Thread: better brakes

Buy a Street Machine magazine and check out some of the advertisers in there. Plenty of big brakes people. Hopper Stoppers, etc. Be prepared to have your wallet seriously assaulted .

Was just on Hoppers site, all good if i drive a commodore.
Rimmerbros do a kit which consists of slotted,drilled (not cross drilled) rotors, calipers and EBC pads which is a possibility, but don't know what $$$$$.
What i plan to look into is a larger diameter rotor and relocating the caliper out to suit (as Hoppers do), this should give better stopping power.
Or just do something like the Rimmerbros kit.

I am in the same boat with my 85 model. Alledgedly you need to fit a booster and master cylinder from an 87 mod onwards and this does help. I am getting some pads made by a guy in sydney which are supposed to be very soft, which I hope will pull up the Isuzu and 35's. I will be doing the booster and m/cylinder mod shortly.


Justin

I must be the only one with OK brakes on an 80's rangie, (2 door 81') They take some pressure to pull you up fast but when you get used to pushing that little bit more they are fine.
Maybe I need to drive faster

Saying that after a few days in the rangie I jumped into the falcon and nearly locked them up

Originally Posted by DRanged

I am in the same boat with my 85 model. Alledgedly you need to fit a booster and master cylinder from an 87 mod onwards and this does help. I am getting some pads made by a guy in sydney which are supposed to be very soft, which I hope will pull up the Isuzu and 35's. I will be doing the booster and m/cylinder mod shortly.


Justin

I just finished doing just that, to fit longer shock towers, the later suff is much closer to the firewall, PITA, have to refit and flare everything, took half a day or so, haven't really driven it yet to know if there any better, as this isn't why id did the conversion, but am curious now

Got to change whole pedal box over aswell, early one is different

You would be amazed at what a complete replacement of brake fluid can do. Just keep on bleeding, until there is fresh fluid coming from all bleed nipples. Learned this trick from an old racer, now change brake fluid every year, have for 20 or more years.
Had some braking problems when I first picked up my series 3. For a boosted system, they were that bad I even considered a Disc conversion. Some advice from this forum, a bit of spanner work, and now? I am surprised by the performance of the boosted drum system on the S3.
You have discs, maybe even just a skim, and some decent quality pads will see a big change. Get rid of the shinies, smooth glazed discs aren't the most effective friction surface, and it is only friction that makes us stop.

Shorty.

Damien,

What Mat said (Rovercare) is true, changing pedal box etc, but it is worth it. I have a '92 RR and the brakes are fantastic. comparing it to the early MC and booster is like series Landie brakes to ferrari F40 (joke, not quite but close...). You will have to change the pedal box, but IMHO it is worth it to keep it all standard Rover. I have the stock vented rotors on the front, Slotted DBA's, with Lucas OE pads , stock rears with Lucas OE pads, and I have no trouble AT ALL even with 360KG of Isusu 4BD1 over the front wheels. Do it. It's a bit of a mission but worth it.
By the way, check your Vac pump: a min of 12 to 15"Hg At idle is required to make good booster Vac.

I think JASE is trying it, we'll no doubt here what it's like soon...

JC

Justin, will look into this and try and source some bits. wish ihad of known earlier though as i just put a reco master and booster on, and as for brake hoses they are new as well (4" longer), might just change the vented rotors (which are new aswell) over to slotted ones for now and see how it goes. as for vac pump, its new and works a treat.
Matt, got any bits to suit the job down your way?