Sportka brake conversion
Discussion
Hi all so my brakes on my sportka are wearing out so I thought I might as well give them an upgrade I saw you can swap the st 170 front brakes in there easy but what I’m confused at is the bolt patttern on then st is 4x108 I believe and the KA has 4x100 so obvs I won’t fit the discs on there. So will I have to change the hubs too? In the back as well?
Sorry if this is a stupid question but this is my first car so I don’t know much.
Cheers
Sorry if this is a stupid question but this is my first car so I don’t know much.
Cheers
Are the stock brakes insufficient when in good working order? Could you get away with a pad compound change instead? A brake upgrade is a modification and your insurance company will need to be advised. If it's your first car that may cost quite a bit for a modification that (let's be honest) isn't really required.
haggishunter said:
Kozy said:
Fitting bigger front brakes will make your stopping distances longer and will make your ABS cut in earlier.
Just refresh the stock parts.
In the words of the Virgin Mary, come again?Just refresh the stock parts.
I think what he's aiming at is if the stock brakes are adequate then all you're really doing is adding weight.
Changing front brakes without upgrading the rears probably will increase stopping distances unless the front callipers have the same piston surface area as the originals because it'll skew the brake balance forwards away from the (you'd hope optimal) manufacturer setup. It will also typically increase unsprung mass which isn't ideal.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
kambites said:
Changing front brakes without upgrading the rears probably will increase stopping distances unless the front callipers have the same piston surface area as the originals because it'll skew the brake balance forwards away from the (you'd hope optimal) manufacturer setup. It will also typically increase unsprung mass which isn't ideal.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
That’s exactly what I am getting at. If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
Always amusing to see the arm chair engineers laughing at the suggestion that ill thought out mods won’t work though... 😁
kambites said:
Changing front brakes without upgrading the rears probably will increase stopping distances unless the front callipers have the same piston surface area as the originals because it'll skew the brake balance forwards away from the (you'd hope optimal) manufacturer setup. It will also typically increase unsprung mass which isn't ideal.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
That’s exactly what I am getting at. If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
Always amusing to see the arm chair engineers laughing at the suggestion that ill thought out mods won’t work though... 😁
Baldchap said:
That's why the performance versions always have bigger brakes - to stop slower.
I think what he's aiming at is if the stock brakes are adequate then all you're really doing is adding weight.
Bigger discs enable bigger pad area giving better heat dissipation, which is necessary on repeated high-speed stops. Great on track, irrelevant on the road unless you're hammering down twisty mountains.I think what he's aiming at is if the stock brakes are adequate then all you're really doing is adding weight.
If the brakes will lock the wheels, then you are simply never going to get shorter stopping distances by improving the brakes...
TooMany2cvs said:
Bigger discs enable bigger pad area giving better heat dissipation, which is necessary on repeated high-speed stops. Great on track, irrelevant on the road unless you're hammering down twisty mountains.
If the brakes will lock the wheels, then you are simply never going to get shorter stopping distances by improving the brakes...
Not sure about irrelevant, the wife’s old FN2 Civic Type R could be made to suffer from brake fade in under 10mins of relatively spirited road use, no mountains involved. Desperately needed some bigger brake for heat dissipation. If the brakes will lock the wheels, then you are simply never going to get shorter stopping distances by improving the brakes...
Kozy said:
kambites said:
Changing front brakes without upgrading the rears probably will increase stopping distances unless the front callipers have the same piston surface area as the originals because it'll skew the brake balance forwards away from the (you'd hope optimal) manufacturer setup. It will also typically increase unsprung mass which isn't ideal.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
That’s exactly what I am getting at. If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
Always amusing to see the arm chair engineers laughing at the suggestion that ill thought out mods won’t work though... ??
https://new.minimania.com/Mini_Cooper_Brake_Rotor_...
AlexRS2782 said:
kylos27 said:
Or save your money and just press the pedal a bit harder use it to pay the garage who will be responsible for a s
t load of welding / rust repairs at the next MOT?
FTFY t load of welding / rust repairs at the next MOT? 
Btw i tend to drive pretty spiritually and the heat that comes off my actual rims is enough to burn my hand so would it be better to get the conversion or get uprated pads and slotted discs?
big thanks
Dave. said:
Kozy said:
kambites said:
Changing front brakes without upgrading the rears probably will increase stopping distances unless the front callipers have the same piston surface area as the originals because it'll skew the brake balance forwards away from the (you'd hope optimal) manufacturer setup. It will also typically increase unsprung mass which isn't ideal.
If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
That’s exactly what I am getting at. If the brakes are fade prone and/or you don't like the way they feel, I'd fit some better pads but wouldn't touch anything else initially. If they're still fade prone with good pads, try some vented discs of the same diameter as OEM. Changing the calliper is really a last resort.
Always amusing to see the arm chair engineers laughing at the suggestion that ill thought out mods won’t work though... ??
https://new.minimania.com/Mini_Cooper_Brake_Rotor_...
When the manufacturer changes braking components, it is usually done in conjunction with a change to the prop valve or ABS/EBD programming to compensate for the changes and maintain braking performance. Nothing that is ever publicised or documented of course, but the kind of difference between a proper job and a bodge job.
Honestly, just leave it alone.
Edit: I didn’t clock that your name was Dave until after I wrote this post. I wasn’t picking on you intentionally!
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