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Something to consider when thinking about adding bigger brakes or wheels...
I was watching a show on SPEED last night, I think it was called "Sports Car Makeover". They were doing a bunch of mods on an Acura RSX. One of the mods was a big brake kit (from StopTech, I believe). they found that when they dyno'd the car, it had actually lost about 5-10 hp at the wheels. At first, they were confused since the brakes weighed slightly less than stock. But, then they realized it was because the mass was further from the hub, thus taking more power to turn. Interesting, eh? Overall, the car ran through their road course at about the same time as stock because the bigger brakes allowed the driver to go deeper into the turns before braking. But, they said, unless you're planning on racing, its probably not worth it to invest in bigger brakes.
| | Reply » Something to consider when thinking about adding bigger brakes or wheels... |
Quote: | I was watching a show on SPEED last night, I think it was called "Sports Car Makeover". They were doing a bunch of mods on an Acura RSX. One of the mods was a big brake kit (from StopTech, I believe). they found that when they dyno'd the car, it had actually lost about 5-10 hp at the wheels. At first, they were confused since the brakes weighed slightly less than stock. But, then they realized it was because the mass was further from the hub, thus taking more power to turn. Interesting, eh? Overall, the car ran through their road course at about the same time as stock because the bigger brakes allowed the driver to go deeper into the turns before braking. But, they said, unless you're planning on racing, its probably not worth it to invest in bigger brakes. | Everything in creating a new car requires off-setting compromises. This is a really good example of the unintended consequences caused by a mod that was made by people who didn't know why the manufacturer chose as it did - i.e,, what the compromises were. For the most part I accept the compromises the designer and manufacturer have made, because I figure that if I knew things as well as they did I would be manufacturing cars, too.
Some appearance items, which don't change the specifications or peformance, don't fall into this category, and I'd be willing to modify. And in some limited cases I'd consider some drive train or exhaust changes but only when I knew what the compromise and what the new choice would do. In the former category are the mirrors for the M6, which I think are a big appearance improvement over the 650i stock mirrors. (The compromise there was probably cost, or maybe changing the appearance to distinguish the M model.) In the latter category I can only point to another vehicle I own, a Dodge dually with the Cummins turbo diesel, which I use to tow a horse trailer. I'm considering getting a Borla exhaust system for more horsepower, and the affects of such a system on this truck are already well known. The compromises made by the manufacturer on this truck were cost and fuel mileage.
There are a lot of guys here who are desperate to move to huge wheels, but as others have posted, if the mod is too radical it will affect handling, make the ride as hard as a rock, and pose a risk to the thinner tire and less protected wheel when encountering road hazards.
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Something to consider when thinking about adding bigger brakes or wheels...