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Old 05-29-2002, 12:39 AM   #1
Concillian
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 4414
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Dublin, CA
Vehicle:
2002 WRX Sedan
Midnight Black

Default Call for *technical* discussion of the new Wilwood 4 pot kit being sold

There are now two vendors in the Vendor classifieds selling a 4 pot Wilwood front kit, which I first saw a week or so ago. The kit uses a stock size rotor.

After questioning several parties I've finally come to determine it's using the Dynalite caliper with all equal bores at 1.75"

A measurement of the stock bores shows about 1.5" for each pot(~3.13 sq. in total area), which, from what I've gathered is very similar to the bores for the Subaru 4 pot caliper (though I haven't measured them).

The Wilwood 6 pot kit uses 1.62/1.12/1.12 bores (~4.04 sq. inches)

This Dynalite kit at 1.75" bores would be a total of ~4.8 sq. inches, 20% MORE than the 6 pot kit and on a significantly less beefy caliper.

Also the pad is pretty thin, at only 0.5" INCLUDING backing plate.

Won't the bias be thrown significantly off by providing so much more torque than stock? Even taking into account that the 6 pot kit uses larger calipers, the Dynalite kit is STILL providing more torque, and was that caliper really designed for a 3200 pound car?

The 6 pot providing more than stock seems 1) like a more normal amount and 2) it's designed to be used with the rear upgrade at the same time, which I would assume has a similar boost in torque over stock to preserve bias.

After feeling what the H6 did for my car on stock brakes (it felt more stable on high speed braking, no real difference at low speed) I'm not convinced it's a good thing to then add 50% more torque to the front brakes (probably plus more if you get higher mu pads)

My feeling is that the superlite 4 would be a much better caliper for a front caliper only (stock rotor) upgrade. With differential bores (1.75" and 1.38") giving a total of ~3.9 sq. in., a seemingly more favorable number when used with a modification like the H6 rear to preserve bias. Also a significantly beefier caliper and a full quarter inch of additional pad thickness (not to mention the increased pad area).

One vendor claims that this Dynalite upgrade kit will reduce fade, yet I'm not sure I see how...insights?

I guess what I'm fishing for is a solid reason why the Dynalite is a good caliper for the front brakes. Obviously it was chosen over the superlite 4 becuase of cost, but at what expense? I WANT to like the kit (it's cheap after all) but I'm not convinced it's a better solution than the Subaru 4 pots, or even the stock brakes.

Hence a call here for a more technical analysis of the kit than I am at all qualified to give for myself.

Any thoughts?

Edit: Hmm vendor response says bore size is 35.1mm (1.38") PM from an owner suggests 1.75, neither seem totally confident. I still think neither is ideal, as 1.38 would be significantly SMALLER than stock. Since the same vendor claims a greater than 40% increase in brake torque I will have to assume that 1.75" is correct.
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Last edited by Concillian; 05-29-2002 at 01:25 AM.
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