4.5 Front Disc Upgrade
4.5 Front Disc Upgrade
Author
Discussion

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Saturday 4th April 2020
quotequote all
Hi everyone, I'm new to the cerbie forum and was hoping to get some advice.

I have a few jobs to complete on my 2001 4.5 and the first is to change the front discs. I currently have the separate bells and 6 bolt calipers and have decided to upgrade to the 330mm rotors, but I can't work out if the rotors should be 28mm or 30mm wide - can anyone confirm please or is it safest to remove the calipers and measure them? confused

I am looking at AP and Reyland grooved rotors and any recommendations of rotor / pad for fast road use would also be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance biggrin


ukkid35

6,359 posts

190 months

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
Appreciate the response - that's brilliant and just what I was after. I did search the forums but didn't find that one!

I'd read that going to 330mm you had to drop to 28mm width, which I couldn't understand if you space the caliper out.

Cheers smile

gruffalo

7,951 posts

243 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
PhilF329 said:
Hi everyone, I'm new to the cerbie forum and was hoping to get some advice.

I have a few jobs to complete on my 2001 4.5 and the first is to change the front discs. I currently have the separate bells and 6 bolt calipers and have decided to upgrade to the 330mm rotors, but I can't work out if the rotors should be 28mm or 30mm wide - can anyone confirm please or is it safest to remove the calipers and measure them? confused

I am looking at AP and Reyland grooved rotors and any recommendations of rotor / pad for fast road use would also be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance biggrin
I use the 28mm x 330mm AP disks., with Pagid RS 14 pads.

They last well and take huge punishment.

I had to use a 2mm spacer between the calliper and the upright and 2mm longer bolts as well.

I got mine from Raceparts in Wallingford who have been able to supply from stock which is helpful as when I contacted other outlets they were quoting several months lead time for some reason.



Edited by gruffalo on Sunday 5th April 10:24

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
Hi Gruffalo, thanks for the reply and the tip about extended bolts. Have you got the CP5000 or CP3580 rotors?

Don't suppose you know the part number for the Pagid pads? I was going to stick with DS2500's but will check them out.

Cheers smile

Byker28i

77,426 posts

234 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
What size wheels have you got? Do you need 18" wheels for the larger disks?

I've found pad material is more important for stopping power

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
Hi Byker, yes I have 18” spiders so there is room for them.

I agree about the pads but the discs are totally shot so thought I’d upgrade as I replace them

I’ve decided to work through the car steadily so I’ll probably have more questions!

Cheers smile

gruffalo

7,951 posts

243 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
Byker28i said:
What size wheels have you got? Do you need 18" wheels for the larger disks?

I've found pad material is more important for stopping power
No, I have 17's

gruffalo

7,951 posts

243 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
PhilF329 said:
Hi Gruffalo, thanks for the reply and the tip about extended bolts. Have you got the CP5000 or CP3580 rotors?

Don't suppose you know the part number for the Pagid pads? I was going to stick with DS2500's but will check them out.

Cheers smile
Yep, bear with me I will take a photo of the bosses I have in the garage and post them.

The reason I stick with this pad is face hurting stopping power work from cold and quiet, I have used them for about 8 years now.

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
Thanks Gruffalo - I really appreciate that and no hurry

gruffalo

7,951 posts

243 months

Sunday 5th April 2020
quotequote all
E 1361 140
E 1363 140


Byker28i

77,426 posts

234 months

Monday 6th April 2020
quotequote all
Where do you buy your from Gruffalo? How do you find the dust from them?

Which 17" wheels have you got? Standard RL7's?

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Monday 6th April 2020
quotequote all
Cheers Gruffalo - I've found them.

gruffalo

7,951 posts

243 months

Monday 6th April 2020
quotequote all
Byker28i said:
Where do you buy your from Gruffalo? How do you find the dust from them?

Which 17" wheels have you got? Standard RL7's?
Pads from Raceparts in Wallingford, they normally have to order the pads in from Germany.

Dust wise about average I would say. After a day on track the wheels and the sides of the car is dusty but it mostly hoses off.

They absolutely do not fade with heat even when a mate met me as I pulled up in the pit lane at Snetterton and lit his fag on my front disk the brakes were fine.

I also use AP 4 fluid, seems to be about the highest boiling point fluid I could find and doesn't seem to absorb too much water.



Edited by gruffalo on Monday 6th April 22:17

spitfire4v8

4,018 posts

198 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
quotequote all
I don't know if I was the first to put the 330mm AP discs onto a cerb but I must have been one of the first.

A customer of mine I inherited when I left Harrogate Horseless was getting miffed at the 800 pounds for a pair of TVR front discs, plus fitting and pads, every time they warped on the many many track days he was doing back then. He was having something like 3 sets of discs a year which at dealership prices was a very big expense.

When I got away from the dealership it opened up the opportunity to explore alternatives, and the AP330mm discs were the obvious choice (probably the only real choice back then, 20 odd years ago).

I bought 2 sets just in case they weren't going to be any better ..

but they were excellent. In fact when the customer sold the cerbera some years later the second set of discs were still boxed in the boot - we hadn't had to change discs from that point on.

I'm a big fan.


Wonder where that cerbie is now .. it had ohlins suspension from martin short (the first time I had seen the rear anti roll bar removed and his modification to the front bar, which I shamelessly copied before having my own bespoke front anti roll bars made) .. I also fitted a brake bias valve, and he did his dry track days on slicks .. he later moved on to Porsches but I forgive him because he was a genuinely lovely bloke.

itsallyellow

3,750 posts

237 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
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I remember buying a 330mm set from you back in 2005/6. Seems like an age ago! Infact they are still on the car!

Mike

Mr Cerbera

5,144 posts

247 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
quotequote all
itsallyellow said:
I remember buying a 330mm set from you back in 2005/6. Seems like an age ago! Infact they are still on the car!

Mike
Holy Dingbats !!

There can't be a better recommendation !! thumbup

Brummmie

5,284 posts

238 months

Sunday 12th April 2020
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I've got 343mm discs under 17" rims, my track rims have 17" fronts, road rims are 18".

PhilF329

Original Poster:

240 posts

255 months

Sunday 12th April 2020
quotequote all
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I’ve tried to order but I’ve been asked to measure up to ensure compatibility, so I’ll strip them down in the week to check.

I hadn’t thought about 343mm discs but I imagine it would need a change of calliper to make the most of it.

Cheers everyone