Silly question from a newbie here, but if I am replacing the 718 GT4 OEM caliper for theses, do you still need that “spacing” bracket that I saw other folks put on before the caliper itself? The oem rotors are 380mm just as the two piece design ypounsell
Yes, you would need caliper adapters. The discs in our AP Racing system are 394mm, which are larger than the stock 380mm fronts. In the back, our the bolt spacing to attach the rear calipers is different from the stock calipers, and you would therefore need a caliper adapter bracket in the rear as well.
So I understand that accessing the pads on these calipers is easy without removing the caliper. What about retracting the pistons? What do you recommend for retracing them while the caliper and rotor are mounted on the car?
On my car, I typically use a soft block of wood (typical pine) wrapped in a rag to lever the pistons back into their bores. Many people use an old brake pad to lever the pistons, but that is a bad idea. What you don't want to do is chew up the ends of the pistons. Metal-to-metal contact can nick or gouge the pistons. Then when they get pushed back into the caliper, they cut the piston seals and create a brake fluid leak. Also, doing that with a pad you intend to use in the future is a terrible idea. It's very easy to create cracks in the pad material itself, which can cause the material to separate from the backing plate...not good! Something slightly softer wrapped in a rag will provide enough force to lever, while not chewing up your pistons. - Jeff
How will the anodised calipers hold up to road salt, especially around the contact points between steel and aluminium where galvanic corrosion can occur.
Anodized calipers are not ideal for road salt. We have two better options: The first are the painted calipers in our AP Racing by Essex Road Radi-CAL Brake Kits: www.essexparts.com/big-brake-kits/ap-racing-road-brake-kits-by-essex The second would be our new Electroless Nickel Plated calipers in our AP Racing by Essex Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kits. Either would be a superior choice to anodized if you are running in salty conditions. Thanks!
We now have our ENP (Electroless Nickel Plated) version of the Pro5000R calipers which are a superior choice for inclement weather vs. anodized. The finish is more durable and will hold up better long-term to just about every type of contaminant. www.essexparts.com/news-blog/new-electroless-nickel-plated-enp-finish-for-pro5000r-radicals
Hi, ive got the J-hook rotors with 6 piston AP racing calipers on my E92 M3. How much are the rotors supposed to "float". Because its making some serious clunking noise and sometimes i get some serious vibration from the front when the rotors and pads are cold. Is it possible to buy new mounting screws so that the rotor doesnt float or move in the bell because i really dont need floating rotors.
I'd suggest sending an email to support@ essex parts dot com. Our team can help you trouble-shoot your issue. When attached properly the discs shouldn't make any clunking noise or vibration. What you may be hearing is the pad moving slightly in the caliper. This is especially common when going from forward to reverse and back, as the pad shifts from one end of the caliper to the other and hits the abutment plate with a clunk. That is completely normal with any racing caliper, as they are designed to accommodate a range of pads that can vary slightly in size specification.
No they cannot, but we have never seen any need to have them turned. Since the vast majority of our clients are tracking their car, they typically crack their discs before they ever reach a state in which they would need to be turned.
We are Essex Parts Services, the exclusive North American importer and distributor for AP Racing. We are located in the USA, not England. We speak new English, not the old stuff. ;)
