Frequently asked questions

In the box there are a fully assembled and tested pair of calipers. They are ready to be fitted onto the original brake caliper lugs on your vehicle. On some vehicles, you may need to centre the caliper to the disc with the supplied shims (these look like penny washers and are fitted between the caliper and the lug). For further details see our fitting guide.

You will find a brand new set of brake pads (usually EBC Ultimax 2) in the box. The pad design is different to the original pad the car takes, so you must always use the pads supplied with the new calipers. There is a set of new pins and anti-rattle shims proveded as well.

On some vehicles it is necessary to extend the hard line from the chassis, so the original flexible hose will reach our calipers. To do this the pipe will almost alway need to be bent with a brake pipe bending tool and secured in place, see our fitting guide for further details.

This does not need doing in 90% of applications and is only supplied to help in those rare instances 

It is certainly good practice to do so, however not essential. When fitting calipers in the workshop, at the very least we would thoroughly degrease the disc and clean up the face with emery cloth before fitting the new calipers

If you are currently suffering from brake wobble (where the disc is warped) or the discs have more than a 2mm lip (where the pad is rubbing) then you should replace your discs.

The simple answer is no. Our brake kits are designed to give upto 40% better braking performance with the vehicles original equipment discs (usually a solid brake disc on the majority of classic cars). Over 95% of our clients retain the OEM brake disc. By being made from Aluminium and having external brake balance pipes, our calipers significanly reduce the temperature of both the fluid and the caliper/pad and disc. Therefore your soild brake discs are far less likely to suffer from brake fade or warping.

Possible disc upgrade

For those people who 'track or rally' their classic cars grooved and dimpled performance discs are available for a number of vehicles. These additional machined dimples and groves improve braking by channeling the gasses produced during heavy braking out from between the pad and disc. They also help keep the pad 'clean' by removing more of the pad during each braking event. Ultimately your pad will ware quicker and they will produce more brake dust, but the advantages are clear for repeated heavy braking.

Calper and disc upgrade 

For some of our caliper kits it is possible to 'upgrade' the disc to a vented item. In this instance we provide a larger caliper. Vented brakes cool better and are less prone to warping under repeted heavy braking events. On the vast majority of classic cars used on the road they are unecessary. However we have developed these on some of our caliper kits where owners have been more likey to carry out track and race events in their cars. 

Our calipers have been designed to work optimally on the road with road pads. All of the performance data has been carried out using EBC Ultimax 2 pads. However there are advantages to be had from different brake compounds.  There is no one case fits all. It is important to think about what you intend to use the car for the majority of the time. You will not get better braking performance from an upgraded pad, unless you can get the working temperature up to the required level. Indeed the track/race compund pads will decrease braking performance on the road.

Road brake pads - EBC Ultimax 2

This is the perfect pad for almost all classic car owners and is our default offering. It works very well at lower brake temperatures, has exceptional 'bite' and produces very little brake dust compared to more aggressive compounds, reducing the cleaning of your wheels. It is very rare, even with spirited driving that they will exceed their working temperature and glaze.

Alpine brake pads - EBC Greenstuff

EBC Greenstuff pads have a more agressive compound and work better when they are in the upper levels of their temperature range. They are perfect when touring in mountanous areas and in light compertition such as historic road rallys or 'gentleman' track days. They produce more brake dust than the Ultimax 2, but perform better during repeated heavy braking.

Track brake pads - EBC Yellowstuff 

EBC Yellowsuff pads are made for serious track days and racing. They are a very agressive, high temperature compound and are largely useless on the road because they just won't get into the right temperature range. The have to be carefully bedded in (per EBC's instructions supplied with the pad) and produce a lot of brake dust.

Changing pads

It is easy to change the brake pads on our calipers. If you use your classic for a mixture of the above and have basic mechanical skills, you can change the pad to suit the event in little over 20 minuits. 

Yes. Our calipers use a fairly generic 'classic car' pad. You can fit Mintex, Girling and TRW pads to name a few. If you have a specific brand of pad you like to fit, drop us an email and we will send you the part number so you can order directly from your parts specialist.

Always make sure that you don't have any leaks from the brake servo, master cylinder, brake lines or other hydraulic fittings before starting to fit the caliper kits.

Brake flexible hoses can collapse internally, making them difficult to bleed after the kit is installed. If they are of an unknown age, or more than 5 years old we would suggest replacing them at the same time.

Broadly there 5 different types of brake fluid that are in use in classic cars

DOT 3 & 4

This is the most common type of brake fluid used in classic cars. It is a glycol based fluid and is light gold in colour when new. It is compatible with all BCC Performance Braking caliper kits.

DOT 5.1

You tend to find this brake fluid on later cars with ABS . It is compatible with all BCC Performance Braking caliper kits

High Temperature/Racing Brake Fluid

These are variations on DOT 4 and 5.1 fluid and are compatible with BCC Performance Braking caliper kits. The advantage is that the brake fluid boiling point is raised and are particularly useful in cars used on road rallies, track days and other racing environments.

LHM

This is a mineral fluid found in Citroen and Rolls Royce/Bentley brakes. IT IS NOT COMPATABLE WITH BCC PERFORMANCE BRAKING CALIPER KITS

Silicon or DOT 5

This is usually a vivid colour such as purple. It is sold as a life long product as it is not hydroscopic. It has many advantages, but should only be used in thoroughly rebuilt hydraulic systems as it will react with all other types of brake fluid filling the system with a gel like substance. IT IS NOT COMPATABLE WITH BCC PERFORMANCE BRAKING CALIPER KITS

It is essential that you change the brake fluid in your car every 2 years regardless of mileage.  DOT 3 & 4 and DOT 5.1 are all hydroscopic, which means they absorb water. This discolours the fluid and promotes rust inside the hydraulics operating your brakes. This clogs brake lines, damages seals and damages the pistons in your master cylinder and brake calipers.

Braided hoses are trendy and look cool, but there are good reasons for fitting them beyond asthetics. The braded stainless steel mesh makes the rubber pipe stronger. It means that as the hyraulic pressure increase the hose 'baloons' less giving a sharper brake pedal and more pressure ends up pushing the pads against the disc. The braided covering also makes them less likely to be impact damaged.

Their only down fall, is that it is almost impossible to check the condition of the rubber hose inside, which like all rubber degrades over time. It is good practice to change braided hoses every10 years regardless of use.

The simple answer is no. Our brake kits are designed to work with the original master cylinder, servo (if your car has one), hoses and discs. If they are in good, working condition then you can simply fit our brake upgrade kit and enjoy up to 40% better braking.

The simple answer is no. Our brake kits are designed to work with the original master cylinder, servo (if your car has one), hoses and discs. There should be no difference in the pedal travel, but all of our customers report back far better pedal feel due to the multi-piston design more evenly distributing the pressure on the pad and disc. 

See our fitting guide for the process of bleeding your brakes, but if you are struggling with a soft pedal or need to pump up your brakes to get a good bite, there is some air in there somewhere! Often a short drive and a re-bleed can shake loose any little air bubble, but if you are not confident, a simple trick is the following:

• Unbolt the caliper (still attached to the flexible pipe)
• Turn it through 180 degrees and give it a good shake
• Rebleed in this position
• Bolt it back onto the car 

Because our calipers are machine from a block of aluminium and have external brake balance pipes they are a different shape to the original cast caliper. They have been designed to fit within the envelope of the wheel and suspension in the vast majority of cases. 

We are aware that this is not the case with some Ford's with factory 13 inch steel wheels. Where this is the case, it is clearly marked on the sales information page. You can however fit our caliper underneath 13 inch alloys such as Minilites commonly found as an upgrade on these cars.

Sometimes our calipers will have very little clearence to the inside rim of the wheel. Therefore stick on wheel weights inside the rim can rub. It is possible to get your local tyre fitter to remove these and rebalance the wheels with a knock on weight mounted on the inside rim.

There is no reason we know of that our calipers do not fit under every set of wire wheel in good condition.  However many wire wheels are decades old and the hubs and splines do ware. When this is the case they often 'push on' further than they should causing them to catch the caliper and 'move around' as you drive. Check your hubs and splines in our fitting instructions first if you have an issue.

Clean and grease wire wheel hubs and splines

It is also good practice to clean the old grease from the splines and hubs of your wire wheel thoroughly and replace it every 12 months. This helps keep them in good condition, makes it easier to fit and tighten them up and helps them seat better. Often cleaning and regreasing can eliminate play reducing the chances of the above issue occuring. 

More even pressure distribution

In a 2-pot caliper, you have one piston per side (inside and outside), so the pad is pushed at two points. This can lead to uneven pad wear or slightly less effective contact at the pad edges.  A 4-pot caliper has two pistons per side, spreading the clamping force across more of the pad’s surface area. This gives:

• More uniform pad contact with the rotor.
• Better braking consistency.
• Less risk of pad tapering (uneven wear).

Higher total clamping force

More pistons mean more surface area pushing on the brake pad (for a given hydraulic pressure).  This doesn’t automatically mean “double the braking power,” but it allows for stronger and more controlled braking without increasing pedal effort.

Better Heat Management

A caliper with more pistons spreads heat over a wider area of the pads and discs.  Therefore there is less chance of localized hotspots, which reduces brake fade during heavy use.

Stiffer caliper design

Our multi-piston calipers are designed and manufacturered to be stronger to handle the added forces inside the caliper. Therefore less caliper flex under pressure means more precise braking and better pedal feel.

Much Lighter (Lower Unsprung Weight)

Aluminum is about 1/3 the density of cast iron. Lighter calipers reduce unsprung mass (the parts not supported by the suspension). This gives:

• Better suspension response (faster to react to bumps).
• Improved handling and ride quality.
• Less rotational inertia if they’re mounted on the hub (helps acceleration and braking).
• For performance vehicles, saving weight at the wheels is one of the most valuable upgrades.

Better Heat Dissipation

Aluminum conducts heat much better than iron.  This helps draw heat away from the brake pads and fluid faster, reducing: 

• The chance of brake fade.
• Fluid boiling under heavy braking.

Stiffer, More Precise Design

Our machined aluminum calipers are made to be very stiff despite their lightness.

• Less caliper flex = more consistent brake pad contact and a firmer pedal feel.
• Cast iron calipers are strong, but they’re bulkier for the same stiffness.

Corrosion Resistance

Our aluminum calipers are anodized for the ultimate corrosion resistance, but even bare aluminium simply forms a naturally protective oxide layer, so even if the coating is chipped they will not corrode.  Cast iron rusts easily, which means it needs re-painting/coating to survive long-term.

In the vast majority of cases the answer is no. The majority of a cars braking performance comes from the front axle as the weight is 'thrown forward' due to momentum. By improving the front brakes more of this weight is thrown forward.

The main function of the rear brakes is actually keep the vehicle stable. What you don't want is the rear brakes locking before the fronts. The stock rear brakes are almost always good enough for the job.

We do have some rear caliper kits we have developed that are designed to work with our front kits. They should never be fitted 'stand alone'.

The question we answer most is 'I can lock the wheels with the standard brakes, so how can better calipes improve the overall braking performance?'  The answer comes in the way you are able to apply the braking force. Our four-piston, aluminium brake calipers help in a number of ways:

• They apply the braking force more evenly across the pad making better use of the friction against the disc
• The multiple piston design allows for more pressure on the pad for less pressure on the pedal allowing you to maximise the braking effort before the wheels lock, especially if you cadence brake.
• Lower brake caliper and fluid temperatures help massively reduce brake fade, that is, you can brake from high speed numerous times before the brakes become less effective.
• By being able to brake harder, without locking the wheels you retain more control and  reduce the stopping distance. Remember a locked wheel is skidding over the tarmac not helping you reduce the momentum of the vehicle.

Cadence braking (also called stutter braking or threshold braking) is a manual braking technique used by drivers to regain steering control under heavy or emergancy braking. It involves repeatedly applying and releasing the brakes in rapid succession rather than holding them down continuously.  This method was used widely before anti-lock braking systems (ABS) became common in cars.

Why use cadence braking?

• Regain control: On ice, snow, or wet roads, locked wheels lose grip and you can't steer.
• Prevent skidding: By modulating brake pressure, the wheels keep rolling and maintain traction.
• Maintain steering: Locked wheels can’t be steered. Cadence braking lets you both brake and steer.

Our calipers are designed with quality seals, pistons and fittings. To this end it is very rare that they will need to be rebuilt if correctly maintained. To confirm this we have supplied only a handful of rebuild kits over the last 10 years, but they are available if you need them.

Factory rebuild service 

We will strip and rebuild your calipers with new seals and pistons if required. Contact us for details.

Our alumnium calipers are coated in an anodised finish which is very hard waring. Clean the calipers using any 'acetone or isopropanol brake cleaner product' which are available from your local motor parts factor.

Aviod using acid based alloy wheel cleaner and TFR (traffic film remover). There is alway a non-acid based alloy wheel cleaner which is much kinder to the anodised finish on your caliper as well as your alloy wheel, painted steel wheel or wire wheel

When servcing your caliper or changing pads, it is always good practice to lubricate the pistons and seals with red rubber grease or silicon brake grease. Never use petrolium based grease or copper grease.

Well maintained our brake calipers are a life product. They should never require replacing. They are 100% rebuildable with our rebuild kits and 99% recyclable. The most sustainable choice for your classic car is one that:

• Requires only minor servicing
• Is completely rebuildable
• Has as long a working life as the vehicle it is fitted to
• Is recyclable at the end of its life