Brakes For Zero

[Guest zoomzoom]

My zero has used the standard sierra drums on the rear and discs on the front from new, I fitted cross drilled and vented discs with mintex m1144 pads at the front and use racing brake fuild. This set up has done fine with on the road use and lots of track days, and i can still lock the fronts up with slicks on !!

I am now upgrading to wilwood calipers/pads/discs at the front because of a turbo upgrade

 

marcus

 

P.S. The sierra set up will be for sale soon so watch this space

[Guest filwaf]

Hi Bob and Marcus. Thanks for your powerful arguments, but for now I am still undecided. In the final assessment the depth ( or not ) of my pockets may have a large bearing on what format the breaks take, but util I have to make a decision I will keep mulling things over. Hope to bump into you at one of the shows. Regards Fil.

[Guest mcramsay]

If the standard sierra caliper design was in any way unsafe then ford and many other manufacturers would not use the sane design today. You will have no issues with the calipers seizing if you refurb them before fitting. My zero uses the standard sierra braking system with drums on the rear. It stops on a penny and without the servo you get a nice feeling on the brakes. Per Iva I had a twin system with bias bar. When I read through the Iva manual I took them off and sold them. 90 % of hoods will have the standard sierra brakes. It's a no brainier. I know because I've been there and wasted the money. Keep it simple, if done properly you will find no running issues and no safety issues.

[richardm6994]

Don't forget that sierra brakes are designed to safely stop a 1100kg car, 1driver+3passengers & luggage.

 

You'll be fitting these on a 550kg zero with 1driver+1passenger & minimal luggage!

 

 

My advice would be to spend your budget getting the car complete and through the iva....afterwards spend whatever money you have left upgrading the car how you want!

You'll probably never question the sierra's brake performance and have £££ left to spend in other places.

[speedtripledan]

I've had both set ups on different cars only real difference is the wilwoods looked awesome.... Will be buying them at some point again for my latest car..

[Guest filwaf]

^{Hi Dan, After speaking to a couple of Robin Hood owners last night I am almost at the point of going with 4 pot callipers front and drums rear. Now as usual I have concerns that I have read somewhere that individual callipers may not be compatible with certain internal wheel profiles, so will I need to check with the supplier and let them know which wheels I will be using ? Regards Fil.}

[knights_templar]

filwaf, with the greatest of respect to those you have spoken to, belive me they deserve all our respect, robin hoods were an engineering project.

 

the GBS zero is nothing like the robin hoods of the past, and although well meaning, advise from those that have not built or driven a zero, must be considered carefully.

 

The Zero is nearly half the weight of a 2B, it has a more ridgid chassis than the monocoques and with a Zetec has more power than most, stick to the factory recondmendations as the above posts of zero owners indicate.

 

I belive your preposed route from your last post will cause problems, but that is my opinion, I am sure I will be chastised, but remember IVA first, what you do with it later is up to you.

 

IVA tests brakes against a given load, and weight of the vehicle, over braking, as under braking, will fail

[speedtripledan]

My 2b weighed in at 710kg most zeros sit somewhere in the mid to high 500, s not exactly half. if you use 15" wheels there will be no clearance issues shaft had them on his zero. Its your car do the job once either will work fine

[richardm6994]

For my 2 pennys worth, i believe the idea of "do it once" has its place, but not in every aspect. At the end of the day, brake disks and calipers are not the hardest things in the world to change after iva.

 

There are so many unfinished kit car projects out there where the builder has bought "top-spec" everything but has then run out of money....then quickly followed by lost-interest before ever getting the car to the iva!

 

My advice would still be to get the car done and then decide where your money is best spent upgrading.....

 

 

[Guest filwaf]

Hi Steamer, I think you have lost your way. You should have been a philosopher !! It makes so much sense. Regds Fil.

[knights_templar]

My 2b weighed in at 710kg most zeros sit somewhere in the mid to high 500, s not exactly half. if you use 15" wheels there will be no clearance issues shaft had them on his zero. Its your car do the job once either will work fine

 

my apologies, never seen one below 800Kg, true thats not half either , an opinion, badly presented, is no opinion at all, teaches me not to answer posts after consuming bear.

 

Regards

[Guest mkeats02]

My old hood (sub-k) ran the 1.6l sierra set-up with vented discs on the front, smaller drums on the rear and a servo, in my opinion this car was overbraked for its weight and would lock-up easily.

 

Willwoods or Hispec will be a simple upgrade in the future if you desire more stopping power once it is on the road.

[sj-bradley]

... teaches me not to answer posts after consuming bear.

 

Is that Grizzly, Brown or Polar ?

 

Simon.

[knights_templar]

Is that Grizzly, Brown or Polar ?

 

Simon.

 

must have been more hung over than I thought