This information is to help those of you wanting to upgrade your current stock brake system to the common Brembo setup. The information posted here is gathered from actual measurements of the items, or from specs obtained directly from the Factory Service Manual (FSM). To understand some of the items listed you will need to have some understanding of hydraulic force, and force multiplication. “How Stuff Works” is a great place to learn the basics of this information and even has information on hydraulic brake systems to help you out.
At the time of this publication the actual results of any potential increased braking performance has not been documented. Once/if the needed items can be established and fair documentation can be done I will update this information to include stopping distance from stock to the upgraded Brembo setup. Again, the information below is all on basic hydraulic working principles and the basic braking theory.
Stock/Brembo Upgrade Comparison Specs:
Front Calipers -
- Stock:
4 Cylinder
1 Piston
Piston Diameter of (N/A at this time)
V6
1999 - 2000.5 -
2 Piston (2 on one side of caliper)
Piston Diameter of 32mm (2x)
Surface area per piston 31.5468mm/1.242in
2000.5+
Single Piston
Piston Diameter of (N/A at this time)
Brembo:
4 Piston (2 per side)
Piston Diameter – Primary Piston 42mm (2x)
Secondary Piston 36mm (2x)
Surface area per piston:
Primary 54.406mm/2.142in
Secondary 39.954mm/1.573in
Combined Area = 94.36mm/3.715in
Rear Calipers -
- Stock:
*4Cyl models equipped with drum brake
V6 Models
1 Piston (1 side only)
Piston Diameter of (N/A at this time)
Brembo:
2 Piston (1 per side)
Piston Diameter of 36mm (2x)
Surface area per piston 39.954/mm/1.573in
Master Cylinder Inside Diameter
- 27mm (1.06in)
Surface area of 22.479mm/.885in
This next part of the brake system is vital to applying increased pressure to the system. The brake booster increases the amount of force on the master cylinder piston when you press on the brake pedal. If you aren’t familiar with how the brake booster works, search Google for the site “How Stuff Works” as they have a great breakdown of the component. A basic explanation to this part of the system is if you apply 10lbs of pressure to the brake pedal, this will translate into 70lbs of force on the 4cylinder models, and 65lbs of force on the 6 cylinder models. For those of you with the V6 platform wishing to upgrade to the Brembo brake system; based on the information it would be in your benefit to swap over to the 4 cylinder brake booster assembly. How did we get this ratio of force applied? The FSM (Factory Service Manual, section 35A-55) lists the Brake Booster Boosting Ratio as follows:
- 2.4L Engine - 7.0:1
3.0L Engine - 6.5:1
With the above principles of applied force added to the brake calipers themselves this is the braking force each piston applies to the brake pad, and essentially onto the rotor. These specifications are listed per piston, and total caliper capability under 10lbs of force applied to the brake pedal.
Braking Force/Pressure:
Front Calipers -
- Stock:
4cyl applies (N/A at this time)
6cyl applies 91.19lbs of force (182.38lbs total)
Brembo:
4cyl applies 293.79lbs of force (587.58lbs total)
(Primary/Secondary Combined)
6cyl applies 272.80lbs of force (545.60lbs total)
(Primary/Secondary Combined)
Rear Calipers -
- Stock:
4cyl N/A as they are equipped with drum brakes
6cyl N/A at this time
Brembo:
4cyl applies 124.39lbs of force (248.78lbs total)
6cyl applies 115.50lbs of force (231lbs total)
*Information is in progress and will be updated as more information is gathered
