best stopping power for the buck mods?

[SoundGuyDave]

I'm betting that it will cure your fade issue, at least until you push the thermal limits of the braking kit. You can help yourself out quite a bit by pulling the dust shield inboard of the rotors, they tend to trap quite a bit of heat. If the initial braking increases to where you want it, but you fade after a while, try going to brake ducts. Steeda sells them, as do some others, I got my setup from Quantum Motorsports.

 

[JonW]

Larger rotors will help dissipate the heat generated by repeated hard braking. More aggressive pad compositions will tolerate higher heat before glazing. DOT4 racing fluid can absorb more heat before boiling. Larger calipers will allow more clamping force, and the SS lines reduce expansion to direct pedal force to the caliper, but NONE of it actually increases the ability to stop the car in a shorter distance. In fact, larger rotors can actually increase the stopping distance, as there is can be a corresponding increase in rotating inertia.

If your complaint is brake-fade related, i.e. the third or fourth hard stop in a row just doesn't seem as firm as the first, then you need to look at heat management. If you want to stop in a shorter distance than you do now, then you need to look at tires, not brakes. Of course, with uber-sticky meats, you can now easily overheat a bone-stock brake package, but that's the "supporting mod" paradigm all over again.

Very well said. And I might add that most guys go overboard when it comes to brakes. Stop and think how you're going to use the car before you go out and spend a boatload of money on brakes. Consider taking your brake mods in these steps:

1) Semi-agressive street driving: Upgrade pads front and rear and install SS lines.

2) Very aggressive street driving or frequent high-speed braking episodes: Upgrade pads, SS lines, DOT 4 brake fluid, tire upgrade.

3) High-speed track driving: Upgrade pads, SS lines, DOT 4 fluid, tire upgrade, brake cooling. Note that the brake cooling kit has little value for autocross or other low-speed events.

Slotted and drilled rotors are for looks only. They do not add any increase in braking performance on a street car. If you've got too much money burning a hole in your wallet, by all means, get them if you want them for bling. But don't expect a performance increase out of them.

I take my car to the track, and I run Hawk pads, SS lines, DOT 4 fluid, and a brake cooling kit. I've had no problems with brake fade, even with a hot-shoe instructor behind the wheel, pushing the car to its limits. And I run the stock rotors.