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Ground Up/Custom F60 Big Brake Upgrade - Brembo/Tesla 6-Caliper Setup
Z_Lacko and I have worked his F60 since he's taken receipt of it just over two years ago. From fabricating a custom set of coilovers dropping it some 4 inches, to the latest project that we just wrapped up this past weekend; A 4-corner brake upgrade with dedicated electric parking brake units borrowed from a Tesla so that we could run performance/fixed type caliper units on all corners while maintaining the electric e-brake functionality. In all, 3 weekends worth of actual wrenching (we're 200 miles apart) with plenty of shop time (and mental design time) in between visits. Couldn't be more stoked about the form and function, so I thought I'd share some of the more entertaining images along the way.
The Tech:
Calipers: Brembo 17Z units from a Cayenne (pretty heavy on the piston area, but in practice seems to be working just fine - albeit with more pedal modulation). Pads: Hawk LTS Lines: AN3 stainless with bbl flare adapters (DOT rated) Rotors: Brembo plain, hand dimpled by Z_Lacko with Brembo pattern
Front - 360mm
Rear - 345mm
Paint: Custom mixed urethane tricoat (base, intercoat, clear) with our own logo/labels sandwiched in between. Sanded all the mold seams off. Fab:
Welded caliper relocation lugs on trailing arm, and constructed a bolt-on bracket to locate the Tesla unit where the original hydraulic unit was. Repainted with epoxy .
Added threaded pad locators to account for varying rotor thickness.
Z_Lacko took care of wiring in the Telsa harnesses with provisions to go back to OE.
It's a nonsense upgrade, but we love the audacious (why else do we customize cars?) Theoretically, it'll be better on a track, but what @****** takes an F60 out on a track? (Rhetorical - we all know at least one of those people ).
Alright, onto the fun stuff .. presented in somewhat of a chronological order.
Are they more touchy/grabby than stock on initial application?
Travel is more. Engages lower. Bite is more progressive as a result of the increase in pedal travel.
Here's a rough look at the math behind the piston area OE vs. the Cayenne/Touareg 17Z (Incidentally, 18Z calipers actually have a bit less piston area). Despite the piston bias toward the front, the +45mm increase in leverage at the rear rotor actually brought the bias rearward just a bit.