Front brake upgrade

[gtv6sv]

Hey guys,
What's a good way to upgrade GTV6 front brakes for a good price?
Preferably something that involves 4pot front brakes, be interesting to see what people have done!
This is something for a road car I'm planning to do, car will be supercharged!

[Duk]

On my 75: 164 rotors, a 6mm spacer between the rotor and the wheel hub, heavy ('cause they are cast iron) Volvo 240 4 piston calipers, custom hard brake lines at the calipers and a means of holding the wheel studs in place.....................
Good braking performance, semi-reasonable cost, calipers bolt on directly and rotors are the correct diameter and thickness. Rotor offset is sorted by using the 6mm spacer. But the pure weight of the calipers has a negative effect on ride and handling.

http://alfaimola.free.fr/racing/grosfreins/index.html

I wouldn't do this set up again. A lighter alloy caliper would be a much better choice.
The way I did my hardlines at the calipers.

[Stephen Aarons]

305mm rotor and caliper from a GTA. Works extremely well

[GTVeloce]

305mm rotor and caliper from a GTA. Works extremely well

What size rims do you need to use? I'm guessing 17's minimum? Also, I'm assuming you had to fabricate a mounting bracket?

From memory the 305mm rotors are the same width (22mm) as GTV6 Brembos.

[Stephen Aarons]

Not sure on all the details, I had the conversion done at Monza Motors in Bayswater.
But yes there is some welding and fabrication required.

[carlo rossi]

Sorry I have been driving alfa cars for years
They have brakes ? Really it must have been an option on your model

[Mick A]

305mm rotor and caliper from a GTA. Works extremely well

What size rims do you need to use? I'm guessing 17's minimum? Also, I'm assuming you had to fabricate a mounting bracket?

From memory the 305mm rotors are the same width (22mm) as GTV6 Brembos.

I run these same brakes and can just fit 15's over them.

[rowan_bris]

I am in Brisbane and would like to put these on my GTV6 24 valve.  Are the 15 inch rims Alfa (I have both the original GTV6 rims and also some Speedline Alfa 90/Grand Prix wheels)?  I am very interested in going this way because I don't want heavy Volvo calipers but at the same time don't want bigger (and heavier wheels).  Has anyone got a template for the bracket required or able to get brackets made which I can buy, or point me in the right direction, so I am not unnecessarily reinventing the wheel?

[gtv6sv]

I was also thinking of using the GTA set up for the brakes, seems pretty good:-)

I'll be running 17inch rims on my car so that shouldn't be a problem :-)

As for rear brakes, do you believe just upgraded pads will suffice or would an upgrade in calipers be worth it?

[Davo416]

Well that makes three of us considering the 305mm upgrade - perhaps we can pool resources and reduce the cost per piece of the adaptor fabrication?

My 116 is well and truly off the road and I have an old set of 305mm rotors I kept from my 916 GTV specifically to test fit a future 116 brake modification. This means I can send the spindle + rotor away, we just need a caliper.....

...and then there is the option of a Wilwood caliper: lighter, radial mount (easier to make adapter) and probably more compact to allow more wheel options?

http://www.wilwood.com/Calipers/CaliperProd.aspx?itemno=120-7377

[rowan_bris]

For my own part I am interested in something done before which won't require me to increase wheel size.  I ha a set of 330 mm calipers from a GT but sold them because I don't want bigger wheels.  I am even happy to buy alternative 15 inch wheels which are more accomodating but not interested in increasing diameter of the wheels

[Davo416]

Yep, tricky to keep the 15s and find a "tried and tested" 4-pot solution 

Sounds like the 305 disc + Brembos may squeeze under some 15 inch wheels - i just checked my 916 GTV and a very rough measurement on the car shows the caliper adds 25mm on top of the disc radius, so there is a disk + caliper diameter around 355mm to squeeze inside the wheel. And the Brembos are pretty wide as well.....

I'm thinking 16s as a compromise for my project.

[Duk]

I have to have a bit of a laugh at you guys wanting 305mm rotors for a 116 chassis car.
I mean, how much rubber have you got on them?
The widest tyre I could fit on my 75, with an effective +30 offset, is 215mm (215/45/16). Ultimately, with any half decent brakes, you'll be traction limited long before you are actually brake limited.

And what are you doing to better match the rears to the fronts? Just a pad upgrade won't cut the mustard when (A:) the rear brakes a rather feable to begin with. And (B:) you change the front brakes so disproportionately.................

[rowan_bris]

I want something easy to fit and not heavy and preferably done before so I don't have to spend the time to work it out myself.  Having done the engine transplant and spending longer than I hoped on it I much more enthusiastic to spend money rather than my own time now!

[Stephen Aarons]

I have to have a bit of a laugh at you guys wanting 305mm rotors for a 116 chassis car.
I mean, how much rubber have you got on them?
The widest tyre I could fit on my 75, with an effective +30 offset, is 215mm (215/45/16). Ultimately, with any half decent brakes, you'll be traction limited long before you are actually brake limited.

And what are you doing to better match the rears to the fronts? Just a pad upgrade won't cut the mustard when (A:) the rear brakes a rather feable to begin with. And (B:) you change the front brakes so disproportionately.................

For a track day car they are amazing brakes. I am also about to change the rears to outboards. Will use standard GTV6 fronts on the rears.
Also I managed to fit 235 45 17s on my GTV6.