I'm curious as to why these Brembos fade so easily on our cars, I see EVO IVs and some older Xs with this issue...I've seen other Brembo equipped vehicles such as old SRT8s where their calipers still look great, and believe me the owner drove the **** out of that car so I know the brakes got a workout.

 

One possibility is that Evo Xs weigh more, so the brakes get hotter. Another is that they don't get as good air-flow, which might be why Mitsu sells a brake-cooling air-deflector for the front lower LCA.

 

Valid point, just wish they didn't have to be redone every so often. I hate the feeling knowing that in a couple of years my Brembos will have to be stripped down, repainted, and new vinyles thrown on.

 

Is the right time to mention that my TRF Wilwoods -- which weigh half as much as the OE Brembos, fit inside 15" wheels, and stop the car just as well (albeit not repeatedly) -- have not faded at all?

No?

OK, then I won't mention that my TRF Wilwoods -- which weigh half as much as the OE Brembos, fit inside 15" wheels, and stop the car just as well (albeit not repeatedly) -- have not faded at all.

 

I hear ya big money....last time I looked into Willwoods was when I had my '12 5.0. Lets just say that 2k was a little too much for me to validate spending it on brakes. Ill just stick to refurbishing my Brembo brakes lol

 

It's a combination of weight and airflow. I also speculate that it is a related to the size of the piston and thus the transfer of heat from the back of the pad to the caliper. This is something of a guess, but my old Volvo S60R used an identical caliper and she was heavier than the Evo. The difference was the piston size, as the Evo's are larger. Certainly this leads to increased stopping ability but I also think that the caliper may collect more heat from the pad. Additionally, the position of the caliper (opposite, for example, of a Subaru STi that uses an identically sized caliper and pad) does not lend itself to easy cooling. We use NACA ducts into 3" hose into an aluminum tube that blows air directly on the caliper and pad. It's not perfect but reasonably sophisticated.

Running Hawk DTC 70 or CL RC8 (my new favorite) heat is still an issue and we cook dust boots and seals every 4-5 events (3 times a season) and rotate two sets of front calipers to make sure a fresh set of seals and boots are in place. Regardless, the calipers are black, not brown, not dark red, black - like my coffee...

 

As I mentioned above, Mitsu is clearly aware of how the placement of the front calipers is sub-optimal for cooling, which is why they sell little wind-deflectors to mount on the lower LCA to aim air at the calipers.

One other issue to consider is whether you have the MR's 2-piece rotors or the GSR's 1-piece rotors. If you can get enough air to them, the MR's 2-piece rotors are better since less heat ends up in the wheel and wheel bearing. But, oddly enough, if you can't get air to them, the GSR's 1-piece might be better since the entire rotor and hat ends up acting as a heat-sink and the entire wheel ends up acting as a heat exchanger. Just watch the tire pressures and check the wheel bearings more often.

 

Point taken, thanks guys...

 

Well it's going to suck when my calipers are yellow. But I'm sure that'll be the least of my problems when my car is at 70,000+ miles.