Wilwood vs Baer Brakes: Know Differences Before Choosing

Getting the best braking system not only enhances the performance of your four-wheeler but also ensures security. When choosing between the two most well-known braking systems, such as Wilwood and Baer, you need to know in depth about the differences.

The main differences between Wilwood and Baer brakes lie in their suitability for specific braking scenarios. Wilwood brakes excel in high-performance track braking with rapid deceleration, while Baer brakes are ideal for daily commuting with a smoother and more consistent braking feel.

In addition, Wilwood brakes are good for aftermarket replacement, and Baer brakes are quite expensive as a replacement. To get the details just keep reading!

Wilwood vs Baer Brakes: Comparison Table

The following comparison table between two most popular big brakes will help you understand the basic differences at a glance.

Factors	Wilwood	Baer
Performance	Good For Race Tracks	Good for regular roads and tracks
Installation Process	Easier	Comparatively Harder
Aesthetics	Appealing	Average
Heat Dissipation	Good	Above average
Brake Kit Materials	Premium and lightweight	Moderate and heavy
Additional Features	Do not have many features	Have safety features such as such dust boots
Customization Availability	Easily available	Hardly available
Price	Good for aftermarket replacement	Higher

Difference Between Wilwood And Baer Brakes

Now that you’ve seen the differences at a glance, it is time to take a good, in-depth look at the comparison between Wilwood and Baer brakes.

Real-Time Performance

Users have noticed some distinctive facts about each brake’s real-time road performance. Although the high-range kits from both companies perform equally in the lower range, in mid-range Wilwood beats Baer fair and square.

The Wilwood brakes are suitable for handling, and responding at high speeds, as the caliper has better biting than Baers. Moreover, Wilwood provides higher piston blocks in the calipers, enhancing the performance. 

That is why vehicles for race tracks prefer Wilwood brakes. On the other hand, Baer brakes have a soft bite to the rotors for smooth braking. This makes it more suitable for street tracks and commuter vehicles.

Overall Outlook

Brakes have a high impact on your vehicle’s outlook. In terms of aesthetics, Wilwood’s caliper and rotor assemblies are superior to Baer’s.

The highlighted colors, design, and shape of the calipers, thick rotors, etc. make the Wilwood brakes comparatively more outstanding than the Baer kits.

Additional Features

Baer is a comparatively newer company than Wildwood. Hence, they are trying more to engage the customers by providing some extra features. 

As such, the dust boots in the Baer brake kits have gotten more attention compared to the absence of dust boots in the Wilwood kits.

The effectiveness of the dust boots and weather seals improves the longevity of the Baer brake, giving it an upper hand over Wilwood. Again, Wilwood has safety wire holes drilled, which the Baer brake systems lack.

Heat Dissipation

As said earlier, Wilwood brakes are more centered on racing vehicles and tracks. Hence, compared to the Baer, the heat dissipation in Wilwood rotors is moderate.

The materials and hole patterns in the Baer rotors are made for better heat dissipation, resulting in more repeatability and less fading over time.

After Sales Service

Wilwood has been the primary OEM brake supplier for brands such as Harley Davidson and John Deere. Users have reported smooth, liquid pre and post-sales service from Wilwood.

In case you need a spare part, you’ll get one next morning as there’s a wide range of dealership networks all over North American regions. Again, Wilwood has a zero-debt reputation and a huge manufacturing facility of its own.

This ensures the security of the service in the future. Baer, on the other hand, is a comparatively new company trying to cope with providing everything a consumer demands to build up a reputation for upcoming competition.

Ease of Installation

Baer uses metric bolts in the assembly. Hence, it makes it harder to set up the brake kit without a professional’s assistance. However, Wilwood uses an SAE bolt system that makes it easier to install and remove the brake setup.

As a result, you do not need to pay extra to call in mechanics to set up your brake kits. Besides, changing the brake pads is much easier in Wilwood calipers than in Baer, giving Wilwood an advantage.

Customization Availability

When it comes to trial and error checks by changing brake pads, Wilwood has the upper hand. The Wilwood calipers are designed for releasing and installing the brake pads] without the need to pull off the caliper itself.

As a result, you can test your braking performance by changing the pads now and then quite easily. However, Baer offers more custom-designed brake kits, which are unavailable from Wilwood. 

Materials Used And Brake Pad Quality

When it comes to materials, Baer calipers are made of quite heavy metals, such as cast iron. This increases the overall weight and causes comparatively more wear on the brake pads.

On the other hand, Wilwood calipers are very lightweight, which enhances the overall braking performance. Moreover, Wilwood pads tend to wear less.

Wet Surface Performance

The real caliber of brake kits is found on wet road surfaces. Users have reported that Baer brake kits have great braking performance on wet roads.

However, Wilwood’s brakes are also satisfactorily good, but equally good as Baer’s brakes.

Pricing of Brake Kits

Here comes the big question. Wilwood offers slightly better pricing than the Baer kits. On average, you’ll have to pay $500 or more for the Baer kits than for Wilwood. 

Nevertheless, you won’t be getting many features like the Wilwood brakes, from the reputation to real-time performance, for so much money.

Read Also: StopTech Brakes vs. Brembo: What Should Be Your Choice?

Similarities Between Wilwood And Baer Brakes

Apart from the differences, both Wilwood and Baer brake kits also possess some noteworthy similarities which are as follows:

• Firstly, both Wilwood and Baer kits deliver state-of-the-art braking performance.
• High-end build quality of the caliper and rotors.
• Available in basic 2-piston setup to 6-piston setup for heavy duties.
• Effective venting system for good heat dissipation. 

Wilwood or Baer: Which Should Be Your Choice?

When it comes to choosing one from Wilwood or Baer, I would lean toward Wilwood brake kits. Wilwood brakes have a long-term reputation in the field of braking technology, with enormously positive reviews from users. 

Its strong yet lightweight caliper with thicker rotors ensures powerful braking performance on any track. Last but not least, its lower price and smooth after-sales service make me want to pick Wilwood over Baer.

Read Also: Brembo Vs. Wilwood Brakes: A Comprehensive Guide

FAQs

You might want to take a look at the following answered questions for a better understanding of Baer and Wilwood brakes.

Are Wilwood’s big brakes better than the OEM brakes?

Wilwood brakes would be perfect for your vehicle if you are planning to convert it to a performance one. However, for a daily driven car, OEM brakes would do just fine.

Do Baer brakes offer more color options?

Baer brakes give you more color options to match your requirements. Hence, you can also improve the aesthetics of your car, including the braking performance.

Where is Wilwood Brake made?

Wilwood is a completely USA-based company that makes performance brakes for high-end vehicles. The manufacturing and distribution center of Wilwood resides in California.

Read Also: Wagner Vs Bosch Brakes: A Detailed Comparison