Brake Kits - What Do They Do?

Auto-braking systems have rolled a long way down the road from when manufacturer-only options were the only game in town. Part of this evolution has to do advancements in technology and more affordable prices along with consumers’ interest aftermarket parts, especially performance parts.

DIYers have encouraged component providers and supply-chain folks to work together to deliver options ranging from single components to more complex brake kits that include every brake component you’ll need in one neat package.

What Are Brake Kits?

A brake kit lets you upgrade a vehicle’s braking system for a single price. Kits usually include rotors, calipers, and pads.

These in-the-box systems are specialized and suited to particular vehicle uses. For example, some kits are tailored to daily-driver use whereas others are purpose-built for high-performance, track-only, fleet, hauling or trailer applications.

There are even other kits that include subordinate components like pads, wear sensors, lines, fluids, hydraulic, repair kits, and rotor rings. This is where the third-party provider comes in. Often times, pieces of kits come from different manufacturers.

There’s also something called a big brake kit. You can learn more about those here.

How Brake Kits Are Used In Consumer And Performance Segments

The short answer to this brake kit question is pretty straightforward, although things can get complicated quickly if a customer hasn’t ever seen a cluster of unrelated parts lying in the bottom of a box. Here are a couple of tips when opening a brake kit for the first time.

Once you have the package open, locate the shipping list and identify each component in the box along with installation instructions.
As you identify each part, lay it out on in order that it’s listed. This way if you get lost during the work process, you can return back home to the start of the process.
Now get all your tools out.
Remove the parts from the vehicle. Place old parts on the workbench in the same order they are taken off. As you go, compare old parts with new parts to make sure the new components are correct. This can save a lot of time. If two parts don’t look the same, it is likely that something has gone wrong. If so, call the Buy Brakes team before you get further into the re-build.
Follow the specific instructions offered by the re-build kit manufacturer.

What Types Of Brake Kits Are On The Market?

Most major aftermarket brake kit providers offer similar levels of product performance. As mentioned, these typically include consumer or daily driver kits, street performance, track-only, heavy-duty, and commercial. Be sure to research providers before you buy. Some will say they stock parts and kits but they don’t always.

What Major Brake Kit Brands Are Available?

You can never go wrong with the following major manufacturers, particularly when it comes to performance, and in most cases, price.

This list is only a partial list of what’s in today’s brake kit market. However, these providers should give you a pretty good start on your upgrade.