Advice required re. (car) brakes

[pubrunner]

Hi All,

The front discs need replacing on our Daihatsu Sirion; it is only a 1.0, so it ain't the fastest car.

There seems to be quite a choice of discs available and I'm not sure which to get.

There are :

Plain discs
Grooved only
Grooved and drilled
Drilled only
Grooved and dimpled

The retailers of the above state that "The grooves help to eliminate brake fade which can be dangerous. This occurs when there is a build up of gases between your brake discs and pads".

Obviously, it ain't a performance car, but I do want the best possible brakes - the price difference of the discs isn't enough to be of any consquence.

So which should I go for ? (I've never even heard of 'dimpled' discs).

Thank you.

 

[tyred]

I would fit whatever you car has originally or you could run into compatibility issues - check the thicknesses. Also, I doubt you would over overheat the brakes in normal road driving, unless you regularly drive down Alpine passes.

 

[I like Skol]

Just buy good quality plain discs, anything else is wasting your money. Spend the extra on the pads which IMO should be genuine or from a respectable quality brand (not exotic boy racerish stuff).

 

[mickle]

Normal.

 

[pubrunner]

Cheers for the replies !

Yes, I think I'll for the normal discs.

Surely, anything that reduces the surface area that the brake pad has with the disc, is going to negatively affect your braking ? (Cross drilling, slotting and dimples reduce the surface area of the disc).

 

[smokeysmoo]

Just buy good quality plain discs, anything else is wasting your money. Spend the extra on the pads which IMO should be genuine or from a respectable quality brand (not exotic boy racerish stuff).

This

 

[I like Skol]

I have only experienced brake fade once despite plenty of enthusiastic driving in my younger years. That was during a spirited drive over Holme Moss in a 2ltr Astra CD with cheap pattern brake pads (motaquip if I remember correctly). It felt a lot like the pads had turned to lumps of solid ice for all the effect they were having and I'm surprised I didn't sh*t myself as it happened as I approached the hairpins at the bottom on the Holmfirth side resulting in me screeching round the bend on the wrong side. I have since only fitted genuine or high quality alternatives and despite similarly enthusiastic driving in overloaded vans and 4x4's with oversized wheels I have never repeated the experience even when the discs have been glowing dull red and smoke pouring off the pads after coming to a stop.

That tells me all I need to know about brake pads. If OE pads are made and tested to take abuse like that and still work satisfactorily while elcheapo copies can be reduced to useless by a standard un-modified and empty (apart from driver) car driving over a hill that is hardly an Alpine pass then I will ALWAYS buy genuine pads, its a no-brainer really.

 

[Night Train]

I'd also say go with whatever is the standard original fitment but get the best you can afford, not cheap copies. It is how the car was intended and it will also save you explaining to your insurance company, every year, the modifications you have made and risking a reason for non payment when you need to make a claim.

 

[pubrunner]

I've had a look on Ebay at discs for sale;

These seem appropriate :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-BRA...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item56444b8cde

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-EBC-ULTIMAX-BRAKE-DISCS-PADS-DAIHATSU-SIRION-1-0-2005-/160785017464?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car Makeaihatsu|Model:Sirion|Cars Type:1.0&hash=item256f88aa78

It states for both the above, that - Disc Diameter:- 246.0mm

or there are these :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-BRE...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c227b9a28

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAIHATSU-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5ae1fd7279

It states for both the above, that - Disc Diameter(mm): 234.0mm

I'm probably missing something very obvious; but how can the disc diameters vary so much ?

Mine is a Daihatsu Sirion 1.0 SE (Mk2) from 2008, I'm still not certain which discs to do for - can anyone suggest which might be correct ?

 

[tyred]

Motaquip pads are the invention of the devil. They do improve your anticipation of hazards....

 

[green1]

[QUOTE 1814051, member: 45"]If they needed fancy discs they'd have come with them in the first place.[/quote]
So you have never upgraded anything on your bike?
Just go with standard brakes, no point in upgrading them unless you upgrade to braided hoses first anyway. Steer clear of Ebay for brake components, its the one system on a car (along with tyres) that should never be scrimped on.

 

[green1]

I've had a look on Ebay at discs for sale;

These seem appropriate :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-BRA...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item56444b8cde

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-EBC-ULTIMAX-BRAKE-DISCS-PADS-DAIHATSU-SIRION-1-0-2005-/160785017464?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car Makeaihatsu|Model:Sirion|Cars Type:1.0&hash=item256f88aa78

It states for both the above, that - Disc Diameter:- 246.0mm

or there are these :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-BRE...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c227b9a28

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAIHATSU-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5ae1fd7279

It states for both the above, that - Disc Diameter(mm): 234.0mm

I'm probably missing something very obvious; but how can the disc diameters vary so much ?

Mine is a Daihatsu Sirion 1.0 SE (Mk2) from 2008, I'm still not certain which discs to do for - can anyone suggest which might be correct ?

Larger discs on the front, smaller on the back.

 

[I like Skol]

Try pricing them up at the main dealer. They are not always as expensive as you might think and you are almost gauranteed to get the right parts. I recently did the rear discs/pads and handbrake cables on a 2001 astra estate I owned and the main dealer price was only about £15 more than shopping around for pattern parts. Why would you risk anything else if it is only a small difference like that? Main dealers have generally become much more competitive in recent years on the pricing of service parts for slightly older (3+yrs) cars.

 

[subaqua]

I have only experienced brake fade once despite plenty of enthusiastic driving in my younger years. That was during a spirited drive over Holme Moss in a 2ltr Astra CD with cheap pattern brake pads (motaquip if I remember correctly). It felt a lot like the pads had turned to lumps of solid ice for all the effect they were having and I'm surprised I didn't sh*t myself as it happened as I approached the hairpins at the bottom on the Holmfirth side resulting in me screeching round the bend on the wrong side. I have since only fitted genuine or high quality alternatives and despite similarly enthusiastic driving in overloaded vans and 4x4's with oversized wheels I have never repeated the experience even when the discs have been glowing dull red and smoke pouring off the pads after coming to a stop.

That tells me all I need to know about brake pads. If OE pads are made and tested to take abuse like that and still work satisfactorily while elcheapo copies can be reduced to useless by a standard un-modified and empty (apart from driver) car driving over a hill that is hardly an Alpine pass then I will ALWAYS buy genuine pads, its a no-brainer really.

I had a merc 190E that regularly used to have glowing discs and smoking pads . was a bit of a nutter back then.

worst brake fade i have ever experienced was coming down from a Quarry just outside Llanfairfechan, I was in a Bedford TK and coming down the track using the gears and needed to use the brakes too and they were there and then very suddenlty were not. when you have a drop off in front of you its a bit unnerving. used to wait in the compound for the tracked vehicles after that.

as for the answer to the OP. you can stick grooved discs on if you want but it is the pad that really matters. buy the manufacturers ones not pattern parts.

ferodo used to be good as did borg and beck , both OEM suppliers to top end manufacturers. if you want to spend silly money then Mintex are not too bad

 

[pubrunner]

Larger discs on the front, smaller on the back.

It has drums at the rear.