ALFAGTV6.COM

[MALDI]

Does anybody have an experience (or hearsay) with this product?

http://www.fourproducts.com/FSBC.html

It is a set of heat fins that mount behind the brake pad and extend beyond the caliper into the air flow.

I am wondering if it would be a way to cool the back calipers on transaxle cars without having to go to the expense of SZ vented rotors. My interest is primarily for an unmodified track day car.

My concern is with the additional plate behind the brake pad. Could it adversely affect brake performance? Also, could it chatter and be an annoyance?

[Sporttunergtv6]

interesting...
v

[Mats]

O please tell me you are joking!

[Zamani]

I don't know if the brakes will chatter in annoyance, but at this stage Mats is already chattering in annoyance.

[Sporttunergtv6]

no? if they were bigger maybe? ill be quiet now, hahaha!
v

[MALDI]

Looking at the pictures on their website closely it looks as if the plate that goes between the pads and the calipers is so thin that the heat will more readily pass through it and into the caliper than along it and out to the cooling fins.

I guess at better set up would be have the brake pad backing plate extend beyond the caliper and put cooling fins on that...

[Mats]

It will maybe fit if you have 18" rims on a 116 car. Then you might wanna consider what the h*ell you are doing with that setup...

[MALDI]

I am wondering if it would be a way to cool the back calipers on transaxle cars without having to go to the expense of SZ vented rotors.

How will larger rims help in the rear?

On futher thought, what if one were to braze a copper plate extension of the brake pad steel backing plate and use that for heat dissipation? You would solve that thickness issue by using copper of the same thickness as the steel, you would not place anything between the pad and the caliper, and you could add cooling fins to the copper plate.

Then again having all that mass in the air flow does not sound too healthy for the calipers...

[Micke]

OK. Forgetting this gizmo for a while we can address what you want to achieve with it.

What is the problem?
a) fluid boiling?
b) pads getting too hot?

Cures:
a and b: air ducting or better brakes
a: better fluid
b: hotter pads

[Murray]

To add to what Micke posted I wonder what the problem is here ?
I've tracked my 86 GTV6 for 3 years in some brutally hot conditions on a wide variety of tracks - some of which are notoriously hard on brakes.My braking system is stock and my car is at its full OEM weight plus I need to loose weight (according to my wife ) I run Porterfield R4 pads and Pentosin Dot4 "racing fluid".I have never had a problem with brakes either fading or wearing quickly.In fact when I'm feeling lazy and running on brake friendly tracks I leave my rear street (OEM AR pads) in and all is well.Based on the cars I run against -WRX's Integra type R's Mustangs and lots of fast Civics I would say that the 25 year old Alfa Brembo/ATE braking system is easily up to modern standards if properly maintained and equipped (fluid/pads).If you throw a bunch of additional power into the equation then maybe an upgrade is necessary.

[MALDI]

I have a stock '84 and I use Porterfield R4S pads all around and Motul 600 RBS fluid. I also have a heat shield between the tail pipe and the left rear caliper. On the track this seems to work well.

However, I still noticed in doing some brake testing recently (70 to 0 maximum deceleration stops, repeatedly) that the back rotors were 50 degrees C hotter than the fronts. The left was also hotter than the right. This tells me that the backs would benefit from more cooling but it is not a crisis situation (428C was the highest temperature seen).

Also, I am interested in an inexpensive way to lower the temperatures a bit more. Vented rear disks will run about $750 and are probabably overkill. Moving the disks outboard is more expensive and adds unsprung weight. Ducting is nice but not easy to do for inboard brakes.

Lastly, I suppose my previous posts were drivern by curiosity. Why isn't adding cooling between that pads and the calipers ever done?

[Murray]

"MALDI" you mentioned that you run the R4S pads.Last year I tried these thinking I could safe switching out for street use and I was very disappointed with the track results at the front.After 3 laps on a hot summer day I was loosing my fronts and when I removed the pads they were thoroughly cooked so I went back to the R4.
Have you had better luck ?

[MALDI]

I have never had problems with the R4S pads at the track: no glazing or fading. The dust is not too high and they seem to wear well.

On the street the are poor when cold so I have to be careful those first few stops on cold mornings because if I am not ready I will overshoot the intersection and look like a rookie driver.

With the Porterfield R4S pads and the Motul 600 RBF fluid the only thing I have seen are a few small bubbles in the rears when bleeding them after a full track day. Never saw any bubbles in the fronts.

[DaveH]

Just looking at their 'test', I'd say their device's contribution to the cooler readings was negligible. They also happened to install cooling ducts when testing their gadget....

Hardly comparing like with like.

[Barry]

These guys have got to be kidding! Is this for real?

Firstly Id rather replace the brakes with larger ones that take up the space this gizzmo does..Ok,expensive to do..

Put cold air ducts to the caliper and center of disc!
Remove the splash shield!
Better fluid,pads..

Now if you could get these in bright red colour and people can see them through the wheels...mmmm..now theres an idea....