Late Model Import Brakes

During World War II, U.S. servicemen stationed overseas got their first chance to drive an English sports car. MGs, Jaguars and Austin Healeys became very popular with the soldiers. When they returned home from the war they wanted to be able to buy the stylish, sporty vehicles, prompting a crop of new import dealerships to open in the early ‘50s.

In the mid-‘50s, two additional sport imports reached the United States: the Volkswagen Beetle and the Porsche. The VW was reasonably priced and the Porsche offered exceptional handling; both cars offered excellent gas mileage. Meanwhile, the French imported the Renault to the U.S., gaining a small market share.

In the 1960s and 70’s, imported cars became more popular with the American public. Datsun (now Nissan), Toyota, Mercedes and BMW opened dealerships and advertised their vehicles as dependable and sporty.

Wilwood Engineering has brake kits for most of these popular imported vehicles, as well as the Acura Integra, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Evo and Nissan 350Z. Wilwood offers the Forged Dynalite Big Brake Front Brake Kit (Hat), part number 140-8695, featuring Dynalite calipers in a black and red powder coat finish and 11.00-inch rotors available in a standard HP or drilled and slotted SRP style. This kit is available for Acura, Honda and Mitsubishi imports.

Another popular kit for many imports is the Dynapro Radial Big Brake Front Kit, part number 140-8528, featuring Dynapro calipers in a black or red powder coat finish and 12.19-inch rotors in a standard HP or drilled and slotted SRP style that bolt directly to the hub assembly. This kit is available for the Mini Cooper, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volkswagen imports. The Dynapro 6 Big Brake Front Hat Kit, part number 140-10736, is another brake improvement designed for cars that require a large, powerful braking system. The Dynapro caliper is available in a black powder coat finish with 12.19-inches rotors in a standard HP or drilled and slotted SRP rotor style. This kit is commonly used on Acuras.

One of the most popular kits for both imports and late model General Motors cars is the SL6 Big Brake Front Hat Kit, part number 140-8797. The kit features the big six-piston SL6 caliper that is available in a black powder coat finish. This kit can be used with 12.88, 13.06 or 14.00-inch rotors available in the slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. This kit is used with BMW, late model GM, late model Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Acura and Subaru cars.

The final disc brake kit that is popular with import and domestic cars is the Forged Superlite 4 Big Brake Front Kit, part number 140-9194. The forged Superlite caliper is available in a black finish and works with rotors ranging in size from a 12.19 to a 13.00-inch diameter in a slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. This kit was developed for Ford, Nissan and Scion cars.

Wilwood also has rear brake kits that fit most small imports with front-wheel-drive like the Combination Parking Brake Rear Kit, part number 140-10206. This kit features the combination parking brake that uses hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder for stopping power and an internal mechanical lock for the parking brake. The caliper can be used together with a range of rotors from 11.00 to 12.88-inches and is available with a standard HD, a slotted GT and a drilled and slotted SRP rotor style. This kit was developed for Ford, Acura and Honda cars. The other popular rear brake kit is the Dynapro Rear Kit for OE Parking Brake, part number 140-8798.

This kit features Dynapro calipers in a black finish and is compatible with the original internal drum parking brake mechanism. The hat hubs are designed to fit the individual applications. This brake kit uses rotor diameters from 12.19 to 12.88-inches available in a standard HD, slotted GT and drilled and slotted SRP style. This brake kit is used with BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, General Motors and Subaru cars.

If you have any questions about the brake kits Wilwood offers or want to find out if there is a specialty shop that makes a brake kit for your sports car, contact the Wilwood tech line at: (805) 388-1188 or email Sales/Tech Support.