Bigger brakes?

[lancebond]

having just remapped my 203, i'm thinking i should really get some new brakes, they needed doing anyways.

so what would people suggest? i'm not a boyracer anymore tbh, and just want the car to stop when i need it to, albeit quickly

so do i stick with oem brakes?

 

[wemorgan]

My personal view is that unless you'll be doing track days and worried about brake fade I'd stick with the OEM or OEM quality (Mintex etc) brakes. They will all be able to brake hard enough to activate the ABS if need be.

 

[lancebond]

fair comment, i'll not be doing a track day in it... thats what the bike is for!


anyone got any decent links to buy pads then?

 

[wemorgan]

Wunderpartz

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/Car-Parts

https://secure.gsfcarparts.com/shop/

 

[Smatt]

Have you got the sport discs/calipers on your car?
If not then this is a simple upgrade- they can be picked up from a scrappy or ebay. You basically get larger cross drilled discs plus larger calipers with more pots. As they are MB OEM, there are no problems with compatibility, except if you have small wheels there may not be enough clearance. Wheels 17" or above will be fine (also the spare might need upsizing)
They should give better braking, but apart from that they also look better!

 

[Number_Cruncher]

In terms of a one off braking event, the maximum deceleration is always limited by the adhesion between the tyre and road. Usually, drum brakes can easily provide this limiting amount of braking.

The only sane reason to upgrade brakes is to improve their behaviour under repeated or prolonged braking, which as described above, rarely happens on the road. If you intend taking a fully laden car and trailer up and down alpine passes, then, yes, upgraded brakes make sense.

The other thing to mention is that brakes on a car are designed as a system. An optimised system which apportions braking to each axle according to the axle weights *and* the weight transfer during braking. Changes which modify the braking ratio of the car will move the car away from this optimum design. Phrased another way, bigger brakes on the front axle might subjectively feel better, but, if you actually measured their response, they would not actually be stopping the car as quickly.

Far better to begin by making sure that all the brake parts on the car are in tip top condition, and use top quality friction parts - preferably marked ECE R90 to ensure compatibility.

 

[Krobar]

having just remapped my 203, i'm thinking i should really get some new brakes, they needed doing anyways.

so what would people suggest? i'm not a boyracer anymore tbh, and just want the car to stop when i need it to, albeit quickly

so do i stick with oem brakes?

I would stick with replacement for what is already there. I have tried aftermarket EBCs and bigger discs on other cars and overall they just arent as good. Vented drilled EBC discs and redstuff is great for track use but try your first stop on a winter morning, they hardly work until warmed up.

 

[Smatt]

In terms of a one off braking event, the maximum deceleration is always limited by the adhesion between the tyre and road. Usually, drum brakes can easily provide this limiting amount of braking.

The only sane reason to upgrade brakes is to improve their behaviour under repeated or prolonged braking, which as described above, rarely happens on the road. If you intend taking a fully laden car and trailer up and down alpine passes, then, yes, upgraded brakes make sense.

The other thing to mention is that brakes on a car are designed as a system. An optimised system which apportions braking to each axle according to the axle weights *and* the weight transfer during braking. Changes which modify the braking ratio of the car will move the car away from this optimum design. Phrased another way, bigger brakes on the front axle might subjectively feel better, but, if you actually measured their response, they would not actually be stopping the car as quickly.

Far better to begin by making sure that all the brake parts on the car are in tip top condition, and use top quality friction parts - preferably marked ECE R90 to ensure compatibility.

-brakes, schmakes!

They (should) may give better braking, but apart from that they also look better!

The braking system is also made to a price point!!

Putting the brakes from a car in the same range at a higher price point imho is unlikey to upset things significantly. I have not had any problems & many others on here have made a similar upgrade & are still happily driving.
I agree the brakes as standard are likely to be adequate.
I have EBC pads- I don't know if they are any better/worse, but I do know they produce much less dust.

 

[Number_Cruncher]

Putting the brakes from a car in the same range at a higher price point imho is unlikey to upset things significantly. I have not had any problems & many others on here have made a similar upgrade & are still happily driving.

Everything is made to a price.

Ad hoc changes to brake systems can be very dangerous.

The change we are discussing, making the front brakes bigger, may possibly reduce the car's ability to decelerate rapidly, but, it will not upset the car's stability.

Upgrading the rear brakes, on the other hand, can be absolutely lethal, as the rear axle may suddenly lock, and you may lose control of the car. ABS should stop this, but, usually braking systems are sized to prevent this happening at all.

I've driven a car where there was far too much rear brake effort - caused by the misadventure fitting a rear axle from a car higher in the range - and the skid which happened during an emergency stop nearly killed me and the other two mechanics I was driving to college with.

How do your insurers react to being notified of brake system modifications?

 

[whitenemesis]

........

How do your insurers react to being notified of brake system modifications?

In my experience they tend to take a sharp intake of breath before refusing cover unless I furnished an engineer's report ...