quick brake questions
Discussion
Hi Mate
quite easy to tell if you have MMC discs. Look at the unswept area of the disc, this is the bit the pads don't touch, really close to the hub where the wheel touches.
there should be a dull grey colour here in comparison to the rest of the disc. steel ones are usually corroded with rust in this area.
Pads can be bought from eliseparts, but quite expensive and these are your only option.
Wako
quite easy to tell if you have MMC discs. Look at the unswept area of the disc, this is the bit the pads don't touch, really close to the hub where the wheel touches.
there should be a dull grey colour here in comparison to the rest of the disc. steel ones are usually corroded with rust in this area.
Pads can be bought from eliseparts, but quite expensive and these are your only option.
Wako
thanks. i'll have a look at the discs. i think they're the alu ones.
they pads should be easy enough to change shouldn't they? i've changed pads on all my other cars, the elise won't be too much different will it?
It just the fronts i think that might need changed so £80 isn't too crazy. dear enough like.
they pads should be easy enough to change shouldn't they? i've changed pads on all my other cars, the elise won't be too much different will it?
It just the fronts i think that might need changed so £80 isn't too crazy. dear enough like.
Make sure you buy the proper MMC pads if you do change them otherwise you will wear the disks out very quickly! Try shopping here: www.elise-shop.com/
There are lots of ways to identify the MMC's over steel disks
1. Is there a lip on the disk ? Mine has done 35k miles and there is only a faint line beginning to show
2. Drive around town for a few minutes being a bit angry with the brakes, get out and touch the disk. If it is warm then you have MMCs if you burnt your hand then you have steel ones
3. Put a magnet on the disk - if it sticks then steel
4. Are the disks badly scored? MMC's have an odd pattern that is difficult to describe, maybe a bit like clouds ? where as steel disks will scored in circles
5. Get them wet. Steel will rust, MMCs won't - you might see some white salty / soapy deposits
6. Get them wet and try to drive. If the first time you brake the car does nothing and scares the pants off you then they are MMCs
They stopped putting MMC's on I think on early S Reg's
There are lots of ways to identify the MMC's over steel disks
1. Is there a lip on the disk ? Mine has done 35k miles and there is only a faint line beginning to show
2. Drive around town for a few minutes being a bit angry with the brakes, get out and touch the disk. If it is warm then you have MMCs if you burnt your hand then you have steel ones
3. Put a magnet on the disk - if it sticks then steel
4. Are the disks badly scored? MMC's have an odd pattern that is difficult to describe, maybe a bit like clouds ? where as steel disks will scored in circles
5. Get them wet. Steel will rust, MMCs won't - you might see some white salty / soapy deposits
6. Get them wet and try to drive. If the first time you brake the car does nothing and scares the pants off you then they are MMCs
They stopped putting MMC's on I think on early S Reg's
i think i'll try the magnet one!! don't fancy the burnt hand option!
if they are steel, what pads are advisable? green stuff? looking for heat from cold, less need for absolute braking ability on track at high temps.
i won't be driving it crazy hard (ie maybe one track day a year) and generally, i'm not hard on brakes.
if they are MMC, i'd get the right pads from eliseparts
if they are steel, what pads are advisable? green stuff? looking for heat from cold, less need for absolute braking ability on track at high temps.
i won't be driving it crazy hard (ie maybe one track day a year) and generally, i'm not hard on brakes.
if they are MMC, i'd get the right pads from eliseparts
I think Pagid RS14's are the best set. Opinions on the Greenstuff ones are varied. Mintex also do a set, not sure what the verdict on those is. If you have a search around the archives here you will find plenty
There are two things that you should spend money on, on any car
1. Tyres - they attach you to the ground and hopefully keep you on the road and out of the ditches
2. Brakes - they slow down and stop the tyres when heading towards said ditch to keep you on said road.
There are two things that you should spend money on, on any car
1. Tyres - they attach you to the ground and hopefully keep you on the road and out of the ditches
2. Brakes - they slow down and stop the tyres when heading towards said ditch to keep you on said road.
yes, i'm big on spending money on things that matter.
the p-zeros that are on just now have about 85% life left so i'll keep them til they're done then look to yokohama. think that's a good plan as at the moment i'm still learning the car so not near its limits.
the brakes do stop well just now, they will lock the wheels, but i think the front pads are a bit worn. the rears have plenty left. i had greenstuff on my hillclimb car but i didn't like them. however, a number of mini drivers, (new style, tuned cooper S) rave about them. think the compound varies a lot from car to car so wasn't sure what the verdict was for elises.
do ferodo so a pad for the elise? if so, how does it compare with the mintex?
the p-zeros that are on just now have about 85% life left so i'll keep them til they're done then look to yokohama. think that's a good plan as at the moment i'm still learning the car so not near its limits.
the brakes do stop well just now, they will lock the wheels, but i think the front pads are a bit worn. the rears have plenty left. i had greenstuff on my hillclimb car but i didn't like them. however, a number of mini drivers, (new style, tuned cooper S) rave about them. think the compound varies a lot from car to car so wasn't sure what the verdict was for elises.
do ferodo so a pad for the elise? if so, how does it compare with the mintex?
Just fitted Mintex 1144's to my S1. Not as costly as Pagids (about half the price) and seem well suited to "keen" driving on B roads etc.
Had "greenstuffs" before and the 1144's are a definite improvement. Squeel a little at low speed but that seems to be par for the course with most "fast road / race" pads. No squeel when braking at speed BTW.
Have noticed more brake dust than with my old Greenstuffs - guess I'll just have to clean the car more often!
Very easy to change the fronts (and only slightly more complex to change the rears).
I reckon if you've changed pads before you should have fronts done well inside an hour with time to spare.
Drop us a mail if I can offer any more help.
Cheers
Dunc
Had "greenstuffs" before and the 1144's are a definite improvement. Squeel a little at low speed but that seems to be par for the course with most "fast road / race" pads. No squeel when braking at speed BTW.
Have noticed more brake dust than with my old Greenstuffs - guess I'll just have to clean the car more often!
Very easy to change the fronts (and only slightly more complex to change the rears).
I reckon if you've changed pads before you should have fronts done well inside an hour with time to spare.
Drop us a mail if I can offer any more help.
Cheers
Dunc
cool, thanks for that advice. i was swaying towards mintex over greens as i've heard too many stories about greens wrecking discs.
squealing doesn't really bother me (mini's pads squealed) so that's ok.
think i'll go for them. will check exisiting pad depth and see when replacements are needed. might be as well to do them now so they're bedded in come the better weather.
squealing doesn't really bother me (mini's pads squealed) so that's ok.
think i'll go for them. will check exisiting pad depth and see when replacements are needed. might be as well to do them now so they're bedded in come the better weather.
I second that. For fast road use the Mintex 1144s should be just fine and they're not that expensive (unlike the Pagids).
You shouldn't have any problems doing a track day on 1144s but if you want to change them I would suggest 1155s instead as they have a higher temperature range.
Hope that helps.
DJ
You shouldn't have any problems doing a track day on 1144s but if you want to change them I would suggest 1155s instead as they have a higher temperature range.
Hope that helps.
DJ
Good choice Tuscan,
Don't worry about lengthy bedding in either.
Gentle braking for 20 miles, check disks for any scoring etc. Then 3 - 4 controlled decelerations from 50 / 60 down to 20. Then 3 hard decelerations from 70 /80 down to 20 (hard as you can without locking up). Some suggest to come to a complete stop on your last hard deceleration and hold the pad hard against the disk for a few minutes (I didn't).
Job done.
Drive easy for 10 miles let everything return to normal temp - there you have it - a nice repeatable brake pedal (and the smell of hot brakes in your nostrils!)
Worth doing again from time to time if you aren't normally hard on your brakes.
BTW what sort of a min bin did you used to run? I had a 1380 MED beast prior to the Lotus - bags of fun!
Dunc
Don't worry about lengthy bedding in either.
Gentle braking for 20 miles, check disks for any scoring etc. Then 3 - 4 controlled decelerations from 50 / 60 down to 20. Then 3 hard decelerations from 70 /80 down to 20 (hard as you can without locking up). Some suggest to come to a complete stop on your last hard deceleration and hold the pad hard against the disk for a few minutes (I didn't).
Job done.
Drive easy for 10 miles let everything return to normal temp - there you have it - a nice repeatable brake pedal (and the smell of hot brakes in your nostrils!)
Worth doing again from time to time if you aren't normally hard on your brakes.
BTW what sort of a min bin did you used to run? I had a 1380 MED beast prior to the Lotus - bags of fun!
Dunc
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