>>Example: Our CVT's bounce off the Speed limiter in 5th gear. (The CVT has 6 gears in manual. Once you shift from 6th to normal automatic your RPM's drop about 1000. So, we really have 7 gears. Or what I call 6 with an over drive.) The rev limiter kits in at 2300 instead of 4000 because of the increased engine performance.
>>
>>I know for a fact when I am running my car in race mode, I can smoke most S's. It is not because of RAW HP it is because of my cars over all performance.
>>
>>_________________
>>Diamond Mini


This gives me much more hope for the performance gains of my CVT Cooper than I have had to this point! ...Now, if only I had the budget to afford these kinds of mods!

:::dreamy sigh:::

 

diamini:

If you use all the stuff you sell on your site, then I'd like to know how these brakes are working out for you:

 

Sleepless Although I don't have the answer for you about the brakes, I see that is your first post so....

Welcome to MCO!

I'm sure diamini will get you an answer as soon as he sees your post. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the info and people on this site!

 

>>Welcome to MCO!
>>
>>I'm sure diamini will get you an answer as soon as he sees your post. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the info and people on this site!

Thanks! This is a great site; one of the best car-oriented sites that I visit!

Staying on the threads topic, I just ordered some nice lightweight wheels; SSR Comps and "normal" tires. As suggested in beginning of this thread, lighter wheels will make a BIG difference in performance and feel of the car. I can't believe the stock wheels that came with my MCS weight 25lbs! The 17" Comps only weigh 13.5 lbs; that is a huge improvement.

Having modified many cars in the past (see my other toys at Beetle and M3; yes, my MCS is also red

 

>>diamini:
>>
>>If you use all the stuff you sell on your site, then I'd like to know how these brakes are working out for you:
>>
>>
>>

These brakes will pop your eye ***** out if you are not ready. This system will lock your brakes up before the Anti-Lock system kicks in.

These are a race/street application that will allow any user to go into any turn hotter and deeper then any other car. Now, the problem is coming out of turns, because of the MINI's torque at low RPM's.

The Unsprung weight dropped 8 pounds on each corner. Plus, we did not have to buy over sized wheels and tires. The Storm Brake System in on my partners car and he runs 17's. But, my 16's fit with no problem. We do not own 15's, so I could not tell you if they would fit.

I hope this helps.





_________________
Diamond Mini

 

Okay, I know nothing about tuning (wish I did) but OBTW I did see a very interesting article on tuning a Cooper in the new BIMMER magazine. (check it out, I forget things sometimes....like which BMW magazine it was in...I think it was BIMMER) Anyway, they were tuning a Cooper in order to qualify in a certain racing class...I guess where superchargers aren't allowed. The article tracked various engine improvement and the HP increases achieved, as measured on a dyno. Nice article I thought. Also nice to see MINIs showing up in the BMW magazines. I wasn't sure if they were going to claim us or not!

 

>>My MINI can already go 0 to 60 under 8 seconds and no problem w/ warranty
>>Just make sure yours says MINI Cooper S!!!
Aftermarket "stuff" vs. SUPERCHARGING:
reminds me of a muscle car T-shirt I once saw:

Injection is nice, but I'd rather be blown!

enjoy

 

>>These brakes will pop your eye ***** out if you are not ready. This system will lock your brakes up before the Anti-Lock system kicks in.
>>
>>These are a race/street application that will allow any user to go into any turn hotter and deeper then any other car. Now, the problem is coming out of turns, because of the MINI's torque at low RPM's.
>>
>>The Unsprung weight dropped 8 pounds on each corner. Plus, we did not have to buy over sized wheels and tires. The Storm Brake System in on my partners car and he runs 17's. But, my 16's fit with no problem. We do not own 15's, so I could not tell you if they would fit.
>>
>>I hope this helps.
>>
>>
>>
>>

How many of the F1 or WRC cars, or IMSA or SCCA, or anyone in racing do you see using these? The reasons are many.

1. They do not maximize pad area
2. They do not maximize cooling area
3. They do not maximize pad life
4. They do not support radial cooling

I am very skeptical of this design - it looks a lot more like something for show than a functional design.

I'd like to see a picture of them on the car to get a better idea of how the rotor hat works also.

Have you had them out on the track for any evaluation testing?

Just a little skeptical, and I wanted people that don't know any better to know the issues that may surround these brakes.

All you really need to do is change the pad compound, get some good fluid and maybe go to a gas slotted rotor. If you really want serious brakes, go with Brembo - they know racing and have been supplying Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, etc. for years (and I don't sell them - yet).

Randy

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I thought when I saw those Storm brakes; you couldn't pay me to put them on my car. Brembo, AP Racing, Stoptech are proven brake systems; stick with them until you start seeing real racers runing Storm brakes.

BTW - Any recommendations for track pads?

 

EBC Reds are available and installed here, but I haven't tested them on track yet. Hawks are my favorite, and I'm still trying to get a set of blues and blacks for eval on the MINI. Pagid are great too. I'll update on what's out there soon.

Randy

 

Remember we all need to do our own homework and research. Please do not rely on us Sponsors, Members or Moderators. We maybe wrong. God Forbid.

Now, I will say this I would not put my two kids, 2 1/2, and 4 ½ into any car that was not safe. Enough said about that.

Early summer we had an option to work with some of the big brands as we had the MINI’s and they needed some MINI’s for proto typing. Then we remembered that our MINI’s are 2500 pound cars and with confirmation from different Local SCCA Class Champions and SOLO II instructors we decided that he stock brakes almost do the job. Now, if those small things are almost good enough why would we want to go with a big brake kit? A Big Brake Kit would require us to add more Unsprung weight, I.E. Bigger Rotor and Caliper, Bigger Wheels and Bigger Tires all of which would add more weight. So, we set out on a quest to lose as much Unsprung weight as possible and increase our braking performance. HMMM…The performance word again, not house power.

We decided that a Big Brake Kit just contradicts what most people are saying about the need to have a lighter Tire Wheel combo for race day. Why would we want to compromise the gains from a lighter tire/wheel combo by adding a Big Brake Kit? Take the “S” for instance. The S's performance or lack of, with the Heavy Run flats and the most common 17" Mini Lite wheels, is not noticeable until you drive an “S” that does not have this setup. And what people are saying about the Cooper? It would best to race with 15's. But, you can not run 15’s with a Big Brake kit. You need either 17’s or 18’s depending on the kit.

Remember our Mini's are not even in the same category as the Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, etc. If we had that much HP and Torque, Nobody would be needing, wanting or looking for these things. Because the MINI would all ready have them as a stock item, for Safety’s sake.

IMHO-A Big Brake Kit for the MINI is just for show. With a Big Brake Kit we can go back on the block and say, “Wow look at my Biggie Big Brakes and see my new Biggie Big 22's. Then all the boy and girls would say, “Ooooh, aaaaah, woooow, those look cool. Then we can say, “Yup, they are” and pat ourselves on the back. When functionally for the MINI's it is like taking 50 cal full automatic to a Squirrel hunt. Functionally it will do the job, but, just a little over kill.

For just street I would up grade Fluid, Steel Lines, a Softer Race Compound pad and maybe a Slotted Rotor as Randy Suggested. But, then again do your own home work.
For race day when it gets hotter faster, we will look for a system that will stay cool and provide maximum performance.

Here are some links to some good reading on these topics by The Brake Man:

http://www.thebrakeman.com/techtopic

Topics:
Caliper Information
Brake Rotor Selection
System Maintenance Tips
Brake Pads: Selecting The Right Compound
Brake Fluid
Brake Pedal Ratios
Balance Bars
Brake System Installation Tips
TroubleShooting Tips


http://www.thebrakeman.com/techarticles

Topics:
Brake Rotors, How Do We Choose?
Brake Fluid: The Life Blood Of The Brake System
Understanding The Valves Of The Brake System Part I
Understanding The Valves Of The Brake System Part II
Mental Preparation For Brake Evaluation
The Hidden Cost of Racing...

Pictures were taken of our MINI while in the Featured Vehicle section of SEMA 2002. Our other MINI was featured outside by the Edlebrock Display near the main entrance.

Front

Rear

________________
Diamond Mini

 

Just out of curiosity, what engineering principle guided the design of these wavy edged rotors? Why wouldn't you want to maximize the contact area with the brake pad?

 

diamini,

Again I ask, have you tested them on the track?

I DO believe that if you are using the car at the track, the big brakes are the way to go. After exstensive track testing, with five different cars on several different days (all of which were cooler than 65F), the MINI consistently fades the brakes - after only about 9 hot laps.

The pads and fluid, as well as better cooling, will help. If you are just doing a couple track events per year, this is probably what I would recommend. If you are doing eight or so track events and a couple of autocrosses, and your class doesn't prevent them, the big brakes are a must - be that Brembo, AP Racing, Stoptech, or Alcon. They are well designed systems with striclty performance in mind. I am working with someone now on developing aluminum hats for the rotos to reduce the unsprung weight, but if I have to decide between going into the turn deeper and not having to scrub off speed with the tires or pumping the brakes (therefore having to brake earlier) or adding some weight (not that much mind you), I choose the weight.

The "wavy" rotor is a gimmick. I have done my homework, period.

Randy

 

>>Just out of curiosity, what engineering principle guided the design of these wavy edged rotors? ...
>>
>>
>>

'Wavy edged' rotors show up on superbikes - the Ducati dealership is just down the street - but their breaking concerns are a bit different than ours: weight is not as big a factor for bikes, and cooling is, of course, better, and as I understand it, the wavy edge is good for flinging away water ...