So what is the verdict, better feel in the pedal but are stopping distances indeed shorter.
Usually, aftermarket brakes are lucky to match stock brakes for single stop cold braking distance. Where they really shine is under repeated braking events when brake fade is the main concern. But in the case of the 300C, there was at least 12 feet in stopping distance from 60 mph left on the table by Chrysler. Steve Ruiz, the lead engineer at StopTech, was almost beside himself, due to the massive reduction is stopping distance over stock brakes using the stock Continental tires. He was able to get the 300C into the range of sports cars like the 3rd gen RX-7 and the BMW M3.
I have the front brakes on my 300C now and will be installing the rear brakes on Friday. I'll let you know how the car performs after I install and bed the system in.
I installed the StopTech brake kit on the right rear of my 300C yesterday, but ran into a sealing problem with the prototype line that only showed up during bleeding. The factory hard line uses a non-standard line nut with an extended tip. This didn't allow the flare bubble to seat properly with the StopTech line fitting. So I reverted back to stock. StopTech is finalizing the rear kit in the next couple of weeks and will include a special mounting bracket and appropriate fittings to make this a plug and play kit. Mine was a pre-production brake line fitting that was going to require custom bracket fabrication on my part, but that's because I didn't want to wait. I may try to modify the tip of the factory hard line to make it work with the fittings I have on hand, but I'll probably run out of time before Christmas. We'll see.
Apart from the difficulty with the rear line not sealing, the kit was a breeze to install. Unlike almost every other rear kit I've installed, no trimming was required to the rotor backing plate/dust shield. The kit just bolted in place of the stock brakes. I took a few photos to compare the stock and aftermarket parts and show what it will look like when installed.
The StopTech 355mm x 32mm rear rotors are huge compared to the factory rotors. They are 10mm thicker and 35mm larger in diameter.
StopTech rotor (left) and stock 300C rotor (right)
StopTech rotor (left) and stock 300C rotor (right)
The difference in the caliper size is equally impressive. The stock, 1-piston floating rear calipers are tiny next to the StopTech 4-piston fixed calipers.
Stock caliper (top) and StopTech caliper (bottom)
Stock caliper (top) and StopTech caliper (bottom)
When everything comes together and the components are installed, the look is amazing. In the first shot below, you can see why the stock (and StopTech) calipers are located in a leading position (9:00). At the 3:00 position, the calipers would interefere with the lower control arm and the rear swaybar end link.
I'll keep you posted on the progress in getting the rear kit installed on my car and on availability for ordering. And, of course, I'll show some photos behind the stock and the Magnum Rt wheels.
Those brakes are a beaut.
How much do they weigh vs. stock?
The stock 2-piston, floating front calipers weigh 12.2 pounds each with pads. The 1-piece, cast iron 345mm x 28mm front rotors weigh 23 pounds each.
Stock front 2-piston floating caliper and 345mm x 28mm 1-piece, cast iron rotor
The StopTech 4-piston calipers (front and rear) weigh 8 pounds each without pads, and 10 pounds with pads.
The front StopTech floating 355mm x 32mm rotors & hats weigh 18 pounds. The rear StopTech floating 355mm x 32mm rotors & hats weigh 20 pounds.
StopTech 4-piston caliper and floating 355mm x 32mm rotor
(rear shown - for some reason, I didn't take a front photo with the wheel off!)
The reason the rear StopTech rotors are heavier than the front StopTech rotors, despite being the same size, is that the rear hats double as drums for the parking brake. So there's more material there.
I haven't weighed the stock rear calipers and 320mm x 20mm rear rotors yet. I'll let you know when I do.
Photos of the StopTech big brakes with stock wheels
We're getting rain right now, but they predicted snow tonight and tomorrow morning. So it was time to swap to the winter wheels on my BMW and Chrysler 300C. I use the stock 300C wheels for my snow tires and the Dodge Magnum RT wheels for my summer tires.
The reason I bought the Dodge wheels is because they are a more open design and I figured they would show off the big red brakes better. But darned if the stock wheels don't look pretty good too! The mirror finish on the spokes reflects the red calipers and makes them jump out.
It was just starting to rain when I took these photos, so the lighting was less than ideal. But you get the idea. When we get some nice weather and I get the rear brakes on, I'll take lots of beauty shots.
Too much for me, too. I'd love to drop 5-6 pounds per corner, but not at that cost.
You probably won't be dropping any weight at the rear of the car. The tiny stock rear calipers probably weigh the same or less than the giant StopTech 4-piston calipers. And the rear StopTech rotors might even be a pound or two heavier. We'll see when I weigh the stock stuff.
If your goal is purely performance, than 90 percent of the gain is found in replacing the front only. I would consider the rear upgrade to be mostly aesthetic. StopTech was able to achieve large reductions in stopping distance with just the front upgrade using the stock wheels and tires. The improvement in pedal feel comes almost entirely from the front kit. And if you plan to take your 300C to the track, the front brakes will be dealing with the vast majority of the heat. The thermal capacity of the rear brakes is not a major issue.
The pricing shouldn't be a surprise if you are at all familiar with Brembo and StopTech kit pricing. Typically, a Brembo front kit is 14" (355mm) is $3295 and 345mm rear kits are $2795, making a 4-wheel upgrade cost $6090. StopTech 14" front kits are usually priced at $700 less, making them $2595 and their rear 14" kits are usually $2495. When you order the entire 4-wheel kit, the cost drops by $95, over buying them separately, to $4995.
The list pricing of the StopTech front kit is not very different from what Todd at TCE was discussing for his upcoming Wilwood-based kit.
If your goal is performance, then the front StopTech kit is the biggest bang for the buck upgrade.
Speaking of pricing, I am in discussions with StopTech on introductory pricing for this kit. That hasn't been finalized and is pending the cost of the custom rear brake fittings and bracketry. The 300C rear kit is going to be more expensive than some other kits to manufacture, although certainly less expensive than some, like the Audi S4 which requires a billet parking brake caliper. The parking brake on the 300C is integrated under the rotor and is easily accommodated by fabricating the parking brake drum into the rear rotor hat.
Also keep in mind that your friendly StopTech or Brembo dealer is not constrained to sell at list price. They can't advertise at below list. But what they negotiate with their customers is totally between them and their customers.
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