Track Brakes under 15" wheels

[Questionable]

Does anyone have non-OEM front calipers installed under 15" wheels? I had new front calipers installed in August and we found that one was sticking during a pad change today (after three days at the track, about 12 20-minute sessions).

A friend put a piston on his Wilwood BBK kit through the backing plate of a pad after 4 sessions last April at ECR. While I imagine that's the pad's fault more than the caliper's, I'm curious if anyone else has tried anything else (I know I can get AP calipers at least).

 

[RAAMaudio]

As far as I know I am the only one running a BBK under 15" wheels and I had to design it myself, 21k miles, not a single issue, 6 piston WW up front, 4 in the rear. I gave the design to a BBK company but they did not do anything with it. I offered it to another company and never heard back from them.

I bought the only front BBK offered at the time for this car then made new mounts and bought the best WW rotors that would fit. If I were to do it again I would of used a different caliper and thicker rotor but with simple brake cooling I ran two track days in a row on a very fast course, 225 race tires, very fast lap times, no brake problems at all, stopped tracking due to moving and then an eye injury but still the same rotors on the car front and rear.

The rear setup was far more difficult and required mods few would want to do so I would just do the fronts.

Also look into something like Konig flow formed wheels in 15x8 but also look into the 6UL 11.4 lb wheels like I run for my AS tires, the lighter the better as long as strong, always has been, always will be

Does require a 4x100 conversion but that is pretty easy to do.

 

[Questionable]

Your setup is why I'm trying to do this. I don't know which of those two companies was Fastbrakes, but I emailed them and didn't get much information. All they initially gave me was a minimum inner wheel diameter (13.75") to clear the brakes. Luckily 15x8 Team Dynamics should clear everything.

I have ducts from the fog light location that I thought would be enough if I used the GLOC 12/10 compounds front/rear, but the calipers aren't really holding up.

Did you have any other calipers in mind when you designed your setup that would take a thicker rotor? I'll keep the ducting I already have on the car (or have it improved), but the thickest rotor I can find would also help.

The rear setup was far more difficult and required mods few would want to do so I would just do the fronts.

Also look into something like Konig flow formed wheels in 15x8 but also look into the 6UL 11.4 lb wheels like I run for my AS tires, the lighter the better as long as strong, always has been, always will be

Does require a 4x100 conversion but that is pretty easy to do.

I don't plan on messing with the rear brakes. They're not causing problems and the car's a "daily" so the parking brake needs to stay and be reliable. I haven't done a 4x100 conversion simply because I didn't want to have to machine brake rotors every time I needed to replace them. If I had 2-piece rotors the conversion would be easier to swallow, since only the hats would need to be machined once.

 

[captainmorbid]

As usual, checking Pumaspeed’s site, and look here..

Helllo Ron!


http://www.pumaspeed.com/product-VMAXX-Fiesta-Mk7-ST180-Big-Brake-Upgrade-Kit-290-330mm_17333.jsp


Interesting..


Sent from my iPhone using Glue and macaroni

 

[Perfblue15]

As usual, checking Pumaspeed’s site, and look here..

Helllo Ron!


http://www.pumaspeed.com/product-VMAXX-Fiesta-Mk7-ST180-Big-Brake-Upgrade-Kit-290-330mm_17333.jsp


Interesting..


Sent from my iPhone using Glue and macaroni

Wow if whoosh carried this brake upgrade I would be all over it. Good find.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Questionable]

As usual, checking Pumaspeed’s site, and look here..

Helllo Ron!


http://www.pumaspeed.com/product-VMAXX-Fiesta-Mk7-ST180-Big-Brake-Upgrade-Kit-290-330mm_17333.jsp


Interesting..


Sent from my iPhone using Glue and macaroni

I didn't even think to check Pumaspeed. Thanks.

That's a smaller rotor (EDIT: smaller diameter) than the Wilwood kit RAAMaudio used, but maybe thicker? I'll email them and see if I can find out more info. And I'll have to see if I can get the pads I want (I probably can).

 

[RAAMaudio]

Brian at Fastbrakes, I met him in person the last time I was in AZ, if I recall some family issues was the main reason he did not get to the brakes and highly likely a very small market for them I would imagine. He is the one that said he would use the other caliper and thicker rotors.

I do have a rear parking brake, sort of, got some special calipers with ears for the cables then better "ears" he makes, still not a very strong parkign brake as just not enough pressure that can be applied.

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The rotors are hub centric, not lug centric so no need to go to a machine shop, just drill the holes slightly oversize when replacing rotors for the 4x100 conversion

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[Questionable]

Okay, update after getting back from the shop to have the professionals measure everything:

Team Dynamics in 15x8" will not clear the Fastbrakes Wilwood kit. There's an rib behind the spokes where they meet the barrel, and the diameter there is 13.25" (6.625" radius), too small for the 13.75" needed to clear the Fastbrakes kit. If I could find any other 15x8" wheels I'd love to try those.

Now that the shop has the measurements, they're going to look into a custom caliper bracket or maybe convert a Miata kit. Because at this point it's coming down to which is cheaper: fully custom and keep my current wheels or convert to 4x100 and get 9 new wheels (street set, track set, spare) AND get the Fastbrakes kit.

 

[Philippe]

There are 2 other possibilities I can think of :


- Focus SVT front calipers : they are bigger than FiST brakes, and hold fine on the track. There is also a good pads choice. However, I don't know how close it is to fit there or how much work is needed to make them fit. Some 15in known wheels fit over these calipers (Rota 15X7.5 +40 offset, TD Pro Race 1 15X7). Of course, this is better than stock FiST brakes, but still not racing calipers.

- AP racing calipers (CP7600) from a MGTF. These calipers are available used at reasonable price. Some people already installed these on earlier Fiestas...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=975921&i=820

 

[captainmorbid]

http://www.pumaspeed.com/product-VMAXX-Fiesta-Mk7-ST180-Big-Brake-Upgrade-Kit-290-330mm_17333.jsp


Sent from my iPhone using Glue and macaroni

 

[Questionable]

http://www.pumaspeed.com/product-VMAXX-Fiesta-Mk7-ST180-Big-Brake-Upgrade-Kit-290-330mm_17333.jsp

I should address the V-Maxx kit: I got a diagram form their website and it would fit, with plenty of clearance. But I would have a harder time getting pads, especially the pads I prefer to use, for those calipers compared to a Wilwood or Stoptech or OEM caliper.

I want to keep 15" wheels because that gives me more tire options. Miatas have been running 205/50R15 tires for, like, 20 years and everybody who makes a performance tire makes at least that size. Parts availability and maintenance cost are a major consideration in what I upgrade and how, and a lack of brake pad choice is a big enough concern for me to move on to other ideas.

 

[Questionable]

Well, I have more information, but I still haven't found a setup that I want.

BUT! For other people, because I found this thread, the Tarox 300mm kit will fit some 15" wheels, but not mine.

I do have a diagram from Tarox that I can share if anyone finds this thread in the future and wants to skip emailing Tarox. But short version is I'd have 0.2mm of clearance between the inner rib and the caliper without a spacer. That won't work.


Also, just to reply to every suggestion so nobody is left out:

There are 2 other possibilities I can think of :


- Focus SVT front calipers : they are bigger than FiST brakes, and hold fine on the track. There is also a good pads choice. However, I don't know how close it is to fit there or how much work is needed to make them fit. Some 15in known wheels fit over these calipers (Rota 15X7.5 +40 offset, TD Pro Race 1 15X7). Of course, this is better than stock FiST brakes, but still not racing calipers.

- AP racing calipers (CP7600) from a MGTF. These calipers are available used at reasonable price. Some people already installed these on earlier Fiestas...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=975921&i=820

This would probably be easier if they sold MGs in the US. But it's still a good suggestion. And that thread on Pistonheads was fun to read.


EDIT: Also, sorry mods if this double-posting isn't cool. But I thought it'd be better to make a new post than edit a 20 day old one.
DOUBLE EDIT: 9 day old post, I'm bad at math.

 

[KKaWing]

Here's another "might fit" kit. Its AP Racing branded (probably has better track rep.) 295mm kit.

https://www.focusrsparts.co.uk/ap-r...25mm-ap-racing-disc-kit-track-/prod_6010.html

Good luck!

 

[Questionable]

Update to this old thread because it might show up before this one in a search. The V-Maxx kit from above definitely fits under 15"x8" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels.

The pad size is a Ferodo size FRP218x, with the "x" corresponding to the compound of the pad. I use Carbotech and G-LOC pads, and their size for this same pad is CTFRP218-xxxx or GPFRP218-xxxx respectively, again with the "xxxx" corresponding to the compound.

V-Maxx sells brake rebuild kits on their website and replacement "friction rings" or the replaceable iron part of the brake disc. While €405 looks steep, it's right in line with Stoptech or AP replacements.

These look like the best option off a shelf for track brakes under TD 15x8" wheels. If I need more than this I'll have to either convert to 4x100 or do something custom with race calipers or both. I'm waiting to see how VirtualRonin feels about them after his next track day before I buy these.

 

[Questionable]

As I posted in the other thread, I ordered the V-Maxx kit from Ron/Whoosh, and they took everything I threw at them on track earlier this month. I'll only get 2 days of track time out of Carbotech XP12s, but I had no fade at all, and pad changes are much easier than with the stock calipers.

I've emailed Ron about ordering replacement brake discs and caliper rebuild kits. I'll update this thread when I either hear back or get the parts in my hands.