After my last visit to my mechanic I was notified that I will soon be in need of new pads and rotors front and back. I have been wanting to upgrade my brake package anyway and am hoping for some advice on the subject.

I dont plan on taking my mini to the track often if ever but I do love to drive and I occasionaly participate in autocross events. I know next to nothing about aftermarket upgrades and am therefore reaching out to yall for advice.

I was quoted about $400 per axel for replacement parts (pads and rotors). I was wondering if there are any reasonable upgrade kits out there that would be worth the money and if I would even notice a difference in perfomance over the stock R53 brakes. If not then what would you recammend instead of upgraded brakes? Money is most certainly an important part of the equation as I will likely be buying a new set of tires at the same time.

If anyone could recammend any kits or parts I would be most appreciative and while im asking any recammendations on tires would be nice too (got the car with a set of kumhos and am happy with them just wondeing what else is out there).

Thankyou!

 

$400/axle is serious money. FWIW, I run plain ol' OEM spec aftermarket rotors but use race pads for the track. In your instance, I would suggest that you, too, use standard spec rotors like Centric Premium but upgrade to something like Hawk HP Plus up front and HP Street in back. The problem with using higher performance pads is that they're not effective until they get warmed up. HP Plus aren't too aggressive for the street but sufficient for autocross. Have you ever replaced your pads? If not, not that I distrust your mechanic but, unless you have 50-60K or more on your rotors, I doubt you need them. Suggest you get a dial micrometer and mike the thickness, look for serious cracks. Front min. thkns=19mm/.748" Rear thkns=7mm/.276" Also suggest upgrading to better brake fluid like ATE Typ200.

 

Thanks for all the info so far. After some looking around I think I'm still looking at around 400+/axle installed so I like what your saying and will prob do what you suggest. I've only been to this mechanic twice so far but I've heard good things. All they do are minis and land rovers so I'd like to think I can trust them. The owner has build a couple track minis and most of the mechanics own or have owned them too so I'll talk to them more about aftermarket parts when the time gets closer. The last guy I talked to threw a buncha big words and numbers at me but I think he said I have 3 mil on the front and 4-5 mil on the back (may have been pads not rotors). I got this car at around 42k and when the time eventually comes to replace my rotors I'll have 52-55k miles on them so I'd say I'm right on scheduled for something new.

 

If you really want a performance upgrade I would recommend you look into converting your R53's front brakes to the R56 front brakes. The R53 has 276mm fronts and the R56 are 294mm. Thats almost an inch bigger! Braking power is manly a product of swept area and swept area is a function of rotor diameter. Everything else, pads, rotors, SS brake lines, will only result in a small increases in braking power. Get the bigger brakes!

 

BTW, the R56 brakes are exactly the same as the R53 JCW brakes (save the red paint) so they are a direct bolt on and all the parts are readily available through any MINI parts source. You can very often find R56 calipers etc on the Marketplace Forum. I would buy the calipers used but then buy pads and rotors new.

Good Luck,

Dan

 

I vote Carbotech pads, they are the best in my book.
I used them on the dragon they are scary good.
Let me know if you have any questions
also
if you can go to R56 s brakes
or R56 JCW if your feeling bold but if you want powerful brakes to stay inside small wheels i can think of a solution for that as well. i think.

 

Some other options:

http://www.detroittuned.com/brake-kits/

 

This is a good cheap upgrade, one that I plan to do shortly.

I really don't need to...I don't fade my brakes with the type of driving I do. Remember larger brakes are for more heat capacity primarily. But, it's cheap, kinda cool and might give me slightly better performance.

400 per axle is a lot of money. You could likely do it yourself for 400 total. The work isn't too difficult either.

I like Stoptech street performance pads and Centric premium rotors. Both are available for R53 and R56 and are an excellent combo for not much money.

- drew

 

Great now there are too many good ideas and Im back where I started with a mound of online research to be done.....but really thanks. Sometimes I wish I had someone to make all my decisions for me. Life would be so much simpler then. Upgrading to r56 brakes is what Im leaning towards now though.

I really wish I had the facilities to do the work myself. I could have cut my last visit to the mechanic in half (control arm bushings+power steering fan). I'm stuck in an apartment for the next year at least and "my" shop is unfortunately set up to build $20k conference tables not to tune cars . Id have to do some tooling up to the tune of several hundred bucks before Id feel comfortable diving under my car and since I don't even have a garage or level parking to work on I aint guna. For the time being if it takes more then a scissor jack and a ratchet set I gotta pass.

 

I upgraded my R59 Cooper brakes to S brakes in the street outside my house (and in 2degC/36degF) and it is absolutely no more work than fitting new pads and discs. The cost was about $600 at UK parts prices (and UK 20% sales tax). The performance upgrade is very nice, just solid bite from the brakes whatever the speed/use, and the parts are all OEM - I had to do this to a two-month-old car as Mini cheapskate the Euro 2-litre diesel SD model with justa Cooper brakes and with 225ft-lb of torque, they ain't enough.

I can't tell you anything about how closely this mod relates to changing a 1st gen car's brakes, though maybe someone else can do that, but my photo guide of the work is the attachment below.

 

With the r53 you have to swap calipers too so its a little more work. Plus you have to bleed them.

 

We have a great and affordable package for changing out brakes:
http://www.waymotorworks.com/wmwredbrakepackageR53.html

If you haven't "needed" bigger brakes that will be great and less dust.

Then if you want to make that better just add some stainless lines, and brake stiffening bushings. Keeping it very affordable.

 

Man, you just brought a tear to my eye!!! I feel all warm and tingly all over!

 

Well after over a month of reading, searching and saving I think I finally found something that will fit my needs. Before I order my new brakes however, I was hoping to get a little more input from my friendly online community.

These are the brakes that I think I will end up buying:

http://tinyurl.com/b3ph2qn

From what I have seen these are the best deal for the price but the website gives me terribly little information. I am worried that they might not be a stock replacement kit. The pads in the pictures for example, look different then any other pads I've seen sold for my r53. I'm talking to them too about it too but I was hoping someone here might have first hand experience with these or a similar kit.

If those won't work for whatever reason I'll probably just buy the ones by Way above as I'm sure they will fit.

It took me a while but thanks to every ones help I will be saving myself at least $300 and will be getting better performance too. Now I just have to do the work........

P.S. Can anyone provide a good step by step (with pics if possible) guide to replacing front and rear rotors?

 

the listing you provide clearly shows that MOSS offers this kit for both GEN1 and GEN2 cars - the picture does show GEN2 pads but MOSS has been in this business for a LONG time. I'm sure if they list both GEN as available they'll ship the right stuff. I've ordered from MOSS many times over the years, first for my Miata since 95, later for my MINIs and my Mini. Owners of most 'classic' European cars know them as well.