|
|
|
 |
Elan M100 Front Brake Upgrade |
By Dave Meyers |
Note....the following pictures and captions are how Dave Meyers upgraded his brakes on his 1991 Elan. This is not an endorsment of the products pictured, nor any is it any recommendation that you should do it this way. Modifying ANY components (especially brakes) of a car is something to be taken very seriously, and you should consult people far wiser than Dave or lotusowners.com for assistance in these matters. Use of this imformation is at your own risk.
Kit as it was received |
Cool Rotor!!!! |
Old rotor and New rotor |
Stock hub with all original brake hardware removed |
These show the modification (grinding) |
....I was unable to get a clear |
|
AP Caliper bracket installed. This utilizes the stock 10mm hex bolts that hold the stock caliper. |
Test fitting.
|
The center bolt and sleeve shown on top of thecaliper comes out quickly for very simple pad changes. |
|
|
A top-down shot of the setup. |
The monster lurking in the shadows. |
A few notes on the kit: The rotors, even with the aluminum hats seem a bit heavier than stock (not surprising due to size), however the caliper is much lighter than the OEM unit. Overall weight I would guess is the same. Pad size is just slightly larger than stock, though the extra swept area of the rotor should alleviate most heat issues. The caliper also uses the stock brake lines. Pad changes are a two-minute job once the wheel is off. You merely remove the top pin in the caliper, slide the old pads, slide the new in, replace the pin and wheel, and you're done. Perfect for me as I plan on swapping race pads in for track days.
(Below Added July 10,2002)
I have just been out once to test the brakes after
a full day of bedding them in, but am impressed beyond
how I hoped they would perform. To say the modification improved braking force
is an
understatement. What was once full pressure on the brake pedal to get marginal
results (including never a
lock up), has transformed into moderate pressure to produce very strong braking.
The brakes will lock
without serious effort, so I find my braking distance is now limited by my
tire choice.
I will reserve full judgement until I get onto the
track later this season, but considering theperformance this far and
the fact I will be using arace compound pad (EBC Redstuff), I don't forsee
muchof an issue other than
re-learning braking points.
Dave Buchholz from BG Developments has been very helpful
throughout the whole process. He can be reached at info@bgdevelopments.co.uk.
The company site link is http://www.bgdevelopments.co.uk/
