DBA Brakes for the Kia Stinger: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

DBA makes 4000 Series T3 slotted rotors for both Kia Stinger brake systems, but the front and rear part numbers change depending on whether your car has the factory Brembo package or the standard brakes. Stingers with Brembo calipers use a 350 mm front and 340 mm rear rotor; the standard brake cars use a 320 mm front rotor and a smaller solid rear rotor. Identify your system first, then pick the matching DBA part.

Step One: Figure Out Which Stinger Brakes You Have

The Stinger (chassis code CK) was sold with two very different brake setups, and no DBA rotor fits both. Brembo's own replacement catalog lists these factory rotor sizes for the Stinger built from mid-2017 through 2023:

The quickest check is to look through the wheel spokes. The Brembo package has a painted caliper with the Brembo name on it and multiple pistons, fixed in place over the rotor. The standard setup uses a plainer sliding caliper. If you are still not sure, measure the rotor face edge to edge: a 350 mm rotor is about 13.8 inches across, a 320 mm rotor about 12.6 inches. Trim alone is not a reliable guide, because brake packages varied by model year and market, so always confirm with your eyes or a tape measure before you order.

DBA Rotors That Fit the Kia Stinger

These are the DBA 4000 Series T3 slotted rotors we carry for the Stinger. Each is sold individually, so order two for an axle.

• Brembo front: DBA 43342S front slotted rotor for Stingers with Brembo brakes. This is the 350 mm x 30 mm application for the GT twin turbo cars.
• Brembo rear: DBA 43343S rear slotted rotor for the Stinger 3.3L V6. Retail spec sheets list it at 340 mm diameter, 22 mm thick, vented, with a 69 mm center bore and five studs.
• Standard-brake front: DBA 43340S 320 mm front slotted rotor for Stingers without the Brembo package.
• Rear, other application: DBA 43341S rear slotted rotor. Because the Brembo rear is covered by 43343S, measure your rear rotor before ordering this one; the standard rear is a thin solid disc, not a vented one.

A simple rule: 43342S and 43343S go together on Brembo cars, and 43340S goes on the front of standard-brake cars. Mixing a Brembo-size rotor onto a standard caliper, or the reverse, will not work, because the caliper bracket spacing and rotor thickness are different.

What the DBA 4000 Series T3 Actually Changes

The 4000 Series is DBA's one-piece direct-replacement rotor. It bolts on in place of the factory disc with no brackets or spacers. According to DBA, it differs from a plain replacement rotor in a few specific ways:

• High-carbon alloyed iron cast to handle sustained high temperatures, which helps it resist cracking and heat-related vibration on hard use.
• Thermal Stability Profiling (TSP), a heat treatment that DBA says realigns the iron's structure for better stability and longer life.
• Kangaroo Paw ventilation on vented rotors: pillars in diamond and teardrop shapes instead of straight vanes. DBA claims up to 30 percent more internal surface area and about 20 percent better cooling than a straight-vane design.
• T3 slots, CNC-machined in a tri-symmetrical pattern. DBA's stated purpose is to give pad dust and gases more places to escape, for a quieter, more responsive pedal.
• Thermographic paint marks on the rotor that change color at set temperatures, so you can see how hot the brakes have run after a hard drive or a track day.

For a Stinger owner, the practical payoff is on the GT: it is a heavy, fast car, and a factory rotor that has been heat-cycled hard often ends up with pedal pulsation. A rotor built to shed heat and stay flat is the direct answer to that complaint. On a standard-brake car driven on the street, the benefit is more about bite, pad cleaning and looks than outright capacity.

Signs Your Stinger Rotors Are Due

• Steering wheel shake or pedal pulsation under braking from highway speed. This usually means uneven pad deposits or thickness variation on the front rotors.
• A lip at the outer edge of the rotor face you can catch with a fingernail, which shows real wear.
• Thickness at or below minimum. Measure with a micrometer at several points. Brembo lists 28 mm minimum on the 350 mm front and 20 mm on the 340 mm rear. Use the number stamped on your own rotor or in the service manual if it differs.
• Blue heat marks or cracks spreading from the edge, common after repeated hard stops or track use.
• Grinding, which means the pad backing plate has reached the rotor. Replace pads and rotors together at that point.

Pads and Parts to Replace at the Same Time

New rotors need new pads. Old pads are worn to the shape of the old rotor surface and carry its deposits, which is a common cause of noise and pulsation on a fresh set of rotors. For the twin turbo cars we carry EBC Redstuff ceramic front pads for the Stinger 3.3L twin turbo and the matching EBC Redstuff ceramic rear pads, a low-dust street compound that pairs well with a slotted rotor. You can also browse our full range of ceramic brake pads.

While the wheels are off:

• Clean and lubricate the caliper slide points and pad contact points, and replace worn anti-rattle clips from a brake hardware kit.
• Check the flexible hoses for cracks or swelling; replacements are in our brake hoses section.
• Look at the brake fluid. Dark fluid has absorbed moisture, which lowers its boiling point, and that matters on a car that gets driven hard. Use the fluid type printed on your reservoir cap.

How Hard Is the Job

A Stinger rotor and pad swap is a standard driveway job for someone with basic tools, a torque wrench and jack stands. Plan on roughly an hour per axle the first time. Remove the caliper and its bracket, pull the rotor, clean the hub face of rust so the new rotor sits flat, install the rotor, and reinstall the bracket and caliper. Torque the bracket bolts, caliper bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual; do not guess, and do not use an impact gun on the lug nuts, since uneven clamping is a major cause of rotor runout.

Two Stinger specifics: the Stinger uses an electronic parking brake, so check the owner's or service manual for the procedure to put the rear brakes in service mode before pushing the rear pistons back, rather than forcing them with a clamp. And on slotted rotors, note any left and right or rotation marking on the rotor or in the box instructions, and install accordingly.

Finish with a proper bed-in: a series of moderate stops from about 35 to 5 mph, then several firmer ones, without coming to a full stop and holding the pedal on hot brakes. This lays down an even pad layer on the new rotor and prevents the vibration most people blame on bad rotors. Browse all of our brake rotors if you need another application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will DBA 350 mm Brembo rotors fit a Stinger with standard brakes?

No. The Brembo rotors are larger and thicker and need the Brembo calipers and brackets. Converting a standard-brake car means changing calipers, brackets and usually pads, not just rotors.

Are DBA Stinger rotors sold as a pair?

No. The 4000 Series T3 rotors for the Stinger are sold individually, so order two for each axle you are doing.

Do slotted rotors wear pads faster?

Slotted rotors can wear pads somewhat faster than a plain rotor because the slots continually clean the pad surface. In exchange you get a more consistent bite and less glazing. Choosing a street compound helps balance pad life.

Can I use factory-type pads with DBA rotors?

Yes. The 4000 Series is a direct replacement and works with factory-type or aftermarket pads made for your caliper. Always install new pads with new rotors.

Do I have to replace the rear rotors when I do the fronts?

Not necessarily. Front rotors usually wear faster. Measure the rears; if they are above minimum thickness, smooth and free of cracks, they can stay. Replace rotors in axle pairs, never just one side.

Sources

1. DBA - 4000 Series Brake Rotors - high-carbon alloyed iron, TSP heat treatment, Kangaroo Paw vane claims, T3 slot design, thermographic paint
2. Brembo Parts catalog - Kia Stinger (CK) 3.3 T-GDi - 350 mm x 30 mm front and 340 mm x 22 mm rear rotors, minimum thicknesses
3. Brembo Parts catalog - Kia Stinger (CK) 2.0 T-GDi - 320 mm x 28 mm front and 314 mm x 13 mm solid rear rotors, minimum thicknesses
4. STILLEN - DBA 43343S spec sheet - 340 mm rear, 22 mm thick, 69 mm center bore, five studs, sold individually
5. Redline360 - DBA 4000 T3 for Kia Stinger GT 3.3T - 350 mm front and 340 mm rear specs, sold individually