Brake Upgrade (may be a good time :-<)

[Jon_Doe]

Going down the road yesterday and had no time or space to avoid a block in the road (stone/ boulder!?) which was same height as say a pavement. It is kind of square and I hit it sqaure on with the passenger side front wheel at 50mph- thunk thunk thunk.

Looking at it today, the wheel has been put out of shape and i think the disk is grinding once per revolution.

So aside from the wheel issue, it might be a good time to upgrade the front brakes. The pads on one side took a battering every time the wheel went round and the disk must be warped- so the other side will need a matching set anyway.

Having read the FAQ on brakes it says you can use a 266mm disc. Would I have to switch calipers for this? They talk about extending the caliper?

If I need a 266mm caliper setup, then how does that fit on? (Is it all the same strut/hub on different models and the calipers reach up different amounts).

[DanT]

The 266mm setups are very good and well worth paying for. On most of them, part of the carrier (not the actual caliper) will need to be grinded down to stop it fouling on your saxo strut.

You wont have any problems with your strut or hub when fitting.

[Aron]

if you are going to 266 then just go for a 283 kit from a gti6. use there calipers, carriers, discs pads. very good kit. Pick them up for about 120-200.

[Jon_Doe]

Despite the extra weight of the GTI-6, I could see myself getting onto the 266mm and then wanting the GTI 6 upgrade at a later date... so going for the GTI 6 option.

Discs and calipers on the way!

I assume having dented the wheel it will be best to replace it for safety reasons?

[Aron]

if the wheels damaged you will need to replace that and check the tyre. Would need to check the strut and wheels bearings as at that speed it could if easily damage that. along with steering arms, Drop links, everything on that corner. Suprised you could even drive off.

[luthor1]

you've got a mk1 VTS, so are you on 14" wheels??

the 283mm gti-6 setup won't go under 14" wheels.

Andy

[Jon_Doe]

Its on 15" ultraleggeras.

I wouldnt be surprised if there is extra damage- the bock was a little way into the road. I could go round it without hitting the oncoming car and there was just no time to think. Also it was dark, so until i was closer it looked like a rabbit/anything and i think the last thing going through my head was that it might be too high to go under the car. The tyre must have been flattened instantly but has stayed intact. The wheel is visibly warped from looking at it from the inside. So there was probably a remaining 40mm instant jump for the spring but worse the shock absorber :wacko:

[luthor1]

Big brakes won't reduce your stopping distances by the way...

Go for the 283 if you have the bigger wheels, or the 266 with carbotech pads or something like that

Andy

[Jon_Doe]

Big brakes won't reduce your stopping distances by the way...

Go for the 283 if you have the bigger wheels, or the 266 with carbotech pads or something like that

Andy

I do some track days and am currently on standard brakes, they do heat up pretty quickly, so better heat loss, larger diameter to grab onto will be better than the current 'leg strength equals breaking force- overheating' principle.

[Jon_Doe]

I am not trying to get bigger brakes so i can stop in front of blocks in the road!! I will install a gun or Knight Rider turbo boost for that, but maybe next year as a bit short on budget.

[Aron]

bigger brakes will not reduce the stopping distance but the fact they are a better caliper will mean they will stop quicker. Will help with heat more so aswell.

[evans1089]

http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272281 :y:

[steviee90]

Going down the road yesterday and had no time or space to avoid a block in the road (stone/ boulder!?) which was same height as say a pavement. It is kind of square and I hit it sqaure on with the passenger side front wheel at 50mph- thunk thunk thunk.

Looking at it today, the wheel has been put out of shape and i think the disk is grinding once per revolution.

So aside from the wheel issue, it might be a good time to upgrade the front brakes. The pads on one side took a battering every time the wheel went round and the disk must be warped- so the other side will need a matching set anyway.

Having read the FAQ on brakes it says you can use a 266mm disc. Would I have to switch calipers for this? They talk about extending the caliper?

If I need a 266mm caliper setup, then how does that fit on? (Is it all the same strut/hub on different models and the calipers reach up different amounts).

make sure you get it all checked out properly mate,i went over a pothole and buckled my alloy, thought that was my only worry, turned out i had also bent the anti-roll bar and mangled a driveshaft....just make sure you get it checked.

[Jon_Doe]

Will do- The way it is stiff once a revolution could well be a driveshaft- expensive!

[Aron]

Driveshaft is only £60 on exchange

[Mallyauto86]

ok bigger brakes wont reduce your stopping distance ? eh ?
thats why when using the brembo's you can brake 50 meters later on track (205gti btw)
so if that isnt reducing stopping distance im confused ?

stopping quicker in a shorter distance right ? its like buying a ferrari right yo uhave option of the ceramic brakes and standard stopping distance is diffrent ? in meters ? more brakes mean you stop quicker thre for in a shorter distance ?

[Aron]

Its not the size thats doing that. Its the fact there a better caliper. If you used the same caliper with big discs and pads it wouldnt make the stopping power improve massively.

[Mallyauto86]

Its not the size thats doing that. Its the fact there a better caliper. If you used the same caliper with big discs and pads it wouldnt make the stopping power improve massively.

ah yeh ok i get you. see i was thinking when you said bigger brakes you was including the calipers in the equasion. wich is what i got confused over.

thankyou for clarification tho mate thaught i was going nuts for a bit then

[Jon_Doe]

Surely its a bit of both. If you try and stop a bike wheel spinning freely with your hand on the tyre its eaier than trying to grab the spokes as there is a greater distance of diameter- its very much like gearing.

I think maybe the posts above may mean something else? Like what the tyres are capable of?

[Aron]

you would not notice much from that little bit. 247mm to 266mm is only 9.5mm extra on the pad side. So yes it will increase a little bit more but nothing massive.

What are you on about with tyres?

[Jon_Doe]

7 or 8% difference for no change in caliper but t othe 266mm disk

13% for the gti 6 but also better caliper. I agree with what you are saying- better calipers with more surface area on the disk is probably more important.

With the tyres I am just guessing at why people think you could get greater stopping power but without changing the distance, I am only trying to guess at what or how they could justify what seems to be a conflicting statement.

What I mean with the tyres is that whatever is stopping the car; the best brakes in the world or the strongest push on the pedal, at some point, the tyres lose grip.

If you can lock up the wheels with standard vts brakes (lets ignore abs), then locking up the wheels with a different system would give the same skidding to a stop difference. Maybe thats what those people mean?

If you could keep the tyres grip just inside the coefficient of friction (point of lost traction) to give maximum braking efficiency with standard vts brakes, then doing the same with a different set up would make no change also.

Thats the only thing I could think the people saying there is no difference in stopping distance could mean- I would think great brakes should be able to stop you quicker as somebody else is saying but I dont know for sure.