4 pot calipers - fitting

[Nick Read]

So what do you reckon to this 4-pot bad boy then?

http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/4potcaliper.jpg

Ignore the rank carpet! Anyway the question is if I want to put these on myself how difficult is it to remove old calipers/discs/pads and fit new. Ive never done anything on the brakes before, I just learn it as and when I need to...Im ok with the spanners and Ive got a lifter I can put the whole car onto so Ive got the tools and facilities, but Im worried about brake fluid going everywhere when I undo the brake hoses, and cos theyre braided hoses I cant exactly just clamp them shut. In the Haynes it says you can undo the brake fluid cap and put some polythene over it then tighten the cap down, and this will minimize fluid loss. OK therell be some kind of vaccum there at the top of the system but its not gonna stop a fair bit of fluid leaking out all over me is it?

 

[BenR]

live with it.....your gonan get spillage no matter what.

But youre gonna have to make up an adaptor plate and possibly space it out or in......not a problem.....

 

[Leigh]

Nick

So you got em then !! Wicked mate !! You wont be disapointed !!

I so wish that had waited and got the gold ones !! Never mind eh !! I think the black looks hardcore behind the gold wheels !!

What discs did you get ?? 325 mm ??

 

[Matty]

Very nice and perfect colour too. When I took my calipers off, used the plastic end things that came on my braided hoses to cover the ends of the old hoses to stop fluid. A cap will do. Caliper and pad removal is a doddle but fitting braided hoses isnt as I found by rounding of the union nuts.

 

[Matty]

Are these gonna work on standard sized disks. A mate of my father was saying how crap the bendix calipers are. He should know as he work for AP. Hopefully gonna tap him up for some new from calipers but dont want to increase disk size.

 

[coolspot007007]

i put the Ktec 285mm discs on mine, and it didnt take too long, just need to undo 4 bolts, top two (caliper guide pins) to get the pads out and then the two that hold the caliper on. I dont know about the hoses ive never took em off. But then its 2 screws for each disc and thats it. Then you need some thread lock stuff for the caliper bolts and wire brush the hubs and copper grease them and pads.

The bracket I got with my kit is good aircraft grade aluminium i think, anodised too, try hi-spec or k-tec see if they can do you one.

 

[coolspot007007]

Didnt notice theyre hi spec, is that a Clio kit, or did you just get the caliper/discs?

 

[Eddd]

Dont worry about the fluid loss. Plug the ends to minimise it but youll probably be doing a flush or at least a serious bleed job so youll be addin new fluid anyway. The trick of putting the film over the reservoir is a good one to keep the loss to a minimum. If you force the pistons in before doing so it is even more effective.

The spanner work is pretty much self explanatory. Not exactly rocket science there. Piece of cake so long as you have the right bits.

 

[Nick Read]

Dont worry, its not just a caliper on its own! Ive got the full house kit - 325mm grooved discs, gold anodised bells and caliper mountings, Mintex 1155 pads, plus the big old calipers themselves. I was pretty surprised at how light they were, each caliper weighs only weighs about a kg. Its the discs that weigh a ton, not only bigger than the piddly 259mm standard ones but 30mm thick too.

As long as I wont get like a litre or two of fluid all over the place I dont mind

 

[bondy]

what did thekit cost you mate?

 

[rockport]

Fcuk me those callipers look hardcore!!! as bondy said.. how much did they cost you? they could be just what i need to compliment the the Tarox G88s & Ds2000s!!!

As for fitting... changing pads and discs is piss easy, 20min each side at the most.. as for switch calipers.. not sure.. cant be that hard, and i wouldnt worry about loss of fluid, use it as an opportunity to flush your system, just think.

In comparison to other jobs you have done on your clio, this will be like taking candy from a baby!!!



1. new discs

2. new pads.

3. new hoses

4. new calipers

5. new fluid

You will be the quickest 0-60 - 60-0 clio in the west!!... or south as it maybe

 

[Colin_S]

Nick you got yours no way, mine were stuck in a van in that blizard you had down there hopefuly get them today tho!!!

 

[Matbrown]

Nick,

Are they 4-pot or 2-pot?

By that i mean i cant see the brake pipe that should connect the pistons from one side to the other. I know Nick has experienced kits that have this missing and the result is that pressure is only applied from one side!



Mat.

 

[Alex M]

Wouldnt worry about fluid, youll want to change it for dot 5.1 anyway, Let the fluid piss out, you are defo going to have to do a bleed anyway, its not bad just time consuming, to change the whole lot. The only part I would worry about is brake lines, as they can be a total C&*t to free, and quite often the brake pipe snaps rather than the union freeing. If so just take old one into motor shop and get new ones made from Copper, then you;ll be laughing

 

[Nick Read]

Mat - theyre 4 pots, AFAIK the fluid crossover is internal rather than external. Leigh - youve got the same calipers, have yours got any other piperwork apart from the single brake hose?

 

[Matbrown]

OK,

Just make sure.



Mat.

 

[Nick Read]

I will do that Mat, cheers for the tip off mate!

 

[coolspot007007]

i was thinking they normally have pipes over the top.

 

[cse]

heh, i wasnt the only one not to have bits delayed in the sh*te weather last week then.

leigh, are ure 4 pots not gold then ? what color are they ?

 

[Leigh]

Mine are in black with the screws in silver. They look very tasty. They didnt have the gold availible when i goy mine. I could have waited for em but, well you know how it is when you see something and the heart just takes over from the brain !! Its must have, want, and want right now. fook waiting.

The pipe work i THINK IS INTERNAL AS NICK SAYS. BUT DONT QUOTE ME ON IT. lETS JUST SAY i LOVE THE WAY THEY FEEL AND i HAVENT DONE A MOD TO THE CAR THAT HAS BEEN AS GOOD AS THEY ARE. eVEN THOUGH i LOVE MY QUAD LAMPS, THEY DONT BRING AS BIGGER GRIN TO MY FACE AS DO THE BIG BRAKE CONVERSION.

 

[cse]

is the disc hub actually black/silver then aswell ?

hope mine are gold, will stand out more

 

[Leigh]

Yes they are four pots by the way sorry !!

 

[Master Chief]

Do they have them for the 172 MK1 ?

How mutch did they cost, and where did you get them from ?

 

[Leigh]

Not sure if they do em 4 the 172 !

They come from a company called HI-SPEC 01322-286851.

 

[cse]

bugga, mine are black calipers, not lovely gold

still, when bedded in should stop me in no time