Problems with the FFS Hi Spec Rear Calipers ?

[Steve A]

After reading on another thread (Dico's Shed) (link ) it would appear that a new thread is needed to share our woe's.
I am soon to take delivery of a pair of the said callipers so would be interested if anyone else has them and how their getting on with them good or bad
so fill your boots get posting

[Monty]

Think i was one of the 1st to fit them and i`ve no problems, the only thing is it takes a lot of effort to apply the handbrake. At 1st i was only geeting one click, slacken off the cables and now get about 3. They`ve passed the MOT and well happy with them and would not go back to the stock setup.

I know Dico has 2 leaks on one caliper, but hopefully it`s easly fixed.

[Steve A]

That's made me feel a bit better, I remember seeing yours on the stand at Donington, that's when I first got interested in them.
Any one else ?

[Alan_C]

Just to keep my comments in the correct place, a cut and paste of what I said in t'other hread:

I was told by Hi Spec that when applying the handbrake I mustn't do so with full foot pressure on the footbrake, I should ease off. Doing so could "nip" (Hi Spec's word) the handbrake piston seals causing them to leak. They said I should have got an instruction manual on how to operate them, but I didn't. I must admit, I'm not that impressed with the handbrake on the Hi Specs; they're hydraulic (actually illegal to use on a UK road car, against construction & use regulations), but that aside, they don't work that well, I need to pull the handbrake lever on really hard in order to get the handbrake to hold the car. They initially failed the MOT on lack of effiency. Nothing wrong with my setup, properly bled, pads and discs worn in, brand new handbrake cables. I ended up having to modify the pivot on the handbrake lever in order to get more force into the cables to operate the caliper levers at a higher force. And they still only just got through the MOT at 17% efficiency, the pass is 16%. I queried with Bob and he refered me back to Hi Spec, they made them, not him. Anyone else with Hi Spec rears have a low effiency handbrake?

So that's 3 of us not happy with the handbrake mechanism, this is starting to paint a picture...... I also can't find any information on the Hi Spec website for the Ultralite 2 HB caliper. I'm now thinking that this http://www.hispecbrake.co.uk/calipers/sva_spot.htm would be a better handbrake option, but need to figure how to mount it. Bob - any thoughts?

[saska]

Any one else ?

I have them on the S2 and 3 clicks will do for most places and 4 will hold on a steep slope. 3 clicks isn't too hard but 4 clicks takes effort.
It maybe helps that the S2 has a longer handbrake and it also inclines towards the driver.
Don't have any leaks or problems and the performance is stunning.
Think Hi Spec could have put a slightly longer lever arm on the caliper end to reduce the effort required at the handbrake or maybe they think we're all gorillas.

[Jackonicko]

I also posted on t'other thread:

Apparently they don't take kindly to pulling on the handbrake when pressure is being applied on the brake pedal. You need to smoothly be releasing one as you apply the other?

A f*cking joke? Completely unacceptable? Rendering the back brakes unfit for purpose?

Yep, that's what I thought, too. But Alan C was quite earnest about it.

I would broaden the criticism of the Hi-Specs, too, as my experiences with the downright life-threateningly dangerous problem with fitting front hoses have been, well, downright life-threateningly dangerous!

As detailed at:

Linky

Serious question:

Are the HiSpecs in their current form:
a) fit for purpose?
b) safe?
c) something that we should be endorsing in these litigation-happy times?

[paulrwebster]

The front hose problem isn't limited to Hi-Specs, we had similar problems with the Wilwood upgrade a few years ago.

[MPx]

Had ours on back and front all this year and very happy with them. Handbrake is tight to get just one click (but can get two if I concentrate some effort). Good performance on the MOT guage. Good performance on the track at Castle Combe. Look the part too - overall dead chuffed.

[Alan_C]

MPx - Is your car an SE or S2? There seems to be a trend here, SE's with rear Hi Spec have poor handbrake performance, while S2's have good performance?

[Dave Eds]

MPx - Is your car an SE or S2?

The answer is in his avatar and his signature!

[MPx]

Well spotted Dave

[Gazza]

Like Saska, I have them on the S2 and 3 clicks will do for most places and 4 will hold on a steep slope. 3 clicks isn't too hard but 4 clicks takes effort.

Before Bob had a look i could barely get it to 1 click like Monty's and ended up bending the handbrake lever, so beware Monty!

Gazza

[Dico]

One rear caliper currently at Hi spec being repaired. Leaking from the handbrake mechanism and from one piston.

One click just about achievable with one hand. Two clicks requires two hands.

Mine is an SE

[ailwyn]

S2
1 click one hand
2 clicks both hands
Does not hold except on the flat
Already swapped out one set of leaking calipers, both leaking at the join with the H/B mechanism.

Gary (or Bob) what needed to be done to get yours to work properly?

Thanks

A.

[RayD]

I assume the lever on the calliper is acting directly on the calliper piston as opposed to being a separate hydraulic action.

Edit: Re Above ... Later found this is not the case ... it has an hydraulic handbrake. The rest of the post is still appropriate.

The one or two handbrake lever clicks will come from the available movement on the calliper lever.

As you know ...

Slackening the cables off will only change the position of the movement.

If you slackened them off enough to get 4 clicks it would only still be acting on the last one or two.

I imagine the reason for HISpec suggesting the handbrake is only applied when the foot brake is off is related to this ...

If the handbrake is applied with the footbrake off - the amount of back pressure on the handbrake mechanism is only the same as the amount you can apply with the handbrake lever.

If the foot brake is on when the handbrake is applied - the combined pressure of the footbrake and the handbrake are pressing back on the handbrake mechanism ... causing the failure.

Extending the calliper lever to ease the effort required on the handbrake lever would probably result in similar damage.

If an S2 handbrake lever has an higher ratio than a SE it's probably still in an acceptable band for the calliper mechanism.

Regardless of some people finding it acceptable it’s probably not a good long term situation. HiSpec will probably change the design. Paul should ask if his calliper is coming back with the same spec as it started off with. If it isn’t they could all do with changing.

I haven’t seen these callipers so there is a chance there could be a different reason for the problem.

Ray

[Gazza]

We had to remove the old handbrake as it was bent and found that the metal threaded bar that the cables attach to had been shorten compared to my replacement one. Bob adjusted the new one to make the bar even longer by undoing the nuts both ends. This gave more adjustment in the cables. Taking the handbrake to the cables rather than the other way round. Make sense

Gazza

[RayD]

........

[Gazza]

Good picture Ray

The red bar in picture is adjustable and Bob managed to extend it by about an inch.

Gazza

[Denny]

:D That's made me feel a bit better

How do you feel now

[RayD]

From what you can see from the outside ....

Does it look as if the calliper lever could be acting bang in the centre of the piston?

Or does it look as though it's unlikely to be?

Ray