Before getting into their differences, let’s first talk about what really matters.
Your tires actually do the stopping, not the breaks. You can improve your car’s stopping power through suspension changes so the rear tires share the load with the front tires.
Still, we want the best no matter what we buy with our hard-earned money. So which brand to rely on?
Both Baer and Wilwood are reliable brands but we’re personally more inclined towards Baer because their kits are complete with everything you’ll need for the change, properly sealed from dust and other elements, and easiest to install. But they do cost you more for the added benefits.
But Wilwood isn’t a newcomer in the industry and they know what they are doing. So, you’ll be fine with their products as well and save some money along the way.
Let’s get to know more about these brands and how their offerings differ.
Baer Brakes
Baer manufactures high performance brake systems that are lightweight and efficient. Their brakes are designed to provide you a safe halt every time you’re cruising down or speeding up.
With the finest materials, Baer manufactures a range of brake related parts and components, from rotors to brake pads, that you might need for a complete brake system update. They have manufacturing facilities in the USA.
Wilwood Brakes
Wilwood also designs and manufactures high-performance disc brakes that are available for all types of competitive motorsports. Additionally they manufacture brakes for utility vehicles, industrial applications, agricultural equipment, quads, snowmobiles, military vehicles, and motorcycles.
Wilwood brakes are manufactured in the USA with the use of up-to-date manufacturing facilities and computer-aided design and materials.
Baer vs Wilwood brakes: How they differ
-
Performance
Baer Brakes
Baer brakes are well known for their superb performance and outstanding quality. They offer a complete braking system upgrade that gives your car more stopping power.
They are mainly used in sports cars to provide extreme performance in drag racing, rock-crawling, and other road races or pro touring. They ensure a superb performance level in conditions like endurance runs, heavy use, and heat.
Wilwood Brakes
Wilwood brakes also assure high performance in any challenging situations. Wilwood rotors, brake pads and clippers are built to tackle high-temp, harsh road conditions with confidence.
They are used in motorsport cars that require a high performance braking system for the difficult track conditions. They also offer a complete braking system upgrade.
-
Price
Baer Brakes
Baer brake parts are comparatively more expensive as they are made of quality materials.
Wilwood Brakes
The best part is that Wilwood provides quality brake components at affordable prices. They have a huge product list and the price range mainly depends on the product features.
-
Warranty
Baer Brakes
Baer offers a 90-day warranty on each of their products to the original purchaser but the “Baer brake kits” have a one-year warranty against any manufacturing defects.
However, the warranty doesn’t cover brake finishes like plating or powder coating and damage to any parts due to misuse or abuse.
Wilwood Brakes
Wilwood has no warranty policy on any of their products, which is a little disappointing but then again, remember that they are cheaper than Baer brakes.
-
Big Brake Kits
Baer Brakes
Baer was the first to offer premium big brake kits. It is the standard for a brake upgrade package of larger wheels. Larger wheels let you use a big brake kit that increases the braking power significantly.
Baer big brake kits usually come with:
- Larger diameter rotors
- Improved calipers
- Brake Pads
- Other necessary hardware
Wilwood Brakes
There are a number of Wilwood big brake kits with each serving a unique purpose. For instance, the “Wilwood Forged Narrow Superlite 6R” kit is for 17”-18” or larger wheels.
Although each kit may have a particular purpose, all of them come with the same parts.
A Wilwood big brake kit usually contains:
- Larger rotors (drilled and/or slotted), 14” or bigger
- High-friction brake pads
- Caliper brackets
- Calipers
- Other necessary hardware
-
Materials
The more heat a brake system can dissipate, the better it will perform. Baer usually manufactures braking components with aluminum or stainless steel.
Baer Brakes
Baer calipers are made of forged aluminum and have spring tension clips and stainless steel abutment. They help protect the calipers body from damage caused by the pad backing plate. There’s reduced noise level since the “spring tension clips” limit the pad movement by keeping pressure on it.
Baer also applies dust and weather seals to protect the caliper pistons from dust and dirt. Moreover, each of the calipers features banjo fittings instead of pipe thread. This is a better way to add a hose to a brake caliper.
Wilwood Brakes
Aluminum and stainless steel are mainly used by Wilwood to manufacture the different braking components. They use quality aluminum alloy to build the Forged Billet Hub and calipers, and the caliper pistons are made of stainless steel.
Wildwood uses aluminum, iron, carbon ceramic, Spec 37 iron alloy, titanium and stainless steel to manufacture rotors through different designs. They use different coatings like red or gloss black on the rotor and caliper surfaces to protect from dust and corrosion.
-
Maintenance
Baer Brakes
Installing a Baer brake is super easy as Baer assembles the hub by installing all the races and bearings before sending them to you. This means you just have to lock it with the control arms.
Baer offers high performance disc brakes for regular or sports vehicles that are easier to maintain. Baer calipers come with a ceramic coating finish from the start that benefits them from dust and helps to last longer.
Wilwood Brakes
The disc brake systems of Wilwood can be maintained without much effort as the calipers have a single moving part. They are easy to clean and replace as they are conveniently accessible and the rotors are corrosion-resistant due to having a black E-coat finish.
What’s more, you won’t need to remove the hub when you’re disassembling the caliper or the rotor.
FAQs
Does Baer offer custom color caliper finishes?
Ans: Baer offers caliper finishes in numerous colors to match your car color. They also offer custom logos on calipers.
Is a Wilwood big brake kit better than the stock car brakes?
Ans: Most stock car brakes perform well for regular street driving but the use of a Wilwood big brake kit helps improve the overall performance, providing more stopping power for safe driving.
Can I convert my car’s stock brake into a Wilwood disc brake?
Ans: Wilwood has “Disc brake conversion kits” through which you can easily change your vehicle’s stock brakes to disc brakes.
Leave a Comment