jorgeforcinas

Hi, I want to improve my front brakes on my escort rs turbo and I would put Brembo 4-piston calipers...
-What car would be worth me...? 406 coupe, fiat coupe, focus rs mk1, volkwagen touareg?
-Do I have to change the master cylinder or serial I worth?
-What type of tire me enter...? 15' serial, 16' escort cossie?
Thank you very much , greetings!

PD: If anyone had any tutorial to adapt the brake calipers I would be very grateful

Chas

Do you have your heart set on Brembo calipers? They will reduce the unsprung weight but not necessarily improve the performance.

In the vast majority of cases the proven Sierra Cosworth hybrid setup (4WD calipers with 2WD discs) or Mondeo/ST170 setup will suffice for almost all cars out there. Neither will require you to change the master cylinder either ; My S1 stops very very well on the Cosworth setup.

I think the Cosworth setup can take almost any 15" wheel whereas the ST170 setup can only take a selection of 15" wheels (maybe more with shaving the calipers) and all 16" wheels. You may also have to drill out the hub carrier holes further for the Mondeo calipers IIRC.

jorgeforcinas

Hi and thanks for the reply.. I like the Brembo stetic but if the Cosworth's brakes are effective I prefer them.. I can have the sierra cosworth 4x4 front calipers.. with that calipers, what discs i need to run it in serial wheels 15'?
Thanks!

Chas

I am running the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 calipers with 2WD Sierra 283mm discs in my S1 wheels. So far they are very good and effective. I know that with the 'small' Wilwoods they required a 5mm spacer to clear the wheels ; they would have cleared most 15" wheels and S2 wheels fine.

In some cases, albeit not many the disc can run close to the caliper, but the discs can be milled down 1mm for not alot of cash. But many people (including a garage I know) rarely report issues with fitting the setup. I felt I would say it based on my own experience.

If you have an S2 the Mondeo/ST170 setup may also be viable, but on the basis I have never fitted it I shall let others comment.

mentalasanything

The Mondeo/ST170 setup is cheaper, but it does rule out most 15 inch wheels.

As I have said in the sticky in the top of the forum, the Cosworth setup is a very good choice if you can get the parts for a reasonable price. IMHO I wouldn't mill the disks, just fit the 1mm washer as per the sticky to centre the disk in the calliper. I just realised the pics are very old and grainy in that thread, I should take some new ones!!

Lee

Chas

I wasn't referring to making the discs thinner (I also use the 1mm spacers) but to make them smaller in diameter. A few people including me have found that the carriers can run very close to the edge of the disc, sometimes even touching them ; simply moving the carrier as it was loose on the stub axle was initially the difference between the carrier catching the disc or not. In many cases they are fine but it is not always the case.

However, I will give the conversion the benefit of the doubt in my case as the discs are an unknown to me ; they were measured at 283mm mind you. Another friend of mine in the trade reckons the Escort and Sierra caliper brackts differ slightly.

Anyway, here was mine :





Another thing, use threadlock on the carrier bolts everytime. You may get away with it on other cars but ignore it on this conversion at your peril.

That said, it is probably one of the best modifications I have made to the car, and I came from Wilwood Dynalites 4 pots. The car went from me questioning the brakes even when stamping on them for what felt a long time to being stunned at the braking power on the first drive out with pads barely bedded in, and TRW stock items at that! If I am honest I prefer the brakes on this to what was on my Porsche 944 Turbo and that was running the upgraded 911 964 Turbo (965)/928 GTS front brake conversion (IIRC the discs were around 322mm, and the pedal was strange but I understand the latter is not unusual with the conversion and largish pistoned 4 pots).

The only downsides (bar the above if you can call them that) is that they calipers are weighty things and they are now not massively cheap, probably down to their scarcity ; the Mondeo calipers can be half for half of the amount these days. Even a decent set of brake discs are around £70 minimum unless you take a chance on the eBay offerings from China etc. Pads are the same ; I think ECP and Grahame Goode want £40+ ; I got my TRW items for £25 through a bit of searching and pestering the local motor factors for a while.

mentalasanything

Interesting, when I have 2 minutes I'll add it to the sticky. Did you use Sierra Cosworth or Escort Cosworth callipers so I can capture it correctly?

Lee :top

Nosmonkey

Mondeo calipers do work with S2 wheels but you have to shave the calipers to get them to fit.

Was initially going to go for the 4WD calipers with 2WD discs but picked up a set of 2WD 4 pots for £20, stuck some DS2500s in with National Sport grooved discs and Goodridge braided lines (you'll need them if going the 2WD way). Manage to clear my Comps with a gnats testicle of clearance so will need to space them with standard wheels.



FYI i didn't put the stickers on, came like that and couldn't be arsed to take them off lol

mentalasanything

I've always had concerns over taking a grinder to a calliper in the way suggested by some posts. A friend of mine who designs and builds HGV brakes tells me you shouldn't remove anything more than casting marks (which actually removes a point of weakness). Anything else removed compromises the integrity of the calliper. It's up to you at the end of the day, but is it worth it just to keep Ford 15" wheels? Plus I wouldn't want to face the insurance company if they ask why the callipers have been modified in such a way after an accident.

Lee

G999 YLU

Hi, I have a 1990 escort RS turbo

The previous owner said he had done the cosworth Caliper conversion.

Mine has single pot Calipers on front,

Are these any good ?

Thanks


Les

london_chris

that is indeed the 4x4 caliper conversion, the 2wd was a 4pot caliper.

G999 YLU

Are the single pot 4x4 front Calipers any good ?

I sent mine away to be refurbed but my mates saying they are not good ?

Chas

Depends who you are talking to and how many bragging points you are after. In working order they are not a bad unit at all. A specialist in Derby was saying that most modded RSTs will be fine with 4WD calipers/2WD discs and with Series 2 rear drums on the back.

Put it this way I went from Wilwood Dynapros to the aforementioned setup. There was no comparison in braking ability. The Wilwoods arguably gave a better pedal but even when stamping on them did not slow the car down that well. The RST now stops very very well on the Cossie setup, even when it was bedding in the car never came so quickly to a halt!

G999 YLU

Hi Chas

The guy who owned my RS before me had put Sierra cosworth rear Calipers and front single pots too, I'm having them all refurbed so they will be new basically.

Hoping that helps

Was tempted to put willwood on the front, but it's about £800 for the new discs, Calipers , pads and hoses.

But might see how the refurb goes

G999 YLU

Just been trying to find greenstuff pads for my Calipers but the pads I have seem to only fit a mondeo ??
So the people who changed my Calipers on front of my escort RS turbo mustnt have used cosworth ?

Has anyone fitted single pot front Calipers to their escort RS and are they a direct fit

Thanks for any help guys