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[feeutfo]

After a brief look at this page
http://www.racecar.co.uk/lotuscarlton/parts.htm

I wonder if there is any advantage to be had from fitting some of those parts?

If they fit.

Specifically rear SL shocks and front brakes.

[tigers_gonads]

Might be better to fit upgrade both the front and back brakes to keep it all balanced if you go down that route 

Don't know about the shocks.
Are the mounts and the length the same and the omega b ?

[Murph]

The front brakes are good but also a bit of a pain.
The calipers are lacking in dust seals so would need overhauling at least once a year - more if a daily driver.

As for fitting - Carlton and Omega brakes are interchangeable.

[feeutfo]

Response from email enquiry, neither are available anyway.

[2woody]

rear dampers are the same fitment, but only really used on Lotus to keep the car's attitude level because the bodykit was quite sensitive to that sort of thing.

L-C owners are now fitting Omega B rear dampers.

regarding the brakes - a brick on a piece of string thrown from the window is better than Omega B brakes, so that's not saying much.

there are very much cheaper ways to get better brakes.

[2woody]

having read this, that's Joe Ellis's car

[feeutfo]

regarding the brakes - a brick on a piece of string thrown from the window is better than Omega B brakes, so that's not saying much.

there are very much cheaper ways to get better brakes.

All things being relative, but yes, they are shit aren't they. Week feel, under powered and fade easily.
My next plan was to fit braded steel lines but that isn't going to cut it.

[feeutfo]

having read this, that's Joe Ellis's car

So it is. Down the bottom;  http://www.lotus-carlton.co.uk/links/links.htm

[TheBoy]

regarding the brakes - a brick on a piece of string thrown from the window is better than Omega B brakes, so that's not saying much.

there are very much cheaper ways to get better brakes.

All things being relative, but yes, they are shit aren't they. Week feel, under powered and fade easily.
My next plan was to fit braded steel lines but that isn't going to cut it.

Can't deny that they aren't great, but yours feel especially poor. Wonder if the discs are part of your problem?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Cant say I ever had an issue with Omega brakes, certainly not with respect to stopping power.

In fact I was always more worried about what was behind me and its ability to match the Omega brakes!

[TheBoy]

Cant say I ever had an issue with Omega brakes, certainly not with respect to stopping power.

In fact I was always more worried about what was behind me and its ability to match the Omega brakes!

IMHO, the problem with Omega brakes are after around the 8th of 9th big stop. By the 12th, they're absolute toast. Gone. Kaput. Wasted. And never really recover from that, needing new pads and sometimes fluid.

Just not enough heat dissipation to quite get across Milton Keynes....

[TheBoy]

Cant say I ever had an issue with Omega brakes, certainly not with respect to stopping power.

In fact I was always more worried about what was behind me and its ability to match the Omega brakes!

I'd also add, on the first couple of big stops, its possible to fire the ABS whilst still in 3 digit speeds, in the dry, on decent, premium tyres.

So no issue with 'stopping power' per se. Its losing the heat to get ready for the next stop.

IMHO, bigger discs would be beneficial.  Also, I think the caliper needs work, as most Omegas end up with a strange wear on the inside face of the front disc.

[feeutfo]

They can't take the repetitive big stops. Feel I guess is a personal thing, to me they feel dead generally. Oe make them feel less dead, and give an improvement, but as TB says they just can't take pre longed "proper" use.

Bigger swept area, bigger diameter discs maybe. With a twin pot set up? 18's give scope there.



Edit to add, ebc discs on mine currently. Suspect less bite. GM going back on soon as a comparison. If the pads aren't cooked, it "might" be a fair comparison.

[feeutfo]

Ps e mail response suggested the LC discs should fit. He makes the adapter bracket to take the ap calipers, but ap have discontinued tha caliper itself. Plus they ain't going to be cheap.

We've tried most thing except changing disc and caliper spec. Time to face up to it IMO.

[TheBoy]

They can't take the repetitive big stops. Feel I guess is a personal thing, to me they feel dead generally. Oe make them feel less dead, and give an improvement, but as TB says they just can't take pre longed "proper" use.

Bigger swept area, bigger diameter discs maybe. With a twin pot set up? 18's give scope there.



Edit to add, ebc discs on mine currently. Suspect less bite. GM going back on soon as a comparison. If the pads aren't cooked, it "might" be a fair comparison.

I'm a bit concerned about where you said yours faded last weekend - you had a long period of little use (35m), then 4 roundabouts within a mile, 3 are big stops, 1 is a little stop, then about 3m of little use, followed by a big, big stop, and the brakes were gone by the next big stop a mile further on.

Even when really trying, its not something I have suffered from on that stretch, although I know Kevin Wood has.

Hence my feeling that maybe either the EBC discs are pants, or you have another problem. Have you had that happen there before, pre EBC discs?

I'll admit mine are hot by the time I get to the next roundabout along, which is another big stop, if I'm going for it. To the point of lots and lots of smoke pouring off them. But no real fade - a slightly different feel maybe, harder? But not faded to the point of beginning to lose confidence they will slow you down fast enough.


Thinking aloud, my pads are (normally  ) binned at about half worn on the front. Are your pads low? There don't seem to be able to lose heat when worn.