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How do you improve the brakes!


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I fancy a project...... so just ordered what i hope are the correct Toyota Hilux Calipers, pads, fittings from brakeparts.co.uk

 

total cost was £218 delivered, but i did order two fitting kits as was unsure which i needed.

This also included a modest £10 surcharge per caliper which i wont get back as i don't have old ones.

 

Other items required will be new solid pipes from the calipers to the hub bracket, and fluid.

 

I don't have the tools to make the solid pipe, so might have to get that done, or have short braided lines made.

 

I shall report back when the parts arrive, and when they are fitted with some feedback.

 

Steve

ps, est delivery is 2 working days, so maybe fit next weekend :-)

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Steve look forward to the out come, was it 1980 hilux calipers?

nick

Nick, they are 1979-83 Hilux calipers from PETROL models.

 

I shall report back......

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I would disagree that M1144s are not effective from cold. I found them absolutely fine in my Vitesse (same pad, same caliper, smaller discs, no servo). Only changed from them due to a couple of minor pad fade incidents under extreme duress (think big mountains, big hurry!) and now use Ferodo DS2500, which are flippin' expensive but apparently fade proof. The Ferodos are a little bit wooden from cold, but still better than warm Greenstuff. Mintex 1155 similar to DS2500.

 

IMO the 1144s are best pad currently available for a standard road car.

 

Best pads I ever had were OE asbestos-based Lockheed ones with an initial "glaze busting" abrasive layer. They were fantastic but not especially long lived and I've never managed to find any more.

 

Nick

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A TR in standard mode has a pretty good brake system, and as long as it performs to design parameters is easily capable of locking wheels with tyres up to 195 profile even with sticky tyres. If you can jump on the brakes and then develop enough feel so that you can release pressure just prior to locking up you can achieve remarkable stopping characteristics.

 

 

 

Mick Richards

Totally agree,keep the standard in perfect working order and in a race situation i have locked the fronts at over 100mph it's all in the pads you chose.Me Hawk blue but thats not for road ,or should i say i have not tried them on the road.

Roy53

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I don't remember where I've read this, years ago, but it was already in English : "only the cowards brakes"

I'll get my coat :P

Edited by Chris59
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Thanks Pink.

 

Yes all is good here, the 'new' TR6 is very nice and has a well tuned motor.

 

Brakes due for delivery today, but its not a 10 minute job to fit the with back plate mods and pipe fabrication that I'll need the shop to do.

 

Might get them done at the weekend :-)

 

We're thinking of a weekend on the IOW in the spring too, maybe meet up with Guy for a drive/dinner?

 

Steve

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The callipers have arrived.

 

Top service from brakeparts do co dot uk who included fittings with the callipers, and are happy to take back the extra fittings that I ordered thinking they would not be included !

 

The callpers are presently being painted, I thought gloss black would look good and not too blingy, then I shall attempt fitting.

 

To make this a propper experiment I am starting with a control set of brake pads, being Mintex standard road pads as these are what are in the current standard brakes.

 

The current brakes have new servo, master and new callipers.

 

Watch this space....... :-)

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The four-pot toyota brakes are on!

 

Took about 5 hours in all, including a trip to the shop for new connection pipes from the callipers to the flexible hoses.

 

It was indeed an easy conversion, I used a 'dremel' with a metal cutting disk to trim the backplates, my local auto shop made up the pair of short hard pipes for £10, the callipers then bolted straight up, pads go in easily too.

 

I've not changed the drilled disks that were on the car already, and the pads are standard Mintex again as before.

 

Bled the brakes twice and the result?

 

Longer pedal travel, I expected this as the VTR article mentioned it, and significantly more braking power after a bit of bedding in.

 

( braking down from 30,40,50,60,70 to almost standstill then a bit is a test blast :-) )

 

I still think there is some air in the system, so will bleed when a fresh supply of brake fluid arrives hopefully tomorrow.

 

Cost for the conversion silly about £270 including the callipers, pads, hard pipes, fluid and paint for the callipers.

 

I would recommend the conversion, I know I'll get flamed for not sticking with the standard setup and Hawk or Mintex 1144 pads, but those pad options are still open and I can definitely feel the improvement in braking strength and 'depth' even with the standard Mintex pads.

 

I'll upload a photo or two later, do ask if you have any questions :-)

 

Steve

 

 

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Here's a pic.

 

The paint didn't work out that well, it's not hard enough, but still looks better than standard.

 

Steve

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Here's a pic.

 

The paint didn't work out that well, it's not hard enough, but still looks better than standard.

 

Steve

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Hi Tony

 

The disks are drilled but not ventilated, the new callipers aren't wide enough for ventilated disks.

 

Yesterday the pedal travel was a bit excessive, but I put this down to air still in the system.

 

But when pumped the brakes were significantly better than before, same disks and same type of pads so a valid test.

 

Overnight I left the car with the brakes held on with a broom, as recommended by Stuart who usually knows what to do.

 

It's raining today so have yet to see if any improvement has occurred overnight.

 

I will also bleed the brakes again when more fluid arrives, the car is on Automec so I need to stick with that.

 

Steve

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Update !

 

Having had the brakes locked on for two nights the pedal is better, but I still feel there might be a little air left in the system, hopefully it will now only be in the callipers so later in the week I will bleed them again and lock the brakes on again overnight.

 

Having said that the brakes are pretty good!

 

Pedal travel is a little longer than before, but not excessively, and there is initial brake bite pretty much immediately ( which probably means there is not air left in the system)

 

What I like most is the feeling that the more I press on the pedal the more the car stops, might sound obvious but this has been lacking is previous brake setups on various TRs I've driven.

 

So for the cost of the conversion, and the ease and enjoyment I experienced in doing it, I would recommend it.

 

If anyone wants to do the conversion I can give you the part numbers etc so you can be sure to get the right callipers!

 

Steve

Edited by SDerbyshire
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As you are unfortunately using sillycon fluid then once you get any air bubbles in then it takes a long time to get them out. Pump them up again and jam the pedal down and leave for a week. The extra travel you are finding is probably due in part to the master having to shift more fluid for the area of pistons.

Stuart.

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As you are unfortunately using sillycon fluid then once you get any air bubbles in then it takes a long time to get them out. Pump them up again and jam the pedal down and leave for a week. The extra travel you are finding is probably due in part to the master having to shift more fluid for the area of pistons.

Stuart.

 

Thanks Stuart.

 

I agree on both counts.

 

The car has Automec SBF in both brake and clutch systems, so I'm stuck with it as I believe once its in even flushing won't get it out fully!

 

It is quite a nice purple colour on the plus side :-)

 

I don't actually think there's much/any air left in the system, as the brakes stop the car rolling down my slightly sloping drive at the merest touch of the brakes, mind you this might be the rears !

 

Back to work tomorrow so will have another play at the weekend, unless I can bunk off before then!

 

Steve

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