I'd like to fit some better discs and calipers but want to keep the Rostyle wheels. It seems that Austin Princess four-pots foul the 14in Rostyles. What are the options?

You are going to get it anyway so here it goes, why?

Properly functioning MGB brakes are good for everything but hard racing and you will get post after post telling you so.

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Cheers Rob

As Rob has already alluded to it I'm not going to do anything but answer your question - go for it here!

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Convertible: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67. Owned since 3/77. 90% original sheet metal. 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. Fidanza FW. Basil's followers and pushrods. TR7clutch. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box.. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

GT: UK car built/sold December '78. Stripped back to bare shell (with extensive bodywork to come). Powered by 'worked' Rover 5 litre V8 (ex TVR Chimera) with efi. T5 box. FC IFS. CCE rear attached to Salisbury axle with Quaife. And a whole lot more to yet to come. Stealth is the word.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-07-17 04:50 AM by MGB567.

When one is used to servo assisted brakes on a modern car the MGB brakes sometimes seem a bit weak. However, all you need to do is push harder on the pedal. Alternatively you could get a servo. Depending on what pads you use, a pad change may reduce the effort a little, try green stuff or standard. Some of the up rated pads are harder so as to cope with a higher heat range. Thy should be avoided unless your use makes them necessary.

Essentially if you can lock the wheels on a dry road with the standard brakes, which you normally can with 165 or 185 tyres on a B, then bigger brakes are not required.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-07-17 05:47 AM by MG David.

The only thing we are allowed to do to our brakes in both SCCA and Vintage racing is use racing pads and add cooling ducts, otherwise they are stock, and the brakes on the car is great, even might say they are advantage to the other cars I race with, and trust me when I say, it raced hard Bottom line, a good stock braking system is more than good enough for a street car and work well under severe racing conditions. If you do bigger brakes on one of these cars you do it for desire, not need.

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Hap Waldrop
Acme Speed Shop
864-370-3000
Website: www.acmespeedshop.com
hapwaldrop@acmespeedshop.com

The reason I was looking into it is because I've been told by owners that under hard driving the standard setup can give fade. I assume this is because the standard disc struggles to lose the heat, so I though a setup with vented discs would eliminate this. I agree that the standard calipers have enough clamping force, but because of their design it's not possible to put a spacer in them to allow them to be used with vented discs.

In close on 7 years of driving, and I don't drive gently, I've never experienced brake fade on my BGT, so that's another owners view.

It's your car and if you want to make modifications on the general comments of other drivers have at it.

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Member of The International Society of Luddites (Unrepentant Chapter).

Take the time to understand what a part does and how it does it, then you'll have a better understanding of how to fix it when it goes wrong. Beats the scattergun approach every time.

Ignition testing made easy.

Making your MGB handbrake work

My You Tube Channel

Life with an MG TA and an MGB GT in the UK.

Our charity drive in our 1937 MGTA

Setting the car up for higher cornering speed via suspension & sticky tires will result in cooler brakes by not needing to use them as hard. Better vented wheels may also help dissipate the heat.

I do fast back roads, track days, & autox on 100% stone stock brakes & no cooling ducts.

Brake fade is generally too hot brakes in general.

I suggest you use an IR temperature gun on your fronts after a spirited drive. Record the temps.
Then do the same thing with your adult car.

The front and rear brakes on a B are the same size as the Chevelle of the late 60"s. Actually two pistons on the front of the B.

What Hap said and Owen, and Carl.

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L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit

Agreed. You will find much more advancement in suspension set up than brakes.

The only reason I can see for someone getting brake fade is they are driving their 40+ yr old MGB like a automated/semi-automated modern car and sitting on the brakes all the time.

I went for a whole day run a while back and there were three of us traveling at a about the same speed on the twisty back roads (pushing it). The old fella at the rear driving the MGF, when we stopped for the day, said I think your brake lights are out or intermittent. There were nothing wrong with the lights. I drove using all the utilities available, not just the brakes. The overdrive is sooo much fun .

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Cheers Rob

Anyone who hasn't experienced brake fade in their MGB probably doesn't live in the mountains. Sometimes you have to baby them a little, but I agree, the stock brakes are more than adequate.

Will,

Now that your car is pumping out 88 hp, and I presume it is drive-able, take it for a decent long run on some twisty roads or a track and push it. Don't rely on what others tell you experience it for yourself.

Make sure your brakes are in good order first though. Not much point testing/blaming brakes if they haven't been maintained properly.

Oh and I forgot to mention in my last post, my suspension is up-rated, negative camber, bilstiens, 7/8 anti roll bar.

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Cheers Rob

I live at the edge of the mountains, and have done my fair share of hard mountain driving, and never had brake fade. I did have a few buddies who did, and when they followed my advice to adjust their rear brake more frequently, their fade disappeared. No biggie, if you want to put something bigger on there, then go for it. My response was more along the line of the comment "hard racing" because most non racers don't always realize we race on the same brakes you guy use on the road, and they do the job nicely, and even my Hawk racing brake pads get unreal life, the last time I replaced my front pads was 2012 I also only use Brembo rotors, not drilled, or slotted, and they get unreal life.

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Hap Waldrop
Acme Speed Shop
864-370-3000
Website: www.acmespeedshop.com
hapwaldrop@acmespeedshop.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-07-18 08:09 AM by Speedracer.

X2 on non vented Brembo rotors. The only issue, that I've had with Hawk pads, is that my chrome wire wheels didn't like them. Too much dust! However, in 45 years of hard usage, my `67 B's brakes have never left me wanting for more stopping power. RAY

Fair enough, chaps. I may fit V8 discs and thinner pads (I need new discs anyway) just to help dump heat. Maybe I'll try that setup and see how it gets on with the supercharger I'm fitting this week.