Wilwood TCE Performance Big(gest) Brake Kit - 14" WS4 kit
TCE/WILWOOD Big Brake Kit- 14 x 1.25" rotors, WS4 Calipers and TCE custom brackets.
TCE Performance Products- http://www.tceperformanceproducts.com/
Car: 2009 WRX Hatch- 5x100 w/ Rota Gravel 18x8.5 +44 wheels
Box and Appearance - Very well packaged combo of parts directly from Wilwood and from TCE. Excellent and clear break-in instructions and a general (non-application specific) installation guide.
Install- Install was straight forward but requires some standard sized hex keys (american) versus the metric stuff I am used to- mostly for installing Hat on Rotor. Also requires RED loctite (not included) and Anti-seize (not included). Here is a brief step-by step after securely jacking up vehicle, removing wheels. Pre-assemble rotor to hat using a tiny dab of red loctite on each bolt. This is best to do in front of TV as it will take an hour or so. I also had to buy different bolts as the thread pitch of the TCE bracket did not match the stock pitch.
Some Install tips:
1. Remove calipers from vehicle but keep brake lines attached and let hang. You will need a breaker bar to free the 17mm backing bolts and space is limited. I found starting on the driver's side and turning the wheel to the right allowed the best access.
2. Remove rotors- you can do this a number of ways with force, or simply use 2 bolts on the face of the hat to "push the rotor off" of the hub. Using a Makita cordless driver, 2 bolts with 10mm heads and a socket, this took 15 seconds. Using a sand mallet took 5 minutes and a lot of patience and energy.
3. Using Tin Snips (the quick and dirty method), cut away the dust shield as close to the steering knuckle as possible. You can remove it completely, but that is a much larger project. This is super important for rotor clearance and will allow more air to flow into the backside of the rotor.
4. Install bracket onto the INSIDE of the stock tabs (towards the engine), the Stock was mounted on the outside, towards the fender opening- THIS IS CRITICAL AND NOT MENTIONED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS (but will likely be added)!
5. The rest is straight forward if you've done this before and/or covered in the instructions.
Effectiveness
The main goal for me was creating a braking system with fantastic feel, immense braking power for DOT-R or similar tires and the best heat management I could afford. After the bedding-in procedure, I re-bled the system (5 minutes per side) and the result is an amazing pedal feel! I had considered a Master Cylinder brace before, but the pedal is now rock solid and doesn't seem to require a full leg-press worth of effort to stop on a dime! 5-stars!!
Final Thoughts
I've heard mixed things over the years about Wilwood. The WS4 caliper is huge and is the WS6 body (6-piston) with only 4 pistons bored into it. I have always drooled over Brembo's, but the price on this kit was just over $2k for the fronts... and the experience is AMAZING. I even got a set of race pads for the track. I upgraded my rear brakes at the same time with pads and lines, and used RBF600, but will likely use Castrol LMK on the next go-round.
TCE service was awesome, the kit was at my door within 2 weeks, and having done a little R&D with the thread pitch, test-fit, etc, the ones you order will be perfect. This kit came with shims for caliper alignment but the machining from TCE was so precise I didn't have to use ANY and the alignment is perfect.
On the track and in the twisties my braking points are comically late and the pedal feel is linear and perfect. The main drawback to this particular kit is the need to run 18" wheels and making sure they clear the spokes. I have 18x8.5 Rota Gravel in +44 and they fit with plenty of room. 18" track tires are considerably more than 17's, and since I DO take my car to the mountains, I will have to ditch the snows and pick up some all-season options.
Even with the gigantic slotted rotors, the calipers and rotors come in slightly under stock WRX weight for what is twice the brake... F'in Awesome!
Pictures -
TCE/WILWOOD Big Brake Kit- 14 x 1.25" rotors, WS4 Calipers and TCE custom brackets.
TCE Performance Products- http://www.tceperformanceproducts.com/
Car: 2009 WRX Hatch- 5x100 w/ Rota Gravel 18x8.5 +44 wheels
Box and Appearance - Very well packaged combo of parts directly from Wilwood and from TCE. Excellent and clear break-in instructions and a general (non-application specific) installation guide.
Install- Install was straight forward but requires some standard sized hex keys (american) versus the metric stuff I am used to- mostly for installing Hat on Rotor. Also requires RED loctite (not included) and Anti-seize (not included). Here is a brief step-by step after securely jacking up vehicle, removing wheels. Pre-assemble rotor to hat using a tiny dab of red loctite on each bolt. This is best to do in front of TV as it will take an hour or so. I also had to buy different bolts as the thread pitch of the TCE bracket did not match the stock pitch.
Some Install tips:
1. Remove calipers from vehicle but keep brake lines attached and let hang. You will need a breaker bar to free the 17mm backing bolts and space is limited. I found starting on the driver's side and turning the wheel to the right allowed the best access.
2. Remove rotors- you can do this a number of ways with force, or simply use 2 bolts on the face of the hat to "push the rotor off" of the hub. Using a Makita cordless driver, 2 bolts with 10mm heads and a socket, this took 15 seconds. Using a sand mallet took 5 minutes and a lot of patience and energy.
3. Using Tin Snips (the quick and dirty method), cut away the dust shield as close to the steering knuckle as possible. You can remove it completely, but that is a much larger project. This is super important for rotor clearance and will allow more air to flow into the backside of the rotor.
4. Install bracket onto the INSIDE of the stock tabs (towards the engine), the Stock was mounted on the outside, towards the fender opening- THIS IS CRITICAL AND NOT MENTIONED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS (but will likely be added)!
5. The rest is straight forward if you've done this before and/or covered in the instructions.
Effectiveness
The main goal for me was creating a braking system with fantastic feel, immense braking power for DOT-R or similar tires and the best heat management I could afford. After the bedding-in procedure, I re-bled the system (5 minutes per side) and the result is an amazing pedal feel! I had considered a Master Cylinder brace before, but the pedal is now rock solid and doesn't seem to require a full leg-press worth of effort to stop on a dime! 5-stars!!
Final Thoughts
I've heard mixed things over the years about Wilwood. The WS4 caliper is huge and is the WS6 body (6-piston) with only 4 pistons bored into it. I have always drooled over Brembo's, but the price on this kit was just over $2k for the fronts... and the experience is AMAZING. I even got a set of race pads for the track. I upgraded my rear brakes at the same time with pads and lines, and used RBF600, but will likely use Castrol LMK on the next go-round.
TCE service was awesome, the kit was at my door within 2 weeks, and having done a little R&D with the thread pitch, test-fit, etc, the ones you order will be perfect. This kit came with shims for caliper alignment but the machining from TCE was so precise I didn't have to use ANY and the alignment is perfect.
On the track and in the twisties my braking points are comically late and the pedal feel is linear and perfect. The main drawback to this particular kit is the need to run 18" wheels and making sure they clear the spokes. I have 18x8.5 Rota Gravel in +44 and they fit with plenty of room. 18" track tires are considerably more than 17's, and since I DO take my car to the mountains, I will have to ditch the snows and pick up some all-season options.
Even with the gigantic slotted rotors, the calipers and rotors come in slightly under stock WRX weight for what is twice the brake... F'in Awesome!
Pictures -
