Vented disc's on 406

front discs are vented, rear discs should be left alone if you dont want accidents

Huh ?

Front discs are already vented on all 406s, and infact on pretty much every modern family car !

What do you mean by "hole positions" ?!?!

I think the OP is referring to cross-drilling holes in the disks which supposedly improves braking performance and evens out brake pad wear, like you get on some performance brakes.

I suspect that the OP's insurance company wouldn't be to happy if they found out, so I think the best option would be to fit something like the ATE power discs which aren't too expensive compared to standard discs.

-Mark

Cross drilled through the disc and ventilation pockets.

Ahhhh, you're talking about DRILLED discs !

Vented discs are two discs stuck together, with radial fins inbetween - ie, standard front discs on modern cars.

Solid discs are a single disc, as found on the rear of modern cars.

If you're after a set of drilled fronts, then just buy some - they aren't expensive. Take a look at

£120.56 for a pair of Black Diamond Drilled fronts.

HOWEVER : Drilled discs WILL crack after a period of time - I wouldn't bother. My last pair only lasted about 18 months.

I'm assuming you're wanting a bit of a brake upgrade ? The best way to go about it, is to change the pads and fluid first. If you're currently experiencing fade, it's because the pads are overheating. The best way to cure this, is to use better pads ! I can recommend EBC's Redstuff Ceramic pads - Terry at

will supply you a set for about £60-ish. Steer clear of the Greenstuff - they aren't suitable for heavy cars (ie, a 406 !). Next, get yourself down to Halfords, and buy a litre of their DOT5.1 fluid for £14.99 (DO NOT buy DOT5 fluid - it's wierd and wonderful stuff, and isn't compatible with "normal" brake systems !).Bleed the system and replace your fluid completely with the DOT5.1 and swap the pads. It'll only take an hour or so at your local garage (£40 ish) if you won't want to do it yourself.If your front discs aren't mint, then get a pair of EBC Turbogroove discs on there while you're at it - again, Terry will sell you a pair for about £100 ish (there's normally a discount to be had from the discs and pads at the same time - you oughtta get Turbogroove discs and Redstuff Ceramics for around £150 ?). They're drilled AND grooved on the surface, BUT the holes don't go right through the discs (they're just "dimples" really) so they don't lead to cracking. The end.

I have been reading this thread with interest and I'm puzzled. What is the benefit of drilling the discs and having grooves?

406 Coupé 3.0i V6 24V ; 97-04 £209.54

Thanks for all the help. I will take your advice on the pads and try them first as the disc's are not cheap but look as though are the answer (when current one's need replacing ) if the pads don't solve the problem.

I will have to remove lead weight from right foot.

Current vehicle weight 1500 kgs approx.

>

When you apply the brakes, the pad pushes against the disc. Some of the pad is burnt away, producing brake dust and gas.

Brake fade is caused by both overheating pads, and a build up of gas and burnt material between the pad and disc.

Grooved discs provide a path for this gas and dust to exit from between disc & pad. The less "stuff" between the pad & disc, the more efficiently the braking system works.

Drilled discs *that-are-designed-to-be-drilled* will suck air into the holes as they turn, and throw it out of the vents on the outside edge of the disc. Greater airflow through the disc, means greater cooling, means less fade. Drilled discs that are just normal discs with holes in, don't do anything except crack after a while.

With modern pads, both problems above are much reduced - but they do still exist. If your braking system isn't really upto the job (ie, pretty much every OEM system on the road today, discounting *proper* sports cars) then you can make very noticeable gains.

Have a read of

if you're interested further.

Ah ha, you have the same car as me -

:) I've found that the standard Brembo Calipers and Discs are plenty adequate for very hard use. If you're having issues, then you've got some crappy pads on there. Give Terry a phone at - he'll do you the Turbogroove discs *and* the Redstuff Ceramics for well under £200 (I think it came to about £160 last time I enquired - i have the part numbers and prices etc. all at home if you're interested ?). You may as well do both together - if you swap the pads only, and they don't sort the system to your satisfaction, you'll have to swap the pads again when you do the discs !

>>

Thanks for that, it is all new to me but does make sense. Presumably if the manufacturer (i.e. Peugeot) were to fit the equivalent of drilled discs it would solve the problem of discs warped due to heat which seems to affect these cars (my new set warped after less than 10,000 miles and I regard myself as a gentle driver).

>>

I have just read your piece on brakes and very interesting it is too. I thought you might like a totally useless bit of historical information. We think power assisted braking is pretty modern but it is not. Centuries ago, when real horse power was all you got, the brakes on a cart would be operated by a rope connected to a lever beside the driver. They used to take a loop of the rope around the front hub. Then, when you pulled on the lever, the rope tightened on the hub and the turning force of the hub greatly increased the power applied to the brake. As they say, there ain't nothing new under the sun.

>>>

If you warped them driving gently, then it wasn't due to heat.

If your discs are hot, and you stop with your foot on the brakes (ie, at traffic lights) then the bit under the pad won't cool down as quickly as the rest = warped discs. If your hubs aren't quite straight, then neither are the discs = warped discs. If you stop your car when the discs are hot, then the pad may burn onto the disc slightly, leaving a desposit of X thickness = same symptoms as warped discs.

There are a bunch of other reasons too ! Suffice to say, you have to get your discs VERY VERY hot to warp them through heat alone.

>>>

The PDF isn't mine - I just found it on my travels :) I've put some other bits up at

if you're interested in "car systems".

Nice !