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02-28-2015, 02:23 PM | #1 |
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Swapping brake pistons: Aluminum to SS/Ti?
As with many (most?) of the threads I start, this one will feature a potentially stupid question.
It seems to me that the higher-end, race/track oriented BBKs tout their stainless-steel or titanium brake pistons instead of the aluminum pistons found on most street-oriented braking systems. The rationale is that, whereas aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, SS and titanium conduct far less, resulting in less heat transfer from the pad to the piston and, ultimately, to the fluid. Examples of such systems include the AP Racing Essex BBK and the Brembo GT-R kits. (I think the Stoptech Trophy system might also have this feature.) Many of these systems will also design their pistons to reduce the surface area in contact with the backing plates of the pads and/or to maximize airflow through the piston, again to prevent heat transfer from pad to piston to fluid. This led to me to wonder why there are no upgrade kits that would allow people to swap out the stock aluminum pistons in, say, a Brembo GT or Stoptech ST kit, and pop in aftermarket SS or even Ti pistons. I can't imagine it would be hard to machine 20 small, cylindrical pistons from stainless steel or even titanium. I imagine the swap itself would be labor intensive, but if the pistons are really a difference maker, the cost of swapping pistons in a Brembo GT kit might still be a significant bargain compared to the GT-R kit. (I do understand that there are other significant differences between these two kits beyond the pistons.) Moreover, perhaps such a swap could be done as part of a brake rebuild? Of course, there are potential issues: For example, frankly, I don't even know if it's even physically possible to swap pistons once the caliper is built. Even if it is, I wonder whether the different weights of the aftermarket pistons would throw off the braking somehow. Or perhaps the benefits of the SS or Ti pistons are not really all that significant compared to aluminum, thus making a swap not economically viable. But if the pistons do make a big difference in heat management and the swap is viable, I wonder why no one has done it yet. |
03-02-2015, 12:00 PM | #3 | |
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http://stoptech.com/racing/racing-pa...m-piston-noses That's pretty much exactly what I had in mind. So I guess it is feasible. It would be cool to see these available for a variety of BBKs. |
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03-02-2015, 10:38 PM | #4 |
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03-03-2015, 10:30 PM | #7 |
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Wow, so $2k for a whole car? That's a lot!
I'm not sure they'd need to be titanium, though. Stainless steel actually conducts less heat than titanium, and both are vastly better to aluminum in that department. I can't imagine someone charging $2k for a set of SS pistons. |
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03-03-2015, 10:53 PM | #8 |
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I'm also speculating here as well but I would think that since both materials expand and contract differently there may be an issue trying to make a replacement piston with a competitor caliper without knowing exact dimensions and getting everything to work properly. Considerable R&D and warranty risk may be a concern.
It would make sense that Stoptech would offer their own Ti pistons for their own brakes. 2K is chump change for those who track their cars professionally. |
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03-04-2015, 12:42 AM | #9 | |
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