Outlander PHEV brake caliper upgrade.

[ckracer76]

I am finding the brake power of my Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to be not particularly powerful for such a heavy vehicle.

My 2016 model appears to have a 2-piston Mitsubishi stamped caliper at the front with a 294mm diameter brake disc and curved type brake pads.

I changed the original OEM Mitsubishi front brake pads and discs with Brembo pads and discs but after bedding in and 10k later it’s still not great.

I had the brake fluid refreshed and all six brake hoses replaced back in January which improved the brake feel (firmer pedal) but not necessarily the stopping power.

My friend at work has a Lancer Evo X with bright red Brembo calipers and it got me thinking perhaps this is the answer. Unfortunately, I am not a qualified mechanic or technician but the Brembo calipers on the Evo look like they just bolt to the hub carrier behind the wheel.

Is it as simple as buying a set of new or refurbished Brembo calipers and bolting them on, fitting new pads and having the brake hoses bled and attached?

My Outlander has the same size wheel size as the Evo X so no clearance issues. The Evo discs look a bit bigger and maybe use a different brake pad.

After some research I found lots of aftermarket 4, 6 and 8 piston calipers from Brembo, Wilwood, AP Racing, Tar-Ox, Alcon, K-Sport and many others but nothing specifically for the Outlander.

Are they all the same? It appears you can buy individual calipers as well as brake kits comprised of calipers, discs and pads.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[kpetrov]

You bought the wrong vehicle my friend!
This one is about efficiency not racing.

Those brakes are never to be used but to do an complete stop on traffic lights and parking lots.

 

[ckracer76]

I agree it is not for racing of any kind but surely a simple more powerful caliper upgrade is good for a variety of situations.

 

[ckracer76]

 

[kpetrov]

I once blocked my wheels on dry surface and the ABS started working so... unless for highly repetitive use and better heat dissipation.

 

[hughwi]

the real win will be if they dont seize and reduce your battery range

 

[ckracer76]

the real win will be if they dont seize and reduce your battery range

Actually true. My Outlander was recalled for both rear calipers to be replaced free of charge. They also replaced the drivers door lock button at the same time as it had stopped working.

 

[chezz]

I am finding the brake power of my Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to be not particularly powerful for such a heavy vehicle.

My 2016 model appears to have a 2-piston Mitsubishi stamped caliper at the front with a 294mm diameter brake disc and curved type brake pads.

I changed the original OEM Mitsubishi front brake pads and discs with Brembo pads and discs but after bedding in and 10k later it’s still not great.

I had the brake fluid refreshed and all six brake hoses replaced back in January which improved the brake feel (firmer pedal) but not necessarily the stopping power.

My friend at work has a Lancer Evo X with bright red Brembo calipers and it got me thinking perhaps this is the answer. Unfortunately, I am not a qualified mechanic or technician but the Brembo calipers on the Evo look like they just bolt to the hub carrier behind the wheel.

Is it as simple as buying a set of new or refurbished Brembo calipers and bolting them on, fitting new pads and having the brake hoses bled and attached?

My Outlander has the same size wheel size as the Evo X so no clearance issues. The Evo discs look a bit bigger and maybe use a different brake pad.

After some research I found lots of aftermarket 4, 6 and 8 piston calipers from Brembo, Wilwood, AP Racing, Tar-Ox, Alcon, K-Sport and many others but nothing specifically for the Outlander.

Are they all the same? It appears you can buy individual calipers as well as brake kits comprised of calipers, discs and pads.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Looks to me like the picture you attached is the rear wheel, and appears to be a single piston, I have only taken this off once cause a pebble got in between the inside surface and the cover and made a hell of a din and didn't look like it was going to fall out.

Have a 2019 model, I'd like to point out that you need to keep an eye on the rear outside pad wear, I was told about 30 years ago that the single piston caliper were a problem with the Saab cars, and about a decade ago I had a 2010 Prius that had them on the rear and had to replace both sides after about 125k the outside pads were worn down to the metal backing on the inside nearest the hub and you will eventually get metal to metal (the rotor/disc), this is difficult to see without removing the pad as the outside of the pad (that you can usually see) will look like new. I don't know if they have improved them yet, I've only 60k on my Outlander at present, so I will be checking them regularly. (Your Second Post) Maybe that's why you had them replaced because they weren't of very good quality?

Just had a thought? I've seen quite cheap inspection camera's with a short lead to the display that might be able to poke down to check for excessive wear?

I've found one on aliexpress for $7.83 CAD, 1 meter cable, type C connector, requires Android phone. I've ordered one, delivery is about three weeks, and I'll be changing over to summer wheels/tires in about four weeks once the temperature up the mountain where the vehicle goes three times a week is consistently above 8 C.

I'll possibly post back here when I've tried it out, I am thinking about posting a new thread any way with my problems with a tire dealer and main dealer in getting my two sets of wheels setup so when I change the wheels over I can change the TPMS settings over myself. No harm of adding a bit of comedy to the forum is their?

 

[Phev2016]

If you can activate ABS or lock up your front tyres with your existing calipers/brakes I don't think there will be a huge improvement with bigger or better discs/brakes unless you are driving hard as @kpetrov said. Note also this is a near 2 tonne vehicle with soft suspension, unlike a lighter and stiffer car.

 

[ckracer76]

All very true. Thanks for replies.

The picture above is the front 2-piston caliper. I went and checked just to be sure.

The rear caliper is smaller again and only a single piston.

 

[yardbird]

I just have the F & R brake pads replaced, got the dealer parts from on line store for total of $180 and my mechanic charged me $160 for labor. The original pads got 83k miles on them and may last another year or so at least. But I never wait for noises before replacement of brake pads.

 

[ckracer76]

I just have the R & R brake pads replaced, got the dealer parts from on line store for total of $180 and my mechanic charged me $160 for labor. The original pads got 83k miles on them and may last another year or so at least. But I never wait for noises before replacement of brake pads.

Good advice, now you mention it my front brakes grind a bit every day for the first mile or so of braking. Then it goes away. I always put it down to the weather and standing overnight exposed to the elements.

 

[ckracer76]

I have decided to try a Motorsport grade brake pad as opposed the Mitsubishi OEM brake pads or aftermarket replacements. I have found Japanese company Endless offer a brake pad to fit the factory front calipers on my PHEV.

Not cheap at three times the price of normal brake pads and not ECE R90 certified but hopefully they will be an improvement over stock.

I will report back once I have done a few miles.

 

[littlescrote]

I have decided to try a Motorsport grade brake pad as opposed the Mitsubishi OEM brake pads or aftermarket replacements. I have found Japanese company Endless offer a brake pad to fit the factory front calipers on my PHEV.

Not cheap at three times the price of normal brake pads and not ECE R90 certified but hopefully they will be an improvement over stock.

I will report back once I have done a few miles.

What problem with stock are seeking to resolve?

 

[ckracer76]

What problem with stock are seeking to resolve?

A seeming lack of braking power compared to my other cars.

We do have regeneration braking in addition to the actual brakes but when I’m forced to brake I don’t have a lot of confidence in it.

 

[yardbird]

I have decided to try a Motorsport grade brake pad as opposed the Mitsubishi OEM brake pads or aftermarket replacements. I have found Japanese company Endless offer a brake pad to fit the factory front calipers on my PHEV.

Not cheap at three times the price of normal brake pads and not ECE R90 certified but hopefully they will be an improvement over stock.

I will report back once I have done a few miles.

My local dealer wanted $495 for front or rear brake services, a total of almost $1000. I spent only $350 at my local shop (for the last 30 years) with OEM dealer parts ordered on line for both front & rear brake services, parts & labor.

 

[littlescrote]

A seeming lack of braking power compared to my other cars.

We do have regeneration braking in addition to the actual brakes but when I’m forced to brake I don’t have a lot of confidence in it.

It's a heavy vehicle, perhaps that's a lot of the perceived issue.

 

[Phev2016]

The tyres will also have a big effect on brake feel. If you have fitted all season or winter tyres they have less grip and feel in the dry unless it's cold weather. And the chunky off road or all terrain tyres feel worse (unless you're off road when they feel great )

 

[ckracer76]

Brakes have been poor since it was brand new.

In my experience the General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres are no different in performance on tarmac to previous Toyo R37 summer tyres (although I’m aware this may not be a high benchmark).

Personally I think it’s more to do with small brake discs with not a lot of surface area. My front brake discs on the Outlander look more like most cars rear disc brakes.

I changed the brake fluid and fitted stainless steel brake hoses last year which helped a bit.

I’m not in a position to change the calipers or brake discs themselves so my next purchase will be the Endless high performance pads.

 

[yardbird]

Brakes have been poor since it was brand new.

In my experience the General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres are no different in performance on tarmac to previous Toyo R37 summer tyres (although I’m aware this may not be a high benchmark).

Personally I think it’s more to do with small brake discs with not a lot of surface area. My front brake discs on the Outlander look more like most cars rear disc brakes.

I changed the brake fluid and fitted stainless steel brake hoses last year which helped a bit.

I’m not in a position to change the calipers or brake discs themselves so my next purchase will be the Endless high performance pads.

I found the Bridgestone lasted longer than the Toyo & others for the Outlander PHEV