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

[Gary_C]

I'm not trying to say anything bad about the Alliance products specifically, but simply offering things for people to think about before they make their decision. I will say that you can't "hold" or "feel" quality. The reason there are soo many fly by night braking companies sprouting up all over the place is because this is a product that can very easily "look the part"...and they prey on the consumer that really will not be able to tell the difference.

You can't "feel" metallurgy. You can't "see" structural integrity in terms of stiffness and strength with the naked eye. It's not that difficult to improve performance over an OEM system by throwing more mass into a disc, and supplying a caliper with opposed pistons and a more aggressive pad. For many people this may be the first aftermarket big brake kit they have ever purchased, and they have nothing to compare it to except for OEM production brakes. (one of you even said you have no experience with other aftermarket brands)

With such a new company how can you speak in terms of longevity of the parts which should be one of the most important factors for the consumer? I know for a fact that Brembo discs, because of their superior metallurgy (only possible due to their experience in professional racing, and their capability as the largest high performance brake manufacturer in the world) last twice as long as even some of the other well know brake companies. I know for a fact that you can fake caliper quality, which is initially apparent in modulation and pedal feel (which I'm sure Chris will agree, the more experienced companies like Brembo and AP are best at creating), and becomes more apparent over time when you need to rebuild calipers and replace pistons, seals, dust boots, etc...

And Bullit, it's not about "being opposed to saving money",... it's about educating yourself on why other brands may cost more initially, and making the decision for yourself based on whether these products will be a better value over time vs. a "cheaper" purchase today. I can't even count how many people have come to me to buy Brembo, AFTER they have had an unpleasant experience with another brand. Or how many people who have had a chance to drive a properly tuned Brembo system, have realized that their system is really not as good as they thought it was. Sinnce it's very difficult to be able to "test drive" different brake systems befre you make a purchase, a lot of times we have to explain our features and benefits in words. The problem here is that anyone can win a "verbal weight lifting contest" (BTW, I can bench press 640lbs.). The real proof is when you have the ability, experience, feedback, and reviews of real people, with real time invested, into the process to back it up.

I've only taken the time to respond in this thread because the initial topic was "BBK Comparison thread: Brembo vs. StopTech vs. AP Racing"...not "let's talk about Alliance in the thread where the 3 more prominent brands are discussed and see if we can capture some attention".

Originally Posted by bullitt5897

Guys, I will let Mike answer all question in regards to Alliance. However, In response to the quality of Alliance's BBK. I will have to say after holding them in my hands and installing them myself. I feel that these brakes a of very high quality! As for Performance they are performing leaps and bounds over the Stock Sport brakes which is what I was looking for. I have yet to thoroughly test them at the track as they were just installed this past weekend. I will be running a few tests when the weather clears up and after my car gets back from Forged Performance after the TT install.

I will say this... The brakes are more than capable of initiating the power assist (ice mode) *i think thats what its called* at any moment and with ALOT less effort than the sport brakes. I know the brakes have the stopping power to get the job done and after I get done with testing I will post up figures for you guys. I feel these Brakes will do an amazing job and I am shocked at the performance I am receiving for such an affordable price!

If your opposed to saving money thats fine. However, I bought mine based on reviews and from talking to people who actually owned and ran the kit on the track. Check My350z for some of the reviews they have on this kit. I have not heard of one issue or bad thing said about these brakes nor can I find any faults so far. Trust me if there is something I find wrong with the kit I will have it in my extensive review.

Until then I will hold my final judgments until I have fully tested the brakes with the street compound pads and then with the race compound pads.