Volk Racing TE-37 and Aftermarket (Big) Brake Packages

[weiku]

Does anyone know if the TE-37 in 17x8 front and 17x9.5 rear sizes will clear the Brembo Lotus caliper with 12.9" Brembo-spec rotor without a wheel spacer? Does anyone have this combination? If so, or if you know otherwise, how far out are the edge of the wheel toward the fender lip? I have 17x8 Forgelines with 235/40-17 tires in the front, and I hit my fender, and have since cracked it (aluminum doesn't like to bend), because the Brembo rotor hats are 6.5mm thicker than OEM, and thus push out the wheel by that much. Also, the Forgelines I have are made for an NSX with OEM brakes, so the offset is not Brembo-spec (I used to have OEM brakes...).

Thanks.

Andie

 

['98 NSX-T]

andie, I have TE-37's but no brake mod's (yet). however, I had the TE-37's up at Comptech and we put the wheels on their test NSX that has the big brembo brake kit (not sure if they are lotus or other). I am sure you could call Comptech and see which calipers they have. The front fit only with a small spacer, and the rear cleared fine. My wheels are 17x7.5 and 18x9.

I know that is not the exact combination of information you are looking for, but best I can do, maybe someone else knows more.

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

Andie, George Wang has 17x8 and 17x10 for his NSX. It clears AP brakes no problem. I would guess AP and Brembo is about the same. George used to run 17x7.5 and 18x9.5 and they require spacer. Contact George (maomaonsx)

 

[vicster2]

I am finishing up designing a brake kit that fits the stock 16" wheel (and all other aftermarket wheels with no spacers). It uses a 2-1/2 lb 4 piston caliper and a rotor with the same or greater heat capacity as the Brembo/AP 13" rotors (i.e. same or better brake fade resistance). The kit costs approx $1300 - $1500. Just wondering if anyone else is interested.

Vic

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

From my experience, the NSX caliper are capable in anyway stopping the car effectively. The problem seem to find the rotors that will withstand the heat generated.

Spoon offers the 4 piston caliper for Integra type R that will fit NSX with minimal mods (under $1000). But it utilize the stock or stock size rotors. Which IMO will not do u any good. Cause the heat generated will be the same and since the rotors are the same size. It won't be able to dissipate heat enough.

 

[vicster2]

Originally posted by Andrie Hartanto:
From my experience, the NSX caliper are capable in anyway stopping the car effectively. The problem seem to find the rotors that will withstand the heat generated.

Exactly. I agree. My main goal was to have a rotor with the same or better heat capacity than a 13" rotor but still fit inside the stock 16" rim. This required going to a 12.2" x 1.25" thick rotor which drove a caliper change as well. The overall kit so far performs and looks great and is cheaper than just about everything out there.

 

[TampaBayNSX-R]

Vicster,
I noticed you live in Clearwater. I'm in North St. Pete and would really like to take a look at that setup sometime. I have a good friend who is currently looking into brake upgrade options for his '94. Please let me know if we could hook up with you sometime soon. Thanks.

 

[Lud]

Originally posted by vicster2:
My main goal was to have a rotor with the same or better heat capacity than a 13" rotor but still fit inside the stock 16" rim. This required going to a 12.2" x 1.25" thick rotor which drove a caliper change as well.

I am no mechanical engineer, but while the 12.2 x 1.25 rotor may be able to absorb the same amount of heat energy, it seems like the 13" diameter rotor would be able to *dissipate* the heat better since it has more surface area. And heat dissipation, not absorption, is really the key...?

 

[vicster]

Originally posted by Lud:
but while the 12.2 x 1.25 rotor may be able to absorb the same amount of heat energy, it seems like the 13" diameter rotor would be able to *dissipate* the heat better since it has more surface area. And heat dissipation, not absorption, is really the key...?

You are correct. A 13 inch rotor has a small but almost insignificant advantage over a 12.2 inch rotor for steady state heat dissipation. In actual application when the brakes are applied, the better heat sink the rotors are, the more heat you can quickly draw away from the caliper (and brake fluid). The rotor will then cool down on the straights. Unless you are at a track with severely short straights the heat dissipation difference between the two rotor sizes is negligible especially with proper air ducting. I'm not too proud to admit that I will infrequently come to the limits of a 12.2" diameter rotor. I'm sure most of us won't either. What I do have an issue with is paying 2 or 3 times more for a brake kit with negligible advantage over one I can build myself. Mind you Mark Johnson will be offering a Tar'ox kit pretty soon in the $1800 to $1,000,000 range It is a nice kit indeed and I considered buying one (and still may, if he can get Tar'ox to make it fit in a 16" rim without thinning out the rotor). Although it will still be difficult to justify since I purchased my calipers, rotors, and brake pads (7 friction choices) for my kit for less than $450 (retail)!! Caliper rebuild kits are $20. Heck, replace the damn caliper every year for $140 each. You can't do that with an AP or Brembo!! Just my .02 cents.

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

What kind of caliper are u planning to use? I'm interested. But I'm currently in work with Dan Tobie to apply Porsche big red caliper and rotors to the NSX (same as Movit). Or we are looking to space the caliper out (using stock caliper) and uses 12.9" rotors.

 

[vicster]

Originally posted by Andrie Hartanto:
What kind of caliper are u planning to use? I'm interested. But I'm currently in work with Dan Tobie to apply Porsche big red caliper and rotors to the NSX (same as Movit). Or we are looking to space the caliper out (using stock caliper) and uses 12.9" rotors.

I have considered the Porsche stuff but the stuff is heavy and I really couldn't think of a simple way to install it without a hubcentric spacer and longer wheel studs. Once you get them in though, they are great brakes.

I am currently evaluating a few caliper companies. Two of them are small shops who make custom calipers for NASCAR. Alcon and PBR are also candidates. I have gone through them all. I think I have Autocad 3d models of brakets for about 15 calipers (BTW all my stuff will be CNC machined like the "Big Boys"