I'm looking to upgrade my TH brakes from bendix pads with DBA gold slotted and groved disks to one of the following options;

Looking at RPW package of either -
1) Front Brake upgrade to twin piston calipers on the standard size (274mm) DBA disks with the the EBC greenstuff pads.
OR
2) Fitting of front 294mm rotors with twin piston calipers and EBC pads.

I am also looking at braided lines for the front.

I was wondering if anyone has done any of these and what there opinions are?

CHEERS

I'm looking to upgrade my TH brakes from bendix pads with DBA gold slotted and groved disks to one of the following options;

Looking at RPW package of either -
1) Front Brake upgrade to twin piston calipers on the standard size (274mm) DBA disks with the the EBC greenstuff pads.
OR
2) Fitting of front 294mm rotors with twin piston calipers and EBC pads.
DBA rotors and EBC pads don't mix well.


I am also looking at braided lines for the front.
If it's just for street use, it's overkill and more for looks than function.

I'm looking to upgrade my TH brakes from bendix pads with DBA gold slotted and groved disks to one of the following options;

Looking at RPW package of either -
1) Front Brake upgrade to twin piston calipers on the standard size (274mm) DBA disks with the the EBC greenstuff pads.
OR
2) Fitting of front 294mm rotors with twin piston calipers and EBC pads.

I am also looking at braided lines for the front.

I was wondering if anyone has done any of these and what there opinions are?

CHEERS
i have the 294mm rotors with the twin piston calipers with ebc greens from rpw and sorry to say not happy with them.
they do stop you better but not that much better
AND BEWARNED THE CALIPERS ARE SECOND HAND mine had to be reconed before i could use them at a cost of $150
i would like to get rid of mine and get some thing better

I had DBA slotted rotors and like the previous stock rotors they warped developing vibration. If youre going fast consistently the stock brakes on magnas are not adequate, especially on autos. The biggest difference you can make is with better pads, bendix and the like. However with the AWD I have had very few problems and feel comfortable consistenly stopping from anything up to 200kmh. I have a feeling the apart from the twin pots and bigger front rotors on the fronts the rear rotors being ventilated and larger (they dont warp) make a large difference to this. If you have lots of money to spend obviously the best way to do it would be Brembo front calipers and something like 320mm discs. This will set you back in the region of 3-4k however. Do a search, knights brakes had a magan with this setup.

Thanks for your replies.

I have heard this about the EBC pads and DBA rotors - can anyone tell me why they are not compatable.

The car will be a everyday road car with track work on weekends so I want to go for the best braking performance I can get without having to replace the 16 inch alloys I have already fitted, which rules out the AP or Bremo racing as they need 17 inch rims.

pomejo,

I have looked on the RPW website and spoken to david and the website says a 40% increase and david advised the calipers would be reconditioned. . Did you see any increase like this and where the rotors you have delivered with the calipers standard rotors or EBC slotted ones?.

Sorry to ask so many questions I just dont wont to waste my money.


When you got the d-s
Thanks for the advise.0

Cheers

Im pretty sure as EBC pads are kevlar based and chew the rotors.

DBA's are made from a lesser quality metal than RDA and EBC rotors, and therefore wear out and or warp with high temp pads such as EBC greenstuff (so i was told by RDA).

i am running 294 mm RDA slotted rotors with greenstuff pads + AWD calipers up front and they make a huge difference from standard brakes once they are warm. They are adequate for track work, but you could still get much better stopping from brembo's etc..
For only intermittent track time though, this setup with the AWD brakes is probably the most cost effective. Mine have copped 2 track sessions and lots of abuse in between, and are still perfect.

I'm looking to upgrade my TH brakes from bendix pads with DBA gold slotted and groved disks to one of the following options;

Looking at RPW package of either -
1) Front Brake upgrade to twin piston calipers on the standard size (274mm) DBA disks with the the EBC greenstuff pads.
OR
2) Fitting of front 294mm rotors with twin piston calipers and EBC pads.

I am also looking at braided lines for the front.

I was wondering if anyone has done any of these and what there opinions are?

CHEERS

I upgraded my TH brakes to the twin-pot 294 mm rotors and EBC green pads. Honestly, I have not noticed a major difference BUT I had not stressed the stock brakes before hand, so there is no comparison. I decided to do the brakes because the original brake pads were 5 yrs old (and original) and the brake compound, due to its age was not gripping properly. The car had travelled around 180,000 kms on the original front pads, so the point I am making is that I did not stress the brakes, or they would have worn out long before. And I intended driving the car harder, so wanted better brakes to pull me up safely.

Played at autokhana and drags since putting in the brakes, and the car stops very well.

As I wrote earlier, no direct comparison for % improvement, but am very happy with the brakes now.

PS - just replaced the original rear pads to EBC Black pads - the tell-tale was squeaking!

I upgraded my TH brakes to the twin-pot 294 mm rotors and EBC green pads. Honestly, I have not noticed a major difference BUT I had not stressed the stock brakes before hand, so there is no comparison. I decided to do the brakes because the original brake pads were 5 yrs old (and original) and the brake compound, due to its age was not gripping properly. The car had travelled around 180,000 kms on the original front pads, so the point I am making is that I did not stress the brakes, or they would have worn out long before. And I intended driving the car harder, so wanted better brakes to pull me up safely.

Played at autokhana and drags since putting in the brakes, and the car stops very well.

As I wrote earlier, no direct comparison for % improvement, but am very happy with the brakes now.

PS - just replaced the original rear pads to EBC Black pads - the tell-tale was squeaking!

what 294mm rotors did you use, ones off of an AWD or after-market ones?

As posted by Booya ages ago... the Bembos off an Evo will fit the magna.

Do a search or ask the gold one himself.

You can get the Bembos second hand... even if you have to recondition them, it's heaps cheaper than $4k for a totally new Bembo setup (maybe $2500 tops with braided lines and new discs etc... don't get second hand discs!).

Braided lines do make a huge difference during hard braking duties (track) or for an emergency stop. Mate's Commo has 'em, drove it before and after and I like the braided lines.

I would also recommend bracing up the master cylinder to stop movement - this also plays a part. This is equivalent to braided brake lines as the master cylinder flexes and twists on the firewall while you apply the pedal. I remember reading somewhere

Just make a bracket that pushes against the master cylinder from the Driver's side of the engine bay. Surely someone has done it.

Thanks for every one's help and advice.

I am going to order the full 294mm package for the front and will let you know how it goes.

On the Brembo's, I would love this, but this requires a 17 inch rim and $1500 more then the RPW package and that is way outside my budget.

Thanks again.

CHEERS

yeh ive got an auto and i think ill be needing some new pads soon, anyone suggest what to get, they dont need to be flash coz i aint got da cash. that rhymed :D

what 294mm rotors did you use, ones off of an AWD or after-market ones?

Aftermarket slotted and grooved, from RPW.

Ask them to paint the exposed bits of the rotor (not where the pads grip, :gtfo: ) to match your car body - or do that yourself once you get it home. :D

Don't go DBA slotted whatever you do. I bought them and they warped just as quick as the stock ones. No point in them at all, they do stop you better but that doesn't last long as soon the vibration sets in. Had them machined and the guy said "gees you give this magna a hard time". Who cares i got the bloody slotted so i could do that but it just ended up costing me more in the end. I'm searching for something else so i'll be watching this thread closely for the outcome.
Cheers
Joel

Yes EBC pads are Kevlar based and will crack / warp / chew the DBA in no time at all. That's why I have always recommended RDA rotors. They are much stronger, slotted and has worked so well with harsh and performance pads that recently they have won a contract to make discs for EBC!!! I should know how good EBC Greenstuff and RDA rotors are, I go through a set of Greenstuff a year and I only drive my car on average once a fortnight. :P Yes it spends half of that time on the track.

Since we are a RPW distributor, we also do the RPW twin piston caliper brake package for those interested.

So we do EBC pads, RDA disc, RPW package, Ferodo pads, Pagid, Wilwood, AP Racing disc and calipers, Brembo calipers, Bendix pads and even DBA discs.

Have fun braking. :)

Don't go DBA slotted whatever you do. I bought them and they warped just as quick as the stock ones. No point in them at all, they do stop you better but that doesn't last long as soon the vibration sets in. Had them machined and the guy said "gees you give this magna a hard time". Who cares i got the bloody slotted so i could do that but it just ended up costing me more in the end. I'm searching for something else so i'll be watching this thread closely for the outcome.
Cheers
Joel
Sorry, cant agree with that. I have slotted all round and like many people have no hassles and I sure as heck give my brakes a nice workout too, but I have matched them with decent pads that have a high temp rating (bendix performax) that will absorb heat instead of transferring it back to your disc and warping it. If your warping slotted rotors, then you most likely have the wrong pads or your driving your car on a race track in which case they were not designed for that. :confused:

Sorry, cant agree with that. I have slotted all round and like many people have no hassles and I sure as heck give my brakes a nice workout too, but I have matched them with decent pads that have a high temp rating (bendix performax) that will absorb heat instead of transferring it back to your disc and warping it. If your warping slotted rotors, then you most likely have the wrong pads or your driving your car on a race track in which case they were not designed for that. :confused:

I had slotted DBA discs with bendix ultimates on the last car and the rears definitely warped. If there were other options I would have looked at them. Buy your RPW parts from Anthony he has to be easier to deal with than Dave, also you will probably get a better price. Sorry to Dave but I waited for too long too many times for parts.

With the very short length of rubber brake line that is in magnas, the steel braided lines wont make a noticeable difference because the rubber ones don't flex in that short of a distance.

I just did a brake upgrade on mine and got steel braided hoses to see what difference it would make. From what I've heard upgrading to braided lines gives you a firmer pedal feel.

Difference in that dept: Absolutely nothing.

The other reason I got the braided lines was because my old man makes ADR approved ones so I got him to make some for zip :D

A big Thanks to everyone for their advise and help. lol

I have ordered the 294mm upgrade and am looking forward to seing how it goes.

Cheers

are you able to PM the price you paid for the calipers? and who from?