lsdweb
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 02:09 PM |
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Rear disc conversion - live axle
Hi All
I'm considering a rear disc conversion on my live (English) axled sprint / hillclimb car. Has anybody out there done this and, if so, can you
give me some pointers, e.g.
What is the weight difference?
Did you use weld on or bolt on caliper brackets?
What calipers and discs – home made or bought brackets?
Any difficulties encountered?
The car is road going so needs a handbrake facility on the calipers.
I've searched the archives but not found much!
Regards
Wyn
[Edited on 2/8/05 by lsdweb]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 02:29 PM |
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Escort MK3 disc -- take your pick of hot hatch rear calipers with handbrake built in --- Rover 216, Golf , Sierra 4x4, Chavalier, Vectra, Pug, Rover
600.
Smallish rear caliper will probably be better easier to balance (rear only carries out 33% of the braking in Locost) --- Rover ones are pretty
reliable and easy to find. Even with small calipers you will need either a balance bar pedal box or a reducing valve to prevent the rears locking.
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phelpsa
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 02:29 PM |
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Most people say the rear of a Locost with discs is very overbraked and there really isnt any need for it.
There is hardly any weight difference.
Bolt on kits are more popular and easier, can be bought from Burton or Rally Design.
Most kits use Mk3 Ford Escort discs and sierra calipers to be able to use 13" wheels.
Havent done it so I don't know of any difficulties,
Adam
EDIT: Britishtrident, glad we said roughly the same thing we posted at the same time.
[Edited on 2-8-05 by phelpsa]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 02:45 PM |
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If braking power were the whole story Capri 2.8i or 3 litre drums would be easier but the best reason for going to disc on a hillclimb car isn't
so much braking power or fade ressistance but that the response of the rear brakes will be closer to that of the front and they also give a firmer
pedal. Drums respond to pedal/hydrualic in a completely different way to discs.
[Edited on 2/8/05 by britishtrident]
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Mr G
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 06:39 PM |
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please have a look HERE
[Edited on 2/8/05 by Mr G]
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lsdweb
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 10:02 PM |
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Thanks guys
I've already got a balance bar pedal box so will have no problems with too muh rear braking. I need to refurb the rear drums on my car so
thought I'd go for the more responsive disc setup.
I've got my eye on a setup for reasonable money so will wait and see what happens.
Regards
Wyn
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lsdweb
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| posted on 3/8/05 at 04:36 PM |
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Has anybody fitted M16 calipers and discs to the rear axle (usually on the front)? I have a set of very low mileage (150 miles) calipers, green stuff
pads and good discs sitting around as I've just upgraded the front to 4 pots etc..
I'd only have to make up a bracket to fit.
I'd get around the handbrake option by welding a tag to the outer pad either side and attaching the cable to these - this should provide enough
'pull' to get the handbrake to work effectively enough for MOT.
Any thoughts would be appreciated before I strip the back end apart!
Regards
Wyn
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britishtrident
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| posted on 3/8/05 at 06:34 PM |
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M16 are the last thing you want to fit on the rear.
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lsdweb
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| posted on 3/8/05 at 07:11 PM |
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Any reasons?
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britishtrident
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| posted on 3/8/05 at 07:31 PM |
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Yep -- much too big
Rear brakes only need a max 50% of the piston area of the fronts that works out about a piston diameter of 35mm --- any more and the rear brakes will
snatch on get it too far out and you end with a balance bar screwed right over to one side which isn't good.
Also ideally the front and rear brakes should have similar characteristic as they warm up, there isn't a hope of getting this if the brakes at
one end are oversized.
The only cars you can upgrade the brakes at one end on and ignore the other axle are small (ie short wheelbase) hot hatches because they do 90%+ of
the braking on the front axle and are always under braked on the front.
[Edited on 3/8/05 by britishtrident]
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lsdweb
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| posted on 4/8/05 at 06:50 AM |
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Thanks
Those are the exact same thoughts that stopped me from doing this as soon as I had the M16 calipers off the front!
Anybody want to buy some nearly new calipers and pads.............
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