I have looked around with no real answers although I know it'll be an easy "yes" answer. I am looking to do some work on my brakes (currently stock r53, not JCW), and would really like to bump up to 4 piston brakes (I do a lot of canyon carving, and most of my mods will focus on suspension more than performance, about 200 - 220 hp will be good n fast for me)

So with that HP in mind, is it worth it to go all out and get a BBK (looking at Dinan or Brembo GT)? My guess is no but I wanted to get other peoples opinion. ( I have 17" TSW Sakata 4 wheels that'll clear most BBKs I've looked at; 17x7 +42 offset).

My initial thought was / is to go the JCW route with brake ducts. I know those are MUCH cheaper which is making me lean more towards it.

But my main question is:

With the JCW brakes on my r53, if I buy JUST calipers (SS brake lines, too), would there be a Brembo replacement for the rotos? I REALLY dig their bronze colored zinc plated rotors, and would love for Mallory to get those behind her new shoes.

Thanks in advance everyone for your input!

 

First I would not get the R53 JCW unless used ones for under $400, for the $800 you pay for them you could get some used Stop-Techs. No on the rotors for fronts at least, (rear is stock so there is brembo rotors avail) all I could find is the ATE slotted rotors, EBC rotors and the DBA slotted rotors. None with the zinc gold stuff. But the DBAs will be my next rotors.

 

Okay, cool, appriciate the add in there howsoon. (sorry to see your BRG/W is no longer with you, exact same color combo and year as my Mallory).

Well, after a lot of heavy debating i am leaning towards just replacing the pads (though there is a set of JCW's in the marketplace for $400...), and waiting to do serious work on the brakes until I "complete" my Mallory, as I'd hate to invest now, then take the HP beyond the JCW's capability. Save the $$$ for the Dinan exhaust and more suspension work for now.

 

When I had my 2003 MCS I did a trade-off study on brake options with the groundrule that I would keep my Mini more than 100,000 miles. Instead of upgrading the stock brakes, I went with a TCE/Wilwood 13" front and 11.75" rear kit. At the time TCE was having a special so the larger rear kit was free if you purchased a 13" front kit. I believe I recently saw that TCE (Todd) was doing a similar deal because he had many rear kits sitting on the shelf. You have a higher initial investment with the BBK but the replacement parts are cheaper than good stock size parts and the BBK parts last longer. For example the front pads for the Wilwood FSL calipers are super thick. Over a 100,000 mile period I figured I would save money with a relatively inexpensive BBK such as the TCE/Wilwood kit compared to frequent replacement of stock sized brake parts.

If you drive hard or ever plan to do track days, I would suggest against an upgrade to the R53 JCW brakes (same as stock R56 brakes) and instead go to a real BBK instead (with larger rotors, 4-piston caliper, good pads). The R56 JCW kit (large rotors with 4-piston caliper) looks like a nice setup if you want to go the JCW direction but I suspect rather expensive.

If you do not have the money for a better than R53 JCW setup, I would do as you are thinking and go with better pads on the stock brakes until you can afford a BBK. However, if you drive hard in canyons you might still have brake fade problems even with better pads and fluid because the small rotors cannot dissipate the heat.

 

I got my R56 brakes for a steal at 300 bucks from a undiscloseable source
and have been running the stock pads.
The diffrence between the two is shocking.
I've driven the wilwood brakes and really feel its a great option
however i could not turn down what i was offered
wilwoods stopping power is best summed by my damnitryons quote of
DASHBOARDFACEJAM09
my R56 brakes so far have been brilliant
I love DBA products they are super highquality.
especially the DBA5000 series.
I dont feel like you need more brakes then what i have
I can lock the tires at any speed. and they are very progressive
not so much the case with some other kits
only advantage to having multiple pistons is it evenly distributes the load across the pad.
your results may vary.
Oh and they look bad *** as hell.

 

You want the best braking option for both track and canyon you need to check out Texas Speedwerks and their brake kits. Lots and lots of track testing done on them.

Check out the thread on MotoringAlliance.com

 

I agree that the TSW kit is great, especially if you need to fit inside 15" wheels. The 11.75" TSW kit at $1250 and Wilwood 11.75" with 1" option at $1100, are a similar price. If you have the room, such as using 17 or 18" wheels, I would suggest a kit with larger rotors, such as 12.2 or 13" to dissipate additional heat.

 

If you're just bombing around roads, pads and fluid will work fine...

 

If you're just bombing around roads, pads and fluid will work fine... Sorry it's not the sexiest answer.

 

+1

The main advantage of a BBK is consistent brake performance lap after lap on a racetrack. The extra mass can take all the extra heat without fading.

Generally speaking, if your brakes are fading on the street, then you are going way too fast to be safe (not factoring in any mechanical problems). Doesn't matter how good of a driver you are, there are just too many unpredictable things that could happen, things that are not under your own control.

But... BBKs sure look good so I don't blame anyone for wanting them.

 

Dude, this is why i heart it here! Thanks everyone for their $.02!

I'd love something that fills the rim more (17" TSW Sakata 4), but judging by what I am getting here, if I don't feel like I am "out running" my brakes so to speak, i guess its not really needed (just really wanted for that look!!!). I am thinking then of adding the brake ducts where the factory fog-lights are for some added benefit, and replacing the pads for now.

Anyone have thoughts on if stainless brake lines are worth the time to add to the stock setup?

Recommendations on fluid?

 

Brake ducts are just over $300 bucks but kinda a pita to put on. Not much benefit on street, but on tracks higher speeds and harder braking they work great. And you gotta seal them in moderate rain, otherwise its like running a water hose to your brakes. Benefits are pretty exclusive to the track. Stainless steel lines are to contain near boiling fluid, if no track time, your no where near boiling point, plus they are not really visable, so no aesthetic benefit. Save your hard earned cash for some good brake pads like CarboTech or Hawk HP Plus instead. Then latter get a BBK
Oh brake fluid Castrol LMA is great and cheap too.

 

Awesome, Thanks howsoonisnow! I'll save the $$$ (and time) for down the line brake stuff instead of now. I'll grab some new pads and finish exterior aesthetics for now then!