48 replies to this topic

[svvs]

I always lose them after the bus stop and carousel at WGI.  nothing like going down hill into the boot and having your brake pedal go to the floor.

[davew]

Some background.

 

I do sell calipers, I have a local supplier who rebuilds them for me. I HATE REBUILDING CALIPERS.

 

I drove a car with e-brake delete calipers, pedal felt funky. Changed calipers, pedal felt great. One experience, did not like it, left it alone. These where not East street calipers, which may be better than the ones I tried.

 

My brake experience came from Trans-AM cars on street courses. 650hp and tight corners is REALLY hard on brakes. SO I am a brake maintenance freak.

 

Road America has the worst alligator teeth of any track I have been to. If you do not drive over them you will be slow. Blackhawk farms has added the same track out teeth as RA. Plus it was the hardest track in the country on brakes, before the alligator teeth where added.

 

We pull every rear caliper off the car to check pads for cracking apart and check pins. We do this every week in the shop and every night at the track. We also flush the fluid every week and give it a few squirts every night. Adding a couple extra minutes to this procedure is not a big deal. We rarely find more than 1/8 turn out of adjustment.

 

I have seen adjusters back off, causing a progressively long pedal. Replacing the offending caliper cured the problem. Probably seen this 6 times in 13 years of SM. Never seen them tighten up, but it could be possible.

 

Hawk Blue brake pads seem to expand the first session. They need to be adjusted a little loose at first. No other pad seems to do this.

 

Rear caliper pins have become a maintenance item. Replace regularly if you run over big curbs. If the pin breaks, the caliper rotates, damages the wheel and you will usually crash. Do not reuse brackets that the pin broke on. Run a tap threw all the threaded holes to clean any klag out of the threads. Remove paint/powder coating from all mating surfaces. Front pins bend, causing drag!!!

 

A little silicone brake grease goes a long way. 

 

You will never go fast if you don't trust your brakes.

Dave

[FTodaro]

You will never go fast if you don't trust your brakes.

Dave

This is my excuse and I am sticking to it, this is why i am not fast, its not me its the darn brakes are weak. Thanks for the tip Dave i need to look to see if MS sells just caliper replacement pins.

 

EDIT:  Dave i went on to MS and saw the entire caliper bracket offered $76.00 but not just the caliper pins?

[DrDomm]

You're not taking nearly enough exit curbing at T2 Thunderbolt.

 

I do, trust me.  Just have plenty of time to tap the pedal before turn 4, and they don't compare to Road America (in my opinion).

[davew]

This is my excuse and I am sticking to it, this is why i am not fast, its not me its the darn brakes are weak. Thanks for the tip Dave i need to look to see if MS sells just caliper replacement pins.

 

EDIT:  Dave i went on to MS and saw the entire caliper bracket offered $76.00 but not just the caliper pins?

 

All the Spec Miata stores in Wisconsin have them in stock on their website

[Todd Lamb]

And if you act now there's a cryogenic treatment added free of charge!

[davew]

And if you act now there's a cryogenic treatment added free of charge!

 

Wait till next week, not supposed to get above zero for 3 days.

[Brandon]

Just to review:

There are folks who adjust (back out) daily (or post-session if you prefer).

There are others who remove the adjusters.

And then there's me who has the adjusters installed and never touches them.

 

While I back them out when I put new pads in (obviously) and when the wheels are off I check for clearance, but never have I done any regular re-adjustments on them after installing new pads.

To note - I do run the pad guides & clips on the rears if that has any significance.

 

So what's my secret? Cuz I don't have the foggiest idea whether I'm doing it right or not!

[Sphinx]

Question for the Cobalt XP3/5 users, how are they on rims compared to the Hawk Blues?  (Perhaps anything is better than the Hawks).  Does the dust stick as badly?