What discs are people running? Looking to replace my originals soon (40k, not bad)
Been looking at EBC, Brembo, Tarox and Black Diamond so far.
Been looking at EBC, Brembo, Tarox and Black Diamond so far.
Tuning Uprated Discs
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Tuning Uprated Discs
Mozella
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I just replaced all four disks with ordinary Brembo components. It should be noted that my Fiat is my grocery getter (actually it's my wife's car). For more spirited driving I use my Alfa Romeo, but for higher performance (including braking), I ride my Ducati. Consiquently, my choice of brakes may or may not be suitable for you.
In fact, modern brakes are pretty good and if you are experiencing fade on public highways, you're most likely exceeding sane limits. Of course, if you like "track days", upgrading brakes might make a lot more sense. Or, if you want to attract men, having huge, red, four pot calipers with drilled disks will do the trick. Hint: Women don't much care about these things, on average anyway.
The opinions of others may vary.
In fact, modern brakes are pretty good and if you are experiencing fade on public highways, you're most likely exceeding sane limits. Of course, if you like "track days", upgrading brakes might make a lot more sense. Or, if you want to attract men, having huge, red, four pot calipers with drilled disks will do the trick. Hint: Women don't much care about these things, on average anyway.
The opinions of others may vary.
Avoid Black diamond.
EBC discs and pads make a good set up. Brembo and Tarox are probably by far the best but as you probably know the price difference is a bit more.
Do you need hugely uprated brakes or just after something a bit better than standard ?
EBC discs and pads make a good set up. Brembo and Tarox are probably by far the best but as you probably know the price difference is a bit more.
Do you need hugely uprated brakes or just after something a bit better than standard ?
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the brembo discs are actually drilled all the way through unlike the EBC which are just dimpled so they look like drilled brakes. although as said you will be raped hard up the ass with the price
I could be wrong but im pretty sure they EBC started doing that to prevent them cracking.
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OP
OP
Looking for something with a bit more stopping power than standard, living in such a rural area, the roads are quite twisty and quite often there is livestock/wild animals on the roads when I head out to work.
In all honesty a well serviced standard system is well up to the job. If you want some initially more "grippy" fit aggressive pads, but then again when you get into this territory the ABS will be kicking in & of course if your tyres are not up to scratch, this can make a difference.
OP
OP
I currently use greenstuff pads on originals discs, they are ok, but the discs seem to boil just doing normal driving.
Mozella
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I'm not sure what you mean here? How can the disks "boil"?
Do you mean the brake fluid is boiling "doing normal driving". That is a possibility, but if you're fluid is boiling then something is wrong with your car. Only under very unusual circumstances or when racing should you notice any brake problems of any kind. Certainly, a stock modern braking system should perform perfectly "doing normal driving".
You can't expect significantly more stopping power than what you already have by simply putting on larger brakes, if what you're looking for is the ability to bring the car to a halt in a shorter distance. It is true that under racing conditions a standard braking system will usually exhibit fade but any standard system will lock the brakes without ABS or be able to operate at the ABS limit for at least one maximum performance stop and most systems can do way better than that. Even when racing, step one to improving brake performance is usually centered around improving cooling before resorting to larger brakes, depending of course on the class rules.
Racers like a brake pad with a lot of initial grip and good pedal feel. The idea is that you want to go from zero braking to max performance in the shortest possible time and hold the brakes on just at the threshold of the available grip. You want a firm pedal and a pad which will give you good feed-back. A "racing" pad will give you that and marginally improve braking performance but often at the expense of noise, disk wear, dust production, and cost. Changing to braided lines will also slightly improve the brake feel and therefore offer a tiny bit better ability to instantly go right to the threshold of available grip and stay there, but none of this is really necessary for street driving.
Typically, changing tires is going to do a lot more for reducing stopping distance that will changing brakes. Back when I used to do some racing, I normally put street legal racing tires on my daily driver. The difference in performance was dramatic, but the stock brakes were just fine after changing to Performance Friction carbon pads. Of course, tire wear was horrible and if it rained, traction was equally horrible. But in the dry, it was lots of fun.
Stiffer springs and better dampers are another way to improve your car for not too much money. You'll get a lot more bang for the buck with springs and dampers than bolting on larger brakes.
I live in Italy in a place blessed with wonderful twisty roads. There are plenty of places with little traffic and the policemen are a lot more interested in checking ducumentation than enforcing speed limits. Plus, most Italians seem to like driving fast and the ones who go slowly don't seem to resent those of us who enjoy spirited driving. When the mood strikes and the conditions are right, I push my cars harder than most, but not for sustained periods because sooner or later you come upon a town, a potentially dangerous intersection, or what have you. In other words, even slightly crazy open road driving ain't racing. I have yet to wish for better brakes. Better tires, smoother pavement, more horsepower?.......... yes, but not better brakes on any car which could be considered even mildly sporting.
Like I said before, if you want to enjoy "track days", then you may want to do something about your brakes. But there's plenty of performance improvements to be had in other areas for a lot less money.
OP
OP
I meant the discs sometimes have clouds of steam coming off them when I get out of the car.
I already have aftermarket shocks, springs and have decent tyres on (falken ze912). This is the last thing I had planned on doing to my car before I tune the engine along with putting on some goodridge braided brake lines.
I already have aftermarket shocks, springs and have decent tyres on (falken ze912). This is the last thing I had planned on doing to my car before I tune the engine along with putting on some goodridge braided brake lines.
I'm very happy with my greenstuff pads, ebc grooved on front and brembos on the rear. Nose of the car really goes down under hard braking, way better than standard, and I've never experienced brake fade like I used to.
OP
OP
Swaying towards the ultimax ebc discs.
If the discs are producing steam, maybe you should go for something drilled, dimpled or grooved as these are designed to vent gases and vapours so that the brakes dont over heat whilst being used. Although the fact they are producing this to begin with would lead me to look at the calipers possibly sticking.
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I am looking to do some track days/hillclimbs next summer so im tempted to go for the brembo drilled discs
https://www.fiatforum.com/bremsen-technik/204180-brembo-sport-discs-grande-punto.html
http://www.racepads.co.uk/brembo_sportdisc.htm
i have just emailed them for updated part numbers and prices
https://www.fiatforum.com/bremsen-technik/204180-brembo-sport-discs-grande-punto.html
http://www.racepads.co.uk/brembo_sportdisc.htm
i have just emailed them for updated part numbers and prices
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ive got standard discs all round, standard ebc pads, and hel s/s braided lines, with motul rbf600 racing brake fluid, stops insanely well, no boiling fluid, no steam off disks, and no fade,
Mozella
New member
And that's exactly what you should expect from any modern "sporty" automobile until you go racing. Unless one is interested in the bling aspect of fancy brakes, I believe that the only sensible change to standard brakes for street driving might be the substitution of a pad with better feel and brake feedback. But that's about it except perhaps for some high-temperature red paint just for grins.
I have experience with stock and near-stock road racing sedan (saloon) car classes which specify standard brake components. If the rules allow additional cooling, the simple addition of some cooling ducts feeding cool air to the brakes, along with racing pads and racing brake fluid will do wonders to prevent fade as long as the rules also prohibit any significant power increases.
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most of the people looking at better brakes dont have standard cars though. yes the brakes are fine for a 120bhp car but when the mjets are pushing 180-190 bhp and the t-jets not far behind then the standard brakes tend to struggle a bit
Mines 194bhp and lugging a heavy engine, I have a heavy right foot and my brakes are perfect. The only thing I think makes the difference is the brake fluid, the motul I have is rated to 312degrees,
i use tarox sport japan discs, with greenstuff pads been absolutely fine for me.
