Hey all.

What have you guys heard about Wilwood BBK's? They seem pretty cheap. Just wondering if they are a good bang for the buck.

TIA.

 

Do you plan on some serious track racing? If not a BBK is a waste of money.

I have no experience with Wilwood so I can't give you an opinion. I just figured the brake forum might be feeling lonely since no one has posted in it for a week. I guess people here don't care about brakes and are more concerned with installing BOV's and CAI's on a WRX.

 

Just curious, but yeah... I would like to track at some point.

 

I saw darkonion's post the day it was posted but I knew the model car he drives and the fact that he posted a thread in the regionals lamenting the fact that he is a student with no money for coilovers. I assumed that a bbk wasn't high on his list of must-haves. I also don't know anyone personally who uses Wilwood brakes at this time. Everyone I know with a WRX goes to StopTech bbk for track use or double-duty street usage.

With his stock engine, he'll never achieve a speed at the end of a straightaway on most tracks to warrant a bbk. I have a near stock WRX and the stock calipers with just pad, rotors, fluid, and front stainless lines were sufficient for fade-free braking at my local track, Thunderhill. I've since installed OEM 4-pots for better 'feel' and two-piece front rotors and am trying Hawk HPS street pads for daily use but I don't expect these changes to decrease stopping distance.

For an Impreza L, people have been fine with stock brakes and the usual minor upgrades, or a WRX or 4-pot brake conversion. Sometimes people toss '02 to '05 WRX brake calipers and rotors, so these can be had for very little dollars. I don't know exactly which additional parts are necessary for the conversion, though.

I don't believe in spending money on items that don't increase performance for my intended usage. That isn't to say that I wouldn't love to have a set of StopTechs on the front of my car someday, though.

 

I think this is good advise. My 02 WRX has the OE calipers with SS lines, RBF 600 fluid, Ferodo DS 2500 pads and Brembo blanks and that is plenty for me at the track. I don't know squat about your 97 Impreza but I'd think the same upgrades I've done or a WRX setup would be more than enough for needs.

Do you care about brake dust?

FYI, Gary Sheehan raced a WRX with OE calipers in NASA's US Touring Car Challenge for an entire season and did quite well. He ended up going with StopTech's ST-40 calipers the next season because of heat issues but he was doing some serious racing.

BTW, he was running regular old WRX calipers not the nice new 4 pots that are equipped on the TR's. If I ever upgrade my calipers (I doubt I will) I'll probable go with the 4 pots like Wingless Wonder but I'll remain focused on my suspension for now.

 

Yeah. I am not looking to do anything to my brakes at the moment. I have a rear drum to disc conversion and 2.5RS brakes on in the front, as well as SS lines all around. Just curious about what people have said about Wilwoods. I know that Brembo's and Stoptech's are considered really goods, but don't know where Wilwoods stand compare to that.

 

I've never heard anything bad about wilwood brakes. Their prices seem a bit more realistic in comparison to Brembo, stoptech, or cobb though.

I asked a friend about Wilwoods who has been a long time domestic/import car owner, who also has worked with race cars a good part of his life too. He said that he has never heard or seen anything bad with wilwoods. If anything, they are a great racing brake.

Here is some interesting info on the 6 piston kit:
1) 6 piston calipers for around $2K with better control than say Brembo.
This is straight off their website - The SL6 generates high clamping force and balanced pad loading from a race-proven differential bore six-piston configuration. Staggered piston sizes distribute pressure to compensate for the natural variances in temperature, load, and wear rate that occur over the length of the pad. Pad life is extended and performance is measurably improved.

I did notice when driving a friends STi is that the brakes are a bit sensitive, when you lightly press the brake pedal there is a lot of pressure applied. Where as on my WRX you really have to lay in to the peddle to get a lot of force.