| What conversion will suit my car? |
| When deciding which conversion is best suited
to your car you need to consider two main
elements. 1) Which caliper 2) What size disc |
| Which caliper? When deciding which caliper to purchase it is important to realise that the size of the pad is the most significant factor that you are selecting. The Ultralite calipers have a pad size of 70x50mm. This is ideally suited to cars weighing 0-700kg. The Billet calipers have a pad size of 100x50mm. This is ideally suited to cars weighing 700-1300kg. The Monster calipers have a pad size of 132x52mm. This is ideally suited to cars weighing 1200-1600kg. The Mega Monster calipers have a pad size of 152x80mm. This is ideally suited to cars weighing 1300-2000kg. (The above weight guide is for road cars where brakes are used from cold) A small car with too large a pad size will result in the pad not reaching its operating temperate. If the brakes do not get hot enough they will feel wooden and you will not get the initial bite from the brakes. A heavy car with too small a pad with overheat
the brakes causing excessive wear and
the
brakes will fade out very quickly. |
| What size disc? With regards to disc size it is usually the case that the bigger the better. The bigger the diameter on the disc the better the performance of the brakes will be To find out how big a disc will fit your
car you will need two measurements. |
| Is there any difference between cross drilled,
grooved and combi rotors? |
|
The purpose of all of the patterns is to get rid of brake dust. The bigger pad surface causes more dust than standard and the hotter the pads get the more they wear and in turn the more dust they generate. The purpose of cross drilled, grooved or combi discs is to sweep away this dust to ensure more friction between the pad surface and the disc. Cross drilling the discs is the most effective way of getting rid of brake dust, however they are much more prone to cracking. As a result we do not recommend cross drilled discs for race use, track days or excessively harsh road use. Grooved discs are also very effective at removing brake dust but are much less likely to crack. This makes them much more suited to harsh use. Combi discs have no additional benefits over cross drilling or grooving alone, though as in the case of cross drilled discs they are more prone to cracking. They are much more visual and are often preferred on show cars. |
| Which pads do you recommend with your conversions? |
| The choice of pads to go with your conversions is largely down to personal preference. We can give the general pluses and minuses of the main manufacturers we can supply. |
EBC Greenstuff/Redstuff + Low dust + Very little chance of squeal at any speed + Good bite from cold |
Ferodo DS2500 + Road and Track pad, good for hard driving + Good bite + Good heat range - Can squeal |
Mintex 1144/1155 + Good for hard drivers/track day/racing + Fantastic bite + Great at any temperature - Very dusty - Often squeal |
Pagid + Good for road and track + Good bite -/+ Expensive but last longer |
| Will I need stainless steel braided brake hoses? |
|
You do not have to buy new hoses for you new conversion, as long as the original hose has an M10 banjo and bolt on the caliper end you can continue to use the original hoses. However as the original rubber hoses age, they can start to swell when the brakes are engaged, which results in a spongy brake pedal and reduced stopping distance. With stainless steel braided hoses there is no room for this volumetric expansion, and so they will improve the feel and performance of you brakes. Braided Hose kits can be purchased at many car accessory shop, again to fit on to HiSpec calipers they will need to have an M10 banjo and bolt on the caliper end. |
| Why aren't pads and hoses included in the conversions? |
|
There is a huge range of pads on the market
from different manufacturers and of
many
different compounds. Through our experience
it has become apparent that pad selection
is largely due to personal preference,
with
this in mind we prefer to let the customer
chose their own manufacturer and compound
combination without bias. Pads to suit
our
calipers are widely available both
from ourselves
and from performance stockists. |
| What colours do the calipers come in? |
|
Hi Spec calipers are available in a choice of 3 colours: Black, Gold and Silver. The black finish is hard anodised so is more durable in harsh conditions. If you want to put the brakes on and forget about them then we suggest black calipers. The gold and silver finish are more likely to fade and wheel cleaners will stain them. Unfortunately HiSpec calipers are not available in any other colour. |
| How should I care for my calipers? |
|
Should be inspected and maintained regularly. When cleaning the use of warm soapy water should be sufficient. Alloy wheel cleaners will damage the anodised finish and petrol/gasoline and mineral based products will damage the rubber seals and boots. Rubber components will need to be checked as their maximum performance/safety levels may be adversely affected by long term exposure to high working temperatures. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that safe working temperatures are not exceeded causing deterioration. |
| How long do discs last? |
|
How long is a piece of string?? Non-standard discs/rotors are exposed to many and varied uses and conditions and it is impossible to answer the above question with any accuracy. Non-standard discs must be considered as a sacrificial component of a braking system. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that discs/rotors are correctly fitted and that safe working temperatures are not exceeded. Discs must be regularly checked for signs of undue heat crazing or cracking. Surface crazing is often seen after prolonged and heavy use, if this turns to distinct surface cracks change the discs. |