View Poll Results: Blue Spoons
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 170. You may not vote on this poll
Spoon Calipers or keep em OEM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 51
I've had the Spoons for a couple of years. I'll admit that I first bought them for cosmetic reasons, and for the ease of pad swaps, and lighter weight.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
Calipers won't affect brake fade. That would be a function of the pads, rotor heat capacity, and brake cooling. If brake fluid is part of the problem it is pretty severe. It is unlikely the levels to boil brake fluid would be reached without intense track use or heavily overusing the brakes on a race track. And then only if the rotor mass is too low and/or there is insufficient cooling.
Most fade is when the pad is operating above its temperature range and its μ decreases. The racing pads also have a higher μ so for a given pedal pressure they develop more retarding force and generate more heat.
The advantage of a monoblock aluminum caliper like the spoon is increased caliper rigidity which improves feel and response and lighter weight. It is also a fixed piston caliper vs the floating standard caliper which reduces hysteresis and improves feel.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29,852
Likes: 5,415
From: Ontario Canada
Originally Posted by zeroptzero' timestamp='1430964915' post='23604168
I've had the Spoons for a couple of years. I'll admit that I first bought them for cosmetic reasons, and for the ease of pad swaps, and lighter weight.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
Calipers won't affect brake fade. That would be a function of the pads, rotor heat capacity, and brake cooling. If brake fluid is part of the problem it is pretty severe. It is unlikely the levels to boil brake fluid would be reached without intense track use or heavily overusing the brakes on a race track. And then only if the rotor mass is too low and/or there is insufficient cooling.
Most fade is when the pad is operating above its temperature range and its μ decreases. The racing pads also have a higher μ so for a given pedal pressure they develop more retarding force and generate more heat.
The advantage of a monoblock aluminum caliper like the spoon is increased caliper rigidity which improves feel and response and lighter weight. It is also a fixed piston caliper vs the floating standard caliper which reduces hysteresis and improves feel.
Well I still like my setup quite a bit, but I really don't track the car either.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 51
Originally Posted by DavidNJ' timestamp='1430970309' post='23604236
[quote name='zeroptzero' timestamp='1430964915' post='23604168']
I've had the Spoons for a couple of years. I'll admit that I first bought them for cosmetic reasons, and for the ease of pad swaps, and lighter weight.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
I've had the Spoons for a couple of years. I'll admit that I first bought them for cosmetic reasons, and for the ease of pad swaps, and lighter weight.
I just did a trip to the Dragon a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the performance of the brakes. No matter what I threw at them I could not get them to overheat, and zero fade. Very confidence inspiring when you get into a tight situation. I'm running the Spoons with Carbotech 1521 street oriented pads and drilled & slotted one-piece rotors (M-sports).
When I ran my oem brakes, rotors, and pads in similar driving conditions I would get some fade, with the current setup it felt like my brakes could take stop me under any conditions. I was thoroughly impressed. A friend of mine who also ran the Spoons at the Dragon reported similar results, where he couldn't get them to overheat or fade under any conditions he could throw at them. Despite them not being a true BBK, they do still offer some performance upgrade.
Calipers won't affect brake fade. That would be a function of the pads, rotor heat capacity, and brake cooling. If brake fluid is part of the problem it is pretty severe. It is unlikely the levels to boil brake fluid would be reached without intense track use or heavily overusing the brakes on a race track. And then only if the rotor mass is too low and/or there is insufficient cooling.
Most fade is when the pad is operating above its temperature range and its μ decreases. The racing pads also have a higher μ so for a given pedal pressure they develop more retarding force and generate more heat.
The advantage of a monoblock aluminum caliper like the spoon is increased caliper rigidity which improves feel and response and lighter weight. It is also a fixed piston caliper vs the floating standard caliper which reduces hysteresis and improves feel.
Well I still like my setup quite a bit, but I really don't track the car either.
[/quote]
Think about it...brake fluid boils in the 500°F-600°F range. Severe use pads (e.g. Hawk DTC-70s) are good for 1500°F or so temperatures. The fluid is separated from the pad by what? 1/4"? Brake cooling is ducted to the rotor not the caliper.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,841
Likes: 1,702
From: Illnoise. WAY downtown, jerky.
The fluid is seperated from the pad by the thickness of the pad PLUS the height/length of the piston.
So...a lot more than 1/4".
The FACE of the pad and the rotor surface is where all the heat is created. It dissipates and becomes much cooler everywhere else.
Your caliper seals and dust boots probably would melt or distort at the 500 or 600 degree F DRY boiling point of high performance fluid. If you boiled DRY fluid at that temp....at anywhere except a very specific pocket near the piston of the caliper...you'd cause permanent damage to quite a few components.
So...a lot more than 1/4".
The FACE of the pad and the rotor surface is where all the heat is created. It dissipates and becomes much cooler everywhere else.
Your caliper seals and dust boots probably would melt or distort at the 500 or 600 degree F DRY boiling point of high performance fluid. If you boiled DRY fluid at that temp....at anywhere except a very specific pocket near the piston of the caliper...you'd cause permanent damage to quite a few components.
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 396
Likes: 8
I've heard that the benefits of spoon calipers are relatively better cooling, and lighter weight, and that's about it. It being a larger caliper means that it dissipates heat quicker than the stock caliper, but that also goes for any other BBK's.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 51
Heat dissipation is not a major caliper design issue. If it was, brake ducting to the caliper and fins on the caliper would be common. Calipers would be made heavier to increase their heat capacitance. The heat is dissipated from the rotor which is large and heavy, has lots of surface area with internal cooling fins, and often has cooling air ducted to it.
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 396
Likes: 8
That said though, if I ever move to 18" wheels, the stock brakes will look really weird with gigantic wheels, I'd buy the spoon set for some weight savings and a better wheel look if I had the cash.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 51
Originally Posted by Mugen_is_best' timestamp='1462831539' post='23961685
If all the op is looking for is some bling for contrast, then he should save the money. If he drives canyon/autoX/track the car, then he shouldn't be polling and should already have a set 
That said though, if I ever move to 18" wheels, the stock brakes will look really weird with gigantic wheels, I'd buy the spoon set for some weight savings and a better wheel look if I had the cash.
If that was so critical rear brakes would also be converted; instead changes to the rear focus on vented rotors with either modified stock or RX7 calipers. When a difference is perceived it is more likely from new rotors/pads/calipers vs old, different pad compounds, or different front/rear brake bias.
For high heat dissipation in track use, brake cooling, increased rotor heat capacity, and the correct pad for temperature range encountered would be the key issue. On this forum, cracking rotors and pad selection seem to be the big traction issues.
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
Likes: 1
Spoon monoblock = biggest selection of pads because the aftermarked support not other calipers have more brake pads support that the oem and the spoon used oem size pads and more economic ones ,not dust boots is better for track dust boot burn went the brakes get really hot , ss pistons and the thickness i ever see on a caliper protect the fluid of boiling , monoblock design more rigid and the best design all top racers used monoblock design for something , made in japan not a Chinese crap ,do not f@#k bias and abs Final they look awesome