Re: [DML] Re: Big Brakes - cost

[Martin Gutkowski <martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for all constructive comments. For what it's worth, I did not put 
this system together just to sell it, I put it together because I needed 
it as part of a couple of performance projects, but that is not to say a 
massive improvement wouldn't be noticeable on a stock DeLorean.

You say you're happy with your car's brakes, but are they as good as 
your regular everyday car? Do you ever drive your car hard enough to 
find the limit? Without special pads, you discover that limit very 
quickly - over here we're much more prone to enthusiastic country-lane 
A-to-B point and squirt, then brake for a corner and repeat. I used to 
regularly get fade and see smoke coming from the front of my old car on 
a particular road I used to drive regularly. At that point I hadn't 
discovered high temperature pads though.

By an order of magnitude, the most common job I have done on DeLoreans 
since workong on them for a living has been replacing the brake system. 
Having the calipers professionally rebuilt, replacing flexi-hoses for 
stainless braided and a new master cylinder. I go further to recommend 
high temperature pads too. With that setup, the DeLorean's brakes are 
really quite respectable. But it's still an old system in a fairly heavy 
car  working with small solid discs.

I've heard the comment several times "I can lock up the brakes, so they 
must be good enough". The problem is one of "feel" where the driver 
can't sense that limit of traction.

My new system increases disc diameter, pad size and piston area (all of 
which reduce braking effort and improve feel), and obvoiusly much of the 
point of the upgrade is to include vented discs to allow cooling - 
ubiquitous on all modern cars. (In fact the only car I know of that 
doesn't have vented discs is my other half's Smart Roadster, and vented 
is a popular aftermarket upgrade!). The added weight of the larger discs 
is countered by the much reduced weight of the calipers too.

As an aside, the new handbrake mechanism is vastly superior to the 
original DeLorean setup - although I reckon most DeLoreans in North 
America don't have working handbrakes anyway ;-)

Best Wishes

Martin
www.delorean.co.uk


stainlessilusion wrote:
> $3,200 dollars for a complete brake kit seems a little steep - for a bit more I can get a performance engine.... What is the benefit of your new kit? How does it compare to the old calipers? I have stock calipers and John's rotors and personally I can't be happier. Basically I'm trying to find out why I should spend $3200 dollars for brakes when my car stops fine now. Nothing against new parts, but a new performance engine I can see upgrading to; new brakes I'd need to know more figures on how it's an upgrade. It appears to be a very impressive kit, how is the installation? -----Dani B. #5003



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