GiroDisc Brakes for the Nissan GT-R: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

For the R35 Nissan GT-R, the GiroDisc parts we carry are rear brakes: the A2-232 two-piece slotted rear rotor set and the D2-232 replacement rotor rings, both catalogued for the 2007-2011 GT-R with the early CBA brake package. Pair them with a pad compound that matches how you drive, and confirm your car's model year and caliper hardware before you order, because GT-R brake parts changed over the R35's long production run.

How the R35 GT-R Brake System Is Built

The R35 left the factory with a serious Brembo system: six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. On the later DBA cars, MotoIQ measured the factory front rotors at 390mm by 32.8mm and the rears at 380mm by 30mm. That is a big brake by any street-car standard, and it is why most GT-R owners do not need a bigger brake kit for road driving. What they want is better rotors, a pad that suits their use, and less dust.

The weak points owners run into are not size. MotoIQ's long-term project car found the factory pad wore rotors quickly and threw heavy dust, and noted that on sticky tires the stock setup starts to fade after a few hard laps. Those three complaints (rotor wear, dust and heat capacity on track) are exactly what the parts below address.

One thing to settle first: the R35 is usually split into CBA (early) and DBA (later) generations, and brake parts do not always cross between them. Our GiroDisc rear rotors are listed for the 2007-2011 CBA car only. If you own a later car, do not assume they fit.

GiroDisc Parts That Fit the GT-R

The A2-232 rear rotor set

The A2-232 is a two-piece floating rotor. GiroDisc machines the center hat from 6061-T6 aluminum and pours and machines the iron disc in-house. The two halves are joined with ten cadmium-plated alloy steel drive pins, Class 12.9 cap screws with hardened washers, and anti-noise spring washers, which lets the ring float axially and radially as it heats. The disc uses a curved-vane design that works like a centrifugal pump, pulling cooling air through the rotor. GiroDisc describes it as a direct replacement that works with the factory calipers and ABS, with no modifications needed.

Why it matters on a GT-R: an aluminum hat cuts rotating weight compared to a one-piece iron rotor, and a floating ring can expand without distorting the hat. Slots help clear pad gas and debris and keep the pad face fresh.

The D2-232 replacement rings

This is where two-piece rotors pay you back. When the friction ring wears to its minimum thickness, you replace only the ring and keep the aluminum hats. The D2-232 rings are the matching rings for the A2-232 set. You unbolt the old ring from the hat, bolt on the new one with fresh hardware tightened to GiroDisc's instructions, and reinstall. It costs less than a full new pair and generates less waste.

Picking a Pad to Go With GiroDisc Rotors

A rotor is only half the job. The pad compound decides the bite, the dust and how long both parts last. Hawk designs its compounds for iron rotors and states they are not compatible with carbon ceramic rotors, which is not an issue on the iron GiroDisc rings. Here are the GT-R pads we stock, from mildest to most aggressive:

A few rules of thumb. Keep the front-to-rear balance sensible: if you fit a much stronger compound up front, match the rear with the same family rather than leaving a worn factory pad in back. Do not run a race compound like DTC-60 on the street; it is built to work at temperatures a road car rarely reaches. And EBC is clear that Yellowstuff is a fast street pad: it lists a fade threshold of 400 C (750 F), while track use can push brakes above 500-600 C. For a GT-R that sees real track time, a track-rated compound is the better fit.

On later cars, check hardware. Our EBC Yellowstuff DP41110R rear pads are listed for 2012-on GT-Rs with M12/M14 bolts and iron rotors, so confirm your caliper setup before ordering.

Signs Your GT-R Needs Rotors or Pads

• Pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel under braking usually means uneven pad deposits or thickness variation on the rotor.
• Heavy black dust that comes back within a few miles of washing is typical of the factory pad and a common reason owners switch to a ceramic or HPS 5.0 compound.
• A long or soft pedal after hard use points to overheated fluid or pads past their temperature range. Fresh fluid and the right compound fix most of it.
• Grinding or a scraping noise means pad material is gone or nearly gone. Stop driving on it; metal-to-metal contact will damage the rotor ring.
• A lip on the rotor edge or cracks spreading from the slots or edge means the ring is done. On a GiroDisc rotor, that is a ring replacement, not a whole rotor.

Measure rotor thickness with a micrometer and compare it to the minimum thickness marked on the rotor or given in the maker's documentation. Never guess.

Installing and Bedding the Parts

Rear rotor and pad replacement on the GT-R is a job a careful home mechanic can do with jack stands, a torque wrench and basic hand tools. Remove the wheel, the pads and the caliper, pull the rotor, clean the hub face so the new rotor seats flat, and reinstall. Torque the caliper bolts and wheel nuts to the values in the factory service manual, and follow GiroDisc's instructions for the hat-to-ring hardware when fitting new rings.

Bedding matters more than most people think. New pads need to lay an even transfer film on the rotor. EBC notes its newer copper-free Yellowstuff has an extended bedding period that happens naturally over roughly 100-200 miles of urban driving. Track compounds need a heat-cycle procedure; EBC's track bedding guide uses a series of hard stops to reach about 430 C (800 F), followed by a full cool-down. Follow the procedure for the pad you actually bought.

While the wheels are off, inspect the brake lines and hoses, and consider a fluid flush. You can browse more performance brake rotors and brake pads if your car is outside the fitment listed here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do GiroDisc rear rotors fit every R35 GT-R?

No. The A2-232 rotors and D2-232 rings in our catalog are listed for the 2007-2011 GT-R with the CBA brake package. Brake parts changed on later cars, so check your model year and brake setup before ordering.

Can I reuse the aluminum hats when the rotors wear out?

Yes. That is the point of a two-piece design. Buy the D2-232 replacement rings, bolt them to your existing A2-232 hats with fresh hardware, and you are back to new friction surfaces.

Do I need new calipers to run GiroDisc rotors?

No. GiroDisc describes the A2-232 as a direct replacement that works with the factory calipers and ABS with no modification.

Which pad gives the least dust on a GT-R?

Of the pads we carry, the Hawk Ceramic sets (HB650Z.730 front and HB193Z.670 rear) are the low-dust choice. Hawk rates the compound as quiet and ultra-low dust.

Can I drive on DTC-60 pads on the street?

It is not a good idea. DTC-60 is a race compound with a 400-1600 F operating range, and it performs best at 700-1100 F. On the street it rarely gets warm enough to work as intended.

Can I use Hawk pads on carbon ceramic rotors?

No. Hawk states its compounds are designed for iron rotors and are not compatible with carbon ceramic rotors.

Sources

1. GiroDisc - Nissan GT-R Rear Rotors A2-232 - rotor construction, hardware, curved vanes, direct OEM replacement, D2-232 rings
2. MotoIQ - Project DBA R35 GT-R brakes - factory caliper pistons, rotor sizes, factory pad dust and fade on track
3. Hawk Performance - HB650Z.730 - ceramic pad features, GT-R application, iron rotors only
4. Hawk Performance - HPS 5.0 - ferro-carbon compound and temperature range
5. Hawk Performance - DTC-60 - race compound temperature range
6. EBC Brakes - Yellowstuff Fast Street Pads - street use, fade threshold, track recommendation, bedding period
7. EBC Brakes - How to bed-in your brakes - track bedding stops and temperatures