How NOT To Get Scammed Buying Fake AP Racing Brakes

Upgrading your Corvette with AP Racing brakes is a great idea. Just make sure you are buying genuine parts.

Upgrading your brake system is a popular and wise decision if you plan to push your Corvette on the track. A big brake kit from AP Racing is an excellent option. In fact, I just recommended it to C8 Z06 owners in a recent article. The kits are not inexpensive. Although the price is justified as they are not only high quality but one of the most important safety features you can have on your car. That being said, since they are pricey folks are always looking for bargains. That often means turning to the internet to look for kits that someone is selling. You may score a great deal that way. Or you may be out thousands of dollars because an unscrupulous seller just scammed you.

Scammers are scum but thankfully there are some incredible companies out there such as Essex Parts. They are a Corvette Forum vendor that not only sells genuine AP Racing brake kits but will show you how to spot poor quality fakes. A video was recently posted on the Josh Van Veld’s Racing Mind YouTube channel. In that video Van Veld describes his experience in getting scammed when purchasing an AP Racing brake kit online. The video also shows the incredible response by the good folks at Essex Parts who describe to us in great detail the differences between a genuine and fake brake kit. It is a 30-minute video that can literally save you thousands of dollars.

Brake Components

Jeff Ritter is the manager of the high-performance division at Essex. Ritter hits on all the flags that you should be on the look out for when purchasing an AP Racing brake kit. We will get into the specifics in a moment. But one of the key things to remember is that a big brake kit is made up of several components. There are the calipers, the discs, caliper adapter brackets, and so on. If any one of those components is not authentic then the whole system is useless. Being scammed out of several thousand dollars is bad enough. But the last thing you want to do is to risk your life in a car that has ill-fitting or poor-quality brake components. The system that Van Veld bought actually did contain authentic AP Racing calipers. The problem was with some of the other components.

The Details

Ritter knew the calipers were authentic because every AP Racing caliper has a serial number next to the inlet port. That is pretty much the end of the good news for Van Veld. The disc hat was sourced from a company that is no longer in business. On top of that the hats are not designed to the same high quality specification that you would find on something from Essex. The iron disc ring is another issue. In this case it was a genuine AP Racing part as the part number is inscribed on the outside of the ring. But that does not mean it is equal to what Essex would supply.

The Essex units all have the J-Hook style slots in the rotors for better heat distribution. The disc Van Veld got is also a 48-vane disc. That is a lower vane count than you would find on the Essex parts. The higher vane count allows for better air flow and a more stable disc face. On top of these differences the way the disc hat connects to the disc is also subpar. But saving the worst for last are the caliper adapter brackets. Ritter calls the ones that came in the kit Van Veld got “terrifying.”

Be Safe

The one place you never want to go cheap is safety equipment. Buy the best helmet, brakes, seats, harnesses, and so on that you can afford. You are better off buying a cheap turbocharger(not that we recommend that either). But worst case you blowup your motor. That is preferable to your brakes failing as you approach a wall at 150 mph. But even if you commit to spending big money, make sure you are getting what you paid for. Research not just the product that you are buying but where you are buying it from. It can make all the difference.

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