Mmmm I'm thinking brakes!

[fiero_fighter]

my main motivation in "up grading" to grand am brakes/jimmy master/booster is mainly due to the cost.  from summit I can order everything from the booster to the pads for under 300$ plus shipping(using a u.s. addy), there is no way I could do this with stock parts.

[mike85gt]

I looked at all the comparisons while my car was at the Fiero factory and decided to keep them stock based on the owner of the shop telling me often they saw little to no improvements in braking no matter how modified the brakes where.  I never had a problem in the past.....so stock I went and saved big bucks doing so.  I wouldn't mind a ride in a car with modified brakes to see how better it could actually be...if anything!!!

[fiero_fighter]

well i'll be ordering the parts up this week, ill be adding a line lock and using the stock proportioning valve, should have it done well before the last of the snow melts around my place.

as it stands, I get one hard brake before they fail and I pull a fred flintstone to slow down, so no matter what the brakes have to get done before I hit the roads

[aaron88]

Brakes are a big issue with most people, but not for the obvious reasons.  The number one question you have to ask yourself is what kind of braking do I need to do?

Maximum deceleration will be a factor of combined inch-friction/weight between the tire and the road (not the brake pads to the rotor).  Your limitations are set by the tire (corner) with the lowest ration, not the highest.

Your first consideration should be correcting the front to rear braking bias.  The Fiero has very restricted rear braking.

Your second consideration is to correct the left to right weight bias.  No addition of weight is required for this operation, just clever engineering.

Your third consideration is to replace the brake booster (upgrade it).  How fast the booster engages makes a huge difference in stopping distance.

After this your options are quite application specific.

Increase your tire to road friction coefficient (this means sticky tires).  "Cons" to this modification are cost.  Not just for the tire but the fact that they will wear much faster (thereby adding more cost).

Using brake pads with higher friction coefficients.  You can get pads with as much as four times the friction.  These pads wear fast and bite hard (you touch the brakes and your thrown into your seatbelt).

Rotors:  How much heat do you need to dissipate.  Are you doing Solo II, Solo I, Lapping Days?  Do you want your car just to look awesome?

And or course the obvious maintanance cost.  Fiero parts are getting expensive, and other than the cost of the mod, mod's can be cheaper to maintain.

The right combination of modification for your application can be quite specific.  Don't be shy I can answer questions.  But to supply all the information in this post would require many pages of writing.

[can machine]

I put the stock parts on the scale and compared them with the new set up and it looks like the new set up will add 4 pounds per side. Stock was 22 pounds the new set up is 25.8. Not too bad I don't think for a bigger rotor and four piston calipers. I'll have to weigh the stock wheel and compare it to the new ones also.