340mm 'Big' Brakes

[YellowHound]

Two things were driving my question:
1) The std brakes have a sudden 'tip in' on initial application.
2) Pad choice is wider with the uprated brakes.
If I had the cash I think I'd do it, but for me it would mean losing my winter tyre and wheel set up and changing my summer set up so triply expensive.

 

[BognorMotors]

In fairness, I don't actually agree that in all situations, the big T32 brakes are that good.
Yes the brakes are fantastic in normal driving, but from my experience, step down a gear and have a few minutes of fast driving and hard braking, and I can get mine grumbling and juddering to a point that they become useless, and I mean properly useless.
I'm on my 4th set of front discs and even more pads, 2nd set of rear discs and 3rd pads. I've gone from genuine which were around the best for longevity, to budgets that I only put on because that's all they had in stock at the time, then Pagid which were good, but dusted up awfully, and finally to my current Brembo all round, which are probably on par with genuine, but far less dusty pads.

Every single set would brake fade, and go beyond fade to judder when pushed hard for a few minutes. I can pretty much guarantee that I could recreate the problem on demand because I know exactly where the limits are on these brakes.

Is this because I'm a heavy, always loaded T32? Is it because the van is low, handles very well, which encourages you to push it now and again, hard braking, fast cornering.
Maybe its the banded steels that have the poor combination of being very heavy, causing an over gyroscopic effect, and poor air flow to cool the brakes, but I had the same issue on my very light 20" alloys.
Overall the big brakes are brilliant in 90% of normal driving, but that 10% of brain out driving, and they are not sufficient at all.

I'd of upgraded my brakes to an aftermarket setup ages ago, if I thought they'd combat the issues I've always had, but I'm not sure they would unless you started doing major modifications directing air and went insanely expensive setup. I've just learned to live with the T32 brakes and gave up looking for something that you cannot overheat, and concentrated more on what dusted the least, which are the current Brembo's from Eurocarparts.

I know they are the expensive option, but I drive my van hard, very hard at times and never have any fade with the Revo/Alcon 380mm brakes - which is what I would get driving the T32 setup in a similar style, and with lots of noise.
It’s a great setup without any snatchiness, or having that over braked feeling, and you can always rely on it when needed.
But it’s over £2k+vat+fitting so understand it’s a big upgrade.

 

[bootsam]

I too have a T32 150 I would suggest you drive a Twenty year old T4 and then get back in your T6 with the bigger brake option and have a good word with yourself, how much stopping power do ya need Man

I would counter this by suggesting my old T2 Devon Eurovette. Which needed thighs like Chris Hoy to operate. I have the big brakes on my T32 (i think) and find them quite fierce at first application and think you need to be initially gentle with them and then increase pressure steadily. A lot like my bike really. But they seem very good to me considering the weight of the vehicle. My only criticism is how strong they apply but I've gotten used to them now and just altered my touch. I was a tad kangaroo at first. I'm not sure if a van is the same as a bike, but brake fade can be attributed to bad fluid sometimes. I change mine every 2k on bike and use a high temp racing fluid (Motul) which seems to resist fade even after a strenuous track day session (albeit Im an amateur). I would also look at brake lines and replace with quality lines, fittings etc. Sometimes my abs also can contribute to feeling like fade, when it isn't necessarily actual fade.

 

[DXX]

Just booking into Nuremberg-ring so I can get a decent evaluation, how many people are driving a van hard enough to get brake fade?

 

[Skyliner33]

I would counter this by suggesting my old T2 Devon Eurovette. Which needed thighs like Chris Hoy to operate. I have the big brakes on my T32 (i think) and find them quite fierce at first application and think you need to be initially gentle with them and then increase pressure steadily. A lot like my bike really. But they seem very good to me considering the weight of the vehicle. My only criticism is how strong they apply but I've gotten used to them now and just altered my touch. I was a tad kangaroo at first. I'm not sure if a van is the same as a bike, but brake fade can be attributed to bad fluid sometimes. I change mine every 2k on bike and use a high temp racing fluid (Motul) which seems to resist fade even after a strenuous track day session (albeit Im an amateur). I would also look at brake lines and replace with quality lines, fittings etc. Sometimes my abs also can contribute to feeling like fade, when it isn't necessarily actual fade.

Brake fade isn't always down to fluid. I had brake fade on my track bike and this was cured by replacing the master cylinder with a Brembo one. Gave better feel as well.

As for my van, the last time it went for its MOT the guy doing it commented on how good the brakes are, and mine is the smaller version.

 

[Pete bee]

How can I find out if my van has the larger front brakes?
Van is shuttle 2016 Dsg 150 with 17" steel wheels.
Would it have come as standard or special order ? The only thing on the spec sheet for brakes is 1AK which is ESC with brake assist.

 

[Absolut5]

How can I find out if my van has the larger front brakes?
Van is shuttle 2016 Dsg 150 with 17" steel wheels.
Would it have come as standard or special order ? The only thing on the spec sheet for brakes is 1AK which is ESC with brake assist.

Take a picture and post it up, the red T6 in my avatar was a T32 and had small brakes, my new T6.1 T32 has large ones

 

[Deaky]

How can I find out if my van has the larger front brakes?
Van is shuttle 2016 Dsg 150 with 17" steel wheels.
Would it have come as standard or special order ? The only thing on the spec sheet for brakes is 1AK which is ESC with brake assist.

Have a look at the callipers. If the front ones are bigger than the rear then you have big brakes, if they're the same then you don't

 

[Pete bee]

Ok I have just looked at the Callipers and the front ones are much bigger than the rear.
So I do have the larger ones.
Thanks Deaky.

 

[Absolut5]

 

[Montecha]

Just booking into Nuremberg-ring so I can get a decent evaluation, how many people are driving a van hard enough to get brake fade?

I did a private day on the track at Goodwood, a couple of years back. Van was loads of fun, a little tail happy!

Brakes would only last a couple of laps before fading, once I learned the line and was in my old Karting groove. But I only had the baby brakes on my T32

They did fade progressively so you know you need to back off before you boil them!