4 pot calipers- worth fitting?
Discussion
Greggy, are the 4 pots new? It could be the seals sucking the pistons back in so you have to pump to take up the slack, suffered that for ages. There have been several posts on this before. It can be improved by removing the pads, replacing with a thinner chock to prevent pistons coming out completely, pushing the pistons out a little and lubing them with brake fluid. When you put the pads back in you want the pistons out just far enough so you have to force the pads in.
You can tell if this is the problem by seeing if the pads are really loose and rattle around in the calipers and not firm up against the disc, before any pedal pressure is applied.
You can tell if this is the problem by seeing if the pads are really loose and rattle around in the calipers and not firm up against the disc, before any pedal pressure is applied.
greggy50 said:
Quick question I have 4 pots and drums on the back
However peddle feel is crap at first and I have to pump the brake down and then press it again for them to work properly as without the pump they are a bit naff and with a pump they are very good
Any idea into why this may be the case air in the system or something?
However peddle feel is crap at first and I have to pump the brake down and then press it again for them to work properly as without the pump they are a bit naff and with a pump they are very good
Any idea into why this may be the case air in the system or something?
One of the things to check would be the rear brake cylinder pistons for fluid leaking from under the rubber dust seal as this has caused me the same sort of problems.
OK, I realize I'm somewhat late to this party.
However, as this thread came up in a Google search, I guess it may be relevant to anyone still searching for this kind of info.
greggy50 said...
"Quick question I have 4 pots and drums on the back
However peddle feel is crap at first and I have to pump the brake down and then press it again for them to work properly as without the pump they are a bit naff and with a pump they are very good
Any idea into why this may be the case air in the system or something"
What Greggy50 should have done is bleed the brakes first, thoroughly. If the fluid is more than 5 years old or it doesn't look much like new fluid out of the bottle, he should bleed the whole system through with new fluid (complete fluid change). IMHO.
4 pots on the front and drums on the back is a great set up in a mini, it offers good brake balance, allowing braking deep into corners. While you don't get the look of discs on the rear (important for some), it is the set up I'd recommend for any fast road mini on a sensible budget.
EBC greenstuff pads are great in my experience, pair them with grooved or drilled grooved discs for really great stopping power. I've never been a fan of Mintex pads, too much noise, and fade to easily, but predictable and generally fairly vice-less, with no nasty grabbing.
Standard 2 piston calipers a a huge improvement on even the best drum set up in my experience, 4 pots are slightly better.
Mini's are light weight and unless you hang on your breaks the whole time, live on the edge on the alps, or haul around massive loads, Vented discs are of marginal value. That said, I'd probably have them and accept the slight weight penalty.
Ally calipers are will save unsprung weight, in the ball park of 1.5 to 2Kg (about 4 pounds) each side on the front, and a rear disc conversion with ally calipers will save a similar amount each side on the rear. Personally I'd only do this for the look, and maybe fit a bias adjuster in the line to back them off so I can keep the anchors on further into the bends - but that's my personal preference.
I have not tried the fiesta MK1 caliper conversion, but those I've spoken to say it's a good way to go, and can be made to fit behind 10 inch wheels.
4 pot metro calipers can be modified to fit behind 10 inch wheels, but it's not straight forward. It involves grinding quite a lot of metal off the calipers, I've never been keen to give this a go personally, I'd rather have 12 inch wheels and bigger discs - agin, this is my personal preference.
A Servo is a good choice, at the expense of under bonnet space, and less feel at the pedal.
Stainless braided hoses are the last step, they are a missive improvement on knackered old perished rubber hoses, but so are new rubber hoses. They are better than new rubber hoses, but not as much as some folks will tell you. They are a nice shiny bit, but how often will they actually be seen?
Then again they are fit and forget, don't perish and are one less thing to worry about at MOT time. You pays your money, you take your choice.
However, as this thread came up in a Google search, I guess it may be relevant to anyone still searching for this kind of info.
greggy50 said...
"Quick question I have 4 pots and drums on the back
However peddle feel is crap at first and I have to pump the brake down and then press it again for them to work properly as without the pump they are a bit naff and with a pump they are very good
Any idea into why this may be the case air in the system or something"
What Greggy50 should have done is bleed the brakes first, thoroughly. If the fluid is more than 5 years old or it doesn't look much like new fluid out of the bottle, he should bleed the whole system through with new fluid (complete fluid change). IMHO.
4 pots on the front and drums on the back is a great set up in a mini, it offers good brake balance, allowing braking deep into corners. While you don't get the look of discs on the rear (important for some), it is the set up I'd recommend for any fast road mini on a sensible budget.
EBC greenstuff pads are great in my experience, pair them with grooved or drilled grooved discs for really great stopping power. I've never been a fan of Mintex pads, too much noise, and fade to easily, but predictable and generally fairly vice-less, with no nasty grabbing.
Standard 2 piston calipers a a huge improvement on even the best drum set up in my experience, 4 pots are slightly better.
Mini's are light weight and unless you hang on your breaks the whole time, live on the edge on the alps, or haul around massive loads, Vented discs are of marginal value. That said, I'd probably have them and accept the slight weight penalty.
Ally calipers are will save unsprung weight, in the ball park of 1.5 to 2Kg (about 4 pounds) each side on the front, and a rear disc conversion with ally calipers will save a similar amount each side on the rear. Personally I'd only do this for the look, and maybe fit a bias adjuster in the line to back them off so I can keep the anchors on further into the bends - but that's my personal preference.
I have not tried the fiesta MK1 caliper conversion, but those I've spoken to say it's a good way to go, and can be made to fit behind 10 inch wheels.
4 pot metro calipers can be modified to fit behind 10 inch wheels, but it's not straight forward. It involves grinding quite a lot of metal off the calipers, I've never been keen to give this a go personally, I'd rather have 12 inch wheels and bigger discs - agin, this is my personal preference.
A Servo is a good choice, at the expense of under bonnet space, and less feel at the pedal.
Stainless braided hoses are the last step, they are a missive improvement on knackered old perished rubber hoses, but so are new rubber hoses. They are better than new rubber hoses, but not as much as some folks will tell you. They are a nice shiny bit, but how often will they actually be seen?
Then again they are fit and forget, don't perish and are one less thing to worry about at MOT time. You pays your money, you take your choice.
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