BBK for 18/19 TE37 set up?

[bookojj]

I've tried using the search and advanced search, but not working for me

i'm sure there are hundreds of threads on this, but here we go....I just put 18/19 TE37SLs on my '91, with Mich 4S's.
Now that I have more room, what are the best (and reasonable, if they are in the same universe) BBK's?

Again, I'm so sorry if this has been covered ad nauseum. Maybe I just need to learn how to use the search function - I've tried 50 times, but nothing ever comes up when I type in a search word?????

I'm sure it's user error, so apologies in advance....

 

[Anopheles]

Stoptech BBK

 

[Lostbuckeye]

I've been looking at the SOS Stoptech kit. https://www.scienceofspeed.com/index.php/nsx/bpp/brake-kits/stoptech-big-brake-system.html

 

[bookojj]

Thanks guys! Stoptech is in the lead!!!!

 

[Honcho]

Tarox used to make a kit for the NSX that was just perfect. It required custom brackets, but maintained the NA2 brake balance perfectly. Same idea as the Stoptech. Does anyone know if that kit can still be sourced?

 

[bookojj]

Thanks Honcho - will add Tarox to the search!!

 

[RYU]

Brembo (GT model i think?) has a new kit available. When I say new.. IIRC it's been about 5yrs since it's release. Front rotors are 300mm + so 18" front wheel minimum.

Brembo also still sells the old school "Lotus NSX" kit.

Rotora has a kit also. I was surprisingly happy with the 1st gen units I had which shared a common Taiwan made caliper that Trust/Greddy and other tuners used.

Performance Friction has a prototype on [MENTION=16531]stuntman[/MENTION]'s car. It's super promising considering who's car it's on. Maybe he can chime in if it's available. 18" front or bigger required.

AP Racing also has a kit, I believe available thru Essex of UK (you'll have to search specifically for this)

Stoptech is the community favorite because of it's value and performance, but because it also fits under the factory 17/17 system.

Tarox is the go-to for guys running the smaller 16" front wheel

RF Yamamoto of Japan also offers a few options

Racing Brake is also a value oriented option

There's a couple more fringe brands that produce kits in NSX fitment but I can't recall the names

 

[Old Guy]

Tarox still lists separate kits for the front and rear on the NSX. Search their aftermarket application guide.

TAROX – High Performance Brakes

They do not have an emergency brake on the rear so you have to figure that out on your own. They also do not package front and rears so you will have to do the analysis on disc diameter and caliper piston area if you want to maintain the OEM front / rear bias.

There is also Brembo that is like Tarox in offering separate front and rear kits so you need to do the number crunching on brake bias.

There is at least one other manufacturer that listed applications for the NSX; but, I seem to be unable to retrieve their name from my old guy neural storage.

ATR lists BBKs; but, you need to contact them to find out the details. I expect that they are custom fabricated 'kits'.

NSX parts / ATR racing (nsx-parts.com)

A.S. Motorsports offers the RF Yamamoto kit; but, it is discs & brackets only reusing the OEM calipers.

 

[Honcho]

Of course I can't find the thread now, but I thought a vendor from long ago had worked out a 16/17 friendly, 6P front 4P rear with e-brake kit from Tarox. For the OP, honestly, Stoptech is probably your best bet out of the box.

 

[RYU]

Some more info dump...

One of the bigger points of contention for the NSX is brake bias. Some of the older Brembo kits had a 50/50 brake bias which seems to be undesirable (I personally wouldn't want that). The Stoptech has a 63% front bias.

Not sure if you saw this... but this is also a good place for nerdy brake information https://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Brakes

 

[mwagner10702]

Stoptech. Plain and simple. Designed to maintain OEM brake bias without the need for a larger master cylinder. My ST kit is extremely capable, especially on the track. Huge thermal capacity verses the OEM setup (which is the biggest complaint about the OEM brakes IMO).

Yes - there are other manufacturers out there and likely equally as good, but Stoptech is a proven leader in BBK solutions. I really would not consider anything else.

Make sure you pull a template from Stoptech and measure against your TE37. Spoke design will be the deciding factor. I mention this as I don't see the TE37 listed on the SoS web page for the Stoptechs.

Wheel combinations that clear StopTech brakes for NSX:

• Advan RS, RZ, RS-D, and RG-D front: 17 or 18 x 8.0+37, rear 18 or 19 x 10.0+35
• Volk Racing CE28N front: 17x8.0+38, rear 18x9.5+36
• Advan Model T5 front: 17x8.0+38, rear: 18x10.0+42
• Factory Honda 2002-2005 wheels require 15mm spacer front, 25mm spacer rear

There are probably other wheels that fit really depends on your wheel offset.

 

[Old Guy]

Sine the OP has a 1991, I forgot to mention the OEM 1997 big brake upgrade option. All OEM parts; but, no bling if you are looking for shiny 4 or 6 piston calipers. Similar in concept to the RF Yamamoto kit.

 

[stuntman]

Tarox used to make a kit for the NSX that was just perfect. It required custom brackets, but maintained the NA2 brake balance perfectly. Same idea as the Stoptech. Does anyone know if that kit can still be sourced?

There are various Tarox combinations of rotor size and piston count. Nick from Applied Motorsports is the main channel for plug and play NSX kits (brackets, hats, e-brakes, etc...). If you bypass Nick, you'll have to piece together and fab up parts.

StopTech is the go-to off the shelf system.

Brembo - fronts are great with OEM 97+ rear rotors. DO NOT put the same size brembo F&R calipers on (50/50 bias is not good).

Brembo (GT model i think?) has a new kit available. When I say new.. IIRC it's been about 5yrs since it's release. Front rotors are 300mm + so 18" front wheel minimum.

Brembo also still sells the old school "Lotus NSX" kit.

Rotora has a kit also. I was surprisingly happy with the 1st gen units I had which shared a common Taiwan made caliper that Trust/Greddy and other tuners used.

Performance Friction has a prototype on [MENTION=16531]stuntman[/MENTION]'s car. It's super promising considering who's car it's on. Maybe he can chime in if it's available. 18" front or bigger required.

AP Racing also has a kit, I believe available thru Essex of UK (you'll have to search specifically for this)

Stoptech is the community favorite because of it's value and performance, but because it also fits under the factory 17/17 system.

Tarox is the go-to for guys running the smaller 16" front wheel

RF Yamamoto of Japan also offers a few options

Racing Brake is also a value oriented option

There's a couple more fringe brands that produce kits in NSX fitment but I can't recall the names

PFCs have the most technology (4 pads per caliper) and most likely the stiffest caliper, with the coolest cutting-edge motorsport rotor/hat combination out there. But they are also the most expensive at around $10K, and would likely need at least a few people to want to go in with a group buy to get them made. Word on the street is the calipers from the record-setting FXMD racecar will be for sale soon.


The go to off the shelf, good bias options are Tarox (through Nick) and Stoptech.

 

[pvmike]

I've been looking at the SOS Stoptech kit. https://www.scienceofspeed.com/index.php/nsx/bpp/brake-kits/stoptech-big-brake-system.html

IIRC, there are other vendors that sell Stoptechs for much less than SOS.

 

[mwagner10702]

IIRC, there are other vendors that sell Stoptechs for much less than SOS.

Agreed. I listed SoS as a reference. If I was in the market I'd shop around.

 

[Honcho]

There are various Tarox combinations of rotor size and piston count. Nick from Applied Motorsports is the main channel for plug and play NSX kits (brackets, hats, e-brakes, etc...). If you bypass Nick, you'll have to piece together and fab up parts.

Thanks Billy- I was thinking of Nick just couldn't remember!

 

[mwagner10702]

I would also add with any BBK you need to consider the availability of consumables such as pads and rotors. I know of one owner who has a Brembo kit and can't get front rotors any longer as Brembo no longer supplies them. He is planning on moving to Stoptech.

 

[bookojj]

this is so helpful. I think the through context in the thread gives me every piece of information needed to make a decision. Stoptech seems like a great solution for all the reasons mentioned, but I'm glad I asked, as I didn't realize there are so many considerations. I will call SOS to inquire about fitment with the TE37's, and will follow up on a few other leads based on the great input you've provided. Can't thank you guys enough!!!!

 

[RYU]

The only thing with Stoptech i'm not a fan of are their pad compounds.

 

[docjohn]

They have their own Pads?...not a rebrand?

 

[bookojj]

They have their own Pads?...not a rebrand?

I had thought you could specify different pads, and opt for ceramic fiber. So Hawk and others won’t work with them?

 

[2slow2speed]

I had thought you could specify different pads, and opt for ceramic fiber. So Hawk and others won’t work with them?

FWIW: Used to run the Stoptech BBK F/R on my 97 NSX. It is possible to run other pads, just need to verify with the pad manufacturer that they have the correct pad for the given Stoptech caliper (ST40 for the NSX).

 

[mwagner10702]

As other have said the Stoptech caliper (ST-40) is great as there are lots of pads options out there.

I have found the pads Stoptech includes with their BBK fine for the street and quite competent on the track. I've never had any fade on the track and wear is above average. I think this is due to the high thermal capacity the BBK has along with the design of the air flow through the lower front of the NSX. I replaced the factory air deflectors with the larger carbon fiber units from Downforce. Maybe this has helped some. I use Hawk DTC-60 pads on my track-oriented E30 M3 and they are a fantastic track pad. I can only imagine how brake performance would be with the Hawk pads on the Stoptech BBK - probably suck your eyeballs out.

Stoptech does make a race pad for the ST-40 caliper (SR33). Around $260 per set. Priced similar to Hawk, PFC, etc. For reference the street pads are around $85 per set.

On the street the standard Stoptech pads are great with little dust and no noise. IMO a perfect street pad.

Pad performance has a lot to do with how they are bedded-in. Do a poor job and you will not get the performance you expect.

 

[RYU]

On the street the standard Stoptech pads are great with little dust and no noise. IMO a perfect street pad.

@docjohn - per ^ it seems they've changed their street/track compound. I found the street/track pads to be super dusty and squeaky for no real benefit in other aspects of performance when compared to a tried and true like Porterfield for example. Granted, this was years ago and the street pads I had were on my S2000. I'd assume their "street" compound ought to be the same for the ST40 but I could be wrong. Sounds like the newer kits have solved this. Great!

 

[mwagner10702]

Sounds like the newer kits have solved this. Great!

For reference my kit is 4 years old (as are my pads). Not sure if this is a useful data point or not. I should clarify my brake dust comments. On the street the pads do produce a very low level of dust that can be wiped off after a drive. I usually only wash my car after an extended outing in which case both the wheels and body would need a good clean.

On the track, the pads create a level of dust you would expect under track conditions. The dusting is less than a dedicated track pad, but definitely noticeable. Obviously after any track session the car gets a through clean and inspection.