Rear brake upgrade

[gafx]

I'm getting my brake calipers powder coated but the look of the rear brakes on the 2015+ sedan is bugging me. This is a completely cosmetic upgrade, but if performance increases, all the better. I'm thinking to powder coat them a similar "burnt gold" color that nissan used on the GTR and Infiniti Brembo's. My Genesis is Empire State Gray.

I'm looking for a beefier look to the rear brakes, that aesthetically compliments the big front calipers. I've read that the Gen Coupe rear Brembo's will fit, but I've not seen anyone that has done that yet.

Has anyone tried the Coupe's rear Brembos?

Or, does anyone have any suggestions on larger rear brakes that match the look of the fronts? I'm open to any suggestions or advice anyone can offer, other than "don't do it, it's waste of money" etc.

Thanks!

 

[Midnightsun]

Even if they fit, the piston size will not be the same and the braking will be way off. You are right though, those rear calipers look like they came of a Yaris.

 

[Mark_888]

Even if they fit, the piston size will not be the same and the braking will be way off. You are right though, those rear calipers look like they came of a Yaris.

I usually keep cars until they have about 75,000 miles, but have never even come close to wearing out rear brake pads on any of them. The front brakes take the vast majority of the responsibility for stopping a car.

 

[gafx]

Even if they fit, the piston size will not be the same and the braking will be way off. You are right though, those rear calipers look like they came of a Yaris.

Yea, I was wondering on that... Does the brake system adjust and self balance, or will going bigger on the rear cause the system to be off?

I always thought that the hydraulics allowed the system to balance. Anyone know for sure if swapping rear calipers will throw things awry?

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[Midnightsun]

Brakes are actually darn simple. Basically you are just applying hydraulic pressure to a set of pistons when you press the brake pedal which in turn squeeze the pads against the rotor. The hydraulic system is very basic so there is no control so to say except for the pressure you apply with your foot. The only way this balances out is in design of the piston size of the caliper which determines how much pressure is supplied to the front set and rear set of pads. In other words, if you put the rear set in front and visa versa, the braking would now be (guessing here) 75% rear and 25% front. bottom line is you cannot just change brake calipers because they bolt on.

As an example, if Hyundai would have elected to increase the piston diameter by a few mm more both front and rear, the braking would be more sensitive than it is now and visa versa on a smaller diameter design. OR the same can be accomplished by the design of the master cylinder to allow it to apply more or less force when you press the pedal. Both methods will still rely on piston cross section differentials to determine the braking force split between from and rear.

 

[Midnightsun]

I usually keep cars until they have about 75,000 miles, but have never even come close to wearing out rear brake pads on any of them. The front brakes take the vast majority of the responsibility for stopping a car.

You obviously drive very slow and brake very lightly as the norm is around 50,000 miles however this is so relavant on how you drive. I am bad on brakes and if I get 50,000 km I am doing real good. My worst car ever for rear wear was my 1981 Toyota Supra. Rear pads every 16,000 km. Just had the Ford F150 done front and rear as the pads were almost non existant after 30,000 miles.

FYI, A very easy way to see if the pads are worn is if the brake fluid level is getting close to the add mark. IMHO it should be labeled as "Check Brake Pads" and not add. Only way you would need to add is if there is a leak somewhere which should be addressed immediately. A braking system is a closed system and does not lose or take fluid. As the pads wear, the pistons are further extended and therefor more oil is in the system hence the level in the bottle is reduced. Never top off the oil reservoir as if you do, next time you change the pads and compress the pistons back in, the bottle will overflow or have too much oil in it and will need to be removed.

 

[Mark_888]

You obviously drive very slow and brake very lightly as the norm is around 50,000 miles however this is so relavant on how you drive.

Actually, most of my miles are on the highway, where the number of times per mile that I brake is much less than when driving in the city. I usually drive about 5-7 mph over the speed limit.

But I do admit, that I don't unnecessarily wear out my brakes in city driving, since that is usually a waste of fuel also. Driving fast in the city rarely gets one to their destination any faster, it only gets one to the next red light or traffic jamb in front of you faster. Hurry up and wait.

 

[5 Timer]

Brakes are actually darn simple. Basically you are just applying hydraulic pressure to a set of pistons when you press the brake pedal which in turn squeeze the pads against the rotor. The hydraulic system is very basic so there is no control so to say except for the pressure you apply with your foot.

Really!!!

So the brake proportioning valve for limiting pressure to the rear brakes - or the Electronic Brake Force Distribution module incorporated into the ABS (antilock brake system) that detects and varies rear braking pressure based on deceleration rates, steering angle, etc. is just there for?......

Now add in traction and stability control sensors monitoring tire rotation, lateral acceleration/deceleration, steering angle, etc. And this is on your modern 'average' vehicle.

Step up to let's say... a new 2nd gen Genesis, with the AEB system which is tied to all the other assorted electronic modules that will even reduce engine power based on what sort of dynamics all these sensors are detecting at any given millisecond to keep the car under control.

All those design features (and more) are incorporated into the 'simple' brake system.

When the brakes are applied a whole lot of 'stuff' is happening. Bolting different rear calipers to a G2 and ignoring all the engineering that went into it is asking for endless technical headaches and probably some real unexpected surprises when that time comes for the brake system to perform the way it was designed in an emergency situation.

Good luck with swapping out calipers for cosmetic purposes.

 

[Midnightsun]

Really!!!

So the brake proportioning valve for limiting pressure to the rear brakes - or the Electronic Brake Force Distribution module incorporated into the ABS (antilock brake system) that detects and varies rear braking pressure based on deceleration rates, steering angle, etc. is just there for?......

Now add in traction and stability control sensors monitoring tire rotation, lateral acceleration/deceleration, steering angle, etc. And this is on your modern 'average' vehicle.

Step up to let's say... a new 2nd gen Genesis, with the AEB system which is tied to all the other assorted electronic modules that will even reduce engine power based on what sort of dynamics all these sensors are detecting at any given millisecond to keep the car under control.

All those design features (and more) are incorporated into the 'simple' brake system.

When the brakes are applied a whole lot of 'stuff' is happening. Bolting different rear calipers to a G2 and ignoring all the engineering that went into it is asking for endless technical headaches and probably some real unexpected surprises when that time comes for the brake system to perform the way it was designed in an emergency situation.

Good luck with swapping out calipers for cosmetic purposes.

You are getting way too technical for a forum but yes you are correct there is a lot more going on however no matter how you slice it or dice it, replacing a caliper with a different piston cross section will result in what I mentioned in my previous post, nothing more nothing less and a very bad idea. I do know a little about hydraulics after designing various systems for almost 40 years you know. :roll eyes:

 

[gafx]

Yep, got it! You guys convinced me, leave it alone. I always thought the electronic sensors would adjust the system as needed and account for any increases in braking power, kind of like going from all season tires to Pilot Super Sports with all the extra grip.

Like I said, this was 100% a cosmetic issue for me, as the rear calipers look puny in comparison to the fronts. Oh, well... Have to learn to live with it.

Thanks!

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[PMCErnie]

Mark 888 always recommends wearing a paper bag over our heads if anything about the Genesis embarrasses us. Good advice.