[Milan]

Honestly if Brembo is producing a brake kit in China and charging $3k+ for it they 100% deserve to get ripped off.

I've purchased a few things off Aliexpress and the sellers usually have way better customer service than 99% of the N54 vendors.

What do the calipers say on them? I don't see pics

[langsbr]

Originally Posted by Milan

Honestly if Brembo is producing a brake kit in China and charging $3k+ for it they 100% deserve to get ripped off.

I've purchased a few things off Aliexpress and the sellers usually have way better customer service than 99% of the N54 vendors.

What do the calipers say on them? I don't see pics

They sell them both blank or with the respective caliper brand logo, e.g. Brembo, AP Racing, etc.

[MILLER335I]

Any updates on these?

[6266335]

I'm not sure what the issue is. Most brakes are made in China anyway. A brake caliper is simple hydraulics. Really the only possible failure point is the piston seal, or metal fatigue/crack. Something that can happen to any caliper/rotor.

[Aus335iguy]

Originally Posted by 6266335

I'm not sure what the issue is. Most brakes are made in China anyway. A brake caliper is simple hydraulics. Really the only possible failure point is the piston seal, or metal fatigue/crack. Something that can happen to any caliper/rotor.

You're both right and wrong. The design could be wrong. Bores not parallel, seals leaking, piston material not appropriate and so on and so on. But its the same risk you take with any manufacturer even brembo. Its just that they have a reputation for getting it right hence the illusion of a safe purchase. The underlying risk is similar all along.

[Justin Daniels]

In my experience, the difference between parts made in China for a "Western" company and parts made in China for an "Eastern" company is the final QC. A Brembo caliper made in China FOR Brembo is not always the same as a Brembo caliper made in China FOR "Dickass", even though it is made in the exact same factory by the exact same people. You save money by buying direct from a Chinese producer because you're skipping a few steps in the downstream value chain; but you're also saving money because you're basically taking the final QC into your own hands. Brembo would normally take this one for the consumer; holding the manufacturer to design tolerances, returning duff products, etc.

Whenever I get something "from China for China" that requires tight tolerances I make sure that I budget the time and money to inspect, and possibly repair/finish, the product. Issues such as rough bores, burrs, slack tolerances, bridged solder joints, re-used electrical components, cheap/wrong fluids, etc. are all things I've come across. As long as you're willing to take the time to verify that the product you're getting is meeting the correct tolerances/design/quality then there's no real risk in buying "from China for China". The problem is when people expect a solution that can just be bolted on and used in anger yet costs 50-70% of the "Western" solution.

With that being said, I don't trust Chinese rotors/drums... just personal experience. May be within tolerances out of the box (this is easy to do) but the metallurgy is all off and the first good honk on the brakes leads to foot massages any time after. This is experience from more than six years ago, so maybe things have changed.

What I would do, immediately upon receipt so I could return them:

• Pop out the pistons, inspect and measure all seals (so you can buy replacements). If they are all good then re-install them
• With pistons out; visually inspect bores, and measure the pistons (in case you ever need to replace them)
• Reassemble calipers
• Remove, measure, and replace disc hardware
• Find what pads are needed and throw the included ones in the garbage
• Be prepared to modify brackets (chasing threads, removing material for clearance, etc.)
• Enjoy!

Or just run the things out of the box but make sure you're doing a good visual inspection every weekend until you feel comfortable with them.

[Evochuck]

Originally Posted by Justin Daniels

In my experience, the difference between parts made in China for a "Western" company and parts made in China for an "Eastern" company is the final QC. A Brembo caliper made in China FOR Brembo is not always the same as a Brembo caliper made in China FOR "Dickass", even though it is made in the exact same factory by the exact same people. You save money by buying direct from a Chinese producer because you're skipping a few steps in the downstream value chain; but you're also saving money because you're basically taking the final QC into your own hands. Brembo would normally take this one for the consumer; holding the manufacturer to design tolerances, returning duff products, etc.

Whenever I get something "from China for China" that requires tight tolerances I make sure that I budget the time and money to inspect, and possibly repair/finish, the product. Issues such as rough bores, burrs, slack tolerances, bridged solder joints, re-used electrical components, cheap/wrong fluids, etc. are all things I've come across. As long as you're willing to take the time to verify that the product you're getting is meeting the correct tolerances/design/quality then there's no real risk in buying "from China for China". The problem is when people expect a solution that can just be bolted on and used in anger yet costs 50-70% of the "Western" solution.

With that being said, I don't trust Chinese rotors/drums... just personal experience. May be within tolerances out of the box (this is easy to do) but the metallurgy is all off and the first good honk on the brakes leads to foot massages any time after. This is experience from more than six years ago, so maybe things have changed.

What I would do, immediately upon receipt so I could return them:

• Pop out the pistons, inspect and measure all seals (so you can buy replacements). If they are all good then re-install them
• With pistons out; visually inspect bores, and measure the pistons (in case you ever need to replace them)
• Reassemble calipers
• Remove, measure, and replace disc hardware
• Find what pads are needed and throw the included ones in the garbage
• Be prepared to modify brackets (chasing threads, removing material for clearance, etc.)
• Enjoy!

Or just run the things out of the box but make sure you're doing a good visual inspection every weekend until you feel comfortable with them.

I 100% agree with what you stated, here are things I had to do to make it all work.

-Machine front and rear brackets to give proper geometry to the calipers vs the rotors.
Front required axial and radial machining
Rear required axial shimming and radial machining

-Addition of Nordlock Washers on all fasteners (did not fancy using high torque values into alluminum brackets)

-Brake Lines should have ideally been shortened for the rear but I made them work

-Took apart one front and one rear rotor to ensure that they had red loctite and proper reassembly, I found them satisfactory.



I have replaced my 335 master with a raybestos new M3 master cylinder after the initial bleed as pedal feel was shit.

Pads have not yet been replaced but although they feel okay, they generate MASSIVE amounts of dust, will likely run them as is this season and replace them with hawk hps 5.0, they seem to perform properly though. Good thing many companies make pads for the GT calipers.

On this note please enjoy a few pictures of the install and final result.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...wxUDFaeGpyeklB


IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NO BRAINER BOLT ON KIT, GET THE F30 PERFORMANCE KIT, IF YOU DONT MIND MEASURING, TESTING, AND WHAT NOT, GET THIS.

[Justin Daniels]

That's awesome. Definitely keep us posted on how they hold up; I'm particularly curious about the discs. Does the seller offer replacement friction surfaces separately? Or are they compatible with a domestic replacement?

It's refreshing to see someone with an open mind and realistic expectations when it comes to the path less traveled (Chinese parts, DIY stuff, etc.).

[Evochuck]

Originally Posted by Justin Daniels

That's awesome. Definitely keep us posted on how they hold up; I'm particularly curious about the discs. Does the seller offer replacement friction surfaces separately? Or are they compatible with a domestic replacement?

It's refreshing to see someone with an open mind and realistic expectations when it comes to the path less traveled (Chinese parts, DIY stuff, etc.).

The vendor told me it was about 450USD for a pair of friction surfaces(front).
I would expect the rears to be slightly cheaper.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by Evochuck

Has anyone tried them?
How is the fitment?
Performance?

The kit I am looking at is:

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/8kRkQlw

The seller will provider floating rotors as well. Might bite the bullet.

Edit: it's here
Here's how it looks https://photos.app.goo.gl/FgMXX6rSVxuZZJ7Q7

Ok, so why do you need a big brake kit exactly?

I can think of a few items that will allow you to break faster & have smoother, linear feel when braking that would not add up to $3500.00. Maybe $500.00 or so.

If you are tracking the car exclusively or maybe doing the Tokyo Drift maybe 🙈

[langsbr]

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Ok, so why do you need a big brake kit exactly?

I can think of a few items that will allow you to break faster & have smoother, linear feel when braking that would not add up to $3500.00. Maybe $500.00 or so.

If you are tracking the car exclusively or maybe doing the Tokyo Drift maybe 🙈

As far as 'brake faster', I presume you mean shorter stopping distances. That's going to be more tires than brakes. Also, if you didn't read the thread, he got calipers, rotors, pads, and lines for about a grand.

6 piston calipers, with larger 2 piece rotors. That will have much better fade resistance.

I find it comical that people love all these no-name BBK companies like ProdigyWerks, Sparta Evolution, and K Sport. You know what they are? Chinese made setups with YUGE markups.

Go direct to China and save on the markup. Hell, Prodigywerks was originally selling an EXACT replica of the AP Racing calipers just with their logo. They have since moved to having their own 'look' cast, but it's still a copy of an AP Racing caliper. All other specs are the same.

Everyone should get some dickass.

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by langsbr

As far as 'brake faster', I presume you mean shorter stopping distances. That's going to be more tires than brakes. Also, if you didn't read the thread, he got calipers, rotors, pads, and lines for about a grand.

6 piston calipers, with larger 2 piece rotors. That will have much better fade resistance.

I find it comical that people love all these no-name BBK companies like ProdigyWerks, Sparta Evolution, and K Sport. You know what they are? Chinese made setups with YUGE markups.

Go direct to China and save on the markup. Hell, Prodigywerks was originally selling an EXACT replica of the AP Racing calipers just with their logo. They have since moved to having their own 'look' cast, but it's still a copy of an AP Racing caliper. All other specs are the same.

Everyone should get some dickass.

I find it comical people trust Ksport with their life. A used 'real' BBK sells for roughly 3k or half price. $750 per wheel or $375 for the rotor and $375 for the caliper that is including the brake lines and used pads for free. It honestly is not that expensive all things considered.

Every time I see a knock off chinesium BBK I immediately know the person cars more for looks than safety.

No one serious about tracking their car is going to run Ksports or any of the other knock off chinese brands.

[Evochuck]

Small update:

Rear bleeder screws are not sealing properly thus creating a small leak that is slowly damaging the paint of the calipers. I bought a kit of 2 speed bleeders from Russell to see if this would fix the issue. They come with a dry thread sealant pre applied. If it fixes the issue, I will go forward and order all 8 for peace of mind.

Current Damage


Pads were also really dusty so I went ahead and put in some new Hawk HPS 5.0, dust seems a little bit better but not nearly as good as an OE setup with the same pads. Might be due to the huge friction surfaces and the cross drilling.

Last isue I have gotten is how fast the rear rotors would rust, even after adjusting them, there is a small area close to the center that is not getting any pad contact and is not coated with zinc. I decided to go ahead and do a high temp clear coat on it, holds up very well for now, cross drill dimples, outside vents and inner ring have not rerusted after 2 weeks of elements exposure.

Baking the Paint

[Evochuck]

The Russell speed bleeder have stopped the leaking! Hurray!

[MILLER335I]

Originally Posted by Evochuck

The Russell speed bleeder have stopped the leaking! Hurray!

Glad for you man! You have done us a favor. Nice to talk to you hope to do it again soon. Do you have the PN for the bleeders? Thanks again!

[breakingpoint]

great writeup and a brave gamble.
These look just so damn aesthetic!
How is the braking performance so far?

[Evochuck]

Originally Posted by breakingpoint

great writeup and a brave gamble.
These look just so damn aesthetic!
How is the braking performance so far?

No issues so far, but I'll be honest, I did not have a chance to properly take it on a twisty road for some spirited driving, so far so good for dailying though.

[Emilime75]

Are those 19" wheels in the above photo?

[breakingpoint]

Originally Posted by Emilime75

Are those 19" wheels in the above photo?

Yes, as you can see in the album(s) he shared.

OT, what's with all the haters, they should be grateful for your testing.
We can only benefit when the performance and reliability prove to be OK.
I'm tempted to give these a go one day. They look astonishing.
Too bad Belgium's annual road-worthiness checkup is so anal about modifications...

[MILLER335I]

Originally Posted by Evochuck

The vendor told me it was about 450USD for a pair of friction surfaces(front).
I would expect the rears to be slightly cheaper.

These will fit the Brembo Gt, or to the best of your knowledge?

[=C=]

Originally Posted by Evochuck

Small update:

Pads were also really dusty so I went ahead and put in some new Hawk HPS 5.0, dust seems a little bit better but not nearly as good as an OE setup with the same pads. Might be due to the huge friction surfaces and the cross drilling.

Hawk HPS 5.0 pads don't have the same initial bite as OEM pads, and they require more heat initially, but once you get heat into them they do stop better than OEM. There is almost no brake fade when spirited driving and braking hard, if anything if feels like the more heat into the pads the more breaking you can achieve. Note I haven't driven out on a track yet to confirm brake fade with these pads. Compared to OEM, brake fade does come on quick once the pads are hot.

It's just an issue with cold car and pads not warmed up. Even after highway driving and pads warmed up, they will constantly cool when you're not using them and I found the first press is never the best which is not what I've been expecting.

These pads are definitely for spirited driving, where daily driving you will feel like your initial breaking is very weak.

None of the reviews I've read mentioned this negative aspect and all of them praised the pads etc.. It is true brake dust is minimal or much less than OEM.

[f82_spooly]

Did you communicate these things to the seller after the fact so they could include/adjust their kit to make it perfectly bolt on for ours cars? I was thinking about going this route as well.

Originally Posted by Evochuck

I 100% agree with what you stated, here are things I had to do to make it all work.

-Machine front and rear brackets to give proper geometry to the calipers vs the rotors.
Front required axial and radial machining
Rear required axial shimming and radial machining

-Addition of Nordlock Washers on all fasteners (did not fancy using high torque values into alluminum brackets)

-Brake Lines should have ideally been shortened for the rear but I made them work

-Took apart one front and one rear rotor to ensure that they had red loctite and proper reassembly, I found them satisfactory.



I have replaced my 335 master with a raybestos new M3 master cylinder after the initial bleed as pedal feel was shit.

Pads have not yet been replaced but although they feel okay, they generate MASSIVE amounts of dust, will likely run them as is this season and replace them with hawk hps 5.0, they seem to perform properly though. Good thing many companies make pads for the GT calipers.

On this note please enjoy a few pictures of the install and final result.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...wxUDFaeGpyeklB


IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NO BRAINER BOLT ON KIT, GET THE F30 PERFORMANCE KIT, IF YOU DONT MIND MEASURING, TESTING, AND WHAT NOT, GET THIS.