Brake Upgrade - Ideas and opinions please

[Cue]

no - every two years for normal fluid. dot 5.1 performs much better as it's not based on the same compound as the other dot's.

Normal fluid needs changing as it absorbs water over time so becomes less effective (boils quicker due to waters lower boiling point 100c)

Where as dot 5.1 doesn't absorb water, which is great as it can withstand higher temps but the negative side is that when it cools, instead of absorbing the water like dot 4, its leaves it in the brake lines - rotting the lines.

 

[BenG]

Ah, I see....

Think ill be upgrading to Dot 5.1 next time then..

Cheers

 

[trophyfan]

Hi Cue,

Used the car with the new front brake setup for the first time yesterday. How hot do your discs get ?......... mine will remove your fingerprints after only a couple of miles and also the calipers are warm to touch. Think I may have an issue with the new pads binding slightly.

Cheers.

 

[hoolio]

Mine get like little radiators, well actually small furnaces. I don't think yours are any different, just keep an eye on them i suppose.

 

[BenG]

Ye mine often start smoking after some heavy use.

 

[Cue]

hot?

after a session on the track i can't even touch the wheel bolts for 40 mins as they almost glow lol, seriously they will be as hot, if not hotter than the exhaust temp as they work by using friction to stop the car - imagine a 1000kg elephant skidding across a carpet - do you think it'd get burned? :wink:

And Ben, i'd only recommend dot 5.1 if you are going to be changing it very regularly - race teams get away with it as they rebuild the brakes after every race. It'll cost you more in terms of running cost as 1. it cost more to buy, 2. you have to change it 4 times as often as dot 4, 3. if you don't you'll be replacing your entire brake lines every 12 months.

 

[trophyfan]

Thanks Guy's - that's put my mind at rest a bit - will keep a close eye on them though.

According to the Pagid technical pages the pads are happiest operating between 125-600 degrees C so what the discs heat to is anyones guess !. Never paid this area of the car that much attention before so never noticed how hot the OEM discs got.

On the fluid replacement issue - I use 4 250ml bottles with an Easibleed kit from Halfords and flush a complete bottle through each wheel. Replaced the bleed nipples at the same time as the 8mm across flats hex wasn't too clever and had the same structural integrity as mushy peas !!.

 

[BenG]

Cue,
I hear what your sayin but I dont want to boil the fluid while im out on track. I take it dot 4 will be suitable for track work then?

 

[Cue]

i've never had any issue, the fluid will out last the tyres - they'll be melting before you boil the fluid lol.

 

[SharkyUK]

Sharky, if you do a meet in N wales at all next year i'll make the trip just have a passenger ride..... =D>

Hi mate,

As you are probably aware my good lady and I run a Club focusing on drives and great driving roads, and of course you'd be more than welcome to join us. We have plans for a drive in the North Wales area and very likely will be in the Yorkshire Dales as well next year (we organise meets all over the UK and Europe, even though we are based in South Wales!) In fact, the good lady and I are on a 3-day Wales Tour tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday with family. (Sorry, not meant as shameless plug - honest!) :shock:

We'll post up details of meets, etc. in the relevant section as before and by all means will happily give you a shout if we are up that way with the new kit fitted. :twisted: Be good to hook up mate.

Cheers,
Andy

 

[Matt X2C]

I originally ran Brembo Max's with Pagid Blue's (RS 42's) and was very impressed...very little squeal and lasted over a year on the road including 5 or 6 UK trackdays and a trip to the Ring and Spa (where they were finished off :lol: )

Then I decided to go for something better and purchased Pagid Yellow (RS 29's). They are still perfect from cold, but have even more stopping power and longer life than the blues. They are used in 24 hour races and normally don't need changing.

I drive my car very hard on track and neither have ever faded!

I would go for either of the above, would not bother with 4 pots at all - not only are they huge amounts of money but no demo car runs them either!!! Which says something. Yozzasport (240bhp) and Ktec (300bhp) both sell 4 pot kits, yet their demo cars (both considerably faster than normal CS's) both run just Brembo Max's and Pagids.

Something to think about...I wouldn't bother at all....mine are fantastic on track...more than enough stopping power on a 1050kg car!

 

[duffer987]

Finally cobbled mine together via eBay, Opie Oils and other places. Followed the herd and gone for Brembo Max Discs, DS2500 pads, Goodridge lines and Motul fluid. Looking forward to getting it all put together in the next week or so and hopefully noticing a marked improvement

 

[trophyfan]

Looks to me like this is the only 'real' upgrade available to the rears :-

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=1574

Any comments/advice or has anyone fitted these ?.

Cheers.

 

[Cue]

a lot of money for no real improvement, standard disks are fine, upgraded pads (ds2500's) are all you need.

 

[mattd1984]

Hi wonder if you can help, going to get my Trophy serviced in the next couple of weeks, think the brakes will also need doing which is good cos i wanted to upgrade them anyway. Im looking at the DS2500 + Brembo Grooved and upgraded lines. Are there any options for the rears, or is it just replace with standard renault parts, also will it handle alright with 'better' brakes on the front but standard on the rear??

 

[Matt X2C]

Hi wonder if you can help, going to get my Trophy serviced in the next couple of weeks, think the brakes will also need doing which is good cos i wanted to upgrade them anyway. Im looking at the DS2500 + Brembo Grooved and upgraded lines. Are there any options for the rears, or is it just replace with standard renault parts, also will it handle alright with 'better' brakes on the front but standard on the rear??

I would leave the rears as standard.

DS2500's are ok, I would go Pagid's though if you are thinking of tracking alot.

Do you mean 'handling' as in going round corners? Or 'handling' as in will the car handle the necessary braking better with uprated rear brakes aswell?

I have left my rear brakes standard and just uprated the fronts and never had a problem. From memory the rear brakes only do around 10% of the braking anyway (so around 90% are done by the fronts) so there really is no need to change anything at the rear!

 

[mattd1984]

I mean upset the handling under braking if the front are upgraded and the rears are just standards? Im not really doing any track days at the minute just wanted to upgrade them as there on there way out anyway You think the DS2500 is a worth while upgrade for mainly road use?

 

[Cue]

yes, and itshouldn't affect stability under braking at all unless they're not fitted correctly.

 

[Matt X2C]

As Cue said it won't affect the braking balance at all. The rears do very little anyway.

And DS2500's will be fine for the road, and will be pretty good for track too, should you wish to do a trackday.

 

[mattd1984]

Cheers for that, so if the rears do need replacing best just to go with renault parts?