Firstly, I have a mk2.5 Sport with big brakes. Standard disks are newish and pads are also (Ultimax) All fitted by myself in the last year or two.
I did an emergency stop from “a fair lick” and I could have written a txt while the car slowed down, so …
Whats the best “bang for buck” upgrade? They just seem to lack that bit of bite. Not looking for competition standard, just better than Sunday afternoon drive out.
Thanks in anticipation,
Paul G
Paul
Your brakes are the usual upgrade
Have you played with another SVT sport preferably with braided hoses just to confirm that the big brakes are the problem rather than a possible issue with yours?
Any upgrade from these will be expensive, perhaps Wilwood 4 pot fronts would make some difference.
Although we have 18 MX5’s in our little North Essex village no one is willing to let me scream one down past the Green and stand on the brakes to get round the telephone box at the end. Funny that. Huh!
Don’t really want to buy discs as you can see from the pic there’s not a scratch on them, apart from rust at the edge.
I’m thinking, a change of pads? Greenstuff or something else maybe? (£60 ish) Recommendations please.
Or braided hoses? Goodridge perhaps? (£93 ish).
Or both? (getting expensive now)
OR would a simple change of fluid be the first step, and perhaps the only step needed?
Who’s had good, or disappointing results from either?
Cheers,
Paul G
With the budget of £15 that you have, I see no problem in getting a full brake upgrade for that price!!!
Yes, you appear to have answered your own question or at least why the brakes are underperforming and rendered my input pretty pointless
I didn’t want to say that there is little chance of you being underwhelmed by these brakes that have an excellent reputation and should certainly be sufficient on road and track for anything up to 250 horses when properly set up. Yours has 146 ponies or so if standard so the big brakes are probably the most over specified part on the car.
So you don’t want an upgrade as such and all that is probably required if they are deficient is a change of brake fluid. If the fluid has got to the state that it needs changing I would imagine the brakes need a good service. These particularly can get into a dreadful state with associated loss of function if not regularly maintained.
Braided hoses and track pads if you want them are the icing on the cake. Read up on the reviews for braided hoses as some of them are not that easy to fit and to be avoided.
Track pads will be a compromise on the road and there are enough threads on greenstuff to say avoid.
Be interested to hear how much improvement there is with a simple change of fluid and general service of the brakes.
odd, I have an NB sport with the same brakes, original discs and Ultimax pads on the front, only the second set its ever had in about 60k now and it stops fine, a recent emergency stop and a swerve when someone tried to kill me on a roundabout is testimony to that!
So I say perhaps something not quite working as it should, change the fluid as has been suggested, and check all is working as it should.
Did you invoke ABS pulses?
Our 2002 Sport, with recent all OEM discs/pads/bled would put your nose through the screen…with good Kumhos.
Had few performance stuff through the years but our car is by far the best by a country mile in terms of braking.
Not sure what a general brake service is ?
!3 months ago it was a friendly recommendation from the MOT mechanic that I change the front pads as they were chipped at the edges.
New front Pads and discs were fitted by myself and as you do all parts were cleaned and wiggled and woggled till free, then lubed where necessary, but no seal replacement.
For this MOT, a month ago, I did the same for the backs. Pads, discs, wiggled & woggled & lubed.
Ironically I still got a friendly advisory, but on the wheel valves being perished. Now changed, hence the white streaks on the tyre walls from the tyre lube.
I might get a fluid change quote from BC Cars in Haverhill as I have to pass by that way later. It’s one of those jobs that seems so quick if done on a ramp by experts.
Trouble is, while you change the fluid you might as well change the pipes.
Not sure if fitting new flexy pipes is a waste of dosh.
I guess it depends on…have they ever been done to your knowledge in the last few years?
Do they look soft & “bulgy”.
Fairly cheap…so Id do them anyhow.
Another wee box ticked.
It will set off the ABS, but usually this is when on a narrow road and the nearside edges towards the gutter / gravel / grass verge.
On a wider road there doesn’t seem the need for quicker stopping as one reads the road and can make allowances.
If I do the flexy’s it will be for SS braided ptfe lined so not so cheap at £95
I would too to be honest. Having just spent £1,350.00 on the Mk1’s all new chassis & brakes.
Well pagid brake fluid at about a fiver a litre and do the job yourself with enough money left for a fish and chip supper.
The pic you put up appears to show a clean and relatively rust free caliper which is in itself rare on these cars - just look at the crusty used big brakes on sale in the usual places. I bought a set in very good condition to clean up and sell. It took me a day to clear rust off carriers, calipers, etc and hydrate 80 - did triple my money though.
Having recently got into some brake refurbishing myself I can tell you that replacing the seals, gaiters and piston on an MX5 brake caliper MK1 - MK3 is not difficult and is a worthwhile job, if required.
Pistons on yours will likely be chrome plated. Check them by removing caliper from disc and pumping(gently)/adjusting(rears) piston forward enough so the gaiter can be removed from piston and pushed forward to check for rust, leaks and splits. If there is none of that and the piston moves easily enough just a case of lubing with red rubber or silicon grease. Other important parts to check are the slider pins. They should be clean and rust free with adequate red rubber/silicon grease lube. Carriers should ideally be clean and rust free which is difficult to maintain particularly if car outside and used daily. grease contact points on piston, caliper, pads shims, etc. Wheel should spin when all assembled with no strong stoppage but a little brushing of pad to disc is not an issue. There should be no serious heat generated in driving where not created legitimately with brake use.
Most of us do not service our brakes anywhere near enough and wonder why they fail or fall apart on inspection. MX5 brakes when compared to something like a VW Golf MKIV for example need a lot more looking after. I would say inspection/lubrication at least once a year and serious attention every 2 years.
Mmmmm. After the quote followed by a cough it looks as if I will be spending my money with MX5parts and attempting this myself.
A set of Goodridge and a bottle of fluid… how hard can it be?
Thanks for the replies,
Paul G
When compared to the preparation and welding of front chassis rails a piece of the proverbial
Agree. Most owners have probably not changed brake fluid for more than a few years despite changing pads and discs more than once. A really cheap and easy job, make sure the bleed nipples are clean and rust free, a squirt of releasing fluid, please not WD40, a few days beforehand will help hopefully avoid broken bleeders.
Agree about the fluid change. I’m not one for changing the fluid as per recommendations but when I had my Mk3 sport fluid changed it was pretty obvious afterwards in the way the brakes worked, sharper. Same on my daily driver, first change since new nearly 5 year old, much sharper with new fluid.
While the wheels are off for a brake pad change it seems like a good opportunity to at least get rid of the fluid in the calliper pistons. On mine, which as far as I could see had the fluid last changed at a Mazda service when it was 2 years old, the first few cc’s were quite nasty with bits in it and a milky appearance. I flushed the system through with all new fluid but the remaining fluid looked much better. The brakes do feel more responsive but that could be the result of spending time and money…
.
Must admit that if had known of availability of that Willwood kit at that price I would have bought some when my front calipers froze… I had them reconditioned instead. But if I had known…
