Outer Limits 4x4 Board

will i get a lot better braking if i use vitara calipers/discs in the front? was thinking of using standard sierra calipers with slotted and cross drilled sierra rotors and good pads which will cost ~$450 (rotors and pads).

is it worth changing to vit. calipers and discs, how hard are the calipers to find and what are they worth? which model vitara? only one thread on installation anyone with anymore detail? if i do you vit. in the front i could eventually use the sierras in the rear with a conversion kit.

looked in the bible and did a search but there are not too many threads on the topic.

Swap to Vit lwb brakes. They are vented and offer a lot better braking. The Vit swb fronts are the same size as a Sierra. This should be a bolt on swap. You will need the calipers and rotors. I have a set of rotors if you're interested but no calipers. The lwb rears are also bigger, actually my old lwb and new V6 lwb are the same size as the XL-7 (the GV has the same size rears as a swb Vit )

price update slotted and cross-drilled sierra rotors are ~$145 each at burson's.

don't bother with cheap cross-drilled rotors. When you get them hot, and then cool them rapidly ( water crossing etc) they will crack around the drilled holes.

i used these on my 300zx for a while, and went through 2 sets before deciding that cheap cross-drilled and slotted rotors were no good. Bought some EXPENSIVE ones from japan and never looked back.

If you think that your brakes are suffereng from 'brake fade' perhaps ordinary slotted rotors will help, and maybe a slightly more metalic pad also. This will give you better braking performance from higher speed, but when they are cold, they will be shite.

JMO
Pete

are dba crappy rotors?

my vit front discs and calipers are off a 1.8l 4 door vit... just had to grind the shroud and they bolt right on =) much better braking power and tons less fade... very handy after the drums fill with water too - i can still stop =)

I have a 2 door 1.6i 1996 Vitara. I enquired about swapping the front rotors & calipers from a 4 door into the 2 door. This I hoped would give me better braking with the ventilated rotors but I was told that because the calipers are a different size the brake bias would all go to crap and to do it properly i would need to install just about all of the braking components from the 4 door to make it work properly.
Anyone done this brake upgrade or know anything that may help????

Plenty have swapped just the front and been very happy but if you also swap the rear drums you will get even more. I have the front and rears from a lwb on my swb. You can adjust the load sensing and proportioning valve if you need to.

CJ, Is it a simple bolt on swap or does anything else other than the valve adjustment need to be done??

this mod is really only handy for stopping larger tyres... if your current brakes lock up when you slam the foot down then bigger brakes arent going to do anything more than make it easier to lock up.

i swapped my fronts cos i knew i had 31's on the way...

Vitamin 4 wrote:CJ, Is it a simple bolt on swap or does anything else other than the valve adjustment need to be done??

Simple swap.

Thanks

I will get back on the case