Our Top Recommended Big Brake Upgrade Kits For Your Nissan Skyline R33
Before anything else on this page, one question: is it a GT-R or is it not? It sounds like the sort of thing a salesman asks to work out your budget. It is not. On the R33 it decides which kits are on the table, because four of the ten are listed for the GT-R specifically (two by Tarox and two by Brembo) and the other six are listed for the Skyline R33 generally.
Get that wrong and you have bought a brake kit for a car you do not own. Get it right at the start and the rest of the page is a normal conversation about wheel size and how hard the car gets driven. Everything here comes from Tarox in northern Italy, HiSpec Motorsport in Dartford, and Brembo, also made to order in Italy, and the full R33 range is on the site if you want to browse it raw.
- Ten kits across three brands, from £1,635.00 to £4,295.95
- Four kits are for the GT-R specifically (two Tarox, two Brembo), six for the R33 generally
- Wheel sizes run 17 inch to 19 inch depending on the kit
- Only two kits on the page will go behind a 17 inch wheel
What is on this page
- Three brands
- GT-R or not: the split that matters
- Wheel sizes: real numbers
- Tarox 350mm, GT-R front and rear
- Brembo GT for the GT-R: 355mm at two price points
- Tarox 330mm Sport: the 17 inch complete kit
- The two HiSpec Monster 4 kits
- HiSpec 360mm Monster 6
- HiSpec Mega Monster
- What is in each box
- Every kit compared
- Common questions
- What we would actually fit
Three brands, three ways of building a brake kit
All three machine their own calipers from billet aluminium and build every kit for the specific car. Where they differ is what goes in the box, how it is priced and how long it takes to arrive.
Tarox
Built at the factory in northern Italy. Calipers are CNC machined from European billet alloy and hand assembled, discs are heat treated and hand balanced to 0.05mm. Three R33 kits are listed: a 330mm Sport for the R33, and a 350mm front and a 350mm rear listed for the GT-R. All three arrive complete with vehicle specific braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted.
HiSpec Motorsport
Machined in Dartford from 6082 T6 billet aluminium, calipers and pistons both. Five R33 kits across the Monster 4, Monster 6 and Mega Monster calipers, from 335mm to 380mm. Made to order in up to 28 working days, calipers in black, red, blue, gold or silver. Pads and braided hoses are priced separately so you pick the compound.
Brembo
Two front kits built specifically for the Skyline GT-R R33, both at 355mm. The GT-A is a two-piece four piston caliper at £3,719.68. The GT-M is a monobloc six piston caliper at £4,295.95. Made to order at Brembo's Italian factory, six to eight weeks from order. Disc face and caliper colour are free options at order time. Pads and braided hoses are in the kit.
GT-R or not: the split that matters
Here is exactly how the ten kits divide, taken from the listings themselves and not from memory. Tarox list the 350mm front and the 350mm rear under Nissan Skyline GT-R R33. Brembo also list both their 355mm kits for the GT-R specifically. The Tarox 330mm Sport is listed under Nissan Skyline R33, and so are all five HiSpec kits.
We are deliberately not going to lecture you about what is different underneath, because the honest answer is that we confirm the fitment against your car before anything goes to build and you should let us do that. What matters to you is the shape of the choice: a GT-R has the run of the whole page, the matched Tarox pair and the two Brembo front kits. A non GT-R R33 has six kits to pick from, which is still a proper range.
Cameron’s line on the phone is usually the same one. Give him the registration and the wheel, and he will tell you which of these eight are real options for your car before you spend anything. It takes a couple of minutes and it is the single most common thing people get wrong buying an R33 kit on their own.
| Kit | Listed for | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Tarox 350mm Super Sport, front | Skyline GT-R R33 | £2,500.00 |
| Tarox 350mm rear upgrade | Skyline GT-R R33 | £2,500.00 |
| Brembo GT-A front (355mm, 4 piston) | Skyline GT-R R33 | £3,719.68 |
| Brembo GT-M front (355mm, 6 piston) | Skyline GT-R R33 | £4,295.95 |
| Tarox 330mm Sport | Skyline R33 | £2,280.00 |
| HiSpec 360mm Monster 4 | Skyline R33 | £1,635.00 |
| HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 | Skyline R33 | £1,650.00 |
| HiSpec 360mm Monster 6 | Skyline R33 | £1,863.00 |
| HiSpec 380mm Mega Monster | Skyline R33 | £2,159.69 |
| HiSpec 360mm Mega Monster | Skyline R33 | £2,196.85 |
Wheel sizes: real numbers for every kit
Minimum wheel diameter is a property of the kit and not of the car, so a figure published against one car holds for every car that kit is listed against. The Tarox figures below were looked up from their own product pages for these exact kits. The HiSpec numbers come from their published bands. The only check that stays a conversation is depth, because a wheel of the right diameter can still foul a caliper at the spokes.
Worth noticing on this car: only two of the eight will go behind a 17 inch wheel. If the R33 is on 17s and staying there, your choice is the HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 or the Tarox 330mm Sport, and nothing else on the page applies.
| Kit | Disc | Smallest wheel |
|---|---|---|
| Tarox Sport | 330mm | 17 inch |
| HiSpec Monster 4 | 335mm | 17 inch |
| Tarox Super Sport, front | 350mm | 18 inch |
| Tarox rear upgrade | 350mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec Monster 4 | 360mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec Monster 6 | 360mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec Mega Monster | 360mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec Mega Monster | 380mm | 19 inch |
| Brembo GT-A (front, GT-R only) | 355mm | 18 inch; clearance drawing on the product page (GT-M monobloc body is wider than the GT-A two-piece at the same disc size) |
Tarox 350mm front and rear: the GT-R kits
Listed for the Skyline GT-R R33 and priced the same to the penny, £2,500.00 each, both on an 18 inch wheel. The front kit is a Super Sport, the top of the Tarox road range, with a billet aluminium caliper using sequential piston sizing so pad contact stays even across the face as the pad wears. The rear is a rear axle upgrade built to work with the standard handbrake.
One honesty note on the listings. Both are titled 10pot on our site. The description underneath the front kit is the accurate one: eight pistons, sequentially sized. Tarox describe the rear caliper only as multi piston and do not publish a count, so we are not going to invent one. Both arrive complete with vehicle specific braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted.
- £2,500.00 inc VAT each, front or rear
- Listed for the Skyline GT-R R33 specifically
- Both fit behind 18 inch wheels
- Corsa pads and braided hoses included and fitted
- The rear kit keeps the standard handbrake
Brembo GT for the GT-R: £3,719.68 and £4,295.95
Both Brembo kits are listed for the Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 specifically. If you have a standard R33, this section does not apply to you.
The GT-A at £3,719.68 is a two-piece disc with a four piston caliper, the more straightforward of the two to fit and at home on a road car that sees occasional circuit use. The GT-M at £4,295.95 is a monobloc caliper, machined from a single piece of aluminium, which holds its shape under sustained braking heat. Six pistons on the GT-M, four on the GT-A, same 355mm disc diameter on both.
Both come with cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted disc face at the same price. Caliper colour is a free option at order time. Pads and braided hoses are in the kit. The clearance drawings are on each product page and that is where you check minimum wheel size, because the GT-M body is wider than the GT-A at the same disc size and the two are not interchangeable on spoke clearance.
Made to order in Italy. Allow six to eight weeks from order to delivery. Ring us on 0115 647 8650 and Cameron will go through the clearance drawing against your wheel before anything is placed.
- GT-A: 355mm two-piece disc, 4 piston caliper, £3,719.68 inc VAT
- GT-M: 355mm disc, 6 piston monobloc caliper, £4,295.95 inc VAT
- Both listed for the Skyline GT-R R33 specifically
- Minimum wheel size from the clearance drawing on each product page
- Cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted disc face at the same price; caliper colour is a free option
- Made to order in Italy: six to eight weeks from order
Tarox 330mm Sport: the 17 inch complete kit
The Sport is the foundation of the Tarox road range and the one kit on this page that pairs a 17 inch fitment with a box that has nothing left to source. Six piston billet caliper, two piece floating disc balanced to 0.05mm, braided hoses and Corsa pads fitted before it leaves Italy. It is £2,280.00 and it is listed for the Skyline R33.
Set against the HiSpec 335mm Monster 4, the other 17 inch option, it is £630.00 more. That gap looks large until you remember the HiSpec price carries no pads and no hoses, and that this is a six piston caliper against a four. Spec them both to the same finished level and the difference is a good deal smaller than the headline suggests.
- £2,280.00 inc VAT, complete
- Fits behind 17 inch wheels
- Six piston caliper, 330mm two piece floating disc
- Corsa pads and braided hoses included and fitted
- Listed for the Skyline R33
The two HiSpec Monster 4 kits, and the odd bit of pricing
The 360mm Monster 4 is £1,635.00 and the 335mm Monster 4 is £1,650.00. The bigger disc is the cheaper kit by fifteen pounds. Both were checked against our live pricing on 27 September 2026 and we would sooner print that than quietly point you at the dearer one.
So the choice between them is decided by the wheel and nothing else. On 18s take the 360mm, which is the cheapest kit for the car and still the second largest disc on the page. On 17s the 335mm is the only HiSpec option you have, and it is a perfectly good brake, but it is worth knowing you are paying a small premium for the smaller disc because of what will fit inside your wheel.
- 360mm at £1,635.00, 335mm at £1,650.00, both inc VAT
- 360mm needs an 18 inch wheel, 335mm clears a 17
- Four piston Monster 4 caliper on both
- The bigger disc is the cheaper of the two
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
HiSpec 360mm Monster 6: the track pick
Six pistons on a 360mm disc for £1,863.00, behind an 18 inch wheel. This is where Garreth would spend on an R33 that gets used properly: it is the most brake you can sensibly ask of the front axle before the numbers start running away, and it is still under two thousand pounds.
Against the 360mm Monster 4 it is £228.00 more for two extra pistons per caliper. What that buys is pad contact across a longer face and a pedal that holds its shape when everything is hot, which is the exact failure people describe when they ring us about a Skyline that has just done a full session.
- £1,863.00 inc VAT
- Fits behind 18 inch wheels
- 360mm disc, six piston Monster 6 caliper
- The front axle pick for repeated track sessions
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
HiSpec Mega Monster: 360mm and 380mm
The top of the HiSpec range, and the second place the ladder runs backwards on this car. The 380mm kit is £2,159.69 and the 360mm kit is £2,196.85, so the bigger disc is £37.16 cheaper. Both figures come from our live pricing on 27 September 2026.
The wheel decides it again. The 380mm needs a 19 inch fitment and the 360mm will go behind an 18, so for most R33s the 360mm is the one that physically works even though it costs a little more. If you are already on 19s, take the 380mm and pocket the difference.
- 380mm at £2,159.69, 360mm at £2,196.85, both inc VAT
- 380mm needs a 19 inch wheel, 360mm clears an 18
- Mega Monster caliper, the largest HiSpec build for the car
- The bigger disc is the cheaper of the two
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
What is actually in each box
The headline gap between HiSpec and Tarox closes once both are specced to the same level. HiSpec price their kits without pads or braided hoses. Tarox include both, pads already fitted. Brembo include pads and hoses too, and are made to order, so the six to eight week lead time is part of what you are comparing. Compare finished builds, not entry prices.
| In the box | HiSpec | Tarox | Brembo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calipers | Monster 4, Monster 6 or Mega Monster, 6082 T6 billet aluminium | Six piston on the Sport, eight sequential on the front Super Sport, multi piston on the rear | GT-A two-piece 4 piston or GT-M monobloc 6 piston; front only for the GT-R |
| Discs | Sized to the kit, 335mm to 380mm | Two piece floating, balanced to 0.05mm | 355mm two-piece; cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted at the same price |
| Brackets and hardware | Included | Included | Included |
| Braided hoses | Priced separately | Included | Included |
| Pads | Priced separately, your choice of compound | Corsa pads, fitted | Included |
| Caliper finish | Black, red, blue, gold or silver | Black, red, blue, green or gold anodised | Black, red, silver or yellow; free option at order time |
| Built in | Dartford, UK, up to 28 working days | Northern Italy | Italy; six to eight weeks to order |
Every kit on this page compared
| Kit | Listed for | Disc | Smallest wheel | Pads and hoses | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiSpec Monster 4 | R33 | 360mm | 18in | Extra | £1,635.00 |
| HiSpec Monster 4 | R33 | 335mm | 17in | Extra | £1,650.00 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 | R33 | 360mm | 18in | Extra | £1,863.00 |
| HiSpec Mega Monster | R33 | 380mm | 19in | Extra | £2,159.69 |
| HiSpec Mega Monster | R33 | 360mm | 18in | Extra | £2,196.85 |
| Tarox Sport | R33 | 330mm, 2P | 17in | Included | £2,280.00 |
| Tarox Super Sport, front | GT-R R33 | 350mm, 2P | 18in | Included | £2,500.00 |
| Tarox rear upgrade | GT-R R33 | 350mm, 2P | 18in | Included | £2,500.00 |
| Brembo GT-A front | GT-R R33 | 355mm, 2P | 18in (see drawing) | Included | £3,719.68 |
| Brembo GT-M front | GT-R R33 | 355mm, 2P | 18in (see drawing) | Included | £4,295.95 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 27 September 2026. Tarox minimum wheel sizes were looked up from their own product pages per kit. Brembo minimum wheel sizes come from the clearance drawings on each product page. The table is sorted by price.
Common questions
I have a non GT-R R33. Am I missing out?
Not really. Six of the eight kits are listed for the Skyline R33, and they cover everything from the cheapest kit on the page up to the largest HiSpec build. What you cannot have is the Tarox 350mm pair, which is listed for the GT-R. If you want a complete Tarox box with pads and hoses already fitted, the 330mm Sport is your kit and it goes behind a 17 inch wheel, which several of the alternatives will not.
How do I know for certain which kit fits my car?
Ring us and let us check it, which is the short and honest answer. We confirm the fitment against your specific car before anything goes to build, because a brake kit is made to order and it is not a part you want to find out about after it has been machined. Have the registration and the wheel details to hand and it is a two minute conversation.
Why is the 360mm Monster 4 cheaper than the 335mm?
We do not have a tidy answer, and we would sooner show you the prices than hide them. Both were checked against our live pricing on 22 August 2026. Where the bigger kit is cheaper and your wheels will clear it, buy the bigger kit. The 335mm exists for cars on 17 inch wheels, and that is the only reason to choose it.
Why do the Tarox listings say 10pot when the description says 8 piston?
The title is wrong and the description is right. The Tarox front Super Sport caliper uses eight sequentially sized pistons, which is what the kit contents on the product page state. We have flagged the titles internally. Tarox describe the rear caliper only as multi piston and do not publish a count, so we are not quoting one. If the exact piston count matters for what you are building, ring us and we will get it from Tarox directly.
Why are pads and hoses extra on the HiSpec kits?
HiSpec price the hardware bare so you choose the compound to match how the car is used: a softer road pad for a daily driver, something more aggressive for track evenings. Both pads and braided hoses can be added at the same time. We will quote the finished build level so you can compare it properly against the Tarox kits, which include both as standard.
Is Brembo worth the extra over Tarox on a GT-R?
The Tarox 350mm Super Sport at £2,500.00 is the natural comparison for the GT-R. It is also built in Italy and arrives complete with pads and hoses. Both kits need an 18 inch minimum wheel. The Brembo GT-A runs a 5mm bigger disc (355mm vs 350mm) and sits £1,219.68 dearer at £3,719.68. The GT-M at £4,295.95 adds a monobloc caliper body for cars that see regular circuit use. For a road GT-R or occasional track day car, the Tarox covers it and saves over a thousand pounds. If the car is circuit-driven and the clearance documentation matters for the build record, ring us on 0115 647 8650 and Garreth will go through the numbers.
How long before it arrives?
HiSpec kits are made to order in Dartford, so allow up to 28 working days. Tarox kits are built to the specific car in Italy and lead times vary through the year, so ask when you place the order and we will give you the current picture. Brembo kits are made to order in Italy and the lead time is six to eight weeks from order. None of the three brands keeps a finished R33 kit on a shelf.
What we would actually fit
On an R33 on 18 inch wheels, the 360mm Monster 4 at £1,635.00 for the value of the page, or the 360mm Monster 6 at £1,863.00 if the car does repeated track sessions. That pair is where most owners should be looking, and the £228.00 between them is money well spent on a car that gets driven hard. On 17s, the Tarox 330mm Sport at £2,280.00 if you want one complete box, or the HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 at £1,650.00 if you would sooner pick your own pads.
If it is a GT-R, the Tarox 350mm front at £2,500.00 is the solid choice and the matched rear is there when you want it. If the car goes on circuit regularly and the budget stretches to Brembo, the GT-A at £3,719.68 is the natural starting point and the GT-M at £4,295.95 is the step up from there. Ring us on 0115 647 8650 with the registration, your wheel size and what the car does at weekends. Working out what clears and what fouls is Cameron’s corner of the business, so have the wheel make and model handy and you will get a straight answer.