BBK Comparison thread: Brembo vs. StopTech vs. AP Racing

[Gary_C]

Originally Posted by AP-Chris_B

A note about bolted vs. floating kits...

Here's a good example of a difference in opinion, most likely created by each companies various experiences over time, which ultimately lead to different solutions for their own products.

All of Brembo's 2pc. discs are full floating, specifically for the benefits they offer to performance, longevity, and safety...both on street and at the track.

Brembo uses a very unique float hardware that they developed and patented which specifically addresses many of the issues that Chris mentioned above. Despite the fact that the topics Chris mentioned above can be true in one form or another, it was a conscious decision by Brembo to develop a product expressly for the additional benefits, while focusing on eliminating any potential side affects.



Regardless of the type of usage, track or street, all metals expands with heat. Because of the fact that cast iron and aluminum also expand at different rates, it's important to allow the disc to have room to grow so that it doesn't stress the mounting points or hardware between the different materials. There are issues that affect the rate of fatigue when you join dissimilar materials and expose them to high stress applications. This is the exact reason that racing applications lead to the development of floating rotors, and away from fixed/bolted applications.

Cast iron by nature doesn't have the ductility to deform and return to it's original state which is why there is a higher chance of warpage and/or cracking when it is not allowed proper room for expansion. I personally do not recognize the "maintenance-free nature" of a fixed/bolted disc unless you are fully aware that you are not introducing the components to temperatures/expansion that exceed the natural elasticity of the materials used. Some companies simply recommend that you regularly inspect and re-torque the disc assemblies, others suggest that you safety wire each piece of hardware. A few specifically use steel hats/bells to bring the material likeness closer together, while some offer the opinion that the product is not ideal for excessive track use (which should also include aggressive street driving that can create nearly identical peak temperatures).

Again, an example of a difference in opinions based on each of our personal experiences. I just wanted to share that the Brembo float hardware does off the best of both worlds with none of the issues previously mentioned.