Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibbo
How do these compare to APs and where you based?
|
Well, the "AP vs Alcon" or "Which Brake Kit" threads go on and on and on.
I can only tell you what I know myself and why I chose Alcon.
1. The first time I chose Alcon over AP (evo) was because there were so many reported problems with APs discs. Conversely rally teams I spoke to just laughed and said "er..Alcon!"
2. I had the alcon kit on my evo and they were just awesome. Any instructor who drove the car or anyone who made comparison couldn't believe the stopping power. The kit held up extremely well and I never had any issues.
3. For the CSL I guess Thorney could have made a branded kit with AP perhaps - or just standardised on AP, hell you could argue they might have shifted more kits at the lower AP price and made more money!! but they chose Alcon.
4. Ariel Atom - who's brakes are those? Oh why they are the same 4-pot monoblocs as fitted to the CSL rear...
So for me I've always viewed the AP kit as "fast road/track", what the in-crowd buys, but the alcon is what the pro's use. Flame me by all means but that's how I see it.
In terms of price difference, I think an AP kit is considerably cheaper - around £3k new whereas these are about £4.5k.
Technical differences ? well on the rears alcon supply new (348mm) discs, hubs as well as calipers, whereas AP just chuck a new caliper over the OEM discs. I guess this "should" mean that the rear brakes are uprated to match the fronts whereas perhaps the AP focusses more of the brake upgrade on the front. Dunno. As I said, these threads can go on and on and on.
The reality is, here we have a set of brakes which cannot be beaten on stopping power or longevity, have a track record (pun not intended) which shows zero issues with the kit, the discs don't crack and they are branded with CSL Cup which I think is a nice touch on a CSL.