Uprating brakes????

[chris d]

Any ideas on uprating std. solid disks on my std K-Series and is it worth it??????

Will I also need to change calipers?

[Normans_Ghost]

Chris, First question is what HP, or more to the point do you drive to the limit.

 

Standard barkes are fine for all but manic road use or tracks.

 

But if you feel you need to then Catreham do a 4 pot front calliper kit.

 

I've gone a different route and fitted Wilwood 4 pots at the front and AP 2 pots at the rear. Both needed machine work.

 

Less extreme it to fit Mintex pads (search for number and also the company in Rochdale where if you mention my name, Norman Verona from DMS, you may get discount)

 

 

ed to ad the link to here The company is Questmead.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here

You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited

 

Edited by - nverona on 10 Sep 2006 23:25:21

[Tom_C]

Chris, as your other post suggests you have a standard 1.6k, get a set of Mintex 1144 pads into the front end and see how you go from there. I did this to mine and found it was transformed, on the road there is no hint of fade, and the balance is pretty good front-rear.

 

Only thing that limits my braking now is the tyre grip.

 

 

Cheers

 

Tom

 

FH54WLX - only the car supports ManU, honest!

 

see here - UPDATED

[Geoff Dixon]

Or try James Whiting's 4 pot light alloy Alcon conversion for the front which uses the existing discs.

With the right pads these work great on my 200 bhp K series. Has the benefit of using the existing discs.

[Unclefester]

Are the aftermarket discs larger diameter?

 

Ventilated?

 

Drilled/slotted?

 

I'm upgrading ( ) an SV 1600K to 210bhp and although I've found the standard discs OK for normal road use they did get a bit fadey roadracing down the FluellaPass in Switzerland trying to keep up with a Freddy Kumchick Turbo special, which had huge brakes and 300bhp.

 

I wonder whatthe optimum setup is?

 

Blackout!!!

😬 😬here *eek*

 

Edited by - Unclefester on 11 Sep 2006 07:45:46

[neil.cavanagh]

Unclefester, I run the Alcon brake callipers as mentioned by Geoff on my SV, with standard frotn discs.

I've 'only' 140bhp, but I do qutie a few track days and give the brakes a lot of stick (partly to make up for less BHP). I've never had any fade issues.

The advantage of Alcon route over Caterham big-brakes are:

1) intial cost. They are about £100 less

2) weight... significantly lighter than big venteliated discs on CC set up.

3) On-going costs. new discs are £15 each rather than the £50+ I believe the CC ones are.

 

Disadvantages.

1) Not standard CC

2) Dont' look as 'bling' as small discs still

3) In theory big ventilated discs would get rid of more heat, but then the small ones are fine in such a light car!

[ben7]

Hi Chris,

 

I changed my std front brakes to the Hi Spec Ultralite 4, using their conversion kit. The calipers are about as bling as you can get (nice shiny alloy). They also weigh less than the pads that fit them!

 

The cost of the kit - 2 calipers, new braided hoses, 280mm solid disks, mintex 1144's (front and rear but that's a discussion for another thread!) £400 all in including VAT and delivery. It really does make a big difference, especially on track.

 

I bought the kit via The Kitcar Workshop on the advice of Blatchat - Hi Spec have a reputation for their, er, legendary customer service, BTH, I also dealt with them direct and they were very helpful.

 

Ben

[Nifty]

Chris,

 

Since you are in Kent drop in to Hi Spec (they are in Dartford).

Don't bother ordering over the phone because they are notorious for sorting out orders and delivery, just ring to make sure it's on the shelf and pop in and collect

 

Keep off the straight and narrow 😬

[rgrigsby]

Isn't a pad change normally the first and easiest thing to do? switching to Pagid RS15's may improve things considerably and only once you get beyond that is it worth moving to different calipers

 

(Says the man with uprated AP brakes front and rear 😳)

 

Rob G

www.SpeedySeven.com

[Roadsport06]

I am a track virgin but I needed to swop from standard pads (with standard calipers) to Mintex 1144. What a difference it has made! It is the tyres that are the limiting factor. Only problem might be the brakes overheating but I can't comment on this as I havent done any track work. The balance is good as already said in this thread. I'd try this before the big cost of new calipers.

 

BRG and Yellow nose VU06 XZX

 

[Normans_Ghost]

I agree with Rob, Mintex pads, then if you want to spends loads-a-money do the callipers after.

 

UF, I have 11.5" vented and cross drilled discs and 4 pot Wilwoods on the front. The rears are 2 pot AP racing but have no handbrake. Both needed lathe time to fit.

 

I've tried to get them hot enough to feel the difference (repeated 100-30 stops) but failed.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here

You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited

[rgrigsby]

I only went the AP route front and rear as I started doing 30minute races on slicks with 200+bhp, if you're not doing that I wouldn't worry to much.

 

Rob G

www.SpeedySeven.com