper. Distortion is virtually eliminated. The squeeze forged StopTech ST-40 caliper has the least flex of any tested aftermarket and OE caliper. The air channel in the bridge is designed to help air flow through the retainer, resulting in better cooling.

Calipers
StopTech's ST-40 and ST-60 calipers are manufactured using a squeeze-forging process at Sanyco, a 34-year old company that is CNS, QS 9000, and ISO 9002 certified. Mitsubishi®, Volkswagen® and Toyota® are among their top customers.

With squeeze forging, pressure is applied during cooling. This produces a beautifully finished, solid part, without porosity. Calipers that are cast without being squeeze forged can have major issues with porosity which can even cause calipers to leak. When considering a brake upgrade, it is worth it to ask if cast calipers are squeeze forged and if not, what their testing process for finished calipers is.

Sanyco delivers raw caliper castings. StopTech does all finish machining (such as piston bores sized correctly for the application), assembly and test in California. StopTech tests every single finished caliper to 2800 psi using brake fluid on a special test bench designed by StopTech engineers.

Rotors
StopTech's racing AeroRotors® are cast at Pilenga S.p.A., a world class 56-year old rotor foundry that is ISO9002 and Vision 2000 certified, and is the second largest rotor manufacturer in Europe.

AeroRotors are made using StopTech's patented vane design and our proprietary cast iron formula, which was specified with durability in mind. StopTech has had several sets of rotors run entire 24 hour races on winning cars. StopTech did extensive testing before settling on our final top-secret formula. To test rotor durability, we rented the California Speedway and ran a heavily weighted down car with StopTech rotors on one side and a competitor's rotors on the other. In this test, StopTech rotors were approximately twice as durable as the competitive rotor.

Hats and Brackets
StopTech's hats and brackets are made with a special type of billet aluminum that was designed for the AeroSpace industry in the United States. The German TÜV were so impressed with the durability of these parts during testing that they replicated the bracket and repeated the test with a stainless steel imitation of our part. The stainless steel version failed early.

Hats and brackets are machined to ISO standards at StopTech's manufacturing facility in Torrance, California, using the latest CNC machines that feature active tooling.

Stainless Steel Brake Lines
StopTech makes our own stainless steel brake lines in Southern California. StopTech is a DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) registered supplier of Stainless Steel Brake Lines. Line material and fittings are all made from the highest quality parts available. Lines feature a clear abrasion-resistant cover for maximum protection against chaffing. Necessary quality control procedures are in place to ensure lines are the correct length, etc. Every fully assembled StopTech Stainless Steel Brake Line is tested to a pressure of 4,500 psi.