56 replies to this topic

[Thorney]

Finally here after long months of testing on our race cars a complete disk upgrade package specifically designed for the VX220. The kit comprises of a 290mm by 26mm grooved disk, a custom made aluminium bell and genuine AP Racing disk bolts.

290mm was chosen as the weight distrubution on the VX220 is different to the Elise so 290mm front and rear made the best possible brake balance for the chassis. Braking performance is dramatically improved especially when using Mintex or Pagid pads and the kit is perfectly suited to match the front AP caliper upgrade too.

The use of a separate aluminium bell is crucial both for heat dissipation and also light weight, the combined disk and bell weigh 5.65kg's saving almost 1kg over the standard disk.









Limited first availability (we only have 5 sets initially) offer price £299 incl VAT.

[SteveA]

Awesome price, kicks Plans' ass for ali bells. Will be getting a set when my disks need doing. How much are the replacement rotors?

[Thorney]

£190 each incl VAT

[SteveA]

Is the advice to do just the fronts for £598 or to do the rears as well?

[Jase_MK]

They look pretty smart . Is that £300 for 4 discs? and £190 for 4 replacement discs (minus the centre parts)? Surely if you up the diameter allround, it'll make no difference to brake balance? Also, presumably the pad still contacts the disc in the same place, so the 1mm extra radius (std are 288mm aren't they?) doesn't affect things.

Edited by Jase_MK, 06 November 2007 - 12:28 PM.

[Sicey]

Sounds great John, don't need any now but will probably need new ones next year some time

[JG]

Need a price clarification as Jase says: I presume a pair for £299. replacememt for a pair for £190? or is that per disk? Shame i've just put new disks on, else i'd have had a set...

Edited by JG, 06 November 2007 - 03:02 PM.

[SteveA]

Plans ali bells are £640 for the 2 fronts only, thats why I thought it was £299 for one (£600 the pair).

Edited by SteveA, 06 November 2007 - 03:07 PM.

[Mak1]

Definately on my shopping list for early next year....off to do some heavy braking in an attempt to wear down my existing pads and rotors....

[Thorney]

Sorry, £299 per disk/bell so thats £600 per pair. A lot is said about disk size and braking capacity and the fact it that brake performance is a balance between generating as much friction as possible but least amount of heat, this is acheived by disk diameter, disk width, intra disk cooling design and heat transfer. We tested a variety of sizes and 290mm front and rear was perfect.

[Jase_MK]

Right. But what I'm saying is that if things have been upped by the same amount front and back then that doesn't affect F/R balance? Otherwise, my brake balance would be continuously changing depending on how hard I press my pedal.

[Thorney]

Its a shared system in terms of pressure assuming the system is bled properly you just need to torque balance the set up (ie measure the amount of torque it takes each end and make sure these are balanced (note, not equal, its a percentage of fore aft not equality). To give you an example, if you put AP kit on the front and leave the standard pads on the back then you shift the torque balance too far forward so you need to change the rear pads to get that balance back, same applies when putting different pads front and rear, rear Mintex, front Pagid will have a similar effect. We spent a long time torque balancing the disk sizes so that they both complimented the AP front kits as well as balanced all four all round, its never identical of course but we got a good balance.

[siztenboots]

Finally here after long months of testing on our race cars a complete disk upgrade package specifically designed for the VX220. The kit comprises of a 290mm by 26mm grooved disk, a custom made aluminium bell and genuine AP Racing disk bolts.

290mm was chosen as the weight distrubution on the VX220 is different to the Elise so 290mm front and rear made the best possible brake balance for the chassis. Braking performance is dramatically improved especially when using Mintex or Pagid pads and the kit is perfectly suited to match the front AP caliper upgrade too.


Limited first availability (we only have 5 sets initially) offer price £299 incl VAT.

AP don't do a standard 290mm disk

from http://www.apracing....disc/choice.htm
Standard diameters - mm (in) :- 378 (14.88"), 362 (14.25"), 356 (14.0"), 343 (13.5"), 330 (13.0"), 325 (12.8"), 315 (12.4"), 304 (11.97"), 295 (11.6"), 280 (11.02"), 267 (10.51"), 254 (10.0")

[Jase_MK]

Its a shared system in terms of pressure assuming the system is bled properly you just need to torque balance the set up (ie measure the amount of torque it takes each end and make sure these are balanced (note, not equal, its a percentage of fore aft not equality).

To give you an example, if you put AP kit on the front and leave the standard pads on the back then you shift the torque balance too far forward so you need to change the rear pads to get that balance back, same applies when putting different pads front and rear, rear Mintex, front Pagid will have a similar effect. We spent a long time torque balancing the disk sizes so that they both complimented the AP front kits as well as balanced all four all round, its never identical of course but we got a good balance.

Yeah I know - that's all obvious (I hope). It doesn't take a genius to work out that fitting big brakes at the front will shift the torque balance forwards or mixing pad compounds with different friction coefficients similarly affecting the balance.

What I am saying is that if these disks offer more braking power and you upgrade both your front and rear discs from standard to these items, how does that affect the front/rear balance. If I get +10% power front and rear, the balance is still the same.

Presumably the increased radius is for cooling purposes? Unless the caliper position is modified, the pad will still be in the same place - leverage wise - relative to the centre of the disk.

Edited by Jase_MK, 06 November 2007 - 04:48 PM.

[siztenboots]

Concerning the bells, and disc mounting please supply Mounting Ø M P.C.D ? Mounting No. ? Mounting Hole Diameter ?

[markiii]

nice :-) any issues with the ABS?

[Thorney]

Jase, yes, sorry I wasn't sure what you were getting at so sorry if I dumbed it down a little far. The point I was trying to make that 290mm all round was a better set up than different sizes front and rear and allows the same pad upgrades we already recommend to be used. We've always found on the VX that the rear was more 'over braked' than the Elise hence the front AP kit, the use of the 290mm disk addressed that to some extent. There's no effect on ABS.

Siztenboots, its a motorsport specification disk not a road disk, and just cos they don't list it doesn't mean it doesn't exist

Is the advice to do just the fronts for £598 or to do the rears as well?

Do them all round tbh, I suppose you could do them in stages as your disks wear out but we've not tested on the effects and it could be detrimental.

[Jase_MK]

OK, so replacing std discs with these doesn't affect the balance then? Was just confused by this, that's all:

290mm was chosen as the weight distrubution on the VX220 is different to the Elise so 290mm front and rear made the best possible brake balance for the chassis

Anyway, off home now. I've just put brand new discs all round but am interested in something like this a bit further down the line.

[Thorney]

Standard car has same size disks all round already.

[Tolksee]

Jase, yes, sorry I wasn't sure what you were getting at so sorry if I dumbed it down a little far. The point I was trying to make that 290mm all round was a better set up than different sizes front and rear and allows the same pad upgrades we already recommend to be used. We've always found on the VX that the rear was more 'over braked' than the Elise hence the front AP kit, the use of the 290mm disk addressed that to some extent. There's no effect on ABS.

Siztenboots, its a motorsport specification disk not a road disk, and just cos they don't list it doesn't mean it doesn't exist

Is the advice to do just the fronts for £598 or to do the rears as well?

Do them all round tbh, I suppose you could do them in stages as your disks wear out but we've not tested on the effects and it could be detrimental.

Interesting. Your website kinda says the opposite:

the front brakes are so woefully under powered compared to the rears on a stock car that a front only kit was the desired option