Stoptech 332mm BBK and no ESP on the track.

[Grip99]

Whats up,

I am upgrading my brakes for the track this season. I came across a used front Stoptech 332mm kit. I have a 2000 S4, I am wondering if there will be an issue with the brake bias being off leading to the rears locking up. I have been reading past threads about this issue possibly due to no ESP, but I haven't come across a definitive answer. Has any one had this issue? If so, is there a solution?

I know brake compounds play a huge role, but I am wondering if its inherent for 00' s4's with no ESP, running BBK's on the track.

I know that you can code the ABS for RS4 bias, but then again, I'm assuming ESP comes into play.

Any input on this would be great. If your brake setup works with this kit, please share!

Thanks in advance.

Pete

[james 408]

short answers: no the rear won't lockup (street tires and abs coding to rs4 is likely the right answer for that kit); bias is fine front only on that kit. esp has little to do with it.

there's a chart out there and it's been linked a few times within the last few months. *most* 332 stoptech kits designed for our cars actually reduce front brake clamping force and improve bias rearward. this seems to align well with the rs4 code (don't shoot the messenger). It might well be too rear-bias for slick racing tires. Stoptech themselves produce charts and details, i've seen them specific for the B5 from stoptech.

The common perception from track drivers is that ESP does nothing but piss you off unless you like unintended understeer and braking in deep ABS applications.

Electronic stability programme (ESP)
including brake assistant
For the latest ESP generation, the hydraulic
brake assistant is an integral part of the
standard equipment.
It is intended to assist the driver by automatically
increasing the brake pressure during
emergency braking.

See page 33 of http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_254.pdf for a more detailed explanation. Basically it causes: "WTF brakes release you pieces of crap" on turnin. Very scary, I thought my brakes were sticking the first few times it happened.

more details about its working here, there are handling components to it as well, which should in theory be good, but like traction control, it can cause unintended corrections.
For instance:
1) If i was trying to scandinavian flick or otherwise induce an oversteer condition, ESP would be braking the outside front wheel, fighting the oversteer condition when i didn't want it to. Conversely, this might prevent a spin.
2) If i was getting understeer, the car would brake the inside rear wheel, helping it rotate.

http://fourtitude.com/features/techn...y-program-esp/


Handbrake turn: The front ABS goes nuts if you touch the brakes during an ebrake turn and locks up the outside front wheel creating understeer (which is the exact opposite of the desired effect of light-moderate application of brakes while ebraking), so you've got to retrain yourself to operate the brakes independently which means drastically reduced control (although I haven't tested this on a non-esp car, so it could just be a factor of the ABS system, much better when you pull the fuse for the whole system though =D; messes up brake bias though)