Can I fit a bigger front disk?

saracen fan

hi all,
currently have Tektro auriga comps with 160 rotors front and back....
ive heard fitting a bigger front disk will improve the braking power? my question is can I just do a straight swap or do I have to fit spacers under the bolts to raise the caliper?

ive tried a few things to improve them, such as centering the calipers and cable tying the levers back to the bars over night (il see if that works tommorow)

paulscutt

it'll be a straight swap but you will need a caliper adapter to fit the larger disc rotor

i.e.: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... goryID=563

nicklouse

yes you will need the correct adaptor.

The Northern Monkey

what forks do you have? some forks aren't warranted for 210mm front disks (if you were going that big obv.)

saracen fan

cool thanks guys, I cant seem to find a Tektro 180 disk.....can I use any old disk? or will it screw up the pads?
also will I really notice the extra power in braking?

The Northern Monkey

you should notice a slightly better brakes yes.

Also, bigger disks dissipate heat better = less fade

nicklouse

saracen fan
most rotors will be fine.

saracen fan

sweet.....after some more browsing I noticed 200 rotors......? is that over kill or a good idea?

supersonic

Overkill. And maybe more than the fork can handle.

saracen fan

ive got sr suntour XTR forks.....th ones with damping adjust and lockout.
maybe stick to 180's then (and yes I know the forks are crap, il be changing them when I break them lol)

diy

There is a down side to large rotors. I went from 160/160 (front/rear) to 203/185, and the larger front rotor is more prone to picking up muck. You'll get better braking by upgrading to better brakes, not better discs. For example if your current brakes only pull on one side, or if you use cheap pads, or don't set up the contact points properly etc..

I reckon the difference between 203 and 185 on the front is negligible for the same set-up.

Heat dissipation will be improved, because the larger rotor, means radially mounting the brake, so more exposure to cooling and more metal to cool. But you have to have the problem to start with. I can't even feel the benefit on sports motorbikes on a race track let alone a mountain bike.