Brakes, chosen by what car you drive
Big Brakes 4U is the braking arm of GSM Performance, which has been in the motorsport trade since 2003. We list close to four thousand brake products across six brands, and we sort them by vehicle rather than by manufacturer, because nobody wakes up wanting a Brembo. They want their car to stop better.
Part of GSM Performance, based in Nottinghamshire, trading since 2003. Big brake kits, big disc kits and bespoke discs from Hi Spec, Brembo, TAROX, D2, K Sport and Smarts4You. Free UK delivery over £100.
Who we are
Garreth set up GSM Performance in 2003. It started with motorsport safety equipment, seats and harnesses mostly, and grew from there. The brake side grew large enough to need somewhere of its own, and that is this site.
It is still the same family run business behind it. Same Nottinghamshire showroom, same phone number, same two people. Nothing about Big Brakes 4U is a separate company, a reseller arrangement or a drop ship front. It is one part of a catalogue that got too big to keep in one place.
What that means practically is that when you ring about a brake kit you are talking to somebody who also sells the seats, the harnesses and the cages that go in the same car. Brakes rarely get upgraded on their own.
GSM Performance starts trading in motorsport safety equipment, run by Garreth from home.
A 2,500 square foot Midlands showroom opens, carrying stock across seats, racewear and brakes.
The catalogue splits across sportseats4u.co.uk, gsmperformance.co.uk and this site, so each can be filtered on its own terms.
Close to 4,000 brake products across six brands, covering 47 vehicle makes.
What we stock
Six brands, and the two biggest account for most of the catalogue.
01Hi Spec
The largest range we hold, at around 1,580 products. British made, and the one we point most people at when they want a serious upgrade without Brembo money.
02Brembo
Around 1,400 products. The name everybody knows, and the one most people arrive already having decided on. Worth checking the alternatives on fitment before you commit.
03TAROX
Just under 900 products. Strong on discs and pads as well as full kits, which makes it the easy route if you want a step up without going to a full big brake conversion.
04D2, K Sport and Smarts4You
The smaller ranges, around 110 products between them. Worth a look if your car is awkward, because the coverage does not always overlap with the bigger three.
| Range | Products listed | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Big brake kitsOUR PICK | 2,183 | Full conversions. New calipers, discs, bells, lines and brackets as one vehicle specific package. |
| Big disc kits | 98 | Larger discs on the original calipers. Cheaper, less involved, and enough for a lot of road cars. |
| Bespoke brake discs | 7 | Made to your specification where nothing off the shelf fits. |
We sort the catalogue by vehicle
Forty seven makes, and the list is led by the cars people actually modify.
Brakes are the one category where browsing by brand wastes your time. What matters is whether a kit clears your wheels, suits your caliper mounting and matches the bias of whatever is on the back. All of that is decided by the car.
So the catalogue is organised by make and model first. Pick your car, see what fits it, then choose between the brands that make something for it.
Ring 0115 9893488 with the car, the year, the wheel size and what you use it for. Wheel clearance is the thing that catches people out most often, and it is a two minute conversation rather than a returns claim.
Why brakes have their own website
Between the three GSM stores we list over 14,000 products. One catalogue holding brake kits, bucket seats, roll cages, helmets and racing suits would need a filter list nobody could read.
Splitting it lets each store use filters that suit what it sells. Here that is vehicle, caliper and disc diameter. On the seat store it is mounting type, waist size and FIA dating. Same company, same phone, different shelves.
Common questions
Who are Big Brakes 4U?▾
A trading name of GSM Performance, which has been selling motorsport equipment since 2003 from a showroom in Nottinghamshire. Brakes grew into enough of a catalogue to need their own site, so they got one.
Why is this a separate website from the seat store?▾
Because between our three stores we list over 14,000 products. Brakes are chosen by vehicle, caliper size and disc diameter. Seats are chosen by mounting type, waist size and FIA dating. Those filters have nothing in common, and one store trying to do both serves neither well.
Are the kits made to order?▾
Most of them. Big brake kits and braking components are largely built to order because they are vehicle specific, which is also why they are not returnable once made. Get the fitment confirmed before you commit, and ring us if you are unsure.
Which brands do you actually stock?▾
Hi Spec, Brembo, TAROX, D2 Racing, K Sport and Smarts4You. Hi Spec and Brembo are the two biggest ranges by a distance, at around 1,580 and 1,400 products respectively.
Can I see brakes in the showroom?▾
Yes. The Nottinghamshire showroom carries stock from across the group, so you can look at a caliper and sit in a bucket seat on the same visit. It runs by appointment, Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 4.00pm.
Do you fit the kits?▾
No. We supply rather than fit. We will confirm what suits your car, what clearance you need and what else has to change, then you or your garage do the install.
Is delivery free?▾
Free on UK orders over £100, the same threshold as our other two stores.
Tell us the car and the wheel size
Fitment on a big brake kit is decided by clearance more than anything else. Two minutes on the phone before you order saves a kit going back that cannot be returned.
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