The recently introduced Toyota LC300 has some large shoes to fill if it is to meet, let alone exceed, the success of its predecessor, the evergreen LC200 series, which, in its various guises (inc. the Lexus LX570), has been the de-facto choice of platform for most discrete armoured vehicle manufacturers and their clients since its launch in 2007, due to its compelling combination of durability, reliability and performance.
Early indications suggest that the new (circa 4%) lighter, more powerful, faster model is a worthy successor and will be a huge hit with clients, despite some initial reservations from the armoured vehicle manufacturing community over both the increased use of aluminium in its construction and the move from V8 atmospheric to V6 twin-turbo propulsion for the gasoline engine variants.
However, despite the increased performance of the new model, Toyota, having introduced an integrated parking brake into the rear calipers and changing the pad backing plates & shims and rotor off-sets to meet the NVH and packaging implication of the revised aluminium suspension components, have not deemed it necessary to upgrade the basic dimensions and specifications of the brake system.
As such, whilst the stopping performance, thermal efficiency, and consumable component life of the LC300’s braking system will be acceptable for civilian/recreational usage patterns, as with the LC200 before it, the OE braking system will prove to be the Achilles’ heel of the platform once armoured weights are factored in.
Simply put, the standard OE specification brake system is not up the task of managing the extreme demands placed upon it by an armoured vehicle. Even under light usage, consumable component life will likely be drastically reduced, necessitating more frequent service schedules for pad and disc replacement (i.e., higher costs and lower fleet operational efficiency). What is of more concern, however, is the significant reduction in braking power or even catastrophic brake failure and subsequent loss of vehicle stability/control that will likely be experienced after repeated high speed braking events, such as would be experienced in an attack or escape scenario, which is surely what these vehicles are designed to deal with, is it not?
MSW has long championed the importance of uprating the brakes on all armoured vehicles and offers a wide range of brake upgrades, including OE replacement rotors and friction solutions from EBC Brakes (suitable for soft skin or light armoured conversions) to complete brake system upgrades for heavy armoured vehicles from our UK based manufacturing partner Alcon Specialist Brakes & Clutches.
Alcon have supported full brake system upgrades for the LC200 since its launch in 2007 and have wasted no time in developing a solution for the new LC300 platform. As is always the case with any Alcon solution, this new brake system is application specific to the LC300.
The piston capacity and available torque of its 6-piston calipers have been increased yet remain safely within the acceptable limits of the OE master cylinder capacity and actuation system, and the dimensions & mass of the larger 365x36mm discs have been maximised within the packaging constraints of an 18” wheel rim (specifically MSW’s armoured heavy duty 18” rim developed for the LC300), with this size being the continued choice for armoured vehicle variants due to the availability of tyres with the requisite E load rating.
However, the Alcon development process goes way beyond capacities and packaging constraints. Alcon’s in-house testing and sign-off regime is exhaustive and includes not only performance related testing (i.e., how good are the brakes and how well do they perform) but also lengthy dyno tests for both caliper and disc prototypes which simulate extreme usage conditions unlikely to ever be experienced by the components in the field which measure caliper failure and disc strength and resistance to cracking and deflection.
This steadfast refusal to accept any kind of one-size-fits-all approach, despite the relative similarity between the LC200 and LC300, is unique to Alcon, which is the reason MSW have partnered with the company since 2007 and why our clients continue to trust us when we propose only the very finest braking solutions.
