Brake question

[Cartman]

Hi, I was wondering, what are the brakes on the Delorean like? As far as I can tel, there is 4wheel disc brakes, whit a handbrake on the rear calipers, and 10 or so inch discs. To me that seams oddly smal, not that that has to be a problem thoug :)

I know the 15" rims restrict the sice of the brakes, but I modefyded my car going from the stock 240mm ffront and rear drums, to 300mm front and 270mm discs at the rear, these just barely squice under 15" rims, if i grind the calipers slightly, so I'm using 16"s instead.
I'we done some searching, but I didn't realy find any real inf on the brakes, other then repair guides :)

So here goes, how are the stock brakes? Compared to a stansdard modern car, and if they are pour, is there any ssound option of uppgrading them?

I welcome any info on the subject

And thank you in advance :)

[DMCVegas]

After 30 years you'll need to flush the fluid and rebuild the hydraulic system including hoses. Pair that up with fresh shock absorbers and the DeLorean does pretty well. Granted I've only ever driven mine hard and I have cross-drilled rotors. But they're pretty decent enough for the most part for regular driving.

If you're looking for some upgrades, here's a good choice for your neck of the woods:

http://www.delorean.co.uk/delorean_performance.html

[Cartman]

Thanx, I'l look into that :) stil in the planing stages of getting one, but these are the things I think about :)

[Dangermouse]

+1 on the fluid change and rebuild.

Remember that the front wheels are actually 14".

The brakes are decent for a 130HP car in regular driving.

If you plan to go racing, upgrades are better, but that's true of most cars.

[David T]

The brakes are adequate for street driving. This assuming they are operating and in good shape. You may have to replace all 4 hoses with S/S braided ones. It will firm up the pedal. Drilled rotors are not necessary and very noisy. Use Castrol DOT 4 brake fluid.
David Teitelbaum

[Rich]

Comments all apply to a DeLorean with its brakes in OEM condition with OEM-size modern tires. Pay attention to all advice about brakes on an old car.

Braking distance:
- Compared to other sports cars of its time the Delorean's braking is on a par. Stopping distance is similar to Ferrari 308, ~10% longer than for a 911SC.
- Compared to a standard BMW 3-series of today the stopping distance is ~25% worse, but that's with ABS and stability control on the 3-er.
- Due to limited tire selection for D's the braking can be limited by the tread design and compounding. All-season tires have kind of taken over, which is not always good for dry braking.

Hardware:
4-wheel discs. Solid disc rotors, not vented.

Brake feel, brake limits and mods:
- The brake feel is good-excellent. Brake fade is not unknown but the engine performance works in favor.
- At the limit the front brakes/tires will lock up before the rears, which is good for accident avoidance. Ask me how I know...
- The OEM brakes can lock the tires up so does one need more braking power than this? Perhaps the upgrade would be to vented discs for improved fade resistance in harsh conditions. At least one D parts vendor offers drilled rotors. Search this forum for brake upgrade threads. There are a few. I'm running stock brakes so can't offer direct advice.

Handling during straight braking:
The front end dives a fair bit with very hard braking because the front spring rates are low and the angle of the trailing front sway arm accentuates the diving. It is not a control problem. And better brakes will not change it.

If there is anything wrong with the OEM brake system for daily driving it is the parking/emergency brake. It operates on a separate (small) pair of pads additional to the rear calipers. Not so strong, but at least the brake handle is in the correct location for 5-speed hill-starts.

[Cartman]

Thank you for that info, I don't intend to go racing whit it, but It's good to know the breaks are atleast deacent, when they are they wey they are suposed to be atleast :) I'we owned a few 80's cars before, mainly ford escorts, so I realice they won't be like the brakes of modern cars, but if it's like you said about 25% less then a newish 3series, then it can't be to bad :)
thanks again :)


Don't know if your interested, but I thought I would shere a pic of my current brake setup on my current car :)
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