Uprated discs and pads
Discussion
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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