[s-cars] 996 caliper install update (was "Which Big Brake kit")

[hoog23@aol.com]

I test fitted the calipers over the weekend and found that in order to keep the small piston hitting first, I will need to keep the right/left calipers on the appropriate side but switch the bleeder nipples and vent tubes.  I guess that Ur cars calipers are in "leading" position and carrera is "trailing?"  Picked up the flare nut wrenches at local sears and was able to do this on the one that I test fitted w/out damaging the finish (no need to grind wrenches).  One thing that I noticed was that there is only about a 1/16 of an inch clearance between the end of the rotor and the underside of the caliper.  I guess I could always slip in a shim (washer).
 
I also have a pair of brembo F50 (GT1) calipers (bought them cheap from some poor soul who stuffed his new e46 M3 into a wall) that I test fitted.  They fit using same brackets but appear to work with a smaller width rotor as I couldn't get them over the 30mm thick euro A8 rotor.  I know that this caliper's pistons are significantly larger than the 996 caliper's and would probably be overkill for my use and these "small" rotors.
 
I found that the 996 calipers cleared both my fuchs and cheap winter 16x7 et35 rims.  The brembos cleared as well but I would need to have weights repositioned on the winter wheels.  
 
Since I live in the NE (well NY) I decided that I will wait until spring to do the install.  (I still need to file down the pins in the calipers.)  Since my stock rotors are pretty much shot I decided to install some new rotors that I bought from someone on fleabay.  To my surprise when I opened the box I found a set of brembo 314x30 euro A8 rotors and not stock 276 rotors as I was expecting.  So now I have two sets of euro a8 rotors.  I love ebay.
 
I still may pursue the idea of using the brembo's with a bigger rotor and different (rs2?) bracket.  Anyone know anything about those MBT brackets?  http://www.mbt-engineering.de/engineering/welcome.html
 
Dave '95 S6
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com>
To: hoog23 at aol.com <hoog23 at aol.com>
Cc: Michael.Toborg at us.bosch.com; s-car-list at audifans.com
Sent: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 22:51:22 -0400
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Which Big Brake kit


Dave-
You have to make sure that the smaller of the two pistons is the one that hits first when the wheel rotates. I don't know if this makes sense to you, but you may or may not have to swap calipers left to right- in my case, I did. It all depends on whether your car has a leading or trailing caliper orientation and depending on what the orientation is on the car from which you got the calipers. 
 
Another lister answered the flare nut question.
 
Taka

 
On 9/23/05, hoog23 at aol.com <hoog23 at aol.com> wrote: 
Thanks,
 
So then the left caliper stays on the left side and right stays on right side and just swap the vent pipes and bleader nipples (so that the crossover pipe is on the bottom)?
 
Also, I don't have any metric flare nut wrenches.  Any idea what size(s) I need?
 
Dave