Brilliant standard brakes

[PATTERNPART]

I've got a standard Mk1. I've been driving a few other cars recently and getting back into my own car I'm struck with how nice the brakes feel in comparison. Pedal travel is minimal and the pedal is nice and hard. There's no ABS and I feel entirely confident that I know exactly what is going on at with the tyres on the road. Mazda did a grand job.

I've had to replace a couple of calipers over the years and the handbrake isn't perfect. It isn't powerful enough for handbrake turns and after a few hours on a very steep hill was relictant to release. At least it didn't roll backwards!

[renaultgeek]

minimal pedal travel isn't a good thing, it's all about modulation!

[upsidedownmark]

And modulation is all to do with feel (pressure) / linearity (i.e. a non-spongy pedal), not travel..

Agree the brakes are some of the best for feel.

[PATTERNPART]

renaultgeek said:

minimal pedal travel isn't a good thing, it's all about modulation!

I disagree. A hard pedal is what you want. No point in having it move much before resistance is met. I've driven single seaters! Modern comfy soft cars have such vague pedals that manufacturers are having to add brake assist!

Once you're pressing the hard brake pedal you can modulate as much as you like. You are right about modulation and in my Eunos it is easy.

[NRS]

After getting a caliper changed the modulation in my brakes is pretty crap (there's very little difference between lockup/ nothing). What's the problem likely to be? Been meaning to get around to this.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Probably either air in the fluid or another seized caliper. Check to make sure they all go on/off easily (wheels off the ground, spin wheels, brake very gently and see if they grab easily.
The fluid could well need changing if you have had a caliper replaced due to a seizing caliper before so I'd just do that anyway.

[PATTERNPART]

Maybe go for a drive and gingerly test the disks for heat using a bit of spit on your finger. Dab! My sticky handbrake was obvious by fizz from the NSR.

[renaultgeek]

upsidedownmark said:

And modulation is all to do with feel (pressure) / linearity (i.e. a non-spongy pedal), not travel..

Agree the brakes are some of the best for feel.

agree on both counts but with minimal travel the distance between off and on can become less than the dexterity of your right (or left) foot

[skinny]

or crap pads. i had this problem with EBC ultimax

[J-Tuner]

Add a master cylinder stopper and braided lines and they are even better

[NRS]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Probably either air in the fluid or another seized caliper. Check to make sure they all go on/off easily (wheels off the ground, spin wheels, brake very gently and see if they grab easily.
The fluid could well need changing if you have had a caliper replaced due to a seizing caliper before so I'd just do that anyway.

I suspect it is both. Checked and the other front caliper appears to be sticking too, However there is probably air in the system as when the garage changed the other one they screwed up and I ended up with no brakes due to a leak! So will not use them again for this one. Hopefully will get a friend and learn how to do it myself,

[MX-5 Lazza]

NRS said:

I suspect it is both. Checked and the other front caliper appears to be sticking too, However there is probably air in the system as when the garage changed the other one they screwed up and I ended up with no brakes due to a leak! So will not use them again for this one. Hopefully will get a friend and learn how to do it myself,

It's not difficult to do

[NRS]

MX-5 Lazza said:

It's not difficult to do

I suspect not, but always had a thing about bleeding brakes and screwing it up! I mostly learn from making a lot of mistakes and would prefer not to do that with the brakes, For example when assembling the door after fixing the window cable issue I discovered I needed to start again, as I had put the cable tie where the door handle attaches and thus couldn't get it back on again - oops! The other thing is somewhere to do it and dealing with the fluid afterwards. But you need to try to learn!