Monaro VXR 6.0 - MASSIVE Brakes Problems!!!
Discussion
www.dba.com.au Australian brake disc manufacturer.
In OZ, if you race your car, you are lucky to keep your warranty.
In OZ, if you race your car, you are lucky to keep your warranty.
Have to agree, the brakes on my CV8 were diabolical too. The disc size is way to small for the weight and performance of the car. Mine would fade during one hard stop from motorway speeds, let alone several stops. VXRs are bigger but they still use those cacky 2 pot sliding calipers which don't give you enough feel through the pedal. I binned the lot and fitted 6 pot front / 4 pot rear APs along with much bigger discs, the brakes are superb now and give you much much more confidence to use the performance. Have a read here:
www.hsv.org.uk/topic.asp?t=129075&f=69&h=28
www.hsv.org.uk/topic.asp?t=129075&f=69&h=28
If you buy a Monaro you obviously like driving, I have one and love driving. It is a road car though. I am a race driver and qualified race instructor. I have been on a BMW track day and in 3 laps of Rrocingham destroyed disks and pads on an M3 CSL(they had the fire extingiushers at the ready!). My point is that the Monaro brakes are fine for the road,but if you want to track it you must expect to upgrade the brakes.
Keep getting wrapped up in this track thing. This was bought purely to be a road car. I currently spend a lot of time on track but on a motorbike and have bought a race bike specifically for the purpose. So I understand the need for uprated brakes and suspension etc for regular track use. BUT this was bought and used purely as a performance road car and the brakes ARE NOT up to the job. I want Vauxhall to admit this and the more people that confirm their brakes were not good enough for road use the better.
They are hinging their whole defence on the fact it did about twenty minutes on track, which is nonsense!!!
They are hinging their whole defence on the fact it did about twenty minutes on track, which is nonsense!!!
I sypathise with the new HSV GTO Coupe (VXR Monaro) buyers as I reckon the brakes are not big enough for the @muscle car@ that HSV market it to be. Having owned a few HSV's and enjoying pushing them on on the road ("normal" road driving for this type of car obviously differs from that of regular cars) the brakes really do need to be beefy. My VT Clubsport had the basic HSV brakes and a few hard stops would see them dissappear. Maloo R8, Clubby R8 (GTS UK), Senator GTS Coupe & GTS (GTS-R UK) were the only ones with decent brakes. When I purchased my Coupe one reason was the six pot AP's on the front & they are right up for the job. Sadly, like said above, manufacturers usually won't give you an inch as soon as you say you've been anywhere near a track day but I do think it's a bit poor that the awesome coupe is let down by somthing that is so easy to get right. Another mob in Oz worth looking up, is Race Brakes in Kensington Melbourne. They have aftermarket everything for all HSV owners who want to "big up" the stoppers. They stock and sell AP, DBA & others.
www.racebrakes.com.au
www.racebrakes.com.au
Have to agree with you that the brakes are not really up to the job. But this is the case with many performance cars, even read that the new M5 could have better stoppers.
Unfortunately, you have told G/M that you tracked the car. This really is a get out for them, as regardless of how you drove on the track, It is poss. to destroy brakes very quickly on a cars as heavy as ours. Of course, you are unable unless you have full video evidence, to prove that you were taking it easy with the brakes. G/M could argue & I imagine prove, that the braking system is sufficient for the U.K speed limits.
I understand that this doesn't help you or others, but none of our cars came with brakes how we would like them. In Aus. it's now poss. to spec. an HSV with AP's as a factory fit upgrade.
Stu Harris from Vauxhall, who is a regular contributor to this forum may have more to say from a "corporate" angle.
You could try the various improvements to the existing brakes, which are well documented here (use the search facility via Pistonheads) & will improve them, but ultimately you need the AP's which cost c.£4k.
Unfortunately, you have told G/M that you tracked the car. This really is a get out for them, as regardless of how you drove on the track, It is poss. to destroy brakes very quickly on a cars as heavy as ours. Of course, you are unable unless you have full video evidence, to prove that you were taking it easy with the brakes. G/M could argue & I imagine prove, that the braking system is sufficient for the U.K speed limits.
I understand that this doesn't help you or others, but none of our cars came with brakes how we would like them. In Aus. it's now poss. to spec. an HSV with AP's as a factory fit upgrade.
Stu Harris from Vauxhall, who is a regular contributor to this forum may have more to say from a "corporate" angle.
You could try the various improvements to the existing brakes, which are well documented here (use the search facility via Pistonheads) & will improve them, but ultimately you need the AP's which cost c.£4k.
Cheers, Thanks for all the replies.
I would love to hear from this Stu Harris but dont think we will dare comment at present due to the fuss I have kicked up (and am still pursuing) at Vauxhall UK.
Just want this sorted now so I can full appreciate what is otherwise a fantastic car!!!
Malc
I would love to hear from this Stu Harris but dont think we will dare comment at present due to the fuss I have kicked up (and am still pursuing) at Vauxhall UK.
Just want this sorted now so I can full appreciate what is otherwise a fantastic car!!!
Malc
Cheers, Thanks for all the replies.
I would love to hear from this Stu Harris but dont think he will dare comment at present due to the fuss I have kicked up (and am still pursuing) at Vauxhall UK.
Just want this sorted now so I can full appreciate what is otherwise a fantastic car!!!
Malc
I would love to hear from this Stu Harris but dont think he will dare comment at present due to the fuss I have kicked up (and am still pursuing) at Vauxhall UK.
Just want this sorted now so I can full appreciate what is otherwise a fantastic car!!!
Malc
MalcN said:
Hello to all,I've just found this forum and am praying it will be a godsend.
I took delivery of a 6.0 VXR Monaro at the end of April and absolutely love the way it looks,Sounds (had the £995 exhaust conversion fitted) and the way it goes. Previous car was a 4.5 Cerbera and this is far more useable on real roads, BUT, have a big problem in that it just won't STOP!!!
It's been at Pentagon in Derby now for 2 weeks cos at just over 1600 miles it has shredded front discs and pads. Major arguments with the dealer and Vauxhall UK that this is not acceptable wear and tear but its like hitting a brick wall!!
Is this a common experience?? Does anybody know of a suitable, sensibly priced solution??
Please Please somebody help cos am at my wits end with this....
Many thanks,
Malc
My old TVR Cerb did its disks on a track day and that only weighed 1200kgs and had a set of standard fit AP stoppers and XJ220 disks.
In a road biased v8 coupe, you will cook the breaks if you push the car heavily on a track and you wont avoid that totally with a change of calipers or disks.
If the disks are damaged then I guess you destroyed the pads first? If so then make sure you get some harder pads and change the fluid before your next outing....
Bennno
You'd have to be a total nutter to cook the AP brakes on my car on the road. Guess the correct pad type is vital, but I've done several (wasn't counting but maybe around 10) big stops at high speeds (upto 130mph legally of course!) in a row. No fade at all, I weigh c.115kgs so the car is knocking on for 2000kgs with a full tank etc. Very impressed. Only downside is huge amount of brakedust, really need cleaning every day!
There are two sides to the coin in this case, if VX had put the most expensive brakes on the car then the forecourt price would be a lot higher, hence not so much of a performance bargain.
Personally I was happy with the standard CV8 brakes and I'm used to a GPN setup in my Impreza.
Horses for courses, but at least you can upgrade them
Personally I was happy with the standard CV8 brakes and I'm used to a GPN setup in my Impreza.
Horses for courses, but at least you can upgrade them
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