Uprated discs and pads

[GSE - Monaro V8]

I want to upgrade my brakes.

Can't really justify the full AP racing setup (not yet anyway) so I'd just like to fit a slotted set of discs (same diameter as standard items so as to avoid problems with callipers) and some better pads. Don't care about noise, or dust, just want the brakes to feel better and not fade.

I quite handy with a set of spanners, so I intend to fit them myself. And also I need a set of braided hoses. Just need to source said items, before the Bedford trackday

Can anybody point me in the direction of a UK supplier?

[GSE - Monaro V8]

I had decided on dba australia - they do a kit that utilises the standard calliper, and upgraded (stock sized) slotted rotors, front and rear, although only the front are ventilated. Includes pads, braided hoses and comes in @ around £600 including freight.

But I've checked out pbr - they do a kit that includes bigger (still twin pot floating) callipers, (painted red) bigger slotted and ventilated rotors, front and rear, braided hoses and pads. Comes in @ £1050, inc shipping (to the US, it's for the GTO)

This would seem to be good value, compared to the much more expensive AP setup (although I'd love a set!)

Very tempted by the pbr kit.

Just want to get rid of the slight mushy/air feel that you get on the top travel of the brake pedal. Oh, and no fade

Heres a good report:

www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6901

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Saturday 9th October 22:37

[GSE - Monaro V8]

So this is the brake kit, made by 'pbr' that is used on HSV's and the Vauxhall Monaro VXR:



330mm front / 315mm rear, both slotted and vented.

Going to be giving JHP (the retailer) a call later on tonight

They can also supply the AP big brake system (that is an upgrade option on HSVs) - 362mm / 343mm - I might ask for the price, for a laugh!

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Sunday 10th October 08:26

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Well, in an ideal world, what I'd like would be the 'full on' ap 6 pot ap callipers & discs up front, with the bigger pbr rear slotted/vented disc/calliper setup at the rear.




The total cost of the pbr kit is ~ £1050 from my calculations. If I was to get the full (front and rear) pbr kit, maybe I could sell the front parts to another Monaro owner, who just wants to upgrade the front setup on his Monaro to HSV (VXR) spec.

Can't see the AP front kit price listed anywhere though, heard its £££.

Ideally would need to buy this through a UK supplier to reduce freight costs. Unless someone down under can supply me a kit at a good price .....

Any one know how much the front AP setup is?

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Sunday 10th October 14:33

[GSE - Monaro V8]

v8hsv said:

Paid £7,500 last year with LSV

How much !

Was that just for the fronts?

surely i should be able to source them from australia/usa or even ap themselves for less than that, bearing in mind that I'm going to fit them myself? They'd have to be a lot cheaper though, for me to go ahead with the upgrade.

Who wants to do me a deal?

Dan the Man - are you interested in the HSV spec front brakes (pbr) that I might be buying? Or anybody else>

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Thanks pomona for the prices - so ap DO, do a calliper and disc for the rear.

So my options are:

£1050 for the pbr (hsv/vxr) kit

or ap/pbr combo:

£1813 for the ap fronts + £1050 for the pbr kit = £2863 (use the rears) and sell on the fronts (hsv/vxr) 2863 - say £500 for the fronts = £2363
(or maybe I could ask pbr to supply me just the rears?)

or

£3625 for the full ap kit

(all prices inc vat)

or

.... buy a set of greenstuff pads for ~ £100 !

choices .... choices



>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Monday 11th October 00:13

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Monday 11th October 00:14

[GSE - Monaro V8]

I've e-mailed JHP (in Australia) and phoned Demon Tweeks, for a quote on the ap setup. AP also replied to an e-mail I sent them - they cannot supply to me 'direct' as they have a contract to supply their brakes to hsv. But they say they are looking into the situation ...

The callipers appear to be standard issue 'off the shelf' race spec units - so I'm looking at other uk suppliers to see if I can get the price down. For the rear - pbr(hsv/vxr) items will be fine, but I do want the braided hoses to improve the brake pedal initial feel.

also sent requests for quotes to:

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

(both california based)




>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Tuesday 12th October 17:09

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Tuesday 12th October 19:31

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Some price conversions from the "CAPA" website:


1:
ap 4 pot front calliper / 330mm 2 piece front disc / 286mm rear disc *kit* (hsv sized front discs, standard cv8 sized ap rear disc, retain use of original rear calliper)

$3996 ~ £1632 plus taxes and shipping.

Other ap front disc/calliper options: (front only)

2:
ap 6 pot front calliper / 330mm 2 piece disc
$4995 ~ £2041 (hsv sized disc)

3:
ap 6 pot front calliper / 360mm 2 piece disc
$5493 ~ £2245 (bigger disc)

4:
ap 6 pot front calliper / 385mm 2 piece disc
$6986 ~ £2852 (bigger still!)

At the end of the day, I don't like sliding callipers so I've convinced myself I want some 4 pot (or 6 pot) APs up front. Plus, they look the dogs! Option 1 @ £1632 plus taxes and shipping. That, and the 330mm pbr rear setup (hsv/vxr spec) should do just fine.

pomona said:

Ap Racing kit from Demon Tweeks as their distributor A/PCP5555-1027 Front Kit = £1543.11 +vat A/PCP5147-1000 Rear Kit = £1543.11 + vat Purchased Sept 2003 Front Kit 6 pot and Rear Kit 4 pot

pomona - those pt numbers would suggest a 360mm disc/calliper setup - if so it makes it good value compared to capa - their price translates to £2245 plus taxes and shipping



>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Tuesday 12th October 20:58

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Having no luck sourcing the ap kit, in the UK (ironically)

AP only sell thru distributors, tried demon tweeks and bg developments - part numbers tie up on their computer - but - due to contractual reasons, and the fact that the mounting "kit" is made locally in australia (the callipers/discs are off the shelf items) I HAVE to order through HSV australia, or one of their distributors.

still awaiting a reply from jhp down under.

pomona - how did you manage to get your kit through demon tweeks?

I've got 2 weeks to get them delivered to me, and fitted.

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Thursday 14th October 17:04

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Thanks for the tip, Paul

I'm being passed from pillar to post, in my attempts to source a AP kit, and it's going to work out at nearly £4k time the shipping has been added, so I'm going to try and get the willwood kit. A good compromise - 6 pot front callipers and 4 pot rears, 330mm front discs, standard sized rears, both slotted, and half the price of the AP kit.

The UK distributor for wilwood (rally design) don't seem to know much about the GTO, and they doubt if they can supply the kit in time, so I've put out a request on the US GTO forum, to see if any wilwood distributors over there, can supply me a kit pronto. Fingers crossed



>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Monday 18th October 11:31

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Been given a couple of distributors for Willwood brakes in the States - they have to be specially ordered ..... about 6 weeks for delivery .....

If I'm going to do a brake upgrade, I might as well do it properly, and I only want to do it once.

Kev 10-30 - where did you get your AP brakes - I guess at Linden? I really would like the AP kit, but I'm not paying £7.5k for it.

Been in touch with AP(UK) via e-mail again - they have agreed to supply me direct, but they have none in stock .... normally 5 - 6 weeks to supply (aaarrghhh!) .... but they are going to see if they can speed up the process for me

Any chance I could borrow some brakes, for my forthcoming track day? (only joking!)

It's still weird how AP themselves, and UK distributors - Demon Tweeks and BG developments, all told me that they were unable to supply, due to contractual reasons - something to do with the fact that AP have a contract to supply HSV, yet some people have managed to get the kit in the UK.

Only other option for an AP kit, is through JHP or CAPA in Australia. About £3.5k plus shipping for the complete kit - 362mm front discs - drilled and grooved - 6 pot calliper, and 343mm rears - drilled and grooved - 4 pot calliper - hoses pads and brackets included.

Going to phone them tonight and see if they are in stock.

[GSE - Monaro V8]

Oh well, if I'm going to do a job, I like to do it properly, and, 'in for a penny, in for a pound' ...so ... full AP kit ordered from JHP. In stock, and they say it will be with me within a week:

360 mm front vented/grooved/drilled discs with 6 pot callipers, and 340 mm rear vented/grooved/drilled discs with 4 pot callipers, all brackets, pads, hoses and fluids included. Hope they are worth it!

>> Edited by GSE - Monaro V8 on Thursday 21st October 16:12

[GSE]

Finally got the AP's fitted on yesterday afternoon, after a bit of confusion as to which way the discs go on, and a lot of bu******g about with brake pipes. Virtually every brake pipe nut rounded off whilst trying to remove them. Which meant that there was no way I could re-use them, so I had to make up and fit 4 new brake pipes. The n/s/f was the most 'fun' to do ...

Once everything was on, and the system bled, I did about 100 miles of country road driving, with gentle use of the brakes to bed them in. And how are they - awesome! As I proved at the Bedford trackday, today, you can use them again and again, hard, without any fear of fade. Once the brakes are on, they bite really hard, you can modulate the braking effort far more accurately. Leagues ahead of the standard sliding calliper units.

But - I have a slight problem - possibly. There is still some travel at the top of the pedal - a bit more than I would like - before they start to work. I was hoping the APs would cure this, and give a harder pedal, like my Boxster had. Any one else notice this? Something to do with the master cylinder? I suppose there could still be some air in the system, but I've bled it several times - using a vacuum pump at each calliper, and the tried and tested 'push the pedal' up and down method, and there is no air coming out. I also left the ignition on, during the procedure, so as to energise the ABS pump. But I know that sometimes there is a specific order of bleeding each wheel, on some cars. Anything specific for the Monaro?

BTW - I had a bit of a surprise when I drained the original brake fluid - the bottom of the resevoir had what looked like brown jelly in it! I flushed it out with meths, and have put in Lucas 5.1 fluid in.


proper brakes behind the wheels!

new front disc with original disc for comparison

6 pot front calliper. The AP discs are thicker as well as being a larger diameter

4 pot rear calliper and disc with original for comparison. Braided hoses improve the pedal feel as well

>> Edited by GSE on Sunday 28th November 20:53