300mm Front Brake Conversion(with pics!)

300mm Front Brake Conversion(with pics!)

Author
Discussion

RobXjcoupe

3,151 posts

90 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
Fiesta st 150 front calipers and discs are the latest cosworth version of old. 278mm dia discs that fit perfectly under 15" wheels.

trev4

736 posts

161 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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mk1fan said:
Depends on what item you're happy modifying.

IIRC the factory set up is the same as the S.

That being so, then you can buy the 283mm Cosworth discs that are close to the same height as the 240mm discs. This MAY require a washer between the calliper carrier and the upright but it might not. It will depend on the upright casting tollerances.

There are two options to get the disc to run in the calliper.

One is to file back the leading edges of the calliper castings by a couple of mm. Easily done with a dremel. Some people don't want to do this on the basis that it weakens the calliper. IMHO the amount of material and the area it is removed from it doesn't effect the structural integrity of the calliper.

The other option is to get the discs turned down to 278mm. A simple job for a machine shop.

If you use turned down discs, then you should be able to bolt everything on in one go with just some M10 washers to hand just in case. If you stick with 283mm discs then have your dremel to hand to file the calliper edges.

Alternatively you can use the 278mm discs but you would need a spacer between the upright and the calliper carrier to align the disc and calliper. This is because the 278mm discs are not as high as the 283mm. 45mm IIRC compared to 55mm of the 283mm.
Personally, I would either get the 283mm discs turned down or dremel the edges of the calliper.

Part numbers are in the S forum brake wiki.

I saw a set of callipers on one of the faceache TVR pages recently.
Thanks for the info I will let you know how we get on, parts are on order

s3c chris

288 posts

129 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
Hi all.

This is a very interesting thread and seems a relatively easy way of upgrading the brakes.
For your information, I am pretty sure that Jaguar X type calipers are the same as the Mondeos and "Big Red" of Worcester sell rebuilt calipers in lots of pretty colours too!

Just out of curiosity, having only had experience of the 260mm standard discs, Is the stopping power significantly increased? I would assume so.....

Thanks for posting this.

Regards Chris.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
Want a cheap upgrade Chris?
Don't mind your front brakes still looking like tea saucers?
Then simply upgrade the pads to fast road/track pads (NOT race pads, too abrasive and don't work cold).
Feeling a little richer?
Swap the disks for 260mm ventilated grooved disks.

The reason so many people upgrade the standard brakes to bigger is that they think the disks look too small for the car.
So the Sunday car that does less than 500 miles a year gets bigger brakes purely for appearances sakes and bragging rights.
Fact is the standard brakes are fine, and you can gain more stopping power by upgrading the pads.

mk1fan

10,507 posts

224 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
When I have done it the brakes have been transformed. However, the conversions included new hoses and a flush and fluid change to DOT 5.1.

The above said. I am now considering fitted the BMW four pots up front on Samy during the rebuild as she'll be a track focused Tiv.

ClassiChimi

12,424 posts

148 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
mk1fan said:
When I have done it the brakes have been transformed. However, the conversions included new hoses and a flush and fluid change to DOT 5.1.

The above said. I am now considering fitted the BMW four pots up front on Samy during the rebuild as she'll be a track focused Tiv.
Looking around and if you can get a pair of the Brembo's that have been re conditioned properly then it's an impressive mod pound for pound.

For me my Brembo conversion is possibly the best upgrade and cheapest I've done to my Chim considering the benefits.

The Brembo name poking out from behind the wheels is also a huge confidence booster and looks the absolute biz hehe

Like the name suggests, pure quality and it feels it smile

SILICONEKID345HP

14,997 posts

230 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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I`m amazed cool

I think there should be a new thread

"How to upgrade your TVR on a budget"

Well done.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
s3c chris said:
Hi all.

This is a very interesting thread and seems a relatively easy way of upgrading the brakes.
For your information, I am pretty sure that Jaguar X type calipers are the same as the Mondeos and "Big Red" of Worcester sell rebuilt calipers in lots of pretty colours too!

Just out of curiosity, having only had experience of the 260mm standard discs, Is the stopping power significantly increased? I would assume so.....

Thanks for posting this.

Regards Chris.
You are correct, X-type calipers are the same as Mondeo Mk3s (almost the same cars underneath) but the reason for choosing Mondeo ones was their cheapness and availability.

There is not a big increase in stopping power, but you can tell when approaching a roundabout too fast.

If you want big braking then you need 4 or even 6 pot calipers. The Mondeo/X-type are 2 pot ( 2 pistons) albeit the pistons are 60mm in diameter. I also took the view that if Ford considered that 300mm discs were good enough for their ST170 which weighs more than a Chim, then they would be perfectly okay.

Despite QBee's comments about bragging rights, I did mine because the insurance company asked if the brakes had been increased following the turbo upgrade and this was the cheapest and easiest solution for me.

Bassfiendnoideawhathp

5,530 posts

249 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
ClassiChimi said:
mk1fan said:
When I have done it the brakes have been transformed. However, the conversions included new hoses and a flush and fluid change to DOT 5.1.

The above said. I am now considering fitted the BMW four pots up front on Samy during the rebuild as she'll be a track focused Tiv.
Looking around and if you can get a pair of the Brembo's that have been re conditioned properly then it's an impressive mod pound for pound.

For me my Brembo conversion is possibly the best upgrade and cheapest I've done to my Chim considering the benefits.

The Brembo name poking out from behind the wheels is also a huge confidence booster and looks the absolute biz hehe

Like the name suggests, pure quality and it feels it smile
I just got them because they look the bks... biggrin

Phil

ClassiChimi

12,424 posts

148 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
Bassfiendnoideawhathp said:
I just got them because they look the bks... biggrin

Phil
Me too biglaugh

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
N7GTX said:
Despite QBee's comments about bragging rights, I did mine because the insurance company asked if the brakes had been increased following the turbo upgrade and this was the cheapest and easiest solution for me.
Not aimed in your direction. You had made that perfectly clear at the start of this thread - with the turbo you clearly needed a brake upgrade. I completely agree, as you wouldn't have done the turbo upgrade just for the sake of it.
But you probably wouldn't be surprised at the number of cars are only ever driven to car shows on a summer Sunday that have had serious sums spent on mechanical upgrades.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
QBee said:
N7GTX said:
Despite QBee's comments about bragging rights, I did mine because the insurance company asked if the brakes had been increased following the turbo upgrade and this was the cheapest and easiest solution for me.
Not aimed in your direction. You had made that perfectly clear at the start of this thread - with the turbo you clearly needed a brake upgrade. I completely agree, as you wouldn't have done the turbo upgrade just for the sake of it.
But you probably wouldn't be surprised at the number of cars are only ever driven to car shows on a summer Sunday that have had serious sums spent on mechanical upgrades.
Absolutely correct and these brakes were done on the cheap (relatively speaking) - you know; a Jock in Yorkshire and all that....laugh

RobXjcoupe

3,151 posts

90 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
Mtec brakes have a good site which gives all disc offset, diameters, centrebore dimensions so you can pick and choose exactly what you require. They can even drill the discs to your chosen pcd dimensions without being hugely expensive. You can then do away with the likes of spacers and bushes which are never an ideal thing where brakes are concerned.

semaj

92 posts

125 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Don't forget to tell your insurers as you have fundamentally changed its construction and use.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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QBee said:
N7GTX mentions doing the rears next. Did he do them? What did he use?
I'm on with it now QBee. Aiming to fit 280mm rear discs. Some adjustments need to be made so once I have worked it out I'll post up a 'how to'. wink

BoostedChim

541 posts

224 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
N7GTX said:
I'm on with it now QBee. Aiming to fit 280mm rear discs. Some adjustments need to be made so once I have worked it out I'll post up a 'how to'. wink
Are you looking at the later Ford Mondeo rear brakes? I had a quick look and was surprised they used solid discs. I suppose that rears don't get that hot so its just extra weight

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
N7GTX said:
QBee said:
N7GTX mentions doing the rears next. Did he do them? What did he use?

I'm on with it now QBee. Aiming to fit 280mm rear discs. Some adjustments need to be made so once I have worked it out I'll post up a 'how to'. wink
I have to ask "why?".
But I do have to ask if you are on the earlier rear disks or the later 273mm ones?
If the latter, then Shirley you just need to upgrade your pads, or pads and disks?
My rears work fine with 273mm grooved ventilated disks and DS2500 pads, so I felt no need to change callipers.
My fronts are similar disks and pads, but 324mm, with 4 pot callipers, and the whole set up still feels balanced.

mk1fan

10,507 posts

224 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
RobXjcoupe said:
Mtec brakes have a good site which gives all disc offset, diameters, centrebore dimensions so you can pick and choose exactly what you require. They can even drill the discs to your chosen pcd dimensions without being hugely expensive. You can then do away with the likes of spacers and bushes which are never an ideal thing where brakes are concerned.
Interesting. There are 278mm discs in the right offset but 5-stud to fit the Granada. If these guys have blanks that can be drilled in 4-stud then that would be beaut. I may make a call next week.

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
QBee said:
N7GTX said:
QBee said:
N7GTX mentions doing the rears next. Did he do them? What did he use?

I'm on with it now QBee. Aiming to fit 280mm rear discs. Some adjustments need to be made so once I have worked it out I'll post up a 'how to'. wink
I have to ask "why?".
But I do have to ask if you are on the earlier rear disks or the later 273mm ones?
If the latter, then Shirley you just need to upgrade your pads, or pads and disks?
My rears work fine with 273mm grooved ventilated disks and DS2500 pads, so I felt no need to change callipers.
My fronts are similar disks and pads, but 324mm, with 4 pot callipers, and the whole set up still feels balanced.
My rear discs are 253mm and were on the car when I got it. The surface area covered by the pads is really quite small. And aesthetically, they look absolutely silly next to the 300 fronts cry. As I am on standard 15" wheels I cannot go any bigger than 300mm as you have done so my aim was to have the biggest that would fit without huge expense of new wheels/tyres/4 pots/vented etc etc.

So, I have spent hours in the scrapyard 'borrowing' parts to see how it all fits together. I had a trial fit today and I think its all but there now.
I am using 280mm Focus ST170 rear discs as they are 4 stud fitting. The caliper mounting is a Ford Mondeo Mk3 which fits directly to the existing TVR hub bracket with no alterations. I also used the calipers from the same car and it will take standard Mondeo pads.
The original mounting bracket bolts are too long and, as the top one does not come out unless you unbolt the hub from the housing, I will cut it off and then fit the original Mondeo ones which are shorter.
On the trial fit the inside clearance between the disc and the mounting bracket was too tight (0.5mm approx) so I used a 5mm wheel spacer, fitting it to the hub then the disc. This has centred the disc in the bracket.
That just leaves the handbrake assembly to sort. The TVR comes up from underneath and the Mondeo one operates from the front of the car. I have now sorted that and it only takes 5 mins and no special tools. It is hard to explain without pics so I have taken lots for the final 'how to'.
Hopefully next week after Chatsworth I should be able to complete it. It should keep Daz happy as it is another budget upgrade wink

N7GTX

Original Poster:

7,823 posts

142 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
BoostedChim said:
N7GTX said:
I'm on with it now QBee. Aiming to fit 280mm rear discs. Some adjustments need to be made so once I have worked it out I'll post up a 'how to'. wink
Are you looking at the later Ford Mondeo rear brakes? I had a quick look and was surprised they used solid discs. I suppose that rears don't get that hot so its just extra weight
Early Mk3 Mondeo caliper and bracket with ST170 (2002 era) discs, just like the fronts really. I am on 4 stud so Mondeo and C-Max are no good.