brake renewal - upgrade time?

[pauldavies85]

Discs are looking fairly worn on my chim 450 2000 plate, and so im thinking it may be a nice idea to upgrade the brake system. I understand my brakes are the 'bigger' models, but im still quite taken by the poss of larger front brakes mentioned several times using granny calippers/283mm disc etc.

I have 18"/17" T.D jordan's on the car, so i have plenty of space for large calipers/discs. I don't think i could stretch to the big brake conversion kits out there, but are there anymore 'cheat' methods like the granny conversion i could consider??? would the granny conversion be a good option?

[poorpeet]

I swapped over to 283mm disks and granny cos calipers and pads a couple of years ago.
It's a great set up IMO. Very strong and well balanced. Not at all grabby but lots of power.
I have not tried the 260mm set up that i assume your car has but it was a huge improvement over the (already upgraded) 240mm set up mine had. The pads alone had 50% more area!

[robbri]

I have just had new 285mm dics with 4 pot ap calipers you get the tvr letters on the caliper as on the tuscan at www.tvrcarparts.com they may be able to help you.

[daz the plumber]

i got these from hans ,i think its the best upgrade for the money , there heavy but work well
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/816854.htm

Edited by daz the plumber on Saturday 13th December 14:00

[WOO5IE]

Depends on what you want to spend and how much of an upgrade you fancy.

I have just ordered a set of 4 EBC grove and dimpled discs for £244 inc Vat and PP. plus I will order some new pads.

I think that this will have a substanatial improvement up to a point. The original discs are still on the car and need a change anyway.
I have the same as you 260 fronts and 273 rears on 1 2000 Chim

Trev

[pauldavies85]

Yeah, mine have 260's on the front, I do find it a little strange that they have smaler front discs than rears.
I've been looking out for calipers, incl th package on here. Could anyone give me details of which ones fit.
I've seen so sierra cos 2wd 4 pot calipers, but don't know if they would fit, as said i have plenty of space as i have 17" on the front.
If not, think I would prob go down the gran calipers route, though the package on here seems v.reasonable, I may ask him if i can just buy the calipers and source discs/pads myself

The rears I will either keep standard or should i fit upgraded pads/discs? (grooved etc)

[That Daddy]

Dont pursue the sierra cosworth 4 pot caliper route,i did and should have done my homework 1st sold those(possible but flawed)ended up with the Granada Cosworth calipers and 283mm Black Diamond disc and WoW what a bite,i previously had the 240mm fronts fitted the fact that the rears are bigger discs is not really an issue on the later 500 spec braked cars its got to do with swept area and thats not much at the rear with its tiny brake pads,although the 240mm front braked cars are supposed to have bias problems front to rear,but fortunately my originals were not on there long enough for me to find out in the wet if thats true

[spend]

If you have the early 240 fronts, then it is likely you have solid rears. The later vented rears are a worthwhile upgrade only if you goto the extent of something like AP's at the front, as the uprights need changing to fit the later rears (well thats what I did & was told what was needed, can't remember for the life of me what the difference in the uprights was?).

With later rears (just good condition) I have no bias problem with 305mm AP fronts. I was expecting to need to upgrade the bias valve as a minimum but really haven't found it a problem. Even Tubbs with his 330mm AP front's (which use even larger pads I believe) hasn't needed anything to change the rears AFIK.

Lots of stories about Cosworth 4 pots, I would suspect the success stories are AP's that have been sourced from Ford race/rally cars. Most of the Ford calipers weigh as much the Forth Bridge anyway IMHO...

[900T-R]

robbri said:

I have just had new 285mm dics with 4 pot ap calipers you get the tvr letters on the caliper as on the tuscan at www.tvrcarparts.com they may be able to help you.

Hmmm now that sounds interesting, care to tell us any more? Their site just lists the Hi Spec ones, as before.

I already got a 283/285 mm brake kit from Tower View sitting here with spacers for the OE callipers, if I can upgrade (at a later date?) to TVR branded AP's that will fit under the OE 15" wheels (mine are OZ split rims, I'd be well chuffed...

[robbri]

900T-R said:

robbri said:

I have just had new 285mm dics with 4 pot ap calipers you get the tvr letters on the caliper as on the tuscan at www.tvrcarparts.com they may be able to help you.

Hmmm now that sounds interesting, care to tell us any more? Their site just lists the Hi Spec ones, as before. I already got a 283/285 mm brake kit from Tower View sitting here with spacers for the OE callipers, if I can upgrade (at a later date?) to TVR branded AP's  that will fit under the OE 15" wheels (mine are OZ split rims, I'd be well chuffed...

I had the APs fitted as part of my restoration down at dulfords, my chimaera is still down there waiting for the engine to go in, at first i went for the hi spec calipers but was offered the APs and decided to go for them although it did cost a little bit extra i dont know if they still have them in stock but it may be worth a call i dont know if they will fit under your oz split rims i will be having team dynamics 17 all round cheers rob.

[900T-R]

Thanks Rob Bet you'll be elated when you've got your car back in as good as/better than new condition (don't forget to post piccies on here )...

[robbri]

Hi eric i should have the car back in january and your right i will be elated, i decided to have the body off chassis treatment and at the same time a 4.6 litre upgrade i wanted to concentrate on getting the car in the best possible running order within a set budget so the chassis, engine, suspension, brakes, exhaust and the wheels were priorities, the interior could do with a refurb but that will have to wait with a good detail it should be ok, a new hood will be fitted sometime next year so i am looking faward to 2009 .

Edited by robbri on Monday 15th December 19:36

Edited by robbri on Monday 15th December 19:37

Edited by robbri on Monday 15th December 19:48

[Bluebottle]

robbri said:

900T-R said:

robbri said:

I have just had new 285mm dics with 4 pot ap calipers you get the tvr letters on the caliper as on the tuscan at www.tvrcarparts.com they may be able to help you.

Hmmm now that sounds interesting, care to tell us any more? Their site just lists the Hi Spec ones, as before. I already got a 283/285 mm brake kit from Tower View sitting here with spacers for the OE callipers, if I can upgrade (at a later date?) to TVR branded AP's  that will fit under the OE 15" wheels (mine are OZ split rims, I'd be well chuffed...

I had the APs fitted as part of my restoration down at dulfords, my chimaera is still down there waiting for the engine to go in, at first i went for the hi spec calipers but was offered the APs and decided to go for them although it did cost a little bit extra i dont know if they still have them in stock but it may be worth a call i dont know if they will fit under your oz split rims i will be having team dynamics 17 all round cheers rob.

Dulfords fitted the same to my car last month, they make the calliper bracket to fit your wheel spec. I currently have it set up for 285mm discs as I still use my old 15" esterils for my R888's. When i replace my trackday rims for a second set of 17" rims I'll have the brackets adapted so we can fit 325mm discs.

[quattrophenia]

Upgrading the front brakes to make the braking bias towards the front instead of the rear makes sense to me (and almost all other car manufacturers), but every time I hear the argument of only upgrading the fronts and leaving the rears standard people start huffing and puffing. Is it safe and beneficial to upgrade just the fronts on say a Chimaera?

[spend]

Unless you can somehow magically keep more grip at the rear under hard-braking no problem at all IMHO. If you can do that I doubt if you would be talking about a road car, or need to ask either At the most you might want to change the bias valve, but I can't recall anyone that has felt the need to go beyond talking about it for the road.