ah crap
 

i decided i wanted to put an 8" rotor on the front of my enduro thinking that all i would have to buy was the rotor and adapter which would be a nice upgrade for a relativly low price compared to other upgrades i could do but i'm getting the idea that it's not quite that simple, am i missing something? like a bigger axle or a bigger caliper to fit a bigger rotor?

Nope, it's just that simple. Bigger rotor, bigger adapter. All you need!

Just remember that some forks can't handle the stopping power of a 203mm rotor. It could be a health hazard if you fork breaks....

Actually the force at the caliper is less due to the leverage of the rotor on the load. That is the purpose of doing so. Make sure to locktite your fasteners if they don't already have it.

do not use an 8" rotor on a q/r fork. you'll rip the axle out of the dropouts (ive watched it happen with my own eyes, more than once on different bikes/riders). unless you have a 20mm front, stick to 6".

thats the thing! i've heard the same thing once or twice since iv'e been here and it worries me. i'm willing to take a little risk with that, but if the risk is too much, i won't. what does everyone else think?

is there something wrong with the braking power you have now? which brakes are you using?

i've got the shimano somethin or other that came with the bike. there's nothing "wrong" with what i have now but my skills have been improving and lately some extra stopping power would be real nice. okay i just went out and looked and besides saying shimano it said "BR M525"

pick up an avid caliper. an 8" rotor is going to run you about 30-40 bucks, and an 8"adapter about 15 bucks at a bike shop. thats 45-55 bucks, a brand new avid caliper and rotor and adapter goes for about 60-70 bucks, and is a far better upgrade. or check ebay and for sale forums for just the avid caliper, you can re-use your shimano rotor.