13 replies to this topic

[jamesquintin]

Hi all,

What's the best disc/pad combo for a standard single calliper 8.4" brake setup? I have a '98 MPI Cooper and the brakes aren't as good as I'd like, and also pull to the left slightly...

 

Cheers'

 

JQ

 

[6joshh6]

I have a set of EBC blackstuff, to be honest they aren't quite as good as people make them out to be, compared to the oem brake pads they haven't got much more initial bite, once warm they can stop you VERY quickly but its also quite easy to cook them, especially on fast roads with a lot of roundabouts. All in all they aren't too bad, but are a bit of a unsatisfying compromise between initial bite and higher heat capacity. The dust they give off is easy to clean though. 

[cal844]

Standard!!

 

Kit here 

 

http://minispares.co...px|Back to shop

 

As for the car pulling to the left, check the tracking and balljoints etc

Edited by cal844, 03 June 2014 - 05:35 PM.

[HarrysMini]

Can you get Mintex M1144 pads for 8.4s? If so, get them. I've only ever used them on 7.5" setups, but they are by far the best available. They bite well from cold, but take a bit of heating up to get to their optimum performance. 

 

As for discs, there are loads about. You could get drilled and grooved ones which look good, although probably not much different performance wise for road use. The only reason I use drilled and grooved discs is because they clean grit etc. between the pads and discs out, so discs don't score as badly, they offer a way for water to clear as well.

[Fast Ivan]

check what you have first, the discs may be ok and so might the pads, it could be old fluid or the rears may need adjusting or new shoes.

 

if you do need replacements then you wont go far wrong with this http://www.minispare...drums.aspx|Back

 

does it pull to the left when braking?

[rally1380]

Can you get Mintex M1144 pads for 8.4s? If so, get them. I've only ever used them on 7.5" setups, but they are by far the best available. They bite well from cold, but take a bit of heating up to get to their optimum performance. 

 

 

I second the use of Mintex M1144 if available for 8.4's (i'm sure they will have an alternative if not)  I use them for rallying and they never fade and work very well from cold.

 

I've also used EBC yellow and red stuff (not on a mini though) and not that impressed. Personally i won't be using EBC again as they're not really that good (for my use).

 

Another essential with regards to brake setup is good brake fluid.....changing mine to a higher temperature performance fluid made a heap of difference with regards to maintaining brake feel and bite when things warm up.  I'm not on about mega expensive racing fluid, just something like Castrol React. 

Edited by rally1380, 03 June 2014 - 06:14 PM.

[cal844]

check what you have first, the discs may be ok and so might the pads, it could be old fluid or the rears may need adjusting or new shoes.
 
if you do need replacements then you wont go far wrong with this http://www.minispare...drums.aspx|Back
 
does it pull to the left when braking?

Ive already linked that...

Edited by cal844, 03 June 2014 - 06:11 PM.

[Fast Ivan]

 

check what you have first, the discs may be ok and so might the pads, it could be old fluid or the rears may need adjusting or new shoes.
 
if you do need replacements then you wont go far wrong with this http://www.minispare...drums.aspx|Back
 
does it pull to the left when braking?

Ive already linked that...

 

 

oh yeah!! sorry

[cal844]

check what you have first, the discs may be ok and so might the pads, it could be old fluid or the rears may need adjusting or new shoes.
 
if you do need replacements then you wont go far wrong with this http://www.minispare...drums.aspx|Back
 
does it pull to the left when braking?

Ive already linked that...

 
oh yeah!! sorry

Its no problem, just to avoid the confusion... Been there myself

[jamesquintin]

Cool, thanks for the replies!

I've used the drilled/grooved discs before, but they didn't make much difference and you could hear them at low speed, a sort of swish/swish/swish noise (this was on two different minis)

I'll give the Blackstuff a try and see if that improves it. The brake fluid is new as I replaced the rear subframe last month and bled the entire system

As for pulling to one side it mostly does it at slow speeds approaching junctions extra. the steering wheel really pulls to the left and it take a fairly conscious effort to keep it straight. I had to do an emergency stop a few weeks ago and when I slammed on the brakes the car started 'snaking' (if thats the right term?)

A few years ago the front left tie bar nut came undone during another emergency stop (a pretty slow speed emergency stop) It was enough to bend the lower arm suspension pin (which I replaced) but could something else be slightly bent that could cause the pulling to the left? (it has been pulling to the left for years, I've just never done anything about it...)

[cal844]

Could be the tie bar nut (left one) is too loose, thus giving leading wheel to the right, which causes pull under braking

[ANON]

think you can get carbone lorraine (rc8?) for the  mini, will cost you about £140 for a set but you won't get a better pad, the only better stopping you'll get is to hit a solid object  

[Cooperman]

To need anything much better than a quality standard pad for road use you must be driving very quickly and braking very late. Standard discs & pads should be fine for road driving. But not cheap 'foreign' imports of poor quality.

To need a Mintex 1144 or better you would need to be rallying  and I've used a Mintex 1177 in a full on Endurance Rally Mini Cooper 1275. They were amazing, even when glowing red hot after a tarmac section and full speed.

But, remember the Mini is a classic car, designed over 50 years ago. Stop like a modern small car is something it is not going to do really. Drive it like a classic and it'll behave like a classic with classic brakes.

[Captain Mainwaring]

To need anything much better than a quality standard pad for road use you must be driving very quickly and braking very late. Standard discs & pads should be fine for road driving. But not cheap 'foreign' imports of poor quality.

To need a Mintex 1144 or better you would need to be rallying  and I've used a Mintex 1177 in a full on Endurance Rally Mini Cooper 1275. They were amazing, even when glowing red hot after a tarmac section and full speed.

But, remember the Mini is a classic car, designed over 50 years ago. Stop like a modern small car is something it is not going to do really. Drive it like a classic and it'll behave like a classic with classic brakes.

 

 

Quite - there seems to be a school of thought that the answer to most problems is to fit after market parts, rather than just rebuilding the existing to OEM spec with OEM components. 

 

Good braking doesn't just stop at master cylinder, calipers, disks and pads....the whole suspension needs to be in good nick too.