shu Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Currently trying to decide between a set of RCE Tarmac 1 or a set of Brembos for the LGT. I figure I have a couple of different options for the same amount of money: RCE Tarmac 1s and good pads/fluid -or- Brembos (front and rear) and Epic springs on stock struts Where's the better value in terms of money spent? What would you choose and why? I think I'm leaning towards option one, as a well sorted suspension setup is one I would probably appreciate more. The feel of the stock brakes isn't bad, but coming from an STI, I feel the modulation of the brakes leaves something to be desired. For the record, I don't currently have plans to track my car, though I certainly wouldn't rule it out down the line. I'm more likely to hit a few auto-x's this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustangendsley Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 If your not going to track your car then both are a waist in my opinion. The LGT is not a STI in turms of stopping and performance. I would go with Koni and Epic springs,sway bars, lca bushings and better endlinks. You will feel this is going to turn the car and feel better and much more money in your pocket to save. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I also don't see why you would (waste) spend money on those. Get good slotted rotors and good pads. What is the cost of the replacement pads ? If you want a better feel, try the brake booster support I think grimspeed makes one, there has been talk about here recently. FWIW I got my stuff from AZPinstalls.com talk with them, they can guide you through what you need and save you some money. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 I agree that Brembos may be a waste of money in terms of cost-benefit; however, I can't say I agree on the coilovers. Spend well to spend once in my opinion, and the T1's are about as good as it gets for this car. I don't have the time to fuss around with multiple suspension setups until I land on one with which I'm satisfied, as I have in years past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 My 05 still has stock springs and shocks. If I ever did upgrade I'd go with the Koni inserts and some springs. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrw Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I'd choose option one if you must go coilovers. Brembos are nice but I personally don't see much of a need for them, yet anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 the brembo calipers wont do squat unless you have the right pad in there. stock calipers with a good performance pad will outperform brembos with oem pads, period. tarmac 1's with a good pad FTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I have both the Brembos and Tarmacs and would definitely recommend the Tarmacs first and foremost. The Konis/Epics are a very good value compared to the Tarmacs if daily driving is the main goal. However, the Tarmacs get the nod for both performance and comfort (not to mention ride height adjustability and a variety of spring rates to choose from) you just have to pay for it. I have both setups and alternate between them for summer/winter, and also to have a back-up for when the coils need to be sent out for rebuild. The Brembos, while very aesthetically pleasing, do not do much of anything, since the stock brakes can easily lock up pretty much any tire within reason. For fade resistance a set of good pads and rotors will make the most difference. SS brake lines and a master cylinder brace will help firm up the pedal further if "feel" is what you are after. I did find that the car seemed to brake "flatter" after the Brembo upgrade, but it pales in comparison to the reduced squat/dive/roll with the coilovers. The Crimson Dynamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowImg Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 the brembo calipers wont do squat unless you have the right pad in there. stock calipers with a good performance pad will outperform brembos with oem pads, period. tarmac 1's with a good pad FTW Bingo. Also, tires. I'm willing to bet you can lock them up just fine with the stock LGT brakes. Bleed your lines and bed your pads. The feel of the LGT brakes isn't that great, but once you get confident in them, the function of them is there -- you just have to trust the control more than the feel of the pedal. Alignment is another important step. Brembos would be way, way down my list of things to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Would do tires, braided lines and a slow bleed before I went bigger calipers. Change pads to something inline with the type of event you're doing and roll. Most track junkies run cheap blank rotors. You're going to be chewing those bad boys up. Most big brake kits I've seen are on posers cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 As most people have recommended the T1's would make a much bigger difference for your money. I would also consider doing a sti master cylinder/booster swap. It can be done for ~$100 and makes a pretty significant difference in pedal feel, brembo's or not. Then add pads/fluid and you should be good to go. IMO the mc/bb swap makes a much bigger difference than SS lines or mc brace. I also do not think T1's are a waste for a car that is not tracked, which OP seems to understand. I have all three but in terms of actual difference, sti mc/bb>GS mc brace>SS lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 Thanks for the replies, all. Underdog, in what road conditions do you find the Koni/Eibach setup lacking compared to the Tarmacs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Ugh, I wasn't paying attention and just realized you have an '08, which should have VDC, making the sti mc/bb swap a little tougher. It can still be done but you should read through this thread... http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/sti-master-brake-cylinder-swap-qs-132077.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Underdog, in what road conditions do you find the Koni/Eibach setup lacking compared to the Tarmacs? Well, the spring rate of the Epics (Eibach rebrand) is much less than the standard springs on the T1s, so squat/dive/roll is worse compared to the coilovers. Body roll is probably the most important aspect here for DD since it will help keep your outside wheel from cambering out during hard cornering. Despite the stiffer springs the T1s feel more plush around town than the Koni/EEs. The Koni/EEs are a nice damper/spring combo, much better than the Koni/Swifts I tried originally, but they still come off as slightly hard-edged compared to the coilovers when you hit the eventual pothole or railroad crossing. I spent a lot of time dialing in the rebound setting on the Konis to try and get the best of both worlds, comfort and performance. In the end I still think it is a great pair or I wouldn't subject myself to it for three to four months out of the year. The Tarmacs are valved specifically for the springs they are offered with, so setting up the damping is very easy... RCE even offers suggested settings for different conditions. I think I tweaked the settings once and then forgot about it since the car felt great. Then you look at the other attributes: height adjustability, ability to run wider wheels, lower weight, corrosion resistant SS body, rebuildable... All of this stuff is great, but you need to decide whether it is worth the ~$900-$1000 premium over the Koni/EEs. The Crimson Dynamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shu Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Thanks for the info. The Koni/Epic combo sounds a lot like my v7 sti struts/prodrive combo on my WRX. Very comfortable for the most part, but over sharply changing terrain, you can feel your kidneys bounce around a little. It's a combo I can definitely live with over time. Well, based on all the wonderful feedback, I'm going to table the Brembos in favor of making upgrades to the stock system. Just need to decide if the extra cash for the T1's is worth it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.