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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

How Cr*p are J-Spec Brakes?!


Mark Ayling

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The Supe started p*ssing oil yesterday, at quite a rate - took it to Woodcock Hill (garage near JIC who look after all their cars) and it turned out to be the oil switch (sensor-thingy). They managed to get hold of one and fit it today, £145 parts and labour! Not bad as I turned up there this morning unannounced, would recommend them to anyone. :thumbs:

 

Anyway, the point is (back to subject) that I was without the Supe for the day, so I hired a Rover 400 (new shape) to get around in and it has made me realise how crap the standard J-spec brakes are on the (my) Supra! I couldn't believe how good the Rover was at stopping, it took me a while to get used to the bite on them, nearly smashed my teeth on the steering wheel a couple of times!

 

So....are the J-spec brakes really that sh*t, or is it just that perhaps mine are shagged?

 

I did do a very heavy track day recently, but I had the front pads changed the day before I did it - could it be that I didn't "bed them in properly" before caning them (if you have to do that) or could they just be generally knackered...?

 

Either way, this is all academic really as I can't afford to do anything to the Supe at the moment, this house-buying business is frigging expensive!

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i had my jap brakes on for ages and you get used to them.then i got some standard jap pads fitted at cw`s for the time been till i get my uk rears to go with uk fronts,and i thought the new jap pads were loads better than the old jap pads that had come off.they stop quite well i think.maybe not good for a track day but for normal driving they seem ok.wonder if all they hype over uk set up is all its cracked up to be.

 

track day will eat through pads in no time.

 

 

cant you buy uprated race pads for j-spec brakes that are supposed to be as good as a standard uk set up?

 

i need to get a rear uk set up to upgrade the brakes to uk spec.anyone know of a price of uk rear discs & calipers

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Mark,

 

Chris Wilsons Race Pads are very good, they squeal but are well worth it, Have only had mine two weeks now, i couldnt believe the difference. If you are into track days it may be worth considering, only thing that may put you off is the £285 price tag, however, Stock pads must be at least more than half that price anyway.

 

Regards

 

Chris

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Mark, I'm of the opinion that J-spec brakes are utter shite, but to be fair, I never tried uprated pads.

I've changed my setup to the UK brakes and the difference is quite amazing. Imagine putting uprated pads in them!

 

I know you're not exactly local but you're welcome to take my car for a spin to decide for yourself :)

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Originally posted by Chris Rimes

i believe it is recommended they are fitted as a full set.

 

Regards

 

Chris

 

True and if you can afford it then do but a rather puristic approach me thinks. The work rate of the rear calipers is much smaller than the front especially in a car like the supra where the bias has deliberatley been engineered to the front to prevent rear wheel lock up and the back end flipping round. - helps out the noddy drivers :music:

 

 

Cheers

Neil.

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i have to step in here and stick up for jspec brakes,

 

mine have been excellent since i bought the car, and the look

stock and have been told they are stock, dunno what pads

are on them - they dont half squeal when cold / wet

but in normal conditions no noise at all,

lots of brake dust though,

 

 

saying that i do drive like a p**sy, just ask chris,justin,terminator,

and everyone else in the convoy to and from stevenage!

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I got my uk brakes fitted at TorqueIC and I must admit to there being a marked difference in feel i.e. bite, and performance. I've had occassion to do some high speed braking and where the J-spec brakes would definitely have faded, the Uk brakes just keep on delivering. I'm not saying the J-spec brakes are rubbish, rather that they are not best suited (race pads notwithstanding) to the really vigorous driving that some of us may indulge in from time to time. As for race pads, well I indulged in a set of porterfield race and found they wore out pretty quickly much more quickly than my previous stock pads. Go figure...and that was without seeing any track action! Best to use pads for the intended purpose.

 

Rgds,

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Originally posted by ajefford

............................... i do drive like a p**sy, just ask chris,justin,terminator,

and everyone else in the convoy to and from stevenage!

 

I would not agree with your statement, you were just a little more cautious on the damp twisty bits.

 

My impressions of my new UK brake setup on SS hoses, racing fluid and stock pads is obiviously subjective, but several of the guys said that they were amazed at the power of the braking on my car, when following me to Stevenage.

 

 

I have alsonoticed in dual carridgeway braking in emergency situation, I can out brake most things, including top of the range BMW's and Mercs. My main concern now is getting rear ended.

 

 

The othewr difference I have noticed is that ABS kicks in. On my stock pad Jap brakes it never worked, I actually thought it was broken.

 

 

Th only way to settle this is to put cars side by side at the same speed and slam on the anchors, I know reaction time comes in to it but it should give a good indication. Or we use four cars, Jap stock pads, Jap CW race pads, UK stock pads and UK race pads.

All four drivers dive all cars and we measure distance, should put this one to bed once and for all.

 

Failing that I know a friendly MOT tester who might be up for letting us a set of rollers. Justin you know who I am talking about we could, at least comppare stock UK and Stock Jap.

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Originally posted by Mark Ayling

 

I did do a very heavy track day recently, but I had the front pads changed the day before I did it - could it be that I didn't "bed them in properly" before caning them (if you have to do that) or could they just be generally knackered...?

 

I'll pick up on this and say that I thought new pads have to be bedded in over a hundred or so miles of normal driving, with as little hard usage of the brakes as possible - could it be that you now have a glazed layer on the pads?

 

-Ian

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Originally posted by ajefford

i have to step in here and stick up for jspec brakes,

 

mine have been excellent since i bought the car, and the look

stock and have been told they are stock, dunno what pads

are on them - they dont half squeal when cold / wet

but in normal conditions no noise at all,

lots of brake dust though,

 

 

saying that i do drive like a p**sy, just ask chris,justin,terminator,

and everyone else in the convoy to and from stevenage!

 

You don't drive like a p*ssy mate. :) I saw you go after that Volvo into the bend! I remember because at the time I thought to myself 'what a mad f*cker'

 

About J-Spec brakes I would say that if you have gone fully de-catted and bigger bore exhaust ie 18 psi then this was when I noticed that my usually solid stools became quite runny. (That means that the brakes didn't stop me very quickly and I shat myself on a couple of occasions)

 

I would probably go for uprated CW front pads even though they do sound a little bit like scraping your finger nails down a blackboard. Sorry Chris :)

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Originally posted by WILLGILL

dare I say it but mine dont even have ABS, I've been hiding the fact I have by far the cheapest Supra ;):p

 

I must say they are very spongy but tbh its a heavy lump they have to stop and they are highly progressive.

 

no qualms here and I still drive like a nutter :D

think i could be in there to with my special edition supra.

netto economy twin turbo

no cruise control

no lsd

no front electric spoiler

cloth seats

 

less weight to carry about

 

but i do have the nice vinal rear seats and roof lining,twin airbags,and traction with snow button,anologue clock and a quality 4 spoke leather steering wheel.

would like to see how much better it would be with lsd.and bigger brakes uk spec with braided hoses.i am happy with my jap brakes with new stock pads.stops well for me. not done any 150mph to 0mph stops.

 

on my old worn down pads was racing mate in skyline in newcastle and i noticed the jap brakes were not to good when you have to brake loads earlier when you running out of tarmac.

 

just get to know your limits

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Originally posted by John Packham

You can't do a 150-0mph stop with j-spec brakes.

it was just what i put when you slow down from them speeds you slow down to normal type speeds,say 30/40.did not explain it too good.

i just got used to my old worn pads and when you get new stock ones fitted its loads better.dont know how good uk spec are though,got uk spec front discs and calipers and stock pads and some gooridge stainless steel brake lines to go on but think it will look a cunt with old standard j-spec rear brakes.so need to get rear uk set then have a total new brake system and get my 19`s refurbished for a cleaner look.always put it off doing. saying i will do tommorow.lent my mate 2 of my 19`s and my space saver for his skyline.

 

whats best brake fulid to use and how much you need to do full change. is it dot 5.1 or race fluid

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Originally posted by John Packham

UK fronts & J rears works well. I'm confident. The front brakes do the work.

i got told it would affect bias of braking.would like to do it and have new discs n rotors with soon to be refurbished wheels and braided hoses,might as well stick racing fluid in to top it off
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