Brake Cooling

[msiert]

I been looking at getting some air ducts to my front brakes and so far I am stumped. I don't want to cut any holes in the sheet metal or remove the plastic wheel well liners. I have removed the brake shields but I am wanting to get more air to the rotors.

The only thing I can see that might work is to attach an air scoop to the front sway bar to direct the air to the back side of the rotor. The scoops would hang down below the car on both sides of the sump guard and thus the sump guard should protect them from damage. Do you think this will work?

Has anyone duct air to the front brakes of a Spider?

Murray

[ERAUGTV]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing on my gtv; however, my idea was a little different... I plan on cutting holes in the splash guard and mounting the ducts to the guards. that way, the air is forced through the vents in the disc and around the sides of the splash guard. It's probably overkill, but it can't hurt. Anyway, good luck with the project, and let me know what you use for ducting.

~Jason

[60sRacer]

Murray,

First of course is to replace the street pads with good high temp race pads. And get good at changing the pads (it takes me only 30 minutes to change all four wheels, most of which goes to jacking the car and pulling wheels- but I've been doing it for 30 years!) 'cause you really don't want the attention race pads will attract on the street - really bad squeels when cold.

Second, use your new panasports - the phone dial wheels do not allow as much air flow around the wheels.

After that, you start encroaching on the streetablity of the car. Ducts from the front grill opening thru the front wheel arch cover is typical; use a plastic flex tube, or one of the flex aluminum ducts like your dryer uses. If you seal the hole in the front wheel cover I can't think of a problem it would cause.

Most racers remove these items anyway - it's weight that does not add to "go fast". I've also removed the stamped steel splash shields on the rear of the rotors - another racing compromise - with hot brakes, splashed water helps rather than harms brake performance, and we don't race in the really heavy rain and puddles the car drives on the roads in.

Of course, a good weight diet on the car would help a lot too - street hardtop, leather interior, carpet, insulation, a/c, big street battery, stock vs racing seats.......

It's a question of how much racer do you want. Eventually you are going to get a second thrasher car with a good engine, suspension, tx, diff that is properly stripped for real racing. Start looking for a good body.....

Personally, I'm partial to the GTV/GTA bodies; they're stiffer and safer in a crash, can have a full cage installed with only a little compromise. And you can still have a nice touring street car......

Besides, you really need a competition roll bar if you're driving at a speed that race pads need extra cooling.......

Robert