Big brakes such as Brembo Brakes are a great upgrade to normal brakes. Thanks to their increased amount of material, big brakes allow for more heat absorption which many of us know, is the bane of many brakes’ systems. The larger surface area spreads out the force of the brake caliper, reducing its temperature.
If you heat up brake pads to a certain point, they will melt and liquefy in a process called “glazing.” The melted material will reform and crystalize creating a “glaze” that significantly hurts the performance of your braking system.
This will cause vibrations, braking jitters or cracks in the brake rotors. Safety is always a top priority, and if you’re going to make sure any part of your car is safe, it’s your brakes.
By installing a set of big brakes, you increase heat capacity, reducing the risk of glazing.
Here’s what you need to know to ensure your big brakes installation goes smoothly.
When it comes to measuring wheel clearance to see if your brake calipers will fit, what you’re looking for is the amount of space between the back of the wheel spokes and the brake caliper.
Wheel Offset
The first thing to consider is your wheel’s offset. Generally, the issue arises when a car has a higher offset. A higher offset means that the face of the wheel is pulled into the car more.
Lower offset wheels have more spoke clearance or a deeper concave which make it easier for bigger brake calipers to clear.
Wheel Design
Next, make sure to check out your wheel’s design. Wheels that have a curve or a more convex to its spoke design will generally have no issue clearing most brake systems. For example, the GT form Venom has more convex spokes. This allows for more space between the spokes and the caliper.
The issue is with wheels that have a flat-faced design is that they usually just don’t have enough room behind the spokes. If this is an issue, you can use spacers which will give you more room to work with and clear the brakes.
For example, the JSR ST19 has a more concave spoke design which doesn’t have as much room for brake calipers.
Aside from the spokes, also check the barrel of the wheel which may come too close to the top of the brake caliper.
Will It Fit?
Measure, measure measure. There’s nothing like having the exact dimensions of your wheels and brake systems to know if everything fits.
On Brembo’s website, they offer a PDF you can download which tells you exactly how to measure everything you need to find the clearance.
Here are some of the measurements you need to make:
– Start with the hub as your main point of reference.
– Distance from the centre of the hub to the bottom caliper
– Distance from the centre of the hub to the top of the caliper
– Distance from the face to the hub
– Distance from the hub to the face of the caliper
Honestly, measure anything that sticks out and could possibly make any contact with the brake caliper.
There are a few measurements as well, make sure to check the PDF to see all of the measurements you need to make.
How to start? Feel free to head over to our gallery and have a look at what our customers with the same vehicle as yours are running and whether or not they needed spacers or any modification.
Conclusion
In conclusion, big brakes are a solid upgrade from normal brakes, however, there are many factors to consider.
You need to understand your wheel’s design to see if there is enough room to fit big brakes. If not, you can use spacers, yet it may not completely solve your problem. Also, make sure the barrel of the wheel doesn’t interfere with your brake calipers.
Next, make sure to make all the required measurements. Brembo has a PDF on their site with a list of all the required measurements and how to make them.
Don’t forget, there’s a plethora of information in forums and online. Most likely, someone’s already installed big brakes on a car with the same model and posted about it. Nothing beats someone who has had first-hand experience with the exact model car you have.
Measuring for big brakes can be intimidating. However, most of it comes down to precise and careful measuring. Follow the guides you are given to a tee, and you’ll find it not too difficult of a task.
Buy Wheels For Big Brakes
Did you know? We stock an extensive range of wheels that clear big brakes on a wide range of vehicles, ranging from AMG, Porsche, BMW, Holden Audi, Range Rover and more at the best prices in the region. You can choose from the selected styles to suit any vehicle make and model. Shop online today!
If you’re not sure which wheel size or style clears your big brakes, we got you covered. Contact us via LiveChat or email us at [email protected] and we promise to respond to you as soon as possible and provide you 100% fitment guarantee with the best fit for your vehicle.
