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Originally Posted by GarySheehan
Wow, I wish I was involved in this thread a little earlier. I'm going to try and address several points on this page of the thread. I fear it's going to be a little lengthy...
BAN SUVS,
Reducing front brake torque is an excellent thing, not a bad thing for the WRX. The WRX comes with too much front brake bias, as do all production cars. Moving some of it rearward helps improve front/rear brake bias, which will reduce stopping distances. With the stock front calipers and rotors, I was able to consistently lock the front brakes with Hoosier R3S03 race tires as well as with front downforce via a splitter. The WRX does not need more front brake torque! There is no such thing as adding more stopping power, unless the original system cannot lock the brakes. What you can do is increase brake torque with less pedal effort. However, when considering a brake system, you do not want a system that generates very high brake torque with very low pedal effort. Systems like that are very hard to modulate at the limit. A well designed system will take some effort to lock the brakes. As long as the effort is not fatiguing, the higher effort provides the driver a wider modulation range, making it easier to use the brakes to keep the tires on the edge of adhesion.
You also mentioned that you have yet to lock the brakes at the track. One of two things is happening. You are using ABS, which prevents the wheels from locking, or you are not braking hard enough. Unless of course you have faded the brake pads and/or fluid, which would make it impossible to lock the wheels after a few laps. But even with R compound tires, you should have no issues with locking the front wheels on the track while the brake pads and fluid are still within their operating temperature range.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Gary
Sheehan Motor Racing
www.teamSMR.com |
Wow Gary, your expertise is most welcome here. Thanks for clearing some things up! Unfortunately, I think you've just eliminated StopTechs as a possibility for use on my car. Let me explain...
I have a 2001 Impreza RS. I've never faded or locked up my brakes on the track Using FHI 4 pot fronts, OE pads, rotors, and lines with Ate SuperBlue fluid. This is probably because I jsut haven't had to use my brakes that much yet- all of my track experience is at Thunder Hill, where I only have one hard braking point, and that's on the back stretch. I only get up to about 90-95 and brake to 35 or so, and my system is easily able to handle that. On the front straight I only drop from <100 to about 80-85. That track is simply faster than my car. On to why I can't use StopTechs now-
I am doing a full STi 6 speed swap, including the R180 rear end and hubs. Those hubs require the use of either STi 2 pot rears or STi Brembos. I've decided against the Brembos due to cost and limitations on wheels. That leaves me with the old STi 2 pots. Since I have STi 4 pots up front, this seems a natural combination to me (I don't know how closely matched my existing MC and bias valve are to this setup, but it can't be worse than any non-Subaru setup I suppose). I know the pedal will be somewhat softer, but that's the breaks... so to speak.
Anyways, should my 4 pot setup prove incapable of handling the heat from increased speeds at the track (forgot to mention- I'm also doing a compete motor build. Basically an STi motor with a VF22) I was planning on getting StopTechs. I love the company's attitudes towards the enthusiast community, their openness with their testing and with providing concrete proof of their claims, and heck, I even know someone who works there now. But alas, adding them would destroy my brake system. I would end up with far too MUCH rear bias, and I am nowhere near skilled enough to drive a car that behaves that way. The only way I could run StopTechs at this point would be to have custom piston sizes made.