JDM Rotors

[grey_nomad]

Any changes required to fit vented JDM rotors to the front of theAE86?


Looking at a brake upgrade from stock. JDM rotors and JDM disc rear end, then an LSD.

PS: I know about the RX7 upgrade, but I want the car to be street legal.

PPS: Searched this forum for this info, but nothing there.

[Andy San]

if you have a car with ADM solid front brakes you will need the JDM calipers as well, they will bolt to your original struts. the pads are the same shape for both caliper types.

[Rice86]

suggest you get slotted disc to suit JDM calipers with good brake pads... complete standard JDM stuff are still useless in my opinion and experience...still not enough braking power

[mild seven]

JDM front brakes are cool if you get them for free, but is it worth paying money for them?

[AJPS]

what other mods will your car have?

[johl]

since when is the rx7 upgrade illegal?

[Skylar]

I have ae86 vented stuff on my car. car has turbo and f-series diff with s13 discs and calipers.
I say to engineer while he's inspecting front brakes/suspension, "hey, I have 4 pot brakes from an RX7 and discs to go with it along with an aluminium brake caliper mount, do you want me to put it on?"
Engineer: "Nar"
me: *shrug*

Not saying it's illegal but I dunno, found it odd that he'd turn down bigger brakes.

[xero]

funny story about things like RX7 brakes, skyline brakes and commo/falcon brakes.
as they are all ADR approved (IE attatched to a car sold in australia that has been through the compliance and testing) they are deemed legal and sufficient braking components. and as they are ADR approved it means you can stick them on any car without a problem. the engineer may require you strengthen the bracketry (or dog bones as they have been called) that the caliper bolts to then to the hub, but other than that they will breeze through.

brake calipers such as the wilwood kit from T3, while be an excellent brake upgrade, are unfortunately not ADR approved meaning that such brakes WILL have to be engineered and in a worse case scenario may not be engineered.


i have seen this with many many hot rods, and most people go "fuck it, im running these calipers anyway" it is rare to see someone get defected for the brakes they have.
officer: im giving you a defect for your brakes
enthusiast: why?
officer: as they are not the factory originals and may affect braking performance and stopping distance
enthusiast: err... wut? of course it would, these brakes are better than factory, perform better and reduce stopping distances...
officer: i dont care, they are not factory *slaps yellow sticker on the car*

[grey_nomad]

Thanks all for your help.

To put you in the picture, I'm almost 60 years old and doing hillclimbs/track days/autocrosses etc with my sons (one has a JDM brake equipped AE86, the other has an MR2 AW11) for fun. The car is also a daily drive. It has a stock 4AGE with extractors, and Monroe GT gas shocks(don't laugh - they went on to get the car roadworthy, and will by replaced with some decent springs/shocks in the future). I don't need extra power until I learn how to drive it. I intend to improve handling and add a ROPS before I consider any extra power.

I found at a recent hill climb at Haunted Hills that I could do with an LSD. A T18 rear is pointless as it still has drums. Hence I decided on the JDM rear axle with discs. Bolts straight in hence less hassles. This means an upgrade of the front brakes, hence my question re: calipers for the JDM slotted discs. My son's AE86 has this setup. I don't have bucket loads of money to throw at it. As for brake fade, I haven't experienced any at Sandown track days with the original solid front rotors and drums on the back.

So after some research, the setup I'm looking at is JDM vented front rotors with JDM calipers, and JDM disc rear so I can add an LSD later.

[xero]

no problems grey_nomad, sounds like you have a good plan.
anyway, i agree for your weekend outings JDM brakes with slotted rotors and decent pads will be very sufficient. on my car i run a rather large set up of AU falcon calipers and rotors and if given and oppurtunity the car will do endo it stops that well.
i was at a track day (wakefield, which is pretty harsh on brakes) with a mate (matt mead, when he had his car running) and he had the JDM calipers and slotted rotors. i rode with him for one sessioin and even thoiugh he threatened to steal my set up it was very surpsied at how well the JDM brakes held up and did not fade at all.
certainly for hillclimbs and motorkhana's the JDM brakes will be more than sufficient for you mate, but on the track the RX-7 brakes would be more suitable given the 4 piston caliper and larger rotor, which in turn would make then just as good in a hollclimb or motorkhana.

the reason a lot of the guys here recommend the RX-7 brakes as it is an upgrade over the factory (which at times has been lacking) but also the RX-7 brake upgrade will often cost about the same as getting a set of JDM caliper and rotors.
if your worried about engineering the RX-7 brakes using a AJPS adapter will pass no problems.


theJDM brakes will bolt right up and take a couple of hours to fit up, and the RX-7 using a AJPS brakcet will bolt right up too and take about the same amount of time.




EDIT: some quick ebaying turned this up grey_nomad:
ae86 JDM cailpers


RX7 brakes


now even if the RX-7 brakes needed a rebuild its still going to be cheaper than the JDM calipers and it will be a major upgrade in the long run! (going on the assumption that pads and rotors are roughly the same price, well they were when i got my g/f mx5 pads and rotors not long ago..)