We all like good brakes and there are many ways to improve your standard set up but of course cost can be an issue.

 

So quite a popular method is to retain the existing calipers and use adapter plates to move the caliper out so a larger disc can be fitted.

 

But get the maths wrong and what looks like an upgrade can be much less than you think.

 

Here is a case in point, bigger 330mm discs fitted using caliper adapter plates give an apparent extra 20mm of disc. But on closer inspection the pads have beome incorrectly position and as a result the pads overhang the disc by around 5mm.

 

Further inspection reveals the inner 15mm of swept disc area is not in touch with the pads, so the 20mm extra has been lost, of course the disc has a longer circumference so still has a very marginal effect on cooling/fade.

 

The pad overhang has caused the bizzare wear pattern and a very noisy set up that squealed like a pig all of the time.

 

In the short term a new set of pads and a good clean up is all we could do until either a return to standard or perhaps a better set up is decided on.

 

So be careful, just because some thing fits its does not mean its better.

 

Jeff TT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 201015 yr by JeffTT

I must admit I had a similar set up on my old car. It was better than standard, but then again i was going to new disks and good pads over old disks and worn pads...

 

I'll not be making the same mistake again when choosing my next brake upgrade!

I was dubious when i saw these kits. Good idea for a cheap fix but the standard caliper is designed for a smaller rotor. To get clearance on the larger rotor something has to give, hence the overhang.

The idea is that the extra leverage gained from mounting the calliper further out from the centre and using a bigger disk gives more stopping force even taking the reduced coverage of the pad into account.

 

Not the best upgrade but does give more stopping power.

Correct mate, however using the correct sized disc to suit the bracket.

 

The one above looks like a GTR sized bracket, which is for a maximum disc of 324mm.

You can now upgrade pads to give a better contact area too.

smithy

Yep, the issue of the overlap is incorrectly using a 330mm disc with a bracket designed to use a 324mm disc.

 

But even so, the unswept area beneath the pad will always occur with this type of setup.

wouldn't a smaller disc have left a bigger overlap?

wouldn't a smaller disc have left a bigger overlap?

 

Yeah it will, Dave just got them the wrong way round :)

opps, yeh wrote it wrong way around.

 

Although re-reading Jeff's post, noticed it says its a 330mm disc. That sounds like a Badly engineered bracket. Not seen the pad overlap before, but the unswept area is very typical.

 

Fitting a setup like this will give you improved intital bite and you wont need as much pedal force for the same braking force - what this means is that It will "feel" better, but wont actually improve stopping distances or have a significant affect on brake fade.

 

In fact, by increasing the front brake torque, it can alter the vehicle brake balance and potentially increase stopping distances.

Edited February 28, 201015 yr by Yowser

i brought my zed with brake upgrade has 340mm discs tt calipers and the same looking bracket i too found that my pad have the over hang due to the fact you cant mount the caliper any closer to the disc, IMO it is poorly designed and soon as funds allow am upgrading to brembos,

 

saying that even with the overhang brakes feel better than standerd but tend to fade when in and out of roundabouts and turns near me

Correct mate, however using the correct sized disc to suit the bracket.

 

The one above looks like a GTR sized bracket, which is for a maximum disc of 324mm.

You can now upgrade pads to give a better contact area too.

smithy

 

which pads smithy. are they a different profile??

which pads smithy. are they a different profile??

 

Sorry i don't know the full details mate, theres a guy on ebay who does similar brake upgrades and offers different sized pads to give fuller contact area, but still fit the stock caliper :-)

smithy

i cant see how different profile pads would make any difference to make full use of the pad you would have to grind or machine the calipers, and have different brackets,

 

before you ask the leading and lower edges of the caliper are only about 2mm from the discs outer diameter, and i certainly wouldnt recommend grinding or machines calpiers for the fact it would weaken the overall strength,

 

you could either stick with standered pads knowing they will wear like that and upgrading to decent calipers at a later date/ or downgrading discs to standered most expensive new calipers and disc specific designed to fit the zed correctly

I had one of these kits about 2 years ago and the fitment was bob on. Just depends on where you get them from :thumbup:

which pads smithy. are they a different profile??

 

http://www.db-power.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=128_148_230_412_413&products_id=300&osCsid=cb8297ba827addb0989107872527bc1d

Sorry i don't know the full details mate, theres a guy on ebay who does similar brake upgrades and offers different sized pads to give fuller contact area, but still fit the stock caliper :-)

smithy

 

Alanz bought those i recall,they were ds2000 ferodos intended for a van that had been ground on the edges to fit the caliper.