hazza Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 🤔 As a recent convert to the joys of 7 ownership I can't help noticing that the brakes are a tad vague, compared to the old Morgan I traded in for it and most noticeably when driving the wifes Subaru Legacy which now stops about 100 yards too soon when I'm driving it. Infact the 7 brakes remind me most of my brothers old Austin Cambridge, which needed a month's notice, a signed form in triplicate and a special incantation to stop at all. My 7 is a 1700 (crossflow) Supersport, just serviced, only 9k miles, new mot and it all looks fine. Surely 7 braking must be up to the rest of the performance? I note that Caterham offer an upgrade for £700, but before I take action, I wonder if any one else has a view, a similar experience or can recommend something better. Or indeed cheaper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Check pads/shoes for wear & bleed the brakes, should sort it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 You need to bear in mind that most NORMAL road going cars have a servo effectively boosting pedal pressure and reducing the amount of effort required. What your describing I also encountered when I first started to drive a caterham but you soon get used to the different feel. Have fun with your 7, surely more enjoyable than a Morgan! Phil 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 I found that for a road going Seven, that the standard brakes on my live axle supersprint were appalling at the beginning of a long blat but got better over the miles as any glaze was destroyed. But then leaving it two weeks before the next run put me back to square one. In the end I went for the AP big brake setup on the front and the effect is not dissimilar in feel to adding a servo - reasonably light pedal and plenty of stopping power. Low tech luddite - xflow and proud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 hazza, You should be able to get your brakes working well without any expensive upgrade. What pads have you got ?( I use the EBC Greenstuff) and do you have much travel on the brake pedal before the brakes are applied? MikeW 1600 VX Black/Ali Race No 134 Membership No 6582 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazza Posted March 28, 2003 Author Share Posted March 28, 2003 thank you all for informative replies - I will get the brakes checked as a matter of course, and I am sure there is an element of 'getting used to' the way the 7 drives, which incidentally is vastly superior to the old mog. Assuming all is dandy brake-wise though, (there is no travel in the pedal, and I understand the point about servo) I still think that the braking performance is not up to the lively 135 bhp, 0-60 in 5.6 secs 7, particularly if you use it every day as I do on both A and B roads. Maintaining what I consider to be a prudent stopping/braking distance on the busy A1 is an invitation to every **** in a white van to undertake... it certainly seems to me to be worth checking out some sort of upgrade for which many thanks for the suggestions - does anyone know what the Caterham Factory £700 upgrade consists of? Has anyone had it done, and is it worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveP Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Hazza, I also previously had a 1700 Supersprint and felt that the brakes lacked somewhat, compared to my Golf. Problem is that there are less clues to your deceleration than there are in a normal tintop (less dive at the front, less weight and you are strapped in tighter) so the initial perception may be one of rubbish brakes, but in fact you will stop quickly. Surprisingly quickly in my experience. When the car was pushed on a sprint though, the brakes worked just fine - wouldn't worry about it too much, but newer different compound brake pads may give a bit more feel (I didn't bother) Caterham 'big brake' upgrade will give you AP Racing 4 pot calipers and vented disks on the front, plus the fitting and bleeding of them. I have them now on my new car, but they are still bedding in so don't actually feel much different to the old ones right now, but I'm sure they will in time. I suspect that they are a little over spec'd for a Supersprint, but they will certainly haul you down quicker.  SteveP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveP Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Also, what tyres do you have? Stickier rubber will help a lot with braking. I made the mistake of sticking with the ancient Michelins that came with it - about as much grip as a cat on wet lino, to use a cliche.  SteveP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazza Posted March 28, 2003 Author Share Posted March 28, 2003 point taken about deceleration, didn't make that connection because I am a stranger to the laws of physics - but have noticed just how much taking your foot off actually slows your progress (but this is not so great on busy roads when most other drivers are too close and only respond to the set of brake lights 10 yards in front of them) - also I am shod with michelins which is another valid point. Thanks for the tips and the explanation of the upgrade - better to be overspeced than under a rear axle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 The £700 brake upgrade kit from Caterham consists of uprated AP Calipers, ventilated front discs, new braided hoses and new pads (usually "road spec" mintex 1142's). I fitted this kit last year and to resolve brake overheating issues. I wouldn't rush into it as if you're mainly using it on the road I think the standard front and rear discs are fine, your best bet is to look at different pads, check/posisbly replace/upgrade the brake fluid and DEFINETLY get stickier tyres!! Cheers Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 There was a thread on this a while ago, where a simple brake test was suggested:  1.take your tin-top on a quiet road, get it up to 50 and do an emergency stop, starting at a marked point - eg a lamp-post.  2.trundle back home and get the 7 3.repeat step 1 in the 7 4. Stand aghast at how you could ever have thought the brakes weren't doing enough! This will demonstrate to you conclusively that the 7s weight advantage makes an enormous difference when braking, and that the lack of dive and being strapped in properly changes your perception of how well the brakes are performing...  If this experiment doesn't go as expected (ie 7 should outbrake everything else) then you have something wrong with it. Charlie'n'Kermit The plan is: there is no plan S5EVN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierson Broome Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 When I first had my Supersprint (1800cc x/f) I had much the same experience that you describe, i.e. not exactly confidence-inspiring. Having read and been told first-hand by many that 7's stopped as well as they went, I was disappointed - other 7-owning friends even complained that the fronts in particular are far too prone to locking without serious provocation. My car would never have locked the front wheels (15") - and upon speaking with James Whiting, 'upgraded' the front brakes as cost-effectively as possible by replacing the pads with EBC Greenstuff derivatives. Once bedded in, they improved the feel of the brakes immensely and lo and behold, the legendary 7 braking materialised - though without the locking up (clearly I'm still not trying hard enough...). EBC Greenstuff pads are not expensive, last reasonably well, but in my experience, do generate a fair amout of brake dust, despite their claim to the contrary. However, a small price to pay for the newly-found confidence and outright stopping ability. As with any pad switch, do give the brakes time to bed in properly though, before passing judgement - bleed the system, too. Good luck, Pierson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazza Posted March 28, 2003 Author Share Posted March 28, 2003 thanks chaps, glad to know I am not alone, consensus seems to be new grippier rubber and some better pads should sort it... will keep you posted on results cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Certainly get better tyres before you do anything else. Then go to the gym and work on the leg-press machine to counteract the lack of a servo. Failing the latter, the Caterham upgrade is fantastic. It has meant that pedal pressures are not dissimilar for the brake pedal as the other two whilst stopping the car very quickly and reliably. I did not think this would have been the case until I tried the works SV at Donington on a track day and realised what I was missing in terms of brakes. Low tech luddite - xflow and proud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 I find it's quite good to have a no servo on the brakes, h&t in servo'd car's is much more of a jerky experience - or maybe it's just because I'm used to the 7. Charlie'n'Kermit The plan is: there is no plan S5EVN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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