Upgrading front brakes 2500

[johnnydog]

When I had my Stag (which I sold approx. 3 years ago to a chap over the water in Sydney...), I found that the brakes were a bit 'wooden' and needed reasonable effort to brake hard. Yet the brakes on all my 2000 /2500's are good, don't need much effort to pull up hard. I do think the very late Mk1's that were produced with the Mk2 brake setup on were exceptionally good. However, I always use a good quality asbestos pad (I fortunately still have a plentiful supply of genuine Lockheed in the yellow boxes that came complete with pins and springs fitting kit), which I know now 'aren't available in the shops', but can still be bought at autojumbles quite cheaply. Trouble is that jumblers mark them up as Stag pads and then ask 3x the price! Rover and Ford Transit pads also fit, but don't command the price of a Stag pad although I believe they are the same, but you wont get the 'fitting kit'......

[torque2me]

My pi (which has the Stag rear brakes), has all the components from the Stag, including the levers for the handbrake.
I also have the fronts, a Stag m/c and servo and dual circuits. The only part of the Stag setup missing is the PWDA valve and warning light.

I have only ever had the rears locking up on a trackday when braking hard and shifting down for a chicane in the middle of a long straight from 80+. Entirely understandable really

Never anything in normal road use.
I refurbed the rears thoroughly before install, checking for wear in everything. The handbrake is always awesome after a trackday, the continued hard use of the brakes really brings the rear self adjusters right up.

Colin

Colin,

Thanks for your reply. Reading other posts as well it seems that Master and Slave might be needed from the Stag parts list. I'll try getting hold of a master - the slave might not need changing as the 2.5 had 7/8"th for earlier Mk.2 and 1" for the late ones. Might then not need the longer levers but the way parts availability is for the saloon the Stag type might be the only ones about.

thanks,

Kev

[Mike Stevens]

Don't fit Stag calipers and discs (and the rear) without changing to the Stag master cylinder.

While I understand the need to fit front and rears together to get the right balance, why do you need a Stag master cylinder as well?

To my simple brain, as long as the master bore is the same, thus giving the same fluid displacement, shouldn't it all work OK?

Mind you, I don't know the relative bore sizes of the 2000 and Stag masters! Should be easy to measure though - I have old ones of both around somewhere.

Cheers,
Mike.

[torque2me]

Don't fit Stag calipers and discs (and the rear) without changing to the Stag master cylinder.

While I understand the need to fit front and rears together to get the right balance, why do you need a Stag master cylinder as well?

To my simple brain, as long as the master bore is the same, thus giving the same fluid displacement, shouldn't it all work OK?

Mind you, I don't know the relative bore sizes of the 2000 and Stag masters! Should be easy to measure though - I have old ones of both around somewhere.

Cheers,
Mike.

Mike,

Did you ever get around to measuring the bores on the relvant m/c's?

Kev

[Andy Thompson]

Mk1 2000 MC is 3/4"
Mk2 is 13/16" ( including dual circuit)
Stag is 7/8"

Stag and dual circuit Mk2 use same servo (nearly all Oz Mk 2 are dual)

Personally I find single circuit gives a better pedal but they are all different to a degree. Tweaking the servo pushrods length can make a huge different to pedal travel (and cause brakes to lock on if you get it wrong)

Just to be different my 2000 mk2 currently has Stag MC , 32mm piston 4 pot Mazda RX7 alloy calipers (monarch) with Mintex M1144 pads and 10.6" vented BMW E30 discs. Rear is 2000 drums and Ferodo NOS shoes with Stag slave cylinders (0.800")

Works beautifully

[Mike Stevens]

Did you ever get around to measuring the bores on the relvant m/c's?

No, sorry. Never seem to have enough time!

Andy seems to have answered the question though.

Cheers,
Mike.

[James]

Another test of my HiSpec brake set up at Silverstone a couple of weeks ago — hammered them everywhere — no fade.

[Andy Thompson]

I bet you can go faster if you brake a little less - what pads?

[James]

Mintex 1144

Have to admit that the straights are fairly long at Silverstone and I expect they cool down between corners enough

It's my tyres that were going off — after a couple of laps they were all over the place.

I really need to get the remote IR temp sensors installed so I can see what's happening

[torque2me]

Mk1 2000 MC is 3/4"
Mk2 is 13/16" ( including dual circuit)
Stag is 7/8"

Stag and dual circuit Mk2 use same servo (nearly all Oz Mk 2 are dual)

Personally I find single circuit gives a better pedal but they are all different to a degree. Tweaking the servo pushrods length can make a huge different to pedal travel (and cause brakes to lock on if you get it wrong)

Just to be different my 2000 mk2 currently has Stag MC , 32mm piston 4 pot Mazda RX7 alloy calipers (monarch) with Mintex M1144 pads and 10.6" vented BMW E30 discs. Rear is 2000 drums and Ferodo NOS shoes with Stag slave cylinders (0.800")

Works beautifully

Andy, thanks for posting the info.

Kev