TAROX Big Brake Conversion for the 124 Spider

Preface:

About four years ago, I introduced my first brake conversion for the Fiat 124. For those of you unfamiliar with this kit you can find the story here and the images here .

In summary this was a good kit, providing my Spider with much needed updating and powerful braking, all for a fairly reasonable cost. The kit proved to be a valuable learning tool as well. The process of researching and developing the conversion validated much of my understanding about the physics and function of brake systems. But it also corrected my misunderstandings and taught me much about which I quite frankly hadn’t a clue. Once completed, the other lesson that I quickly learned was that even this straightforward system gave me far greater braking power than I would ever need for the street. One need not go to such extents to get good brakes.

Anyone who likes modifying cars will readily admit though that big brake kits, like engine work or suspension upgrades or wheels or sound systems or whatever are not the types of things we do for practical purposes. They’re not always sensible or easy to afford but we do them for the love of our cars, no justification required. With respect to modifying Fiats and Lancias, doing something because you can takes on a whole new meaning. As mentioned in the first write up, aftermarket goodies for Fiats and Lancias have been limited especially if you've wanted anything really trick. Slowly, that’s changing and I for one welcome this.

Since my first brake conversion info was shared on the internet there have been some other very good setups produced and offered up to the Fiat public as well. If in some small measure, my info has served to generate interest and motivate others into doing similar things, I consider myself privileged.

I would be remiss not to recognize the efforts of all those other enthusiasts/entrepreneurs out there (you all know who you are) who also offer new and even affordable choices in aftermarket components for Fiats and Lancias. As an enthusiast, it is encouraging to see others providing such options that were once never available.

A final note to this preface but of no lesser importance is the fact that the Tarox kit for the Fiat Spider was not meant to compete with any other kit currently offered by others for the Fiat 124. The Tarox conversion is brought forth simply to demonstrate another possibility, albeit a rather more exclusive one.

The Tarox kit: (Part one)

Taroni and Co. (Tarox) of Italy produce sophisticated brake systems for numerous modern applications. The company prides itself on its very high standards of build quality, technical sophistication, esthetics, and variety with the manufacture of different calipers, rotors, pads, bracketry and brake lines. Their products are readily recognizable on many race and rally cars in Europe and the UK. Their exposure to the North American Market has been somewhat limited but here too the company is starting to gain more recognition for its excellent equipment. I am very pleased to announce that my brother Gio now distributes Tarox for all of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and it is through him and with his invaluable assistance that I was able to develop this kit. To my big brother, as always, ti ringrazio .

When you purchase a Tarox kit for your car you will get two rotors, two calipers, pads, retainers, brackets, fasteners and flexible steel braided lines. And in anticipation of this I set about to convert my car to run one of Tarox’s six piston kits. The complete kit is shown here below.

Unfortunately, this kit it is not exactly what I started out with. You see before I got the sick idea in my head to do a Tarox kit for my Spider, no such thing existed for a 124. Ironically, Tarox makes bolt-on big brake conversions for both the Fiat X1/9 (I'd love to see one!) and the Lancia Scorpion. Given the availability of these two applications it just didn't make any sense to me that there should be no offering for the 124 Spider. When we initially contacted Tarox it was explained that it should be fairly straightforward to adapt one of these kits to fit the Spider. That is where we ran into a few problems. Nothing insurmountable but certainly frustrating. Once sorted though, everything worked out nicely into the now available Spider-specific kit. Read on as I de-compose the kit item by item and explain their mise ensemble.

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