View Full Version : I have a little tiny...
wang.....
but that's besides the point... my small car needs a brake upgrade. It's a Mazda 1300, and the factory brakes are insufficient to cope even with its hulking 845kg and way-under-a-hundred horsepower.
Once I'm done with it the thing will still weigh under 950kg, but will suffer from having a conservative 300rwhp and a driver who is considerably more enthusiastic than he is talented.
In short, I'm trying to decide if it's really worth spending another $220 on braided lines & slotted/cross drilled rotors. In a perfect world I would say "if you're doing to the trouble, spend the extra"... but if I took the best and most expensive option with every facet the build would never be finished.
So, this thread is about helping me decide on the correct point of compromise. I'm more inclined to option the braided lines than the slotted or drilled rotors... what do people think?
HoonBoy
23-10-06, 10:15 PM
Want do you want from the brakes? If it's the occasional hard stop with normal driving, stick with the standard stuff. Braided lines only helps with pedal feel and slotted helps with continued hard stops by clearing dust and gas.
You want more brake torque and you want more heat soak ability. So you want bigger ventilated disks from some other Mazda, might as well be slotted if you are buying them new, and you want calipers to suit and you want good pads. Your budget needs to be a bit bigger.
The Pupat
23-10-06, 11:01 PM
I hope these aren't just braided standard lines and slotted standard rotors. 'Cause that's just crazy. I wouldn't worry too much about either but if you are buying new rotors might as well get them slotted. the braided line would be nice if you are getting new ones made up (obviously would be as I hope you're putting bigger stuff on since you already admitted they are 1970's crap.
dattoman1000
23-10-06, 11:36 PM
Nothing you do to the standard brakes will help
You need bigger ones
dont't bother with cross drilled they only add poser valiue
Its only a rotary youll probably only need to stop a few times before it breaks anyway dont worry about it.
kwottr0
25-10-06, 01:03 AM
dont't bother with cross drilled they only add poser valiue
Do you mean on that particular car, or on any car ?
I'm very curious as to why you say this - I've read so much crap about cross drilled vs slotted vs whatever the fuck and I'm still not sure, so I'm still looking for opinions.
Whaddabout on a heavier car ?
I reckon cross drilled gives you better bite, especially if you abuse your brakes. My VK has DBA slotted and drilled and i use them hard. They have more cracks than a plumbers convention, but it still bites hard even when the pads are smoking. It never seems to run on like solid discs do when they get ridiculously hot.
I'd use them on any street car without hesitation.
rowdytoot
25-10-06, 08:19 AM
Muz- slotted only will work just as well for street apps... and no cracking... ;)...
I had DS3000's smoking at the last rally, and still had good pedal, and stopping on slotted DBA's which are now a lovely shade of blue!...
Rowds
That's likely what is going on. I didn't put the discs on this car- I'd go for slots only as you say mate.
kwottr0
25-10-06, 03:49 PM
The s4 is a bit on the porky side, weighing in at about 1700kg, (2x the m1300, fark).
For the street the standard brakes are fine. But on the Ring (for eg ;) ), they don't cut it, and I've been talking for about a year now about getting a Brembo kit. (From all reports the standard calipers themselves are great and can handle almost anything, so it'd be just pads & discs.)
Slotted for getting rid of dust, okay, but extra bite ?
Drilled would logically have to be cooler, no ? Are they really prone to more cracking?
Geez, the slotted vs drilled thing seems like a never ending argument...:)
I need to get my finger out here and decide sooner or later.
Chris XR6
25-10-06, 04:12 PM
Are they really prone to more cracking?
A temperature diffeerence appears between the front and the rear of the hole
the rear of the hole runs hotter. This is what leads to the cracking.
kwottr0
25-10-06, 06:14 PM
A temperature diffeerence appears between the front and the rear of the hole
the rear of the hole runs hotter. This is what leads to the cracking.
Sounds logical.
+1 point for slotted, then.
I suffer from OCD and it seems that during my editing and re-editing of the poast to make sure I was 100% happy with it... that I deleted the reference to the fact thta I was buying a brake upgrade kit form Hoppers Stoppers.
The kit is $1200. I am tryign to decide if I shoudl spend/waste the extra money.
The kit is $1200. I am tryign to decide if I shoudl spend/waste the extra money.
It is not a waste when it is on brakes. Extra 20% for better feel and pad cleanliness....
The braided lines I'm very likely to option.. the rotors less so. Convince me.
Its not like your ever going to finish this project so save your money
Chris XR6
26-10-06, 10:22 AM
The braided lines I'm very likely to option.. the rotors less so. Convince me.
To me your logic is flawed, the price difference between slotted and non is sweet fuck all. If you can get braided lines and slotted discs for an additional $220 it's a no brainer.
You say you "Once I'm done with it the thing will still weigh under 950kg, but will suffer from having a conservative 300rwhp and a driver who is considerably more enthusiastic than he is talented."
Why skimp? Better braking hardware is the most useful mod you can do to a car that you will benefit from on the street.
dattoman1000
26-10-06, 05:23 PM
Better the brakes the longer the straights
Makes the power more useable
I have a set of 929 struts with adjustable spring platforms, adjustable Koni's, S4 hubs which will take S4 or S5 calipers etc and you can have the Noltec adjustable strut tops to go with it - for well under a grand. Slotted DBA rotors are worth fuck all and you'll have an awesome front brake set up, it was what i had in the Rx-7 prior to going S6 brakes with Bilsteins.
HTH
FWIW, when I was on the DBA Factory tour a couple of years ago they said that the slotted rotors stopped exactly the same as the slotted/drilled. But market demanded drilled and slotted (and that wankoff gold anodised finish). Made no diff to braking performance, but the ricers wanted it, so DBA made em. The smart cookies bought slotted only, pocketed the change, and didn't crack discs on the track :)
Ok so slotted & drilled are out of the way. Braideds are a yes. And slotted rotors.. I'm getting mixed opinions.
Fatboy - cheers mate but I'm really after soemthing that's super-simple and 100% bolt in... the rest of the car involves more than enough dicking around :P
dattoman1000
28-10-06, 08:30 PM
slotted rotors
braided hoses
decent pads
that is all
FWIW, when I was on the DBA Factory tour a couple of years ago they said that the slotted rotors stopped exactly the same as the slotted/drilled. But market demanded drilled and slotted (and that wankoff gold anodised finish). Made no diff to braking performance, but the ricers wanted it, so DBA made em. The smart cookies bought slotted only, pocketed the change, and didn't crack discs on the track :)
Race Brakes Sydney have organised with DBA some factory tour's this saturday 4th November at DBA Silverwater .
Between 12.30 and 4.00pm open to anyone 16yrs and over who wants to come along and see inside the plant.There will be a couple of tours between those times so you don't have to get there at any particular time just wait around if you turn up and also a BBQ will be on.
I highly recommend the tour..... very informative, and it's interesting how the discs are cast/machined too
FWIW many years ago I tested drilled discs against undrilled discs on a Formula Mondial and Formula Ford.
Operating temps according to the paint was the same.
Testing with a pyro in the pits, the only difference found was that the drilled discs cooled down at about twice the rate when the cars were stationary.
The surface and core temps were the same when the cars came off the track.
The pedal feel was the same, the discs were a little lighter but not enough to mean any suspension adjustments due to less unsprung weight.
We kept with the drilled discs for a few meetings and in the end they cracked up fairly quickly on the Mondial, IIRC we got about half the life as with undrilled.
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