Rossins Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Looking for some advice. Possibly need to replace rear callipers. Car will be used for trackdays - what is recommended? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkm_dave Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 If 13" wheels you might need to stick to Golf alloy or Sierra steel calipers depending on which uprights you have, but there's plenty of pad compounds to choose from and both will have excellent handbrake mechanisms. Not sure about HiSpec handbrake calipers in terms of wheel clearance but they're likely to have a good range of track-able pad compounds too. I changed from Golf alloy to AP Formula Ford on my sprint car and didn't notice any significant difference in performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Been discussing this on our local WhatsApp group with Simon. Sierra uprights, std sierra calipers, suffered from overheating on track due to (assumed) binding caliper leading to popped seals. A few of us were of a similar opinion that a refurbished or new caliper should sort the problem. The car is s very high spec beast though so I’d hazard a guess that the views of anyone with experience of a similar high powered setup would be welcome (can’t recall figures but it’s a supercharged Duratec isn’t it @Rossins?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Stick with OEM Sierra or Golf, (depending on uprights) all day long if the car sees any road use. The Hi Spec rears are awful, awful things. Mine, semi seized up from normal road use all year long, (about 19000 miles) are sat in the furthest corner of the garage loft I could throw them to, in disgust. oh, and that the main pistons that were part seized, by the end the hand brake mechanism was about as effective as living marbles under the tyres to stop. The standard Golf calipers I replaced them with were not only better at stopping the car, they also felt better in conjunction with the AP racing MC and AP Racing front brakes. Oh and the handbrake will actually hold the car on slopes. I do need to experiment with a better compound on the rears, it’s true. I used the basic Apec Golf pads initially, but now I’ve got Carbotech front, I need something more aggressive at the rear. I have details of what the MX5 race cars used to use though, when using the same front pads as me, so will give those a try. While the Willwood rears might be better than the Hi Specs, I’ve been told by several that have had both, the hand brake Mech is just as poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman said: depending on uprights Sierra 5 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman said: the car sees any road use. Mostly used on track Dave (Rich’s ex Speed Series ‘Supertec’) Edited July 29, 2023 by Kingster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 If it doesn’t see the road/need an MoT, then with something like the AP Racing calipers up front, there’s an AP racing rear as used by Caterham, but it has no handbrake mech at all. But for none AP fronts, I’d probably still stick with Sierra rears, just go for better pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 What front calipers is it using? If something like Willwoods then I’d be tempted to see if there was a suitable Willwood rear, if you must have an after market caliper. (but I’d still go OEM Ford, if I could!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 I would have thought Sierra's are fine.. as long as you are getting a good form pedal or all air out of system.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Been researching this same topic in the past weeks. Problems with Sierra rear calipers are weight (aftermarket stuff can easily save a kg per corner) and they are a pain to bleed effectively. Seriously tempted to try the RallyDesign Wilwood rear kit, they should fit the Sierra upright. Handbrake feel won't be the same as OEM calipers tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 1 minute ago, LoneWolf said: Handbrake feel won't be the same as OEM calipers tho. Hand brake will be very poor, and eventually barely work. This is the problem with aftermarket calipers. They simply have nothing like the budget required to make a proper working handbrake in a hydraulic calliper. That's why so many of us that have Hi Specs etc have upgraded back to Golf or Sierra. You are correct about the weight though. A cautionary tale; once, while in a group of four, driving through a small town, and part way down a very steep hill. One of the cars slammed on the brakes with smoke coming from under the bonnet - the inlet manifold actually, oil in there had caught fire. we all stopped and started jumping out to help. It was at the point I realised I couldn't take my foot off the brake, as the awful after market calliper hand brake mechanism wouldn't hold the car on the hill. Even in gear and turning the front wheels into the curb, to try and use it as a wheel chock, I had to sit there helplessly, while everyone else helped our stricken friend. Fortunately, the amount of oil burning was small, and nothing else caught fire, so it was out shortly after without extinguishers being needed. But I'll never forget or forgive the utter helplessness those piles of 💩 for rear brakes left me in at that moment. Two of the other three cars in that group have also changed to Golf rear calipers from the Hi Spec. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossins Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 Can anyone supply the Golf rear calliper part number or the year model? cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossins Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 Presume these are the ones- Fits VW Golf MK4 Brake Calipers Rear Pair 1999-2010 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174642937347 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Looks like it. (I don't know that supplier, but the first set of remanufactured Golf calipers I had, from a (recommended) eBay supplier were poor quality out of the box. Recently replaced them after the hand brake mechanism seized on one.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Golf calipers won’t fit @Rossins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Kingster said: Golf calipers won’t fit @Rossins Sorry, just re-read the thread. Correct, it's Sierra calipers needed for the "Super-Tec" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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