As you can tell from the last few parts of this series, Ever’s build is getting serious pretty quick. I do want to stress again. The KWs were NEVER planned to be a part of the build. We honestly had every intention of just going GC/KONI. The fact is, Ever is on OfferUp and Marketplace more than most people are on Instagram, which played a big role on how he ended up getting the KW’s. Plain and simple, it was just too good of a deal to pass up for motorsports grade 3 way coilovers. Like I had mentioned in last week’s post… There is no replacement for high-end coilovers, the way they make the car feel/handle is second to none.
Before we jump into the complete brake overhaul on this car, make sure that you are caught up on the entire series thus far. Please look at the six previous posts below, where we have documented everything we have done to this car so far. Click the links below to get yourself all caught up.
Hopefully, now you’re all caught up and you see how much work we have done.
Before we get into it, I want to first talk a little about brakes. Specifically, brakes on the S2000 chassis. Right out of the box, the S2000 chassis comes equipped from factory with adequately sized front rotors. Measuring 300mm in diameter and 282mm in the rear. The Achilles heel of the braking system on this car is the rear rotors are not vented, and they tend to quickly develop a lot of heat. That heat can cause the rear wheel bearings to overheat and prematurely fail. Most importantly, when the rear brakes fade completely the fronts are now left with having to do 100% of the braking.
Because the rear rotors almost instantly start to overheat when on track. The front brakes are now left with 100% of braking duties. This now causes the front brakes to overheat. Now a domino effect of failure throughout your whole entire braking system starts to occur.
Primarily, before anyone “hits” the track. You should always have installed at the very least, upgraded pads and brake fluid. OEM pads and fluid were not designed to work in the temperature ranges that are seen during track driving. If you have OEM pads and fluid, you will quickly overheat the pads. The fluid will then start to get too hot and lastly you could experience total loss of braking all together.
For first timers and maybe even most people just trying to have some fun on the track. The OEM S2000 brakes, when paired with better pads and fluid, will be sufficient enough to see novices and amateurs alike through any track day. There is no need to upgrade to different calipers, rotors, or even go BBK (big brake kit)
This is where you must start to be honest with yourself. If you truly are a novice or amateur. You don’t need to upgrade the brakes to the extent that Ever did. While the upgrades listed below are super cool, wow, amazing, JDM, baller, cool guy shit that we all lust after. It’s really not necessary for most. You would be much better off spending that money on consumables. Like tires, brake pads, and paying for as many track days as possible. This way, you are spending money on the most important mod of all… DRIVER MOD! There is no number of parts that can replace on track experience.
Below you can see what the stock brakes of the S2000 look like (minus the eBay/Chinese rotors)
In this post we are going to completely redoing Ever’s braking system on his S2000. And we are starting off with probably the most iconic bits of JDM out there. The Spoon Monoblock caliper!
The Spoon calipers have a lot of great benefits. They use the OEM style pad, they are a 4-piston caliper, they are a 100% direct bolt on. Rebuild parts for them are readily available, and lastly, they look fucking sick!
- Because they use the OEM style pad. This means you can easily find replacement pads. They are also usually cheaper than a pad that was specifically designed for a BBK caliper. (Spoon calipers use any pad meant for S2000)
- Because they are 4-piston. This means that pressure is evenly distributed to both inboard and outboard pad. This will help promote more even pad wear. On the OEM one piston caliper you tend to see the inboard pad wear quicker than the outboard one. This is because majority of the force is only being applied to the piston side of the caliper.
- Because they are 100% bolt on there is no modification needed. (Other than trimming your dust shield.) This means that it is a 100% reversible modification and works in conjunction with every other OEM part of the car.
- Because they have been made the same way for nearly 30 years now. It is very easy to get parts to rebuild them on the off chance they ware out. I have personally had many sets of these on my cars and have yet to have any sort of need to rebuild them.
We start off by removing the OEM caliper.
Because we are also doing SS lines. We are leaving the OEM rubber brake line connected to the caliper until we are ready to swap the lines out. This will help prevent a mess of brake fluid from getting all over the place.
Next, we use an impact screwdriver to get those pesky screws out of the rotor. This is one time where it’s a good idea to actually use the correct tool for the job. If you end up stripping out the screws… DON’T WORRY, it’s not the end of the world. You simply drill out the screws till the heads pop off. Then when the rotor comes off, you’ll be able to unscrew what’s left of the screw from the hub.
For those of you not running center caps on your wheels. (Which should be all of you, because your technically not allowed to have center caps on track.) Below you can see how we add a little paint to cover the rust.
Next, you will need to slightly trim the OEM dust shield. Some people choose to completely remove it, and that’s totally fine too. However, the dust shield helps block the excessive heat from prematurely wearing out/damaging the ball joint.
It’s a good idea to use some Loctite for added peace of mind.
Caliper bracket installed.
Before we go installing the caliper, we need to reinstall the rotor. Obviously, we aren’t just going to reinstall the rotors that came on the car. (You totally could though if you wanted.)
We are going to be installing the best OEM sized rotor upgrade there is. The Giro Disc two-piece rotor is the best choice when upgrading rotors on your S2000. (Or any car for the matter.) The Giro Disc rotor is lighter. It is also made from much higher quality materials that are meant to withstand the abuses tracking your car can dish out.
If Spoon calipers are a bit out of your price range. You can always opt to upgrade to the Giro Disc rotor and still use your OEM caliper. There are still plenty of benefits that go along with just upgrading the rotor. Again, the Giro Disc is lighter. Also, the two-piece design paired with Giro Discs unique vane design greatly improves cooling. All of this of course adds up to more time on track and less wear on consumables.
Patrick (Red S2000) used to run OEM caliper, Giro disc’s, xp12’s and was very quick on that setup. The only reason he chose to upgrade to the Stoptech c43 kit was because he was wearing through pads quicker than he wanted with the OEM caliper.
Make sure anytime you install new rotors you completely clean off all the grease and oil used to protect them from rust during storage and shipping.
Now that the rotors are thoroughly cleaned, place them on the hub and reinstall the rotor screws. (Rotor screws are not necessary, they just make life easier when installing calipers and pads)
These rotors are thing of beauty *chef’s kiss
Below are the bolts that secure the caliper to the bracket. Again, we chose to use Loctite.
More CHEF KISSES
Next, we are installing the SS brake lines. Before removing the OEM rubber line from the chassis hardline, we attach the SS line to the Spoon caliper. This will allow us to ensure the routing is correct before we start making a brake fluid mess.
Once you are certain you have the correct line routing. (Make sure you cycle the steering wheel all the way left and right to ensure the new line wont bind or get pinched.) You can now remove the rubber line from the chassis hard line and install the SS one. Make sure not to let all the brake fluid leak out of the master. If you let the master go completely dry you will need to bench bleed it before you can start bleeding the calipers.
Below is art that would rival Michael Angelo’s Last Judgment at the Sistine Chapple.
There isn’t enough chef kisses.
As for front pads, Ever choose to go with Carbotech XP20’s.
Installing pads on the Spoon calipers is super easy. Just remove the caliper pad plate and slip’em in.
Again, let us just bask in the beauty that is SPOONxGiro Disc.
Now on to the rear! As I mentioned earlier the rear brakes tend to overheat right away when on track. There is a solution to this issue though! Behold!
Urge designs! They Design and manufacture many S2000 specific parts that help improve performance and reliability of track focused S2000’s. Seen below is their rear rotor. This rotor, much like the front one: Is lighter, and allows for much better cooling. Better cooling is good for pad life, rear wheel bearing life and will overall help increase breaking efficiency.
While this rotor maintains the OEM diameter, it does increase the overall thickness of the rotor. For that reason, this is not a true “bolt on” part. As you’ll see below, there are some minor modifications necessary to allow the clearance needed of the slightly thicker rotor. Do not be scared by this. As you’ll see below it is an extremely easy modification. The benefits of having this rear rotor are well worth the slight modification.
For rear pads, Ever has chosen to go with Carbotech XP8’s. Because the rear rotor is slightly thicker, you will need to shave 2mm of each pad. (Inboard, outboard) Or you can purchase pre shaved pads. (As you can see below, that is what Ever did)
Installation of the rear is going to be similar to the front. Start off by removing the caliper and caliper bracket. Then remove the screws that hold the rotor to the hub.
Take a break to admire the FK8.
Below is what it should look like with everything removed. Just like the front, because we are replacing the rubber brake lines with SS ones. We are just hanging the caliper from the rubber line. If you weren’t replacing the lines, you would not want to hang the caliper by using the brake line.
Make sure to thoroughly clean the grease/oil from the new rotor and then install it on the car.
Next, I’m going to talk you through shaving the caliper bracket to allow for clearance of the thicker new rotor. Below is what you will be shaving down.
Below is what the caliper bracket will look like.
I highly recommend placing it into a vise. This will ensure you evenly shave down the bracket.
You will need to use some sort of die grinder bit that can easily fit into tight spaces. Below you can see where Ever has started shaving.
The angle grinder with a flappy wheel will help you ensure everything is even. It is just difficult to get the flappy wheel in the tight crevasses.
There is a fine line between shaving off too much and not shaving enough. Do multiple test fits to ensure you don’t shave off too much material. Below you can see the final product, we have about 2mm of clearance between the caliper bracket and the rotor. Remember, when things get hot, they expand. If you run too tight of a clearance, once the brakes get hot the caliper bracket will start to drag on the rotor.
Below Ever is measuring the gaps to ensure they are even.
Remember, before putting the pads in you will need to screw the piston back into the caliper.
Now put your new pads in and bolt the caliper back onto the caliper bracket.
We then installed the SS brake lines.
aaannd, VIOLA, the finished product.
We then began to bleed the brakes, for some reason I didn’t take pictures, we used Project MU G-four fluid. Below it states how you should bleed the brakes in the Factory Service Manual. When bleeding the Spoon calipers, or any other caliper with two bleed screws. Start with the outboard bleeder first then move to the inboard one.
While we had the car in the air, we also installed a SS clutch line.
here are a few rando shots.
In our own opinion and based on our own firsthand experiences. This is one of the most capable, robust brake setups you can get for the money. Sure, this set up is a little pricey. But if you’re seriously building a car that will be putting in work on track. This is what you will need to give you peace of mind that your brakes will continue to work lap after lap no matter what your pace is.
Sure, you could get a low end BBK for the front for about as much as he spent on all four corners. But, if you only upgrade the front, the rear brakes will always be the Achilles heel of this chassis. IMO, upgrading all four corners helps keep the car much more balanced. It prevents the rears from overheating and causing wheel bearing issues. Or, shortened rear pad life due to operating outside of their temp range.
Ever has been there before. In his NSX of all cars!… He was coming in hot down the front straight and heading into turn one. As he goes to slow for turn one, the pedal goes to the floor and the car isn’t slowing down. Luckily, he was able to use the ebrake and there was barely enough run off, so he didn’t destroy his NSX. But that’s all it takes for someone to get PTSD and never trust their brakes again. Mind you this was with Hawk HP+ pads front and rear pads. Since then, he has upgraded to Project MU R999 pads all around.
It’s unfortunate that because he has 18’s the brakes look super tiny.
You could always just get a really aggressive pad with a high temp operating range. However, those types of compounds usually just end up eating the rotors quicker. Also, the more aggressive the pad usually means more friction. The more friction, the more heat there will inevitably be.
Before anyone says anything. Yes, the center caps were removed before Ever hit the track. The wheels were just purchased with center caps, so they were on there until he recently installed the new tires.
If you are fairly new. But still want the confidence that your brakes are going to work consistently lap after lap. My suggestion to you is… Keep the OEM front caliper. This will save you 1500 dollars right away by not having to purchase the spoon calipers. While they are very nice looking and do offer some benefits. They aren’t 100% necessary, and you can still be quick without them. Just get the items listed below.
- Front Giro Discs
- Front Carbotech XP10/12 (or similar)
- Rear Urge rotor
- Carbotech XP8 (or similar)
- High temp brake fluid. (project Mu G-four, Castrol SRF, Motul, etc..)
You really don’t even need SS lines. But if your car is high mileage, I would suggest upgrading to SS line. They are less than 200 dollars and it’s a very worthwhile upgrade.
Don’t forget to properly bed in the new brake pads. This helps ensure they are working at their peak and will also ensure they last longer. Every pad manufacture has their own specific instructions for bedding, make sure you follow their proper procedures.
In conclusion, this brake setup is robust and borderline overkill, but will provide Ever many years of reliable braking. It will also help to rebuild his confidence in braking, and he can once again start to trust the idea that the brakes will always be there for him. Because he knows that he has a rock-solid brake setup.
You can sort of see the Project Mu bottle of brake fluid in the picture below.
When it comes to brakes, we generally error on the side of caution. Meaning, we always tend to overdo the braking just so we can have that confidence in knowing the brake system will never fail us. However, there is a fine line here. You could justify getting a Brembo 6 piston GT-R BBK because it would certainly help you rest easy knowing your brakes will always work.
However, let’s be real. A Brembo GT-R kit is eight thousand dollars and is extremely overkill. While it may look cool, and people will be sucking your dick for sure. You’d better make sure you’re putting down some seriously fast lap times. Now obviously that kit is the very pinnacle of brakes and there are other more “affordable” kits available. Realistically though most worthwhile BBK’s begin at three thousand dollars and go up from there.
Trust me, no one reading this is ever going to need the stopping power that is produced from that kit. That is truly professional level shit right there. For us regulars just chasing PB’s, there is no need to upgrade to a BBK on the S2000 platform. (Unless you’re money bags McGee and you are really fast)
Ever’s setup is about as robust as anyone would ever need and will provide enough stopping power and then some. Like I mentioned above, most of you reading this will be just fine with the OEM caliper, Giro Discs up front, Urge in the rear and some decent pads all around.
Take everything stated above with a grain of salt. Those are all just my individual opinions and beliefs and, like all opinions are subjective. It just so happens that I do have a lot of experience, so hopefully my words hold some weight. I’m not here to tell you how to spend your money. I’m just here to let you know what sort of brake upgrades are truly necessary for the S2000.
YIKES, that came off somewhat preachy and narcissistic. Please believe me when I say, that truly was not my intentions but sometimes you just gotta get the point across.
Hopefully you enjoyed reading this article and also found it helpful. I’m extra proud of this post in particular, because I feel like these are some of the best pictures I’ve taken. There is just no denying the fact that Ever’s front brake set up is pure JDM brake porn.
As usual, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, arguments, or just simply want to say hi. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email: Billy@Functiontheory.com, Instagram: @Functiontheory, or simply comment on the post below and I will respond.