Big brake kit recommendations
Nearly 4,000 kits across four main brands. Narrow them by the car, wheel clearance and use before comparing disc diameter or piston count.
Start with how the car is used
It is the question that decides everything else, and the one people skip.
Road and fast road
Better feel, better looks, and brakes that do not go soft on a long descent or a spirited B road. You are not chasing outright heat capacity here, so a moderate disc upgrade with a good four piston caliper usually does everything you want.
Track days
This is where standard brakes actually run out. Repeated heavy stops from speed put far more heat into the disc than any road use, and heat is what causes fade. Disc diameter and disc mass matter more than piston count at this point.
Competition
Class regulations may well decide this for you before we do. Check what your championship allows, then talk to us, because the competition calipers are a different conversation from a road kit.
Heavy, towing or fast road saloons
Weight is heat. A heavy car needs the extra disc capacity even on the road, and it is the case where a rear kit is most often worth adding rather than just doing the fronts.
A big brake kit will not usually shorten your stopping distance from one stop on a cold, dry road, because that distance is limited by your tyres rather than your brakes. What changes is the fifth stop, and the tenth. A standard setup fades, and a properly sized kit does not.
If somebody tells you a brake kit will halve your stopping distance, be suspicious of whatever else they tell you.
Disc size or piston count?
They solve different problems, and only one of them is usually your problem.
A bigger disc gives you
- A longer lever arm, so more braking torque for the same pedal effort
- Far more surface area and mass to absorb and shed heat
- The single biggest gain against fade on repeated stops
- A more noticeable visual change behind the wheel
More pistons give you
- More even clamping across the pad face
- Better pedal feel and modulation
- More even pad wear across its life
- Less benefit than disc size if heat is what is beating you
Most road cars that feel like they need brakes are actually short of heat capacity, so disc diameter is usually the more useful upgrade. Piston count earns its keep once the disc is already big enough, or where feel and pad wear are the complaint rather than fade.
Two things go with any kit, and both get forgotten. Fluid is the first: a kit that lets you brake harder for longer will find the limit of tired fluid quickly, and boiling fluid is the failure you notice at the worst moment. Pads are the second, and they should be matched to how the car is used rather than to the kit alone.
Wheel clearance comes first
Settle this before you fall in love with a kit, not after it arrives.
A bigger disc needs a bigger caliper wrapped around it, and that caliper has to fit inside your wheel. This is the single most common reason a brake kit goes back, and it is entirely avoidable with one phone call.
What we need from you. The make, model and year, your wheel diameter, and ideally the wheel make and model too, because two 18 inch wheels can have very different internal profiles. If you are planning to change wheels as well, tell us that before you buy either.
Spacers are sometimes an answer and sometimes a bodge, depending on the car and the offset. We will tell you honestly which one it is for yours.
1. The car. Make, model, year and engine, because brake fitment often changes mid generation.
2. The wheels. Diameter at minimum, make and model if you have it.
3. How it is used. Road, track day or competition. This changes the recommendation more than anything else.
Ring 0115 9893488 or message us.
The kit tiers explained
The names are not marketing. They describe caliper family and intended use.
Alongside those sit the R-series competition calipers, R114, R126, R132 and R152 in four and six piston forms, plus Mega Monster and 8 Pot at the top of the range, and Grande Sport and Sport Compact filling in either side. There are rear specific kits too.
If that list reads as a wall of names, that is exactly why this page ends with a phone number. Tell us the car and how it is used, and the tier follows from that rather than the other way round.
Choosing by brand
All four are good. The choice is usually fitment and budget, not quality.
Choosing by vehicle
The fastest route if you already know what the kit is going on.
Caterham, Westfield, classic Mini and Land Rover all appear in the selector, and we quote on plenty that do not. If you are building something that was never a production car, ring us rather than browsing. Bespoke discs and unusual bracketry are a normal conversation here, not an awkward one.
Common questions
How do I know a kit will fit my wheels?▾
Wheel clearance is the first thing to settle, not the last. A bigger disc needs a bigger caliper around it, and that caliper has to clear the inside of your wheel. Tell us your wheel size, make and model and we will tell you what fits. It is a quicker conversation than a return.
Do I need a bigger disc or more pistons?▾
They do different jobs. A larger disc acts on a longer lever arm and gives much more surface to shed heat, which is what stops fade on repeated stops. More pistons spread the pad clamp more evenly, which improves feel and pad wear. On a road car the disc size usually matters more.
Will a big brake kit make my car stop shorter?▾
On one stop from cold, usually not by much, because grip is limited by your tyres. What a bigger kit changes is what happens on the fifth, sixth and tenth stop, where a standard setup starts to fade and a bigger one does not. That is the honest answer.
What is the difference between the kit tiers?▾
Broadly, Sport and Sport Compact are road and fast road, Super Sport and Grande Sport step up for hard road and track day use, Billet 4 and Ultralite are lightweight four piston setups, Monster 4 and Monster 6 are the larger road and track kits, and the R-series are competition calipers. Ring us with how the car is used and we will place you.
Do I need to change my pads and fluid too?▾
Fluid, almost always. A kit that lets you brake harder for longer will find the limit of tired fluid quickly, and boiling fluid is the failure you actually notice. Pads are matched to the kit and the use, so tell us whether it is road, track day or race.
Can I fit a front kit only?▾
Yes, and most people do. The front does the majority of the work, so a front conversion is the usual starting point. Add a rear kit where the balance needs it or the original rear setup is the weak point.
Do you sell rear kits and replacement discs?▾
Yes. There are rear big disc kits and a large range of two piece replacement rotors, which are often the sensible purchase when the calipers are fine and the discs are worn out.
Which brand should I choose?▾
All four we stock heavily are good, and the choice is usually about fitment and budget rather than one being better. Hi Spec and TAROX cover the widest range of ordinary cars, Brembo GT covers the performance and prestige end. Tell us the car and we will narrow it down.
Can you make something bespoke?▾
Discs, yes. We list bespoke performance brake discs and can quote on unusual applications. Ring us with what you are trying to do, particularly for kit cars and one off builds.
Can I see one before I buy?▾
Yes. The showroom is by appointment, Monday to Friday, and it is far easier to judge a kit with one in your hands than from a photograph.
Tell us the car, the wheels and the use
Those three things get you to a shortlist in about two minutes, and save the return that comes from a caliper fouling a wheel. Come and see one in the showroom if you would rather.
Call 0115 9893488Message usDelivery and fitting