FCP Groton 302mm brake upgrade WILL fit Columbas, Part 2

Post by **Nevada1906** » 03 Jun 2012, 13:53

Okay, just got back from the test drive.

THEY WORK!

Though they're a little tight...

I heard what sounded like a minor dragging sound repeating itself, but since it was coming from the back of the car, I'm 99% sure I just misadjusted the E-brake a little too tight. No big deal.

There was also a little brake glitter on the front wheels, but after pulling the wheel discovered it was coming from the swept grooves in the rotors. Also, There were no leaks at any of the fluid connections either. So, any idiot can do this and I've proven it...

Now for 500 miles of driving like an old man...

THEY WORK!

Post by **vjaneczko** » 06 Jun 2012, 15:30

Gawd that's tight! Enjoy!

Post by **tjts1** » 07 Jun 2012, 00:39

The only thing you've proven is that the caliper didn't fail completely on the first drive. Congratulations!

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 07 Jun 2012, 01:27

I just had my calipers off and took a closer look at the
material you ground away to stuff those calipers into 16's.
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=49165

The more I look, the more I wonder just where they'll fracture...
Cool idea, I mean 302's - Sure. But just get some bigger rims that clear.
The right tool and all, eh? And you get to pick out some cool new rims!

Seriously, I don't think I'd enjoy the ride when a front wheel locks ( or Explodes! )
Not to mention the possibilty of injury ( or worse ), and your liability for anyone else
that might be in the vicinity. How much would that suck? I'd guess PLENTY.

Just sayin'...

Post by **Nevada1906** » 07 Jun 2012, 07:51

BEJinFbk wrote, "Seriously, I don't think I'd enjoy the ride when a front wheel locks ( or Explodes! )"

"Explodes!"

Really? REALLY?!

Tell you what - show me some EVIDENCE that this caliper conversion is a bad idea, and I'll change it, either with new rims or 11" rotors. Link to a website, engineering report, whatever. Something quantifiable.

If you think I'm wrong and then try to convince me with persuasive arguments and facts, I can respect that.

But don't try to frighten me with naked emotional appeals to WHAT IF.

Post by **jblackburn** » 07 Jun 2012, 08:13

Post by **Nevada1906** » 07 Jun 2012, 09:16

Too serious, huh?

Post by **tjts1** » 07 Jun 2012, 14:53

Lets see how those ground down calipers behave in an emergency situation after a few hundred heat cycles. Sliding calipers are a compromised design that sacrifices braking performance and weight in favor of low cost. You've just taken that design and made it much weaker. I hope I'm wrong and you're right about this.
If you want a real brake up grade that will fit your existing wheel, looks for some 4 pot calipers. My 20 year old MB has 295x25mm rotors inside 15" wheels with room to spare. With the right calipers you could make those 302mm rotors work inside a 15" wheel if you wanted to.

good luck

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 07 Jun 2012, 17:18

Nevada1906 wrote: BEJinFbk wrote, "Seriously, I don't think I'd enjoy the ride when a front wheel locks ( or Explodes! )"

"Explodes!"

Really? REALLY?!

Yes - Really. You have a rim spinning at highway speeds and you throw a big chunk of metal into it?
It'll probably just seize, but if you blow a spoke or two out, what do you think will happen?
There will be shrapnel. I don't want it flying through my window.

Nevada1906 wrote:Tell you what - show me some EVIDENCE that this caliper conversion is a bad idea, and I'll change it, either with new rims or 11" rotors. Link to a website, engineering report, whatever. Something quantifiable.

No - Who would test for and compile that kind of information?
Who would expect that anyone would do this on purpose?
What lab would expect that? ( Maybe we could ask MythBusters? )

Have you got some "evidence" that grinding structural material off of your calipers is a good idea?

You can mod a lot of things, but why purposely compromise brakes? Big brother Volvo has a cost accountant. Trust me.
Even they draw the line at how stout they design and build things. It's called Profit Margin.

And this isn't a conversion. It stopped being a conversion when you started grinding.
Call it what it is: A corner cutting mod to save you some money on rims.

Nevada1906 wrote:If you think I'm wrong and then try to convince me with persuasive arguments and facts, I can respect that.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do. Step back and think objectively.
Don't take my word for it. Gather some evidence of your own. It's your car.
But keep in mind that you're driving it on our roads.

I do think you're wrong, and I'm not trying to persuade you as much as
direct your attention to the physics so that you'll persuade yourself.
Nobody here wants to see anybody else get hurt.

Nevada1906 wrote:But don't try to frighten me with naked emotional appeals to WHAT IF.

I'm not trying to tear you down here. This isn't about you. It's about losing control of a car on public roads.
Again - You are not the only game piece in play here. If your brakes fail, Other People May Be Involved.

Fact.

I know this was a lot of work, that's a nice execution and they do look good black.
I'm simply agreeing with the other posters that structurally, it's probably not a good plan.
If I were you, I'd start pricing fresh calipers and bigger rims. Or the 4 pots. That'd be way cool.
Best of luck with your car.