14 inch wheels and brake options

[easypasser]

Hey guys, this is my first post. I'm looking for advice on brake choice to fit 14 inch wheels. Currently running 300mm st170 front brakes and mk1 focus discs on my night rally car with 16 inch steels. Tyre options are limited. I used winter tyres for my first event and was struggling bad for traction. To improve this I'm looking to run 14 inch wheels and tyres like maxxis r19's or yoko ao48's depending on conditions. Can anyone tell me what's the biggest/best brake setup I can run under 14 inch wheels. I'll be struggling fitting 15 inch gravel tyres in the arches. Would the st150 fiesta setup fit? Or has anyone got experience with the 258mm discs and ferodo da3000's? I don't know if they'll be up for the job. Thanks

 

[stuvy]

What surfaces are you running on?

Winter tyres are crap for rallying as there too soft and wear really quickly you need proper gravel rally tyres if your on the loose stuff and sticky road tyres on tarmac

Can you not just trip your arches to accommodate the tyres?

 

[Chubz]

biggest brakes you'll get under 14s are 260mm's
run them on my mk5 fiesta 1.7 ghia...nothing special though..
Could always roll/flare your arches slightly to take a 15' wheel, then you can keep the st170 brakes, might need to shave the edge off the caliper, but they are a common upgrade on pumas and mk4/5 fiestas, and are a good upgrade at that.
Although , id probably prefer to buy some st150 brakes myself, 280mm, and bolt straight on.

 

[easypasser]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm running on rough tarmac lanes for most of the event which get pretty filthy, cold, grassy and generally wet. also some white roads and farm yards, which are usually gravel or concrete(farm yards) covered in cow s**t. If anything, the st170 brakes are too good as it locks up real easy. I guess i can try st150 fiesta carriers and keep my calipers and pads as they are the same calipers between st170 and st150?. Then run 15's for the while and try tweak the arches to fit the big gravel tyres. Has anyone heard of 4 pots being used on 258mm Discs?

 

[stuvy]

Just out of interest where do you race?

 

[easypasser]

Sorry for the late reply. Just had a baby(bit pre-occupied haha). I compete around different country lanes throughout wales. Only just started Rallying, so i've only done one event and struggled hugely for traction and suffered pretty bad lock-up issues with the front brakes. A lot of that was tire choice though.