My $25 "Big Brake Upgrade".

L

Lost

Active Member
I always go for brake upgrades in my cars, my Jetta TDI got a set of wagon brakes, my 6 cylinder mustang got a set of GT brakes, and my new GT, well, too expensive to upgrade those! But I noticed the parts to go from 180 to 203mm on the Rover were damn cheap so I thought I would experiment. Got a $14 rotor and $10 bracket from Amazon, and threw them on. It required a trip to the local fastener store to source a couple of 6X1.0 X 20mm cap screws too.
I thought the difference would be more dramatic, but there is an improvement. I guess my next step for brake lust is to switch out the front for hydraulic maybe. Here is a before, a comparison, and after shot.
bbupgrade1.jpg
bbupgrade2.jpg bbupgrade3.jpg
 
And side note: The screws holding in the original rotor seemed to be a bit on the loose side.
 
Any plans to do the rear brakes? I would be happy just to get rid of the squeaky sound every time I apply my brakes.:(
 
mrgold35 said:
Any plans to do the rear brakes? I would be happy just to get rid of the squeaky sound every time I apply my brakes.:(
Click to expand...
Have you tried changing pads? Mine do not make noise, and I can lock up the rear, so no immediate plans to improve the back. I tried a fat bike with nice hydraulic brakes and want to get the same feel that one had.
 
That is great!! Can you please share the part details from Amazon? I am definitely interested. :)

@mrgold35 my rear break squeaks too. It was really loud the first 50 miles and someone here on forum suggested it would go away eventually. Right now the bike has 71 miles on it and it still does. I looked up youtube videos on that and the videos suggested to degrease the rotors. But with so low miles I am not sure why the rotors need cleaning. Anyways I will give that a try and see if it helps.
 
Watch out for overspray from lubes applied to your chain or crud from the road; these can help to create a thin veneer on a rotor or pads; thus the squealing. There might be a slight coating on the rotor when the bike was built, so some concentrated rubbing alcohol or one of the pro bike shop brake solvents would help remove any film. Disc pads are fairly porous, so if oil or lube has gotten on the pads, you may need to replace them to solve the squeal. Try cleaning with a very fine grit sandpaper on the rotor and pads to see if that helps.
 
I'm about 600 miles on each of my two Radrovers and the brakes sound the same now as they did new back in Sept/2016 (loud like car brakes hitting the wear indicator). The brakes work 100% and they can slow me down without issues (even in emergency braking at +20 mph with me at +270lbs). I really haven't checked into the different types of pads that will fit the current Radrover brakes.

I would be willing to try to fix, purchase of the same types of brake pads, or go aftermarket pads (w/ or w/o rotor upgrade) if I have the same stopping power and little to no braking noise.

I spent about $1000 to upgrade the brakes and rotors on my SUV, I think I can spend$20-$40 on the Radrover.
 
Sai Kodi said:
That is great!! Can you please share the part details from Amazon? I am definitely interested. :)

@mrgold35 my rear break squeaks too. It was really loud the first 50 miles and someone here on forum suggested it would go away eventually. Right now the bike has 71 miles on it and it still does. I looked up youtube videos on that and the videos suggested to degrease the rotors. But with so low miles I am not sure why the rotors need cleaning. Anyways I will give that a try and see if it helps.
Click to expand...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013QSUXY0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R0GP098/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I guess it was a $30 upgrade!
 
Sai Kodi said:
Thank you @Lost. Any instructions for novice folks like us?
Click to expand...
The new bracket is thinner where you bolt it to the fork. Therefore, you need shorter 6mm X 1mm screws, I went to the local fastener store and picked up 2 of three different lengths. If I recall correctly, I used 20mm long ones. Not sure exactly. What you have to keep in mind is you are screwing in a grade 8 hardened steel screw into an aluminum boss, so you do not want to over torque the screws, and you absolutely can not use one that is too long. Also, before you take it apart, note the weird sort of washers they use. I think they radially center the adapter to the fork, I really don't know for sure. But I am glad I took the before picture to see how it went together! Also, use some blue loctite on everything. Also, note that the adapter brackets have an orientation arrow on them pointing up, so that it spaces the caliper out correctly. But mostly, be very careful of the aluminum threads, they are easy to damage - my hair goes up every time I send a bolt into aluminum, be it a bike, an engine block, or a transmission, etc. Been there, done that, and it can get expensive if it strips out.
 
These Shimano and Tektro brake pads are all interchangeable.

SHIMANO / Deore, Nexave, M575, M515, M515-LA, M395, M495, M475, M486, M485, M465, M445, M415, M4451, M575, M575W, M575L, M486W, M486L, C601, C501, egra CX75, 105 R515, M08, M05, B01S, E01S, M08S, M05S, BS01. TEKTRO / Auriga Pro, Auriga e-Comp, Aquila, Orion, Draco, Draco WS, Draco 2, Dorado, E10.1

I use organic pads (also called resin or semi metalic) over sintered metalic, for their stopping power and they're dead silent. There are some downsides to be aware of. Most important to note is organic pads in the wet don't have the best initial bite. Within a couple rotations they dry and you're stopped, but it surprises some riders new to organic pads.

This blog explains the different qualities very well.

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/brake-pad-information-2009.html

All new pads need to bedded in for best performance.

http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/how-to-bed-in-disc-brake-pads-31337/
 
Last edited:
Just saw this. You can get the 203mm rotor and upgrade to hydraulic for $75 total. It includes the spacer that you need to place the caliper out further for the 203mm rotor. If I were to do it over again, that's the route I would take.
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
 
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