AE86 brake upgrade rx7 caliper help

[1.8te27]

Hey guys I just bought 86 suspension for my TE27. The local parts store quoted me 220$ for new calipers all around with core exchange. That seems steep for stock calipers so I was wondering what you guys suggest for calipers? VERY IMPORTANT: I am running 13" Tom's wheels and plan on keeping it that way. I plan to buy brembo rotors all around at some point. I just want to know what my options for calipers are besides selling my left nut at the parts store.

I'm still researching brake upgrades and what seems to be a cheap way as far as calipers for the front would be the FD calipers. Does anyone know who makes the brackets or has the design and measurements so I could have my local machine shop make them for me? Also with stock diameter GTS rotors will they clear my 13"s?

Thank you guys for the help.

[carbd7age]

Dang that's high. IIRC they were like $25-30 each after core when k worked at Pep Boys a long time ago. Are they brand new or rebuilt or what?

[Jimmee1990]

There is a few Irish kits that use Wilwood calipers and fit under 13" wheels, as that's a pretty popular size for the rally guys. I know GRP4 fabrications do one to suit the AE86 struts.

[gotzoom?]

Unless you're running substantially more power than stock, there is no need for bigger brakes on our cars. Stock brake components with good pads and fresh fluid are more than adequate for track duty.

[1.8te27]

As of now I am not making enough power to require a huge brake upgrade but I would like to in the future and since I'm doing this now I should just do it once. Can you guys get a me part numbers for the wilwood setup or a link to a reputable website that sells them?

[flowisode_zero]

www.fastbrakes.com Has a lot of options for wilwood setups.

[1.8te27]

Bump, going a different route for calipers. Please check the original post if you could offer any advice. Thank you.

[chohdog]

You do know that a "brake upgrade" usually means the diameter of the disc is supposed to be increased in order to give more surface area for heat dissipation to occur, right? So running a different caliper with a stock AE86 rotor isn't really a "brake upgrade". It means you spend money to get calipers that look different than yours with no potential performance gain.

A quick search on Autozone.com reveals that a stock AE86 brake caliper is $31.99 +$14.00 core charge. Rear AE86 calipers (if you have a GT-S rear end, which you haven't specified) are much more expensive because they ONLY came on the GT-S and no other Toyota model as far as I know.

BTW $220 is not a whole lot of money for a set of four brakes. I'm not speaking relative to how much money you make, I'm speaking relative to how much brake calipers cost across all makes and models.

[1.8te27]

I'll be running slotted and drilled rotors and considering that the original calipers are single piston I would consider what i've suggested an upgrade over what I currently have now but thanks for the lesson.

I have a 1974 sr5 corolla with an sr5 rear end which will be converted to rear disc.

Now back to the original topic, if anyone could answer the question I would greatly appreciate it.

[MisterJerk]

Does anyone know who makes the brackets or has the design and measurements so I could have my local machine shop make them for me?

Tons of these on sale in the classifieds. will not fit 13" wheels...

Also with stock diameter GTS rotors will they clear my 13"s?

If you mean the rx7 calipers on stock rotors... brackets that are made, are made for larger rotors.(wont fit 13" wheels)

13" wheels don't leave you with very many brake options other than stock.

Stock calipers can be rebuilt relatively easy for around $40-$50 with genuine toyota seals.

Download the manual, DIY.. Thats the fun of the ae86.

[chohdog]

I'll be running slotted and drilled rotors and considering that the original calipers are single piston I would consider what i've suggested an upgrade over what I currently have now but thanks for the lesson.

Number of pistons doesn't mean better braking. Brake pad surface area to brake disc surface area are what make something an "upgrade". They put more pistons (smaller btw) into a caliper because packaging a single large piston into a caliper at a certain point becomes difficult. If you just put a pad/caliper with larger surface area on the rotor, you're creating more heat that can't dissipate because the caliper/pad was designed for a larger rotor. But hey, if YOU look at it as an upgrade then go ahead.

[1.8te27]

I'll be running slotted and drilled rotors and considering that the original calipers are single piston I would consider what i've suggested an upgrade over what I currently have now but thanks for the lesson.

Number of pistons doesn't mean better braking. Brake pad surface area to brake disc surface area are what make something an "upgrade". They put more pistons (smaller btw) into a caliper because packaging a single large piston into a caliper at a certain point becomes difficult. If you just put a pad/caliper with larger surface area on the rotor, you're creating more heat that can't dissipate because the caliper/pad was designed for a larger rotor. But hey, if YOU look at it as an upgrade then go ahead.

Thank you for your reply

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I'll be running slotted and drilled rotors and considering that the original calipers are single piston I would consider what i've suggested an upgrade over what I currently have now but thanks for the lesson.

Number of pistons doesn't mean better braking. Brake pad surface area to brake disc surface area are what make something an "upgrade". They put more pistons (smaller btw) into a caliper because packaging a single large piston into a caliper at a certain point becomes difficult. If you just put a pad/caliper with larger surface area on the rotor, you're creating more heat that can't dissipate because the caliper/pad was designed for a larger rotor. But hey, if YOU look at it as an upgrade then go ahead.

Not only surface area but pad distance from the axis of rotation. If you took the stock caliper and moved it out on a bigger caliper it would have way more braking potential along with less heat input into the caliper and more heat dissipation by the rotor.

I always laugh at the use of the term upgrade.
If your brakes can lock up your tires and don't get brake fade then there is no such thing as an upgrade. You are spending more time and money to gain more unsprung and rotational mass. The only effects will be negative.
Horsepower is only a small part of the equation. You could have a 500 HP street driven AE86 that would never need anything more than stock brakes. If on the other hand you have a 150 HP AE86 that spends a lot of time on big tracks it may in fact need bigger brakes. Of course it's probably not going to be running 13s and if it is they will be 10 in wide.
If you do things like autox you really don't need to worry about fade so you just need strong enough brakes to lock up whatever tires you are running.

[yoshimitsuspeed]

BTW I can get centric rotors and probably others. Personally I wouldn't generally get drilled rotors in very many situations. At the most go with slotted. Be aware that drilled and slotted do not make your car brake harder and don't do much for cooling. All they do is help gasses escape that build up in the pad under high heat. This means they help stave off fade a little bit.

[1.8te27]

BTW I can get centric rotors and probably others. Personally I wouldn't generally get drilled rotors in very many situations. At the most go with slotted. Be aware that drilled and slotted do not make your car brake harder and don't do much for cooling. All they do is help gasses escape that build up in the pad under high heat. This means they help stave off fade a little bit.

Thank you for your reply