Brake upgrades

[Alex]

I've got a '97 1.4 SX and I'm not quitte pleased with the brakes. For normal use they're ok, but when driving the car faster (and braking harder) on a curvy road, the brakes soon start to fade. A friend of mine had the same problem with her 1.6 SX. Does anyone know of any upgrades available for these brakes?

TIA
Alex

 

[Grant]

1.8 HLX

I don't know if they fit but the HLX has vented discs. The calipers and discs from this model are likely to be a straight swap for 1.6SX ?

 

[Syed]

Brakes

Try to change the brake fluid or get your brake pads changed. Mine worn out at 20,000KM.

 

[Chris]

1.8

The SX auto is fitted with Vented Discs and different pads. They are a straight change.
But you don't need it.
The fluid is the reason for fade. The system absorbs moisture (all systems do) which slowly lowers the boiling point. This gives early fade. I change mine every year. You would be amazed at the test results of fluid boiling point on 2 year old fluid.
The real killer is dealer servicing. You take your nice new car into them that has covered 12,000 miles and hence has pad wear. They kick the tyres and spot the lower fluid level and decide to top it up. They take a bulk can that has been open to the atmosphere absorbing moisture better than a bath towel and stick it on top of yours immeadiatly halving the boiling point of the fluid. (And the stuff goes all over your engine bay when they then fit pads because the space has disappeared!)
This is not a Fiat problem - just lack of knowledge in the whole motor trade.
Chris
ps When you change the fluid, push back the pads to empty the piston chambers.

 

[Alex]

Brake fluid or pads?

Thanks for all your advice. I still have some questions, however.

I've been to a Kwikfit nearby, and they looked at the brakes. They also tested the brake fluid. The front and rear brakes were far within tolerances, and my brakefluid seems to have been changed just before I bought the car (seven months ago), cause the level of water in the brakefluid was near 0.
Looking at this forum, it seems no one has had brake troubles. Perhaps the dealership used dot 3 instead of dot 4? How can I check this? If this is not the case, will dot 5 help?

I must say, even though the stopping power is greatly reduced, the pedal stays (nearly) as hard as with cold brakes.

A local autoshop offers EBC greenstuff pads for my Bravo. Will this help against fading?

Also, is a brake conversion to discs in the rear possible?

Could be I'm just spoiled, having had a peugeot 605, with four-pot calipers in front and vented discs in the rear.

Alex.

 

[bruce]

brake fluid

An even better solution than changing brake fluid annually and NOT letting the motor trade near your pride and joy to top up said fluid is to use silicone-based brake fluid. The main source in the UK is Automec who are based up in Northamptonshire(I am afraid I don't have their address to hand but they probably have a web page - try all the sensible combinations or ask your local reference library). The beauty of using Automec is that it doesn't absorb moisture so it will never ever need replacing, and your wheel cylinders/calipers are less likely to rust or seize. It is usually sufficient to bleed the glycol-based fluid out while topping-up with the silicone fluid. If there is a tiny residue of the old fluid left that is unlikely to matter greatly.

 

[Tom]

Silicon fluid

You are actually more likely to get corrosion with silicon fluid. As any water in the system is not absorbed into the fluid, it will settle out into droplets and cause trouble... Either corrosion or the water boiling and giving you a VERY spongy pedal.

Systems with silicon fluid MUST be bled on a regular basis.

Also don't forget the clutch if its a hydralic one!

 

[Richard]

EBC Greenstuff Pads

Hi Alex, Try the EBC pads. I fitted them to my HGT and think that they are "sharper" than the originals + you do'nt get any black brake dust on your front wheels. I bought mine from JRT cost £47 incl. vat and delivery to Belfast.
Cheers,
Richard

 

[Chris]

Agree

Silicon is never used by anyone who understands it. You have to replace it more often and everything rusts.
The simple message is to just change your fluid. I fail to see how Kwikfit can check your boiling point without taking a sample from the wheel cylinder. I've never seen any Kwikfit with the kit. If they just put a heating element in the Master Cylinder then they wrecked it for you coz that just absorbs more water.
Changing the fluid is the cheapest upgrade you'll ever do. Just putting in higher friction pads will just boil it quicker!!!!!

 

[Barry]

Silicon Rubbish....

Yes. It's just a con from the trade. It works better on the race circuit with high heat absorbsion but on the road it's crap. It wrecks ABS system because the water is not absorbed and just rusts the cylinders.
Use a DOT4 fluid from a fresh can and change it often.

 

[Jeff]

Brake Fade

Another reason for fade is faulty cylinders. It happened to me. As the brakes got hot the pedal went down to the floor. The problem was traced to the cylinder rubbers which were pulling the pads away from the disc as they got floppy. New rubbers helped but did not cure completely. New calipers with tighter tolerances between cylinder and wall fixed it.

 

[Asger Hartmann]

EBC green stuff + Tarox discs

I drive a Marea 155 20v HLX - upgraded the front brakes with EBC green stuff pads and grooved discs from Tarox (G88). That really makes the car break very well. And my nice alloys don't get so dirty from brake dust anymore.

 

[Phil Lee]

Green pads better than Tarox?

Asgar,

Just wanted to know why you didn't you use the Tarox pads? I have both the tarox discs and pads, and they work quite well. However interested to know whether you've tried both Green and Tarox and reckon that the former is better?

Phil

 

[Asger]

Green pads vs. Tarox pads

There is no specific reason for using EBC pads and not Tarox ones. I was the combination the dealer in Denmark suggested would suit my car best ( Marea 155 20v HLX ). I haven't tried Tarox pads - so can't tell if better or not.

 

[Grant]

Both types of pads

Do both of these pads have good braking power when cold or do you have to 'warm' them up first ?

Cheers

Grant

 

[Phil Lee]

Tarox Pads

I use both discs and pads from Tarox, and the braking power is good, certainly better than the originals, but more so when hot (when the originals started to fail in the past). When cold the brakes are not massively different...but that could be that I don't blast off at speed when the car is cold anyway..

 

[Asger]

EBC Green pads

The braking power of EBC Green pads is also good when cold. They do not need any warm up.