GT versus ST Front brakes, Whats the difference Options

[scothaniel]

So whats the difference between the GT and ST front brakes?

I see the hub and knuckle are the same, but the caliper and rotors are not. Slight size increase for the GT?

[LewFX]

gt brake pads are larger than st

[Coomer]

The GT's front rotors are 277mm in diameter and 26mm thick, and the calipers are different to handle these rotors. The ST's front rotors are 255mm in diameter and 23mm thick.

[scothaniel]

Thats the info I was looking for - Thanks!

[Batman722]

other than just being bigger, are the GT front brakes really better than ST brakes ? is it just marginal or is a dramatic difference ?

[Batman722]

I am talking about only the front *

[Batman722]

other than just being bigger, are the GT front brakes really better than ST brakes ? is it just marginal or is a dramatic difference ?

?

[Batman722]

anyone ?

[TheStreetzKing]

dustin u drive a gt and an st, u cant find outt??

[Batman722]

dustin u drive a gt and an st, u cant find outt??

I am talking only the front with differences. The ST with the rear drums and the GT with disks are a big difference. The reason I am asking is I might be about to get some GT fronts to replace my ST fronts, I am wondering if it is worth it or just going to be basically the same.

need some opinions...

[Jdog1385]

dustin u drive a gt and an st, u cant find outt??

I am talking only the front with differences. The ST with the rear drums and the GT with disks are a big difference. The reason I am asking is I might be about to get some GT fronts to replace my ST fronts, I am wondering if it is worth it or just going to be basically the same.

need some opinions...

if you have a larger rotor and bigger pads, the car will be able to stop in a shorter distance...im sure you knew that already. but the difference between 255mm and 277mm, however marginal, can make a big difference.

one reason not to do it is b/c you're not adding any hp to the motor so you really dont need more stopping power.

[lagos]

id guess to say that since they are bigger then they are better, but you probably wont really notice the change. if anything i would consider upgrading your brake pads on the st

[scothaniel]

I thought manufactures based the size of the brakes primarily to vehicle weight for general applications (cars like the Evo and Vette not being considered general application).

Since the GT is heavier then the ST (according to edmunds) and Toyota considered the Celica's a general application, then using the GT brakes on a stock ST probably would not make much of a difference for the average driver. If you were pushing your brakes more then the average driver, you would probably get a little more out of the GT brakes - less fade when hot, etc... If you have an ST with a motor swap though, the GT brakes would probably help with the increased weight.

I was asking about the differences because I have a spare set of GT brakes in the garage and ST's fronts are shot - and the ST rotors are acutally more expensive then the GT's! Since its still snowing here I dont want to swap over to the GT4 fronts yet (snow tires wouldn't fit) but I need to do something to get through to spring.

This post has been edited by scothaniel: Mar 6, 2006 - 4:45 PM

[Batman722]

well I bought the 2 front GT calipers (rebuilt) with new pads for $80...now I need new rotors...

[Kwanza26]

The actual contact surface on the pads and rotors are about the same. The caliper pistons are about the same. The only major difference is the diameter of the rotor. I'd say overall... it's mostly for looks...

[scothaniel]

now I need new rotors.

Nopi onlne has brembo's for pretty cheap.

[JoKeRkId613]

Since its still snowing here I dont want to swap over to the GT4 fronts yet (snow tires wouldn't fit) but I need to do something to get through to spring.

I thought GT4 front brakes wouldn't fit unless you have the entire SuperStrut setup... Also, isn't there more modification needed other than calipers and rotors to convert the front end of ST brakes to those of the GT?

[scothaniel]

Yeah, I've got the super-struts, fig 8's, etc..

The master cylinders are the same between models, but the booster and proportioning valves are different - nothing some wildwood replacements cant fix.

[JoKeRkId613]

Yeah, I've got the super-struts, fig 8's, etc..

The master cylinders are the same between models, but the booster and proportioning valves are different - nothing some wildwood replacements cant fix.

Cool. How hard is it to swap the entire suspension? Also, is the SuperStrut better? I hard they don't really have too many spring options. Is it possible to swap the rear suspension also?

[scothaniel]

It's extremely easy to swap out. The springs are the same as the GT's, so there are options for upgrades.

The super-struts are supposed to be very good for auto-x, but the fig-8's are prone to break down. I've heard that quite a few people swap the struts out with standard struts.

Rears are only compatable with the awd system.