smart51
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 04:01 PM |
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Converting sierra front uprights to solid discs
What is needed to change a sierra front end to solid discs? Do the sierra sold discs and calpiers just bolt on in place of the vented ones?
Are the sierra solid parts hard to find? are the sierra solid calipers heavy? If so, which other calipers will do the job?
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oliwb
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 04:18 PM |
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I don't know I'm affraid but why would you want to?? Aren't vented discs better anyway??? Sorry for my ignorance...Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 04:21 PM |
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I would guess (and that's all this is!) that as MK 3 and 4 escorts use the same 240mm vented discs and calipers as the "normal"
sierras, then pauper spec 1300 mk 3/4 escort solid discs and calipers should fit sierra uprights, seeing as the escorts all shared the same
upright/struts.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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BKLOCO
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 04:40 PM |
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I think you'll find the low spec smaller engined Sierras ran solid disks.
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want!!! 
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Avoneer
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 04:41 PM |
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What's the problem - do you need more stopping power?
If that's the only problem, try some better pads like greenstuff.
That should make a lot of difference.
If you'r still not happy, get some 4 pots like Willwood or HiSpec calipers.
I'd stick with the vented discs though.
Pat...
No trees were killed in the sending of this message.
However a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 05:03 PM |
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I'm doing same but not got round too it yet, I'm thinking it should be pretty easy job, Ive known people place a worn pad behind a new one
with a blob of weld too make up the gap.
Why ? save weight.
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 05:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BKLOCO
I think you'll find the low spec smaller engined Sierras ran solid disks.
Yea, they did indeed, was just thinking that that was only the mk1 sierras though, certainly the later 1600's had vented discs, so was thinking
it would be easier the look for the escort bits as they are more common in the scrappy now, not many mk1 sierras left now
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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oliwb
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 06:02 PM |
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Do they really save that much weight??? I know unsprung mass and all that but surely a vented disc can't weigh much more than solid, plus your
talking about using the same caliper (so no loss in weight there then) but adding on another chunk of metal behind to pad it out a bit, oh and surely
your braking is going to suffer from the downgrade (they did make them vented for a reason right?)....seems a bit crazy to me but maybe someone can
enlighten me further??!! Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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JoelP
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 06:27 PM |
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vented is nearly like two discs back to back, plus some would argue (ive never tested back to back) that vented discs dont get hot enough to work
proplerly.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 06:54 PM |
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I here what your saying but, there's always a but.........
The car they came off weighed twice the one we tend too be fitting them too, never mind the full boot and 5 passengers inside it, Ive seen RGB boys
turn solid discs down too make them thinner never mind get rid of the vented ones........
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RichieC
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 07:02 PM |
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Yep, theyre a lot lighter, but require a different caliper. The solid 240s had different calipers to the vented 240s, it was another caliper again
for the 260 (vented only) discs.
Rgds
Rich
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Bob C
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 08:00 PM |
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I seem to remember the old capris slipped a big metal spacer in the middle of the caliper when they ran vented discs on the faster versions. You could
buy the spacers (and ruin your calipers if you weren't scrupulous and lucky when rebuilding.....) as part of a vented disc kit for escorts
Bob
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andyace
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 08:45 PM |
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solid disk calipers and brackets for sale
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Sierra-1600-Front-Brake-Calipers-and-brackets-x2_W0QQitemZ4614240756QQcategoryZ100921QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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britishtrident
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 08:49 PM |
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Word of warning re packing out pads to fit thinner disc ---
If solid discs are fitted to vented calipers the gap between the the disc and caliper becomes such that when worn the brake pad at the piston side can
slip out between the caliper and the disc.
You may think this very unlikely but I know of a case where exactly this happed --- not on a car converted from vented to solid discs but on an old
3 box Rover 213 with badly worn pads and discs.
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smart51
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 09:02 PM |
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I would like to save some weight. Braking performance is just fine, I'm not worried about the discs overheating or over cooling. I just want
less weight.
How likely is it that escort calipers will fit without using spacers or having to machine them down?
Do escorts and sierras use the same solid discs?
There are a pair of new sierra calipers on eBay for £88 + £8 p&p is this a good price? would I be better with some aftermarket calipers?
especially if they are lighter and not much more.
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RichieC
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 09:06 PM |
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I paid 90 quid for an exchange pair with brackets and uprights.
Not sure if there are any alternatives which are similar price, Id guess not.
Escort and Sierra vented discs (240x24) are the same, the solid ones arent (240x10 vs 240x12) not sure about the calipers.
Rgds
Rich
[Edited on 22/2/06 by RichieC]
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 09:42 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Word of warning re packing out pads to fit thinner disc ---
If solid discs are fitted to vented calipers the gap between the the disc and caliper becomes such that when worn the brake pad at the piston side can
slip out between the caliper and the disc.
You may think this very unlikely but I know of a case where exactly this happed --- not on a car converted from vented to solid discs but on an old
3 box Rover 213 with badly worn pads and discs.
spot on, thats why they use an old pad with all the material off as a packer so it stays in the guides and a blob of weld, maybe not ideal but thats
what lots of guys are using at the moment.
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nitram38
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 10:39 PM |
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I am no expert, but my single disc setup is so good that my wheels lock up easily if I want them too! 
The thicker vented discs help with cooling the brakes when used a lot.
With normal road use or short sprints, single discs are more than adequate for a light car. You do not want over braked cars on the road as you do
not want continual lock ups.
If you want to race the car then vented discs are the way to go.
Most road car brakes will fail within 3 laps of a decent circuit, but vented discs will stay cooler longer and probably give 10 laps before serious
brake fade occurrs.
Basically, the bigger the disc area and the better the ventilation, the longer they will last.
That is why you see cars like lambos with big discs. It is not for the stopping power, it is longevity when giving them a continual caning!
[Edited on 22/2/06 by nitram38]
[Edited on 22/2/06 by nitram38]
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JoelP
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 10:48 PM |
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grooved and drilled is a compromise, mine has these and i did 5 laps, into the pits, swapped driver and then did 5 more laps, no sign of fade AT ALL,
though my mate wasnt braking as hard as me and theres only a couple of major braking monents at cadwell.
i know i dont need vented discs, even less once the bike engine goes in.
then again, mintex pads are meant to be very fade resistant, so maybe its them.
How do hawk pads compare, if anyone knows?
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DIY Si
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| posted on 22/2/06 at 10:55 PM |
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On cars like ours (not that mines built yet) you don't need huge stoopers to up end the car. Solid discs save a fiar bit of weight were
it's best to save it, and with a decent pad, ie greenstuff you will prob struggle to get fad. Can be done, but if necessary you can always go up
to a higher temp pad/better discs. My mini will repeatidly stop from 110, which is it's top speed to 0 all day and i only have 7.5" solid
discs
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smart51
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| posted on 23/2/06 at 08:06 AM |
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I've decided not to do it, or not yet at least. By a bit of calculation, based on the weight of a solid rear disc, I reckon that the saving is
2.25 kg for the pair. Not enough to affect acceleration by a noticable abmount without a stop watch and so not worth the £120 for calipers / discs /
pads from eBay. Worth doing for a new build I think.
So anyone with a new build, there are a pair of new sierra solid disc front calipers for sale on eBay for £88. You have about 8 hours.
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smart51
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| posted on 26/2/06 at 07:41 PM |
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For anyone doing a search on sierra discs, I have just weight my sierra vented discs at 4.6kg each and calipers at 4.3kg each including pads.
wilwood from calipers come in at just under 1kg.
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