Thread: Brake upgrades for Defender

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Big Brake Kits - EXTREMEspec - LOF Clutches

Originally Posted by POD

My 2008 Puma 130 is in need of some brake work- I'm looking at replacing rotors all round- and I'm thinking it might be a good time to make some improvements to the brakes. I run 255/85 tyres so have 10% better clearance at the diffs, 10% higher roadspeed per RPM and 10% worse braking compared to the original 7.50R16. Also with 320,000km on the dial, the calipers are worn so the pads have some slack. Wondering what upgrades are available and how people have found them? I'm open to considering something that would give increased rotor diameter and larger swept area if there is something out there, I'm not really up for being a test-bed for a non-sorted setup though. The car does not have ABS.

My mate at Vari Brakes will sort you out.

He makes the big brake kit that I pioneered for the Iveco 4x4 .

No Defender brake kit listed but its not a problem , wont need sorting its all CAD CNC & Engineering done in simulator.

Vari - Race Brakes

Thanks I will get in touch. I'm reeling from the price list of the various LOF setups, it's a nasty side-effect of ageing that everything is much more expensive than expected. Can't see myself spending what would have to end up in excess of $12k by the time it lands here. Looking into hydroboost also.

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.

Originally Posted by Red90

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.

I agree.

I guess the only query might be if you are always running at GVM, you may feel like you need a bit more stopping power.

How do the puma defenders get vacuum for braking assistance?

The TD5 system is integrated in the alternator which is extremely common and pretty reliable, obviously the old 300tdi setup using a standalone pump is not.

Cheers

Edit:

It's a standalone belt driven job.

I'd be checking how many inHg it's pulling... then go from there.

Just my thoughts.

The LOF option requires, for a Disco at least, wheel spacers, which I believe are Verboten anywhere in Oz for road use. I guess there might be wheel options to get around this, which is more cost. Not sure if this applies to Deefers.

Originally Posted by shack

The TD5 system is integrated in the alternator which is extremely common and pretty reliable,

Can be undone by a small, L shaped hose that is often overlooked as it is hard to see. Once again, on a Disco. Prolly on a Deefer too. A vacuum-less Disco develops a VERY hard pedal once the reserve applications run out. Much harder than, say, my Ford.


I disturbed mine doing the engine mounts.....

Originally Posted by Red90

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.

While this is true, they are still a quarter of a century old technology. Modern brakes provide better progression, require less pedal effort AND have much, much better fade resistance, which would benefit ANY Deefer, let alone a laden one.

It's not only about one stop.