BETA BRAKE PADS

[mangocrazy]

I'd be prepared to forgo the superduplex capability if it meant uprated calipers and increased availability of pad compounds. You could easily blank off the secondary outlet on the master cylinder, couldn't you? Might even make the pedal feel a little firmer...

[rossocorsa]

I'd be prepared to forgo the superduplex capability if it meant uprated calipers and increased availability of pad compounds. You could easily blank off the secondary outlet on the master cylinder, couldn't you? Might even make the pedal feel a little firmer...

not sure exactly what would happen I suspect that, depending which circuit you blanked, you would get either insufficient front braking or excessive rear braking, I think I am right in thinking that one circuit connects to both front and rear and the other services front only which is why the front callipers are so complicated

[rossocorsa]

don't think they would fit remember the beta is superduplex, that does lead to the question could you fit 4 pot calipers for instance AP racing such as fitted to the MG TF, no forget that what about fulvia front calipers

I think I got a bit confused because the MG has two bleed nipples but i don't think you can attach one circuit to one side of the calliper and the other to the second ,which is what I had in mind, as I am not sure that both front circuits will deliver the same force

[WestonE]

I am building 4 pistons brakes using HiSpec R132-4 calipers and I gave Mark W the spec info to build his B4 setup. You use the mixed MC circuit to drive the front brakes and the former second front circuit to drive the Rear. There is a wide choice of pads and the 15 inch vented discs (Fiat Coupe) give a serious braking improvement.

Eric

[rossocorsa]

sounds like a good plan have to say though that I would still reckon for most folks the standard set up, when working as it should, is absolutely fine

[mangocrazy]

Hi Eric,

Sounds like another thing to pick your brains on when I see you Sunday...   

I'm a big fan of opposed piston 4 pot calipers, having used Brembo calipers of that ilk on most of the bikes I've owned in the last 20 years. I presume that only the front calipers are converted to 4-pot, and the rears are left standard? And how does one fit 15" discs to Beta 14" wheels (or does one need a rim upgrade as well)?

[VXdeMayo]

Marcus, there's an even longer wait now on the Red Dot pads- they're NLA. There's no Tarox Beta pads in stock anywhere in the country that I can find so I've ordered direct from Tarox UK for £64 . They'd better be good...

Andrew.

Dear Andrew, Did you get anywhere with decent fast road pads for your HPE VX? I am now in a similar position and after stripping and rebuilding all four calipers, sourcing EBC rear discs, and braided hoses, need a set of pads for front and rear. The best I can find for normal money is:Brembo fronts (i.e DP230 pattern), and EBC rears, (ie DP231).
Apparently EBC do not make fronts any more, and Brembo do not make rears! All I want to do is have a decent balanced set which have a common compound. How hard would you think that is??
Do you have any suggestions. I do not want to put Chinese cheap pattern parts on once all the hard work has been done.
Apart from that the rebuild of "Lulu's" suspension is going well.
Best,
Chas and Anne.

[spud]

Hello you two!

It's been so long I am a little vague on what I ended up with... lol. I definitely eventually got my Tarox front pads- I ordered them directly from Tarox UK and they ordered them (I think) from Italy. I have a very vague recollection of having waited a few weeks for them but I did get them and I'm 99% certain they're fitted in my front calipers now. My car is undergoing a sloooow interior restoration/upgrade and will be ready for spring summer autumn spring next year... and so hasn't been in use hence my fuzzy memory. What I fitted in the back calipers I really can't remember... I may have got a full set of Tarox but I really don't think I did; I probably fitted EBC to the rear. If I can get round to checking I'll post here.
I do remember being very frustrated that there was sod all available for our cars except cheap stuff so I totally understand your predicament. Tarox UK were very helpful if you want to try and get hold of some Tarox pads. Just so pricey! Terrible really. Sorry I can't be much more help.

Andrew.

[VXdeMayo]

Dear Andrew, thanks for your reply. When I spoke to a chap at EBC yesterday he said that although they make (and stock) rear pads for the Beta and MonteCarlo they do not and possibly have never made matching pads for the front! (Unless anyone can tell me otherwise). That is either in "Ultimax" spec or "Greenstuff" spec. However we / I can send them our backing plates from our worn out front sets, they will blast clean and re attach a pad compound on to our plates "as a special". This is done by hand in their Test Facility and due to this it will be.........
£149.00 for a front set!
(Cheap at half the price....not).

Another possibility was a lead I found via Google refering to an Ebay listing in the States selling old fashioned Ferodo FDB102'S for both front and rear, made using an earlier asbestos compound, (which actually grips). The prices were very reasonable.
Have any of you out there had any experience with this FDB102 pad from Ferodo?
Comments welcome, (or form an orderly queue for the "bargain EBC pads".
Best,
Chas and Anne.

 

[HFStuart]

Chas,

FDB102 isn't the type of pad material it's the design. I think FDB102 is the rear pad only. IIRC FDB101 is the front pads - I'm not sure if they were ever fitted to anything non-Lancia.

[VXdeMayo]

Dear Stuart, found this on ebay. What do you think?

http:www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281010349664?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Best,
Chas.

[HFStuart]

Confusing.

The picture shows both front and rear pads but the listing is for rear only.

As to whether the compound is actually any good  - your guess is a good as mine. The listing is trying a bit too hard which always makes me suspicious - that said a Ferodo product is unlikely to be crap. I suspect they are decent quality road pads and nothing more.

I do know that the product was developed in the 60s - you'd hope that even moving away from asbestos some progress has been made since!

[VXdeMayo]

Latest news from "Betabrakepadsearch.co.uk":
I received a very helpful email from Mark @Betaboyz, mentioning the motorsportworld website. On delving in, they list EBC, Tarox and Black Diamond pads for the Beta. On phoning them up, the same old story is repeated again. EBC do not make front pads only rears. (Although they are listed). Black Diamond, the same. Tarox list the fronts for Beta and Beta HPE, but no mention of rears. However Tarox actually make (and have in stock) some rear pads for the HPE as well. They just don't tell anyone about it!

By chance the next shipment from Italy is leaving this morning via road, and should be in the UK mid next week-ish. I have double checked the part no for the pattern and everything looks OK , and ordered a COMPLETE SET of the Tarox Strada fast road pads from them.
The slight downside is the price. £75.00 each set. (That's with a 10% discount). They better be B****y good.
I have ordered a set of EBC brake discs for the rear at the same time, so what with the "next to new" condition of the front discs this is the best I can achieve without going mad.
Who'ed have thought that basic consumable parts of decent quality would be so difficult to source. Anyway when the bits come I'll get Anne to wrap them up for Christmas presents!
best, (and Happy Christmas to all),
Chas and Anne.

[peteracs]

Hi

As you say, better be good and last more than 5 mins.......!

How much would 'normally available' pads be for another similar car out of interest?

Peter

[VXdeMayo]

Dear Peter,
It's difficult to say exactly, but "good known brand" pads seem to be around the £25 - 28 per set (front or rear). Cheap factor patterns from about £16 -18 "ish". So these Tarox are 3 time the price of "good" for a fast road spec, admittedly with better fade resistance and better Co of friction etc. Though I do not know how good they are on the track. Possibly Marcus ("Lanciamad") might enlighten us with his experience in his track HPE?
All I have to do now is hope the Royal mail come up trumps before Xmas???
I am an eternal optimist.
Best,
Chas,

[lanciamad]

I don't think you will be dis-appointed for your use Chas If there the same as in mine, which i'm 99% sure they will be, the high price paid won't hurt so bad once you've bedded them in, put the brakes on and stop just as well as modern machinery, even if the pedals a lot stiffer to push! 'I think' i've taken the standard set-up to its maximum and to be fair it holds up pretty well to fade considering the abuse it gets on track normally doing 20 min sessions (roughly 9 laps of a 2 mile circuit), with road use i'd say its very good - excellent and being a "fast-road" pad they work well from cold as well.
I got mine about 3 years ago now and they were a similar price then I'd love to go to the next level with the brakes but I don't think funds will allow anytime soon and I haven't used it since norfolk!
Marcus.

[VXdeMayo]

Dear Marcus, I am on the verge of looking forward to them! Thanks for the thumbs up.
Best,
Chas.

[smithymc]

In my fruitless search for shock absorbers, I found EBC pads( all sorts of grades) listed at Larkspeed. Unlike shock absorbers, an idle click has produced a set of Ultimax fronts in Saturdays post! Result.


http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl

Mark

[mangocrazy]

Encouraged by smithymc above, I had a nose around on EBC's site and downloaded the application spreadsheet. On there I noticed that EBC 'Greenstuff' pads were listed for our Betas (an excellent upgrade for fast road work), but couldn't find them in the online shop. I sent this note using their web query option:

I'm looking for replacement pads for my 1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2 litre, and have downloaded your Application Excel spreadsheet. In there I was delighted to sse that EBC Greenstuff pads are available (DP2230 Front, DP2231 Rear) for my car. I've used Greenstuff pads on my motorbikes, so I know how good they are. However, when I try ordering them from EBC Direct, they don't appear to be listed. How can I get hold of a full set (Front & Rear)?

It's also worth mentioning that the Beta Owners Club are looking around for a supplier of sport-biased pads for Betas, so there is the potential for quite a few sales.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this reply the day after posting my query from Andrew Bartosiak, Manager of their Technical department:

Hi Graham

I will have the greenstuff DP2230 in stock by Friday

Rear green DP2231 are in stock

These pads DP2230 will not have the wear lead if that is important

Green is a good upgrade for the road but not suitable for track

If some people may wish to do a trackday then we could make some yellowstuff for you DP4230R DP4231R

Rear already a stock item

We could do a special deal for the owners club of 50% off retail

Regards
 

Andrew Bartosiak

All of which sounds a bit of a result to me....  Any comments or suggestions?

[peteracs]

Hi Graham

I agree, a full result given that both fast road and race pads can be supplied, with a discount as well, you deserve a beer at least for that.

Peter