For all you that have a BBK, is it worth the cost? My car may get tracked 1-2 times a year. I'm running 18" Centerlines and while it's easy to clean the rims, looks kinda funny with the small rotors.

I already have some engine mods and suspension mods. (pulley, ecu, intake, exhaust, ignition, short shifter, springs and sways, etc...).

I was looking at the TCE kit as it is somewhat reasonable and my birthday is right around the corner!

Thanks!

 

I thought that the brakes were a weak link in the Mini. I just felt like I needed more stopping power. I have the AP Rracing kit and I like it very much. I'm sure that others are very good as well. Aa BBK is a little pricey but i"m very happy I have mine.

 

I love the BBK I have.

The drawback is that it really limits your wheel selection. Right now I have major spacers so tha the s-lites clear the calipers.

Darn, gotta buy new wheels too!

 

nparker,
Most owners that have BBK really like them. When you track your MINI you'll be really happy you have a BBK. Having 18" wheels you have both plenty of room for decent sized BBK and a reason to show them off.

Additional practical reasons for the BBK are- heavy 18" rims benefit from better stopping power. Some BBK such as those from TCE are lighter weight than stock brakes. There is a good selection of brake pads

TCE offers several BBK options including a rear BBK using the stock caliper.
There are options for finishes and slots vs cross drillings. Talk to Todd at TCE to learn more. You'll do pretty well with any of his choices. Your 18" rims will have no trouble fitting and looking good.

 

With most BBK's, it's not a function of wheel diameter (over 17" usually), but spoke shape. There are 18's out there that won't clear BBK's because the lip is too big and the spoke too deep. If your wheels are in-question; get a wheel-fitment guide from the BBK supplier.

That said, once you add some power and handling to the MCS, brakes are now the weak point. A quality BBK will vastly improve the overal performance balance of the car; I'd definitely recommend putting it on your "to-do" list if you drive your car aggressively or on-track.

Not all BBK's are created equal. Proper brake-bias (which is the balance of piston area front vs. back vs. brake booster), a very high quality caliper, and rotor mass according to your application is important. A rotor that is too light may be fine for looking good on the street, but will cook and fade the pads very quickly versus a very massive rotor on the track (or the Dragon )

I hope that helps!
Cheers,
Ryan

 

These questions always lead to the common answers; need for track, how much you want to spend, wheel choices, stock parts are great, stock parts suck, yada-yada.

On the other hand I'll toss out the less obvious, or much less spoken question as a reply; What's wrong with buying a BBK for it's look?

The answer; nothing. The same reasoning that leads us all to purchase a lot of things for our cars. People seem to somehow feel that this purchase should have some underlying deep meaning to it. There's only one person you have to answer too; yourself. No different than buying co-co mats or carbon fiber sun visors for example. If you all wanted the same car you'd not have bought this car in the first place.

Yes there are often more techincal replies or reasons for such purchases. And many valid. But that's not the point, while not everyone wants this part on their car or needs it, for some it makes them happy and the results are the look they want. As they say; "It's all good".

 

Todd,
Good points. "It's all good". Amen.

Is it "worth" getting a BBK? is the question, so each person can determine what makes it worth the cost or trouble to upgrade.

BBK as an appearance mod? Definitely it's a very good appearance mod. Just like functional art. Like a fine custom ceramic piece that doubles as a serving container. I love functional art.

Hey, the MINI "IS" functional art.

I'd like to start a rumor that coco mats add 3 HP, that way I'll feel extra good knowing that they look good AND help my performance.

 

More qualified experts have weighed in on this, but I can offer a little bit of my experiences as a relative novice on the road track since our situations are somewhat similar.

I expect to take my MINI to a couple BMWCCA driving events at Barber Motorsports Park, as well as a few weekends at the Tail of the Dragon.

Last year at Barber, I was able to complete 25 minute sessions with very little fading even at the end of our sessions. Of course, I could have gone faster with the BBK, but I did just fine and the stock brakes worked fine and I never felt that they were the limiting factor for me on that road track.

Right now, I am upgrading slightly to a set of slotted rotors and better pads: a so-called "Stage I" kit from Detroit Tuned. I expect these to increase my braking performance significantly at a cost not too much more than replacing the worn stock brakes I have now. Next time around, I will upgrade to their BBK if I feel I need that extra stopping power and bling and have the $$$ available.