My 91 has new stainless lines,new pads,and new master cylinder,but I am still not happy w/ the brakes.My 02 S2K's brakes engage sharply under moderate pedal pressure then bite hard. I realize there is 11 years difference,and a smaller car,but my 91 is supercharged,and it goes faster, so I want it to stop faster. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? thanx
better brakes
- Thread starter saquash
- Start date
Have the calipers ever been serviced? You need to replace the piston seals and possibly the brake pistons too if they are too rotted out. Those components are over 30 years old and it's why your brakes feel terrible. My 92 brakes have all new internal caliper components and they feel rock solid/confident. They should be serviced every 5 years...
Aside from making sure that the brakes have been serviced, what pads are you using? The initial 'uptake / engagement' that you feel is as much a function of the pad as the 'mechanics' of the system.
My first observation is that high performance / racing pads will typically have a really low coefficient of friction until they get stinky hot. For driving around on the street where the pads don't normally come up to temperature or stay hot they will typically feel like somebody has applied a layer of grease to the disk in terms of their cold stopping power. High performance / racing pads should be reserved for the track and they need to be warmed up for them to be useful.
In the world of non racing pads, pads with a high metallic content were the typical answer if you wanted a high coefficient of friction at cool pad temperatures with a fast engagement. High metallic pads also had a reputation for eating disks like a bag of Cheetos. Semi metallic pads may be a good choice and I expect that there are a lot of more modern materials that provide a high friction coefficient when cool without the down side of high metallic pads.
If the calipers have been serviced and you are running OEM or semi metallic pads and you are still not happy, a budget solution is to install the larger diameter brake rotors from the later production years. If you do a search you should be able to find threads discussing what is involved in an upgrade to the later rotors. That is the budget friendly path to a brake upgrade on a 1991.
My first observation is that high performance / racing pads will typically have a really low coefficient of friction until they get stinky hot. For driving around on the street where the pads don't normally come up to temperature or stay hot they will typically feel like somebody has applied a layer of grease to the disk in terms of their cold stopping power. High performance / racing pads should be reserved for the track and they need to be warmed up for them to be useful.
In the world of non racing pads, pads with a high metallic content were the typical answer if you wanted a high coefficient of friction at cool pad temperatures with a fast engagement. High metallic pads also had a reputation for eating disks like a bag of Cheetos. Semi metallic pads may be a good choice and I expect that there are a lot of more modern materials that provide a high friction coefficient when cool without the down side of high metallic pads.
If the calipers have been serviced and you are running OEM or semi metallic pads and you are still not happy, a budget solution is to install the larger diameter brake rotors from the later production years. If you do a search you should be able to find threads discussing what is involved in an upgrade to the later rotors. That is the budget friendly path to a brake upgrade on a 1991.
Don't underestimate the effect of new caliper piston seals and honing make on disc brake response.
Disc brakes rely on very small tolerances, pliable o-rings, and smooth bores. All of that magic has aged and needs attention.
Different pads are at least third in line.
Disc brakes rely on very small tolerances, pliable o-rings, and smooth bores. All of that magic has aged and needs attention.
Different pads are at least third in line.
