Il_Domino wrote:
Anyways, i was interested if the conversion would be:
A: Overkill!
and
B: Difficult.
Anyone with experience here would be great!
My thoughts are that it's overkill. Disadvantages include a possible change in front/rear bias. The balance is factory-set for the existing brakes, and might change one way or the other if you replace stuff.
Also, I'm pretty certain FTO brakes *are* EVO brakes - just EVO I/II/III. That's what the RalliArt garage said, anyway.
You'd also have to look seriously at why you want bigger brakes. You'll never need a larger pad surface area for extra cooling during road use. On the track you can bring the existing system to a higher spec and do just fine. If it's a better pedal feel you want, improving the current setup will yield great results.
This is the setup I'm now running... on stock calipers, master cylinder, rotor sizes, etc.:
- Pagid RS4 pads front.
- Mintex M1155 pads rear.
- Braided brakes lines.
- DOT5.1 fluid.
- DBA slotted rotors front.
Plus very frequent caliper servicing to keep the sliders and rubber dust/grease covers in good nick.
I've recently started doing 30 minute 1-on-1 motorkhana training sessions every fortnight, coz my track driving was getting dodgy!
The above setup coped really well, with no hard pedal, no soft pedal, no hiccups at all. I needed to do a couple of cool-down laps every 5 minutes, but that was heralded by the lovely smell of roasty brakes, as opposed to a reduction in performance. I haven't had to bleed anything or replace anything yet, so it's hanging in there very well indeed.
Now, the above ain't cheap! You can spend a fortune on brakes before you even think about upsizing calipers. Breaking it down a bit for more sane FTO owners:
BRAIDED BRAKE LINES: You can live without these unless you do sustained track work. Those simply eliminate the crap pedal that comes with the old rubber lines getting really hot and soft, thereby becoming prone to expanding. It was also overkill on my part getting braided lines on the rear.
DOT5.1 FLUID: About $25 a bottle, and it took 2 bottles to flush out the old DOT4 fluid. But it was more resistant to boiling than the DOT4 stuff I tried. Keeping standard DOT4 fluid fresh and air/water free will go a long way towards keeping good pedal feel.
PADS: Just buy the best pads you can afford that match your usage. The more track-friendly they are, the more grindy or squeaky they may be on the road. They may also be crap when cold, and will certainly belch out dust all over your wheels.
ROTORS: The DBA slotted ones are good. No complaints at all. Buy 'em!
Hope this helps!
- Rich
