Best way to improve braking

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jimbo-td5

jimbo-td5

New Member
Posts
231
Location
Gower, near Swansea
Hi all, I have an 09 tdci (no ABS/TC thats too fancy) and I use it to commute at rush hour, and I seem to find the brakes lacking. the new engine will cruise happily at motorway speeds in 6th no bother at all, but when it comes to stopping its a different story, the old brakes dont seem to cut it with the bigger powered lump in my oppinion! I always leave adequate distance between the car in front, and by no means drive like an a**e, but theres always some little s***e in a car that decides to cut in front of you and slam on because he needs to use the next junction and hasnt left adequate distance. Now I have come a cropper in this situation twice now and nearly ploughed into said a**e cos she just doesnt want to stop all that well. which got me to thinking, how do people with tuned up landys cope? they go a hell of a lot faster! I read in this months LRO about using bigger brakes, which require 18" wheels. now I see loads of tuned up landys with standard boosts, so they must be doing something? do those trick pads and drilled discs really work? I tried the drilled/slotted discs on my old td5 disco and they didnt seem to make any difference!

any advice greatly appreciated! (apart from sell the landy and buy a car, I did think of the idea but just cant part with it!)
 
Drilled/slotted tend not to make much difference at all. Higher friction pads can be worthwhile, but will tend to eat discs at a greater rate. The defender is a heavy old lump so won't stop on a penny but the best thing you can do is make sure everything is in top working order and possibly upgrade the pads (cheap aftermarket ones tend to be ****e) then work out if you want more performance from there
 
she hasnt long had a land rover service and they didnt say anything about the pads, so thier genuine land rover ones at the moment, so maybe i'll look at some pads! what makes and types can people recommend?? there seems to be loads! cheers for that martyc! :5bcheers2:
 
A Land Rover should stop very well, if it doesn't then there's something wrong. All three of mine have very good braking, even the Series III!

Bear in mind these things are designed to tow 3.5 tons and stop that (albeit with the assistance of trailer brakes) with a good safety margin, so stopping a non-loaded 90 should be easy!

I would say there's something amiss with yours if it is under performing as you describe. Then again these things are very subjective. I notice your signature says you have a 200Tdi 90 as well, how well does this stop in comparison from the same speed?
 
Pistons sticking?
Renew fluid.
Braided pipes.
I only go for vented discs on anything, too many warped drilled discs. Just my thought but if the brakes don't get hot enough to need venting then stick with standard....or are the brakes fading being the issue (but not in town driving they shouldn't)

I found from the days of hanging around car parks that putting a Brembo sticker on the front wing will make the car stop on a penny.
 
Right a bit of a development that makes me think it might actually be something wrong, I went out late last night on quiet roads and had a play, if I hit 70 and slam on she stops pretty well, but if the braking changes from gentle to fierce (slowing down, then simulating being cut up and braking harder) it doesn't seem to make much difference? I could push the pedal untill it felt like it bottomed out on something solid, but still took ages to stop? She's still under warranty but I'd like to do some investigating first before I send it in see if I can narrow it down!
 
my '87 has brilliant brakes. great assistance from the servo, and generally very responsive and it's all just standard, with drums on the back no less! I'd say you've got a problem with your brakes. i wonder if your servo is working at all? try sitting with the engine off, putting pressure on the brake pedal, not too much, then start the engine. if the brake pedal starts sinking, then the servo is probably working. maybe contamination on the discs or something?
 
If it's under warranty get them to sort it out

When I bought my 300tdi the previous owner had fitted new discs all round and green stuff pads but TBH I don't thinkmy brakes are very good , the pedal seems quite hard ,but it passed the mot ok
 
I bought EBC Green stuff pads and EBC drilled and groved disks best money ive spent on my truck no mods needed and notice a huge difference can now lock wheels ups and stop well when towing a 2 tonne unbraked trailer !
 
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