Big Brakes GoWesty

[OhChit]

I was talking with the boys at Go Westy and they will be offering the S.A. Big Brake Kit very shortly at a resonable price.. I surely hope so or I'm doing my own like many others have. Just two problems, short on time and $$$$'s
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Fast Cars, and Slow Women Makes me DrooL.

[syncrodoka]

What do you do when the SA big brake has a problem -like a caliper for example, and they are NLA again? You will be back to doing your own like others on the forum from readily available parts. Something to consider

[RCB]

[tozovr]

I love love love love the Big Brake kit from Van Cafe on my '83. the prev owner did the conversion and after driving my stock '87 and then this...I'm just blown away with the performance...all random Audi stuff I can get at Napa if need be....in fact I have a bunch of pads from my A4 sitting on my shelf...Hmmmm Track compound Hawks LOL
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...like a young Julie Andrews all whacked out on PCP, kinda fun but kinda scary too

'83 1.6TD
DX 5 Speed
"Whistler"
www.sinisterbikes.com

[syncrodoka]

[Alaric.H]

SA brakes are not that great any way.

[RCB]

[syncrodoka]

Why buy something knowing that repair parts will be difficult if not impossible to get in the future HMMM? Oh wait that is the whine from your other threads- never mind

[RGS Paul]

Gotta admit that I'm with Syncrodoka here, there are two good Audi based big brake kits on the market right now that will have parts available for a while, the SA stuff? Well rotors might be around next week they might not… Not something I enjoy thinking about. But then again I think that the brakes on the 7 Passenger Syncro are fine.

Paul
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'87 Syncro 7-Pass. Adventure Touring Vehicle
"Simplicate, then add lightness." Colin Chapman

[tozovr]

[Zero419]

I thought fade was caused my water in the fluid. hot brakes+water=steam/brake fade.

No?
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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec

[RGS Paul]

I generally associate fade with multiple braking applications that heat up the caliper and rotor and boil the brake fluid. This is accelerated by old fluid that has a lot of water in it. On a single panic stop I think that pad material and the condition of your rotors is more important. I'm using the Metal Master pads (I think) on good replacement Brembo rotors with the stainless flex lines. Seems to work pretty well. The one thing I've learned is that adjustment of the rear drums is MANDATORY every time you rotate the tires, which for me is about every oil change since I have a Syncro and want to preserve the VC.

I'm considering going to the Van Cafe big brake kit at some point since it does give you a vented rotor which will reduce unsprung weight. I'll probably build my own kit though using a Wilwood caliper and a Audi rotor, might let me lighten things up a little more and have 2 piston monoblock calipers instead of the stupid floating calipers that manufactures love. We'll see… A new engine is the next big project so the brakes are on hold for the future since they suit me fine.

Paul
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'87 Syncro 7-Pass. Adventure Touring Vehicle
"Simplicate, then add lightness." Colin Chapman

[insyncro]

Paul,
I have mocked up Willwood double and quad piston calipers with 312mm Audi A8 rotors.
It will work nicely.
A adapter is needed and a spacer between the hub and rotor.
This is the same way I mount the G60 dual piston calipers.
16" wheels will be necessary.

I have had Girling 54s and the SA brakes in my past.
They are only slightly better than stock, IMO.
For a few hundred more you can have really good brakes.

[tozovr]

[presslab]

When I had stock brakes they worked well. The power wasn't great, but standing on the pedal would cause them to lock up. I had some issues with fade when towing motorcycles but I upgraded to Porterfield composite pads/shoes and that was not an issue so much. I still had fade on long steep descents, though.

I upgraded to Audi 5000 front brakes and the improvement in power was enormous. They feel better than your everyday car, firm pedal and easy enough to lock up. But all that power was added to the front and the rear are still stock. The fade was not markedly improved over stock, because the front brakes are now doing more work than the rear because of their greater power.

So unfortunately the Audi 5000 brakes have the wrong leverage ratio which screws up the brake bias. Overall it's still an improvement over stock though. Maybe the SA brakes aren't like this? I think they are though, because aren't the SA rear brakes larger as well?

I guess I need rear disc now.
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1986 Vanagon Westfalia EJ25
1988 Subaru GL-10 EJ20G --- 2000 Honda XR650L
2010 Titus El Guapo --- 2011 On-One 456 Ti

[insyncro]

I purchased drilled stock sized rotors from David Marshall many moons ago.
They helped a bit with stopping power and have lasted the longest of any stock sized rotor i have used.
I think GW sells drilled or slotted PowerStop Rotors for 2wd and syncro vans.
After upping the rotor size and using calipers with more than one piston,
stock is not an option any longer

[Brad4]

I put the SA brakes on my automatic van a few years back. What a differance they make. No more smoking brakes in the Rockies. Dont worry about parts becoming NLA as pads for a Mercur XR4TI can be used. Rotors are still available from several Vanagon suppliers and the calipers should last more than 20 years like the factory ones did. All the upgrade kits blow away the factory brakes. You wont be sorry!
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91 Vanaru westy
07 GTI Fahrenheit
14 GSR Beetle
66 single cab
64 Herbie Beetle

[Beygon]

I bought the kit from Van Cafe for my 89 and am happy with it, I don't road race it but it seems to stop just fine. It seemed like there were a few things with that kit the others didn't have.

[tozovr]

The cool thing about the SA brakes is, well, you can then say you have the South African Brakes

I like saying I have a South African grill
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...like a young Julie Andrews all whacked out on PCP, kinda fun but kinda scary too

'83 1.6TD
DX 5 Speed
"Whistler"
www.sinisterbikes.com

[j_dirge]