Discussion
You could try a 'harder' brake pad - fast road / race type should give less brake dust. You could also try fitting the brake dust arrestor disks in between the hub and the wheel.
You gotta clean the alloys regularly, especially the lattice type otherwise they will be a mare to clean later on in life.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
You gotta clean the alloys regularly, especially the lattice type otherwise they will be a mare to clean later on in life.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
Doesn't automatically follow as some of the "harder" pads actually generate more dust. The problem with the brake dust shields is that they tend to cause overheating when the brakes are pushed because there is restricted air flow.
Best trick is plenty of polish on the wheels and wash them frequently so there is no build up. Stopping using the brakes does prevent the advent of brake dust but it tends to get replaced with GRP dust instead at some point...
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Best trick is plenty of polish on the wheels and wash them frequently so there is no build up. Stopping using the brakes does prevent the advent of brake dust but it tends to get replaced with GRP dust instead at some point...
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
quote:
Stopping using the brakes does prevent the advent of brake dust but it tends to get replaced with GRP dust instead at some point...
Sound like you speak from experience Steve...
I have brake arrestor disks fitted and have experienced no problems with overheating at all - although I don't go sprinting like you. I find that they really help keeping the dust at bay.
I have just had my alloys refurbished and did not bother fitting the arrestor disks and have since noticed considerably more dust than before. When I get the chance I will be refitting them.
In your experience what pads would you recommend for fast road use??.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
>> Edited by mikeb on Monday 13th May 16:47
quote:
I have brake arrestor disks fitted and have experienced no problems with overheating at all - although I don't go sprinting like you. I find that they really help keeping the dust at bay.
I have just had my alloys refurbished and did not bother fitting the arrestor disks and have since noticed considerably more dust than before. When I get the chance I will be refitting them.
In your experience what pads would you recommend for fast road use??.
I had the arrester thingies on the two V6 S series before I sprinted and found them to be a major problem on track days in particular. Ditched them and the problems went away.
As for fast road pad... you could argue that if you need them then you definitely need to throw away the shields!
I have used EBC Greens, Taxox XF, Mintex 1144, Mintex 1155, Halfords own brand, Ferrodo own brand, Lockheed, and my current favs Ferrodo 3466 (DS2000 predecessor).
Preference is for 3466 but 120 pound a set for the monster callipers I'm using at the moment followed by Tarox XF which are great but quite soft (lots of dust). EBC greens are terrible when cold because they are very iffy and once overheated do not recover.
The biggest problem with the wedge brakes is cooling. The rears overheat and dry out the diff bearings and the front overheat so much that they don't last. As for brake dust on wheels... Regular washing is the answer. It also gives me some idea of how much abuse I'm giving the brakes and without the shields I can look/feel through the spokes to see how much pad I have.
I would put up with brake dust on the wheels anyday rather than reduce the brake cooling by using shields.
Steve
Very interesting stuff. Come to think of it the shield 'thingies' were fitted to my 'S' as well. TVR fitted these as an option I presume?
What pads are everybody else using on this forum??.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
>> Edited by mikeb on Monday 13th May 17:45
What pads are everybody else using on this forum??.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
>> Edited by mikeb on Monday 13th May 17:45
I got a good article about upgrading Wedge brakes going online late tonight (the only chance I get these days to upload anything !).
Makes interesting reading to.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
Makes interesting reading to.
Mike
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
quote:
What pads are everybody else using on this forum??.
I have the same Billet calipers as Steve and am still running EBC greens that were fitted with them. Don't like them much and would prefer to go back to Tarox XF that I have used with the previous modified setup. The EBC definitely generate less dust but I would prefer more dust together with the better braking that the Taroxs give.
Mike, sorry for being a lazy g*t - I have taken photos of the new disks and calipers but just haven't downloaded from camera yet! Will get them too you as soon as I pull my finger out
A couple of points about the AP 4 pots. Seals are still available but make sure you get the Lucas/Girling ones. Pattern ones are a waste of time as in they don't seal for very long and usually don't come with the metal retaining rings which usually get knacked taking them apart. Piston availablility is really dodgy right now with shady men going round paddocks saying "pssst want to buy a piston?" You try getting them. I did eventually but they were 19 pounds each which makes close on 80 pound a calliper.
One of the problems that I found was that after about six months the brakes would weep. Replacing the seal was not a good cure as it usually needed a new piston and I was back to the "I need some pistons" problem. I ended up ditching them for some Wilwoods.
The other point is that with the spaced calliper, it is essential to check that the pads are replaced well before they get close to the metal. The reason is that it possible for the piston to be completely pushed out of its seals because of the extra distance the spacer adds. The effect is interesting and can cause several changes of underwear as the hydraulic fluid spurts out everywhere, the pedal falls to the floor and the car's steering gets interesting as you try to engine brake with tyres coated in fluid.
Steve
One of the problems that I found was that after about six months the brakes would weep. Replacing the seal was not a good cure as it usually needed a new piston and I was back to the "I need some pistons" problem. I ended up ditching them for some Wilwoods.
The other point is that with the spaced calliper, it is essential to check that the pads are replaced well before they get close to the metal. The reason is that it possible for the piston to be completely pushed out of its seals because of the extra distance the spacer adds. The effect is interesting and can cause several changes of underwear as the hydraulic fluid spurts out everywhere, the pedal falls to the floor and the car's steering gets interesting as you try to engine brake with tyres coated in fluid.
Steve
Wilwoods are cheaper, lighter and pretty good . Used them last year when I gave up on the AP 4 pots. they have a bigger pad area and there tends to be a lot wider choice in pad material. Tower View had a batch of AP 4 pot pads made with Tarox XF if anyone is interested. The only other pad we could get just then was 1144 which were OK ish but nothing really special but better than EBCs.
If you go the Willwood route get the smaller piston version as these are better at resisting twist which means the calliper starts to move. I has these and had no problem but I know several people have problems with the bigger piston version.
In the end the critical point on a brake upgrade is the size of the disc and the pad. In practice these define how good the brakes actually will be in terms of stopping power. Be aware that the high powered callipers can generate more heat than the discs can cope with. I ended up cracking brake discs when I switched to the Wilwoods which I didn't do with the AP 4 pots. As a result the wilwoods got ditched in favour of billets and bells and rotors but they are expensive and so are the pads to go with them at around 120 pounds a go. But they are the best brakes I have had. Even so still need some work on them as they occassionally suffer from pad out caused by slight movement in the disc (wheel bearing movement caused by heat expansion) knocking the pads back. I will need to fit some residual pressure valaves to sort this out. The Wilwoods are going on the Griff with some bigger discs next month when Tower View service it.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
If you go the Willwood route get the smaller piston version as these are better at resisting twist which means the calliper starts to move. I has these and had no problem but I know several people have problems with the bigger piston version.
In the end the critical point on a brake upgrade is the size of the disc and the pad. In practice these define how good the brakes actually will be in terms of stopping power. Be aware that the high powered callipers can generate more heat than the discs can cope with. I ended up cracking brake discs when I switched to the Wilwoods which I didn't do with the AP 4 pots. As a result the wilwoods got ditched in favour of billets and bells and rotors but they are expensive and so are the pads to go with them at around 120 pounds a go. But they are the best brakes I have had. Even so still need some work on them as they occassionally suffer from pad out caused by slight movement in the disc (wheel bearing movement caused by heat expansion) knocking the pads back. I will need to fit some residual pressure valaves to sort this out. The Wilwoods are going on the Griff with some bigger discs next month when Tower View service it.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
I've been quiet because I have been away on holiday. I'm still having problems with a noisy braking system. I removed the pads and cleaned the pads, calliper and disc. This sorted the problem for a short time but the noise has now returned again. It seems strange that the squeaking occurs when turning the steering wheel to the right when driving (although turning left seems to be okay). After a time the noise becomes more constant but is stopped when brakes are applied. How can I cure this problem?
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