AEM Big Brake Kit

AEM Big Brake Kit

Anyone have this installed? How do you like it?

In looking at the specs on this particualr kit, evidently it still uses the OEM calipers. That said, wouldn't simply buying a set of better aftermarket rotors and pads make a lot more sense, money-wise?

i would just go for the TRD big brake kit... very expensive but i think they're sexy!!! makes ur rims like 2 inches bigger too!

Re: AEM Big Brake Kit

if you're looking for braking power..probably....from the reviews ive heard of people with the AEM big break kit, most said the positive results were majority cosmetics.

Re: AEM Big Brake Kit

Braking power of course is what I'm looking for but cosmetics are big part too. I want to fill out the rest of my 17" wheel. I've heard plenty of good things about Rotota rotors, which is what I'd put in there if I just bought new rotors, since they're cheaper than the AEM set.

If you want braking power, you need to increase the number of pistons in the caliper, not the size of the rotor.

Get the rotora big brake kit I have seen it for 1250 not a bad price for what you get. And looks very "sexy" as well without spending 1800.

you will feel little or no difference with the rotara rotors, you should first start with the pads, like the ebc greenstuff or hawk performance pads. or just go with a big brake kit.

I would definitely change the pads as well, and I probably would go with Green Stuff. Basically, all I'm wondering is Rotora rotors + GreenStuff pads be a better combination than the AEM big brake kit.

go for 13" Rotora Big Brake Kit, with 4 piston and Axxis Brake Pads

currently I have the rotara / ebc setup on my rolla, honestly the ebc pads made a noticable difference, later I installed the rotaras, there was little or no difference, but I do notice when coming to a stop @ a high speed the rotors make a humming type noise.

rotors make little to NO difference in stopping power.

Pistons, Pads, and Brake Lines are what make the big difference. Rotor size is just for show.

yeah, you posted that already. I do totally agree with you though.

Actually a bigger rotor will not heat up as quickly as a smaller rotor and will dissipate heat much more quickly too. If you plan to use your brakes hard once and then let them cool down before using them again, rotor size won't make much of a difference. If you want to be able to brake hard repeatedly, you'll get more consistent stopping power with bigger rotors.

wrong... bigger rotor WILL make ALOT of differences... just look at the picture below...

please note... the brake distance (green and orange) is exact the same, i just copy and paste it... as you can see, if i brake about 90 degree on the small rotor, it's only about 70 degree on the big rotors.. and the less the degree the better the braking power.. it the same concept as the small gear turns faster then large gear.

I will concede that slotted or drilled rotors help with brake fade and allow for better cooling which will have nominal braking improvements. However, with the question of overall braking power, you will not achieve improvement in braking power with rotors alone.

I do see what you are trying to get at where IF the same braking force is appplied to your examples, the braking distance may be shortened based on distance of tire travel and the ratios of rotor circumference to rolling circumference. Assuming the braking force is sufficient to stop the wheel, you are correct. However, improvements in braking are certainly not as good as piston-calipers, better pads, or brake lines.

From my view, when considering braking systems, you have the rotor, piston-caliper, pads, and brake lines. The brake rotors do not directly provide stopping force to the system. The parts that do directly affect stopping force are the piston-caliper, pads, and brake lines. The rotors indirectly provide stopping power.

One last point, if you have a large rotor with oem caliper, your braking force is still the same as stock.

yes, your brake force is the same as stock, but the braking distance will be shorter and shorter distance is all you need..

the reason why i know larger rotors WILL gives better braking than the small rotors is because as some of you might known, i have rear disc brake that has 13" rotor in the rear, and my front brake rotor is only 9 to 10" (both with single piston caliper and the rear caliper is only about half of the size of the front caliper), what happend was when i brake hard, my rear wheels locks up earlier/faster than the front due to the larger rotor in the rear (remember, the rear caliper is smaller then the front), at first, i've install brake equalizer to see if it can fix this problem by equalize the brake pressure between front and the rear, but it does not help at all, my rear still lock up earlier then the front. so later on i found out the only way to fix this problem is to get a bigger rotor in the front (no need to get the caliper) to equal up the front and rear braking power..


i know/learn it from my own experiance. so i know bigger rotor will definitly help you brake better and is not just for look

also, changing from single piston to 4 piston caliper WILL ONLY HELP A LITTLE on the braking...what i mean is, it will give you better response and fad out your brake pad evenly more then stop the car faster..

so, if you want better braking power and don't want to spend all those money.. all you need is bigger rotor and better brake pad..


also, here is another picture i made about the differences between single and 4 pistons caliper.

Thanks guys. I think these three notes break it down pretty well. I gather that there's no sense in buying the AEM kit, since all it is just a bigger rotor but still uses the stock pads/calipers and costs $500-700. A cheaper, more effective alternative seems to be switching to Rotora slotted rotors and GreenStuff pads. The most effective, but most expensive option is to switch to a full Rotora big brake kit with a 4-piston caliper.