minimum requirements for brakes

[boss290cobra]

hi all, if you want to race your build or take it to the nationals is there a minimum brake caliper and/or disc diameter/size that you will need to run,in order to race,maybe race is the wrong word "1/8 mile"possibly,
in order to stop at the end,
im going to run series 3 jag front series 2 rear .seems there is alot of guys changing to bigger disc/caliper options in order to stop,i thought with the weight difference between jag and my build of approx 1000kgs this should be more than enough to stop.
or does the power to weight ratio take effect and warrant a bigger braking system or is this personal preference.
any help with this would be greatly appreciated also possible makes and prices would help also.

sorry bout the long thread
darrell

[stephen low]

Darrell

Your logic is right about these brakes being capable of stopping a heavier car so you shouldn't have problems on the cobra.

There is a thread running around where a guy expressed sentiments about losing some brake capacity but only to better balance his brake effect between front and rear.

It's all personal preference but a lot of the guys would be changing calipers mainly to lighten the unsprung load on the axle but whilst they are doing this also giving themselves more capacity with larger rotors.

I'm running S2/3 F/R and though not yet going the engineer took one look confirmed models and has basically said already enough stopping power. We'll see when it actually comes to his moniker on that bit of paper but this crowd are very practical I have already found.

Cheers

[Philm]

Darrell,
As stephen has mentioned, the jag brakes are more than enough.

You have asked the question about better performance for track work, that depends entirely what you expect from your car. There are many upgrades that are available and they will offer much better braking performance.

However if you are a novice at racing it will take a while for the weakest link to move from the driver, to the suspension to the power and then finally the brakes.

Phil

[Leeroy]

In my view your jag brakes will serve you well for sometime. As Phil says your ability to drive it faster around the track will be a greater challenge. Brake balance in my view is critical and I run standard jag front, ford rear and went to race pads and that improved performance dramatically. I also will be running cooling ducts to keep the cooler for Winton as brake upgrades a expensive and only worthwhile once you are driving to the cars braking limit which I still have a long way to go.

Leeroy

[Rebel1]

I totally agree with all the above.

There is also a wheel size to consider. If you are running the 15" then the jag is about as big as you can run. If you run bigger wheels then you have the option for bigger brakes. However, if you do run bigger then give some thought to the brake balance. You don't want an unbalanced system.

If you are running 15's and want to occasional track then fit slotted rotors and better pads to the front. I also suggest you think about changing out the front calipers to lighter ones of about the same size mainly to lighten unsprung weight. The heavy jag calipers retain a lot of heat and don't dissipate it as quickly as an alloy rotor. Running cooling vents is an added bonus and recommended.

I strongly suggest vented jag rears for two reasons.

1. They run cooler which not only helps braking effort but keeps the brake balance in check.
2. Because they run cooler your chance of frying the output shaft seals in the diff is minimized which is a known problem with Jags.

All these little things help and will give you excellent brakes for all but dedicated track machines.

[richardferguson]

As Phil and Leeroy suggest, a man's gotta know his limitations. As a novice myself, I can tell you in a Cobra these limitations are quickly exposed. Getting used to high speed, non-ABS braking was a bit of a challenge for me, though lock-ups are becoming less frequent!!!
Winton...22 days..
Richard

[CHANMADD]

My car KCC built in 1989 in South Africa,runs series 1 nonvented front and rear jag brakes.I have never had a brake problem on the road,and when road racing after pitting I have to run a lap or two to cool them down again and then they are fine.The early brakes and front suspension parts are lighter,so there is always a little tradeoff.

[boss290cobra]

Thaks For All The Feed Back Guys,sounds Like The Jag Will Does Me Until Such Time I Can Push The Car To The Limit Round The Track.
Is There A Limit On Offset Of Rims When Using Jag Front And Rear
Or Am I Limited Beacuse Of Rear Width To Keep Within Rear Guards

Darrell

[Rebel1]

I'm running 8 and 10" wheels and 235/60/15 and 295/50/15's.

Offset depends on the kit but you must be within the guards

[400TT]

Pad compound and brake fluid play a major role in brake performance on the track. Get these sorted before any serious track work.

[sambo]

Craig, what brand of brake fluid would you recommend and is possible to just fill with it once (eg, during the build) and run day to day? Obviously checking/bleeding every so often etc.