brian wesby Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Recommendations for brake upgrade to Mk1 vitesse 2ltr. Car will be used in Spain, a country with many mountains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 The easiest upgrade is simply to swap the front disc pads to Mintex 1144, often discussed here. Unless your Vitesse has been modified to increase power output substantially, the standard braking system in good condition and fitted with 1144 pads should be up to the heat and inclines of Spanish driving. My 2.5 litre GT6 has standard brakes, apart from the Mintex 1144s. Even though the power output has been increased by 30-40%, this setup is adequate for road use. There are quite a few references to Mintex 1144 on this forum, all positive! Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Maybe also a servo if you really cant stand the difference from modern cars but I think as theres no ABS it makes it easier to lock up the brakes and lose control.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Yup, Mintex 1144s not just better, very, very much better! And I would consider the servo, our else gonna get leg ache up and down those mountains! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Brian, No argument with hotter brake material (one that will tolerate more heat, not from page 3 of the Sun!) But mountains imply long descents, with continuous brake use leading to overheating. Vented brake discs are invaluable for this. They need a bit of work to allow the calipers to accomodate their greater thickness, but perfectly possible and a really good mod. I have Ford capri 2.8i discs, but many others can be made to fit. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian wesby Posted December 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Thanks Nigel Clark,johny, dougbgt6 and john D. Plenty to think about there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 I know the area youre in Brian and its not the Alps so think you'll be ok on standard brakes. Of course if you go up to the Pyrenees it might be different... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 and to add change / refresh the brake fluid which should be changed every 2 years its no use having nice hot pads and boil the moisture the old fluid has absorbed so a flush through of DOT4 is important ( or are you using silicone ) Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Definitely, refresh the Fluid!!. "Brown Trouser" Moment trying to stop a 9t American R-V on a down grade!!. The fluid was less then 3 years old!. But NO brakes!!. The Big Diesel in the back was screaming in low gear. and the ride on the verge trying to lose forward momentum, was of serious "off road" dimensions!. It was a good job there was no other traffic at the time. Once it Cooled I got brakes back, crawled to a campground and spent the next day bleeding the whole system through with fresh Fluid. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 4 hours ago, Pete Lewis said: or are you using silicon Silicone would be better! Silicon would be a bit brittle and crunchy in the braking system. (I do accept that Pete is a martyr to his spell checker) db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 John has made an important point. If there are long descents, then vented is a sensible move to stop the brakes overheating. Otherwise the mintex 1144 option is wise. If you do find they overheat (not unheard of!) the ferodo DS2500 though they have slightly less cold bite. But sit down before you ask how much.... they do last very well though. The brake fluid thing is essential. DOT 4, change every 2 years and if it gets seriously hot, change it ASAP. You know when your brakes are getting really hot. The grease melts out the wheel bearings, drips onto the discs and you think the car is on fire. But you can't stop as the brakes have had enough. Quite scary stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 alright have edited and added the E ............... sillykone pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 7 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: have edited and added the E ............... sillykone One of the brands of silicone fluid I have used came with a warning tag for your master cylinder. It showed a cartoon pine cone to remind you only to refill with "silly cone" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfg Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Perhaps there's room for improvement in brake cooling via ducts.? In a previous life, I was called to make up ducted plates for a race car (not a Triumph but the same principles apply) which took 'fresh' / cooler air from the front of the car. Naturally your choice of wheels can likewise make a big difference to the amount of air getting to the brake disc and calipers. Not intending to be flippant, but the simplest (and cheapest) solution is of course to slow down and then to stop occasionally ..to allow things too cool down, both for the engine oil uphill and for the brakes on a long downhill. ie., think to drive according to the conditions as anyone on the 1970's or before would do. It is worth remembering that one of the beauties of being in the mountains is that the air is much cooler than in the plains ..which is why the Spanish migrate to them for their holidays. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 18 minutes ago, Bfg said: It is worth remembering that one of the beauties of being in the mountains is that the air is much cooler than in the plains ..which is why the Spanish migrate to them for their holidays. Pete Not just the Spanish. I didn't get my holiday in the Pyrenees or Picos d'Europa this year because of a certain virus! I agree about stopping often. Take advantage of the scenery, that's what it is all about. 🏞️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: alright have edited and added the E ............... sillykone pete Which reminds me of the old Lancashire joke at the undertakers. A man asked for a simple line added to the head stone. It read 'She was thine'. The head funeral director, thinking this was quite easy. gave the job to the apprentice. The following day, as pleased as punch, the lad asked the director to view his work. Aghast, the director lambasted the apprentice. You silly bu99er, you have left the E off - as it read "She was thin" The following day, not so pleased with his work, the apprentice asked the director to see his work Upon reading it the director collapsed in a flood of tears. In true Lancashire style the lad had chiseled "E she was thin" Sorry about that very old joke. Roger 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 3 hours ago, RogerH said: In true Lancashire style the lad had chiseled "E she was thin" Allegedly, when John Wayne was cast as the Roman soldier in the crucifixion scene of one of the great biblical films, and he delivered the line "surely this was the son of God", the director asked him to try saying it with a bit more awe. In the next take... "Awww, surely this was the son of God" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Listen for yourself, did he need more awe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Awe, I forgot my umbrella.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 May or may not be of interest. Recently there has been some discussion on Motorhome websites following complaints of Disk warping, mainly where the park brake has been applied imediately upon stopping. It would appear that suspicion is focused on Brake systems, where after a long downward run the vehicle has been stopped and the park brake applied imediately, It was theorised that the Heat absorbed in the Caliper system was concentrated in a localised fashion, causing the disks to warp. Some where advacating not to use the park brake, under those conditions, unless safety was compromised. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 27 minutes ago, PeteH said: May or may not be of interest. Recently there has been some discussion on Motorhome websites following complaints of Disk warping, mainly where the park brake has been applied imediately upon stopping. It would appear that suspicion is focused on Brake systems, where after a long downward run the vehicle has been stopped and the park brake applied imediately, It was theorised that the Heat absorbed in the Caliper system was concentrated in a localised fashion, causing the disks to warp. Some where advacating not to use the park brake, under those conditions, unless safety was compromised. A known issue with brakes. They need to cool before using te handbrake. (after a track session, last lap is used to cool down, and then don't apply the brakes when you park up. Saves the discs warping) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 15, 2020 Report Share Posted December 15, 2020 to get a grip im sure modern discs are made of monkey metal its been a problem for some years that hot discs and pressure washing gives them the wobble as would flood water not easy but you never want to stop with a very hot disc as the pad resin stuff bonds to the disc face and you get vibrations and most rear disc needs the foot brake applied then lock it off with the hand brake as they are designe d a a parking brake not a secondary brake or ..........as the caliper and disc cool the brake lets go ... bye bye car pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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