Author Topic: Brake upgrade from Opel Vectra OPC (Read 7126 times)

Arabas · « **on:** July 31, 2009, 03:58:23 AM »

i can t say that i was dissapointed with the brakes of my Opel GT, but i thought an upgrade would be very usefull, since good braking is actually what makes a car faster. i also thought that the diameter of the rotors was too small for a car with 265HP..
so i thought with reason. i took into consideration the simple physics law Τ= r X F, so i thought that by increasing the r (bigger diameter) and increasing the F (better pads and rotors+bigger surface of the pads) i should have a better braking result.

the kit is sold by EDS and it includes 345mm (i believe this is 13,6 inches) diameter front brake rotors with calipers and ferodo pads. the part that i wasn t happy about, is that the kit was sold without the screws of the calipers and the brake lines. good thing that at the garage they noticed that the screws that Opel uses for this kit are 10.9 hardness instead of the 8.8 hardness that can be found at any store (and most garages use), so i had to order the screws from Opel. they require one more modification on the brake lines (they need an adapter to fit in correctly and to increase by just a little their length). it was an easy installation, no problems.

as far as the result, i can not say much for the moment, coz i only have them for 2 days and i am still cautious with braking (for the first 100 miles or so). the middle pedal though still feels spongy. i will let you know very soon of my impressions of their effectiveness.
below is a link of a friend's GT with these brakes on. i haven't photographed mine yet.
total cost was around 1100 euros ($1500)

Kelu · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:15:42 AM »

$1500 for front rotor and ferodo pads. Hmmm, everything is down to how good they are.

Arabas · « **Reply #2 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:21:11 AM »

You got that right Kelu! it s all down to if they are worth their money
note that the OEM rotors are 11.6 inches (297mm) and the upgraded ones are 13.6 inches (345mm)

Kelu · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:53:05 AM »

I'm comparing your rotors with the rotors from the US, there are plenty of them at good prices.

I don't want to comment about EDS but for me seems a little too pricey for this upgrade. I agree with you, I'm disappointed about my stock brakes.

Later edit: I was thinking that you upgraded only rotors and pads, I just realized that kit comes with calipers also, my bad

They doesn't offer a kit for rear also?

Arabas · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:00:50 AM »

u r killing me Kelu!!! i will be on the road today! if the brakes don t live up to my expectations, i believe i will turn to Dave @ DDMWorks for a solution. i hope that i won t have to spend more money on the brakes..

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:01:10 AM »

How is the clearance to the rim?

Arabas · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:09:46 AM »

I haven t measured the exact clearance from the rim but they fit just fine. NO need to change OEM rims or make ANY other modification.

has anyone tried DDMWorks solution (upgraded brake kit and 4piston caliber)?

Kelu · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:32:50 AM »

Quote from: Arabas on July 31, 2009, 06:00:50 AM

u r killing me Kelu!!!

Until now you were killing me, why do you think I invited you on this forum?

I have asked Opel dealership for prices for front rotor and calipers of Opel Vectra OPC, I will post later the OEM parts.

Ben L · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:41:04 AM »

Soft pedal?

Did you --

(1) Bleed ALL the air out?

(2) Bed the brake pads properly?

Arabas · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:47:37 AM »

@ Ben L: i was afraid that they didn t bleed all the air out, so i went back to the garage and they assured me they had done it properly... (maybe it s just words, but for sure i m no mechanic to check on my own). i have only driven the car for 15 miles or so and i was pretty smooth on the brake coz it was fresh, today i will be on the road and have a better idea of what these big brakes can do. i spent the last 20 minutes at DDM s page looking at the 4piston calipers... i had better mail him..

@ Kelu: yes the kit includes the calipers too, but they have no solution for the rear brakes. don t go there, u will have problems with the handbrake. just check better pads or better rotors (same size)

Ben L · « **Reply #10 on:** July 31, 2009, 06:58:10 AM »

Bedding the pads in is really important too. Here are instructions from Zeckhausen Racing's site:

From a speed of 60mph, gently apply the brakes a couple of times to bring them up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.

Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing the brakes firmly, but do not lock the wheels or engage ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph and then apply the brakes again. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely and sit there with your foot on the brake pedal, you will imprint pad material onto the hot rotors, which could lead to vibration, uneven braking, and even ruin the rotors.

The brakes may begin to fade after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even smoke, is normal.

After the 8th near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and cruise for a while, using the brakes as little as possible. The brakes need about 5 minutes to cool down. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still very hot.

If race pads, such as Hawk DTC-70 or Performance Friction 01 are being used, add four near-stops from 80 to 10mph.

After the break-in cycle, there should be a slight blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The blue tint tells you the rotor has reached break-in temperature and the gray film is pad material starting to transfer onto the rotor face. This is what you are looking for. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors. This minimizes squealing, increases braking torque, and maximizes pad and rotor life.

After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle, AFTER the brakes have cooled down fully from the first cycle, may be necessary before the brakes really start to perform well. This is especially true if you have installed new pads on old rotors. If you've just installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you expected. After the second cycle, the pedal will become noticeably firmer. If necessary, bleed the brakes to improve pedal firmness.

Arabas · « **Reply #11 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:39:46 AM »

Great and analytical info Ben L!!
will do so today!!

lil goat · « **Reply #12 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:43:10 AM »

Thanks Ben great timing new rotors go on the truck tomorrow, and I have Hawk pads too.

Arabas · « **Reply #13 on:** August 19, 2009, 04:49:40 AM »

Ben, that was a precious tip. bedded the pads the way you told me.
the Opel Vectra brakes are what the Opel GT OEM brakes should have been for a car with 264HP..
Ferodo pads just need to be warmed up, before providing the full stopping power they can give.
in general this is a very good solution!!
it would be interesting though for two kappas (one with Opel Vectra OPC brakes and one with DDMWorks solution) to compare the results of braking. maybe, i will do this test, since a friend of mine is likely to get the DDM brakes..

Kelu · « **Reply #14 on:** August 19, 2009, 05:06:57 AM »

Quote from: Arabas on August 19, 2009, 04:49:40 AM

it would be interesting though for two kappas (one with Opel Vectra OPC brakes and one with DDMWorks solution) to compare the results of braking. maybe, i will do this test, since a friend of mine is likely to get the DDM brakes..

So your conclusion about Opel Vectra OPC brakes is: are way more efficient than the stock ones after your test drive?

Also I look forward to your comparison.

Arabas · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2009, 06:24:53 AM »

the answer is yes, they are way more efficient, especially when the pads are warmed up.
i hope to have the comparison, but i guess there are 2 restrictions.
1. my friend has to buy first the DDM
2. he lives at a greek island far from athens. hopefully f 1 happens and he comes to athens we will have a comparison.

Kelu, go ask at an Opel dealer for this kit price, maybe they can serve you better and give you a better price.

spicy3480 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2009, 05:16:11 PM »

I have the DDM brake calipers on my car and they work great...the pedal feels much more firm and the stopping power is better. It was totally worth it for the price they charge...under $600 for the 4-piston calipers. Ben L offered some great advice to breaking the pads in, but a soft pedal feel would tell me that not all of the air was bled out of the system.

Arabas · « **Reply #17 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:21:19 AM »

Spiky, I am pretty sure that DDM brakes are more than great, only wish i had noticed them earlier... i never thought that 4 piston calipers would fit our stock rims, maybe that s why i hadn t paid any attention to them.. too bad for me i suppose...
as for the soft pedal feel, it was gone after bedding the pads. maybe it was just my idea, because of the new feeling i got from the middle pedal

spicy3480 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2009, 11:25:07 AM »

That's true! The DDM kit is awesome. I have aftermarket wheels and needed wheel spacers for the front kit, but DDM makes their own wheel spacers just for this issue. They fit with no issues at all.

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Author Topic: Brake upgrade from Opel Vectra OPC (Read 7126 times)

Ben L

Ben L

lil goat