Re: G60 brake upgrades?

["Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.kettering.edu>]

On Fri, 13 Nov 1998, John Karasaki wrote:

> According to Sportwheels, the A8 rotors are a direct swap for the A4 rotors
> and they sell the mounting bracket to move the caliper out accordingly.
> 
> I have a pair of A8 rotors sitting in my garage.  Going from memory, the A8
> rotors are 312mm x 25.4 mm.  I can measure them again if anyone wants exact
> dimensions.

Hmm, that is starting to sound like an excellent low bux alternative.  If 
my memory serves me, the 5KCSTQ has a 276mm rotor and the A4 a 288 mm 
rotor.  The A8 rotor then would be almost 1.5" larger then the 5KCSTQ rotor!

> >Actually, it isn;t a DIRECT swap. The do bolt up, but it takes a little
> >more than bolting them on. You see, the 5k/V8/S4 calipers use a 14mm bolt,

That would be the bolt that attaches the caliper mounting bracket to the 
hub I presume.

> >as the A8 caliper uses a 16mm bolt. So, the biggest problem becomes
> >aligmnet of the caliper because the 14mm bolts that the 5k/V8 have will
> >allow the caliper to "walk" so to speak. The solution that I used, was to
> >drill and tap the strut housing out to 16mm. The biggest problem with that
> >is that you can't go back to G60's without drilling the carrier. 

I would drill and tap the strut housings I think.  Even if you ever did 
want to go back to G60s, you could always drill out the G60 bracket to 
allow the 16mm bolt to go through.

> go this route because I could not find inexpensive A8 calipers and carriers
> and I wanted the 4 piston Porsche calipers anyway.

I don't care so much about the # of pistons and I certainly do not want
them to say Porsche.  Its the clamping radius that really counts.  Ever
see the front of a Japanese sport bike?  They have puny little calipers,
and a _huge_ rotor. 

Later,
Graydon D. Stuckey

This is my new "Bendy-approved" .sig file!  :-)