brake disc thickness vs caliper thickness

[Joris]

I am looking at options to upgrade my brakes. Alfa/Fiat 4-pot calipers are easy to obtain and therefore I want to use those calipers.

Problem: Alfa uses 305mm dia, 28mm thick discs, and I want to use 285mm dia, 24mm or 22mm thick discs. Diameter wise I don't expect to much problems, but could the thickness or lack of become a problem?

[colnerov]

Hi, I have seen people get maximum use of the pads and the backing plate as well which are 5mm usually. So if you're worried change the pads early. The reduced diameter could be more of an issue unless the pads are operating fully on the disc swept area.

Colin

[ejenner]

Indeed. The braking systems are designed with this sort of thing in mind as wear to discs and wear to pads can leave the pistons far further out than they'd be when the pads and discs are new. A few mm here and there isn't going to make much difference provided you're not taking the pi55

You could check it by applying the brakes without the pads installed and see how far the pistons go.

[Joris]

That is what I was thinking. Just needed someone to confirm it, so thank you for that! Now I can start looking for a decent set of calipers.

[sparkyt]

Can you post a pic of the calipers you thinking of using ? Some can be split and a spacer fitted or taken out .

[93fxdl]

Would suggest, beware of pads falling out of calipers as they wear down,
Ttfn Glenn