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EMF
Member
Greetings:
The rotors have been spotted in the wild. Mine arrived today. I have tried to attach a couple of images from my receiving inspection. All is well with this set. Dave even marked them left/right/front/back.
Here are a few photos showing: Box contents, Outward Faces, and Inward Faces.
The quality looks good. The packing wasn't bullet proof, but was adequate to protect the hardware for the trip to southern California.
The rotors have been spotted in the wild. Mine arrived today. I have tried to attach a couple of images from my receiving inspection. All is well with this set. Dave even marked them left/right/front/back.
Here are a few photos showing: Box contents, Outward Faces, and Inward Faces.
The quality looks good. The packing wasn't bullet proof, but was adequate to protect the hardware for the trip to southern California.
scottfe
2008 Roadster #282
Just got mine! Was there supposed to be break pad grease with the pads too? What's recommended?
Habious
Member
andybm3
Member
got mine yesterday - will have them installed this week along with new quick ratio steering rack
strider
Active Member
Mine arrived on Saturday and look fantastic. Didn't get a chance to install them - wife had me booked already to build a new step-stool for the kid's bathroom so they can both brush their teeth (little one is at the age where she wants to do everything her brother is doing and the single step wasn't cutting it any more).
Will install them next weekend. Should be straightforward to just remove the calipers, swap the rotors, then bed the pads into the new rotors (I already have Carbotech 1521's).
Just make sure you follow the instructions. Spray the back of the pads and let them set for a few minutes (however long it says) and then install. If you don't let it set up the product will be squeezed out and won't work. No shims or anything required. More info in the Brake Pads thread in the Performance sub-forum.
Will install them next weekend. Should be straightforward to just remove the calipers, swap the rotors, then bed the pads into the new rotors (I already have Carbotech 1521's).
I used the CRC disc brake quiet:
Just make sure you follow the instructions. Spray the back of the pads and let them set for a few minutes (however long it says) and then install. If you don't let it set up the product will be squeezed out and won't work. No shims or anything required. More info in the Brake Pads thread in the Performance sub-forum.
A friend of mine runs Independent Motorcars, 5836 Autoport Mall (off Miramar). I just checked with him and he'll do it for me some time later this week or early next. He just wants a day's notice.
Has anyone considered an upgrade to 4 pot calipers? At the same time of installing the new rotors, I was looking to buy the steel vented caliper pistons from BOE, along with new seals, and have the calipers painted "Porsche 918 green".
But then I found these: https://www.eliseparts.com/products/show/20/24/ap-pro-5000-4-pot-brake-calipers/
But then I found these: https://www.eliseparts.com/products/show/20/24/ap-pro-5000-4-pot-brake-calipers/
Yes I've been looking at those exact same 4 pots this week. They should fit straight onto the car.
They also do a kit with discs, 4 pots and new pads that was put together by Lotus themselves. There's a VX220 version which should fit.
They also do a kit with discs, 4 pots and new pads that was put together by Lotus themselves. There's a VX220 version which should fit.
By the way, I've been wondering if Tesla might do something about the brakes with the 3.0 upgrade.
djp
Model 3 Performance
Yes, that's been announced as part of the upgrade. They have new versions of the wheel bearings and brakes to reduce rolling resistance.
strider
Active Member
Hi everyone,
Did the upgrade on Sunday and wanted to update everyone. The job was pretty straightforward. If you've changed the brake pads on your Roadster you can do this job. It took about 2 hours. I already have Carbotech 1521 pads so I just swapped the rotors. If you're also doing the pads there is a link to a Lotus forum how-to in the Brake Pad thread.
The fronts are incredibly simple. The rears require a bit of fiddling. We'll start w/ the fronts. You can see higher resolution pictures by going here:
http://www.one-ring.net/jeep/albums/roadsterrotor/
After you remove the wheel you should see this:
Grab a 5mm Allen wrench and have a friend press and hold the brake pedal. Break that bolt shown in the picture loose. Don't remove it.
Now it's time to remove the caliper. You'll need an 8mm Allen. There are two bolts on the "top" of the caliper (the side facing the rear of the car). Here's the top one:
After you remove both the caliper will slide off the rotor. Set it on top of the suspension (see next pic). Remove that 5mm bolt and the rotor will come off. It should look like this:
Mount the new rotor (Dave labelled each rotor so make sure you install the correct hub in the correct location). Make sure the small hole in the rotor for the 5mm bolt lines up with the threaded hole on the hub. It should look like this:
Go ahead and install that 5mm bolt finger tight, install the caliper, and install the caliper bolts. Have your friend press and hold the brake pedal and snug up that 5mm bolt. One wheel done!
Now for the rears. After you pull the wheel it will look like this:
Begin the same way by breaking that 5mm bolt loose (if you use the e-brake for this make sure you release the brake after you break the bolt loose). Now it's time to move the caliper out of the way. There is a 17mm bolt on the top rear of the caliper. Shown here:
Remove that bolt. The next step is to remove the pin that is holding the brake pads. You'll need a small punch and tap out the pin from the inside towards you. See here:
Once you tap it out far enough you can grab the end of the pin and pull it out. Be careful as there's a spring coiled around the pin and pressing on the pads. Take note of how the spring goes around the pin for when you reassemble.
Now you'll want the rotate the caliper to the rear. The 17mm bolt that you removed slides through a collar that goes through the caliper. That collar floats in and out. You may need to push that collar toward the center of the car in order to rotate the caliper. Once you rotate the caliper (it won't go very far) you'll want to remove one brake pad. I used a hammer to tap it out.
Once you do that you can remove the 5mm bolt and the rotor. It will look like this:
Now install the rotor, finger tighten the 5mm bolt, reinstall the pad, spring, and pin, rotate the caliper back down and reinstall the 17mm bolt. Tighten the 5mm bolt (e-brake or a friend) and that's it.
The last step is break-in. You MUST break these rotors in or they will not work. Find a nice straight road with minimal traffic. For those of you on the Bay Area peninsula, I like Canada road near CA-92 and I-280. Do a series of near stops from 40mph. 5 or so is good. Then drive gently for a few minutes without using the brakes to let them cool. Then do 5 near-stops from 60mph. Drive gently for a few minutes and ideally park (no e-brake!) for 30 minutes or longer to let the brakes cool. Then repeat the above.
Did the upgrade on Sunday and wanted to update everyone. The job was pretty straightforward. If you've changed the brake pads on your Roadster you can do this job. It took about 2 hours. I already have Carbotech 1521 pads so I just swapped the rotors. If you're also doing the pads there is a link to a Lotus forum how-to in the Brake Pad thread.
The fronts are incredibly simple. The rears require a bit of fiddling. We'll start w/ the fronts. You can see higher resolution pictures by going here:
http://www.one-ring.net/jeep/albums/roadsterrotor/
After you remove the wheel you should see this:
Grab a 5mm Allen wrench and have a friend press and hold the brake pedal. Break that bolt shown in the picture loose. Don't remove it.
Now it's time to remove the caliper. You'll need an 8mm Allen. There are two bolts on the "top" of the caliper (the side facing the rear of the car). Here's the top one:
After you remove both the caliper will slide off the rotor. Set it on top of the suspension (see next pic). Remove that 5mm bolt and the rotor will come off. It should look like this:
Mount the new rotor (Dave labelled each rotor so make sure you install the correct hub in the correct location). Make sure the small hole in the rotor for the 5mm bolt lines up with the threaded hole on the hub. It should look like this:
Go ahead and install that 5mm bolt finger tight, install the caliper, and install the caliper bolts. Have your friend press and hold the brake pedal and snug up that 5mm bolt. One wheel done!
Now for the rears. After you pull the wheel it will look like this:
Begin the same way by breaking that 5mm bolt loose (if you use the e-brake for this make sure you release the brake after you break the bolt loose). Now it's time to move the caliper out of the way. There is a 17mm bolt on the top rear of the caliper. Shown here:
Remove that bolt. The next step is to remove the pin that is holding the brake pads. You'll need a small punch and tap out the pin from the inside towards you. See here:
Once you tap it out far enough you can grab the end of the pin and pull it out. Be careful as there's a spring coiled around the pin and pressing on the pads. Take note of how the spring goes around the pin for when you reassemble.
Now you'll want the rotate the caliper to the rear. The 17mm bolt that you removed slides through a collar that goes through the caliper. That collar floats in and out. You may need to push that collar toward the center of the car in order to rotate the caliper. Once you rotate the caliper (it won't go very far) you'll want to remove one brake pad. I used a hammer to tap it out.
Once you do that you can remove the 5mm bolt and the rotor. It will look like this:
Now install the rotor, finger tighten the 5mm bolt, reinstall the pad, spring, and pin, rotate the caliper back down and reinstall the 17mm bolt. Tighten the 5mm bolt (e-brake or a friend) and that's it.
The last step is break-in. You MUST break these rotors in or they will not work. Find a nice straight road with minimal traffic. For those of you on the Bay Area peninsula, I like Canada road near CA-92 and I-280. Do a series of near stops from 40mph. 5 or so is good. Then drive gently for a few minutes without using the brakes to let them cool. Then do 5 near-stops from 60mph. Drive gently for a few minutes and ideally park (no e-brake!) for 30 minutes or longer to let the brakes cool. Then repeat the above.
I had our disks and pads installed today. They definitely feel a little bit lighter on the suspension and steering, not much (and maybe I'm confabulating) but it feels nice. They definitely require breaking in with quite a few hard stops from high speed, till you can smell the heat coming off them. Once that's done, they are definitely much better brakes. All in all I'm very happy.
I went to Independent Motorcars off Miramar in San Diego. I highly recommend Chris and his team. Their hoists won't lift roadsters correctly, so after a number of tries they reverted to doing one wheel at a time, but that was fine. Now that they know what to do it will take them a couple of hours and they will charge $300-$350.
I went to Independent Motorcars off Miramar in San Diego. I highly recommend Chris and his team. Their hoists won't lift roadsters correctly, so after a number of tries they reverted to doing one wheel at a time, but that was fine. Now that they know what to do it will take them a couple of hours and they will charge $300-$350.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
When Titanium Dave put the rotors on my car, we used the side jack point to lift the car one side at a time. Seems like the only way I'd let somebody besides Tesla work on the car, unless they already know about the lift adapters.
