Hi all,
After a thoroughly annoying day in the garage on Saturday trying to get my handbrake set up to work, I'm now considering a disc conversion. It's an English axle with 8" drums on it currently. Cannot get the wheels to lock regardless of what I try (they are new shoes and newish drums). I have run a handbrake cable to each drum but regardless of how much pressure I put on them they won't lock. Any tips or magic dust you can give me?

I've not given up with it yet but as I want the car IVA'd and on the road this summer I'm now considering a disc conversion to overcome the problem. I've done a search on here and found some great advice but can anyone tell me what discs / calipers will fit without having to modify the disc or hub.

Thanks,
Matt

i think mcgill motorsport on ebay sold conversion kits? there wassome claiper brackets that bolt on to where the drum backplates go, and i think it was fiesta (don't know which one) discs that fit over the normal hubs, and are held in place by the wheel being bolted on.

but, what do you mean to lock? you mean when you put the hand brake on as tight as you can, you can still push the car about? or do you mean when driving, you press the barkes and you can't get the back wheels to lock? because they shouldn't! if the problem is you put the hand brake on and you still push the car about, then more likely to be adjustment problem i'd think?

its an old thread i know, but maybe some guidance?
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=103425


[Edited on 17/1/11 by blakep82]

Hi Blake,
Yep, I can still move the car (not that easily) with the handbrake pulled on as hard as I can.
Thanks,
Matt

try the guy from EDS motorsport, he sells the brackets

Disc Brake Calliper Plate for English Axle. Pair. on eBay (end time 18-Jan-11 22:01:01 GMT)

when i asked him some advice before he was really helpful

sierra rear calipers should fit too

[Edited on 17/1/11 by blakep82]

Let the handbrake cable adjustment off until the cable is completely slack,
Pump the pedal several times to ratchet up the self adjusters.
Only then set the handbrake cable tension.

[Edited on 17/1/11 by britishtrident]

Disc conversion seems an expensive remedy for a dodgy handbrake - I can lock my wheels right up without much effort on the seven. It might be worth persevering as my experience with rear disks and handbrakes have been pretty poor in comparison.

Some things to consider:

How are you running your handbrake? On an escort you get 2:1 leverage at the wheel end as there is a metal bar that links one of the handbrake lugs with the cable guide, and the cable goes into the lug on the other end. If you are running like this, have you got enough leverage on the handbrake end? Are the cable/components stretching/flexing?

If you are using two cables, have you reduced the effort at the handbrake end? You could also weld something onto the lug to extend it if needed. Do you have a compensator to cope with the different movement on each side? How long are your cables and where are they routed? Do they move around a lot? Do they try to bend too much (Increases friction on inside of cable?)

Is everything tight enough? On the fury (With wilwood calipers) i had a real ballache as the cables would stretch too much meaning I couldn't get it tight enough.

Lastly, make sure the adjusters for the handbrake on the drums are free as that can give you a lot of excess movement too.

HTH


David

If you do decide to go disk conversion burton power do a set quite reasonably.