32 replies to this topic

[LukeH]

Hi

I am aware that you can purchase a rear disc conversion from Kad but I was wondering if anyone has done their own or even if it's possible. For example, it's possible to convert Fiesta brakes and even Honda brakes to fit the front but what about the rear?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

Luke.

[mighty mini jack]

Paul Wiginton has some on his racer.

and Roofless (martin) is in the process of doing some i think.

[Burnard]

I thought paul had a custom set up? not KAD.

[Cooperman]

Unless you are doing long-distance racing rear discs are completely unnecessary. The rear brakes do so little work that they hardly get hot, even the drum ones. It is umlikely that rear discs ever get hot enough on road driving to reach a decent working temperature.
Of course, there is a small weight saving in un-sprung weight with rear discs, but unless it's a full-on racing car you'll never notice any difference.
To improve performance you would be beter spending the money on other things.

[mighty mini jack]

I thought paul had a custom set up? not KAD.

Thats what i'm saying.

He's done his own, kinda what Luke is asking?

[Paul Wiginton]

Theres pictures of mine in here

http://www.theminifo...x...=119440&hl=

As Cooperman says they arent worth anything except a 10kg weight saving

Paul

[shorty]

chris at smart performance pretty much makes his own rear discs to run on a beam axle.

think you can also order them from him but think they cost fair bit

[Cooperman]

[quote name='Paul Wiginton' date='Jan 27 2010, 04:51 PM' post='1714385']
Theres pictures of mine in here

http://www.theminifo...x...=119440&hl=

As Cooperman says they arent worth anything except a 10kg weight saving

Paul

That's surely worth saving on a race car and there may be some chance for the rear discs to get warm under racing conditions. You have to be really serious about weight saving to want discs on the rear. Presumably you only fit them when you have stripped out the sound-deadening, fitted perspex windows, removed ther rear bins, stripped all the 'black-gunge' sound-deadening off the floors (saves 20 kg - I weighed it when I did this!), cut away the inner door skins, etc.
In braking efficiency terms you gain nothing, but you sure spend a lot doing so.

[Paul Wiginton]

Mine is a road car which I use for 1/4 mile, so they never get warm. The main advantage was the weight saving but it also helps me do a better burnout before the 1/4 run, if I adjusted the drums correctly they dragged, if I set them not to drag they wouldnt hold the car still, the floating disk arrangement spins very freely indeed.

Paul

[Cooperman]

For the 1/4-mile that really is a 'weight-critical' discipline. What does yours weigh?
I weighed my Rally Cooper 'S' and with it 1/2 full of petrol, that's c.5 gallons, it weighed 718 kg, but that's with 2 spare wheels, a full FIA gage, 2 spots, a sump guard and a full instrumentation fit. B****y heavyI reckon, but I don't know how to get any more weight off and still comply with the regs. The perspex windows make the most difference I reckon and fitting them also lowers the roll-centre a bit.

[Paul Wiginton]

Mine is a shade under 440kg with full tank of fuel without me in it

Paul

[Cooperman]

My gawd, that must really go off-the-line. What sort of BHP do you have? Mine has 117 at 6400 rpm with a 3.9 diff and s/c c/r box. That's quite good for a rally car on twin SU's I guess.
I went out in a Honda 1.8 V-TEC engined Mini last week. 200 bhp and about 750 kg. Car looks virtually standard as well. Awesome!

[LukeH]

Hi

Thanks for the quick replies, I wasn't expecting so many so fast!

For starters my project mini is a stripped out retro road/track car with just about as many panels in carbon and fibreglass as possible. It will have poly windows all-round except the front, plus alloy fuel cell and the list goes on. I have even had standard plastic parts re-made in carbon! Why.....becasue I can and I like a challenge.

My project is just that, a project so I'm not necessarily always looking for weight saving but I do like the race influence and to be a little bit different. I would happily purchase a set of Kad rear discs but I also quite like the thought of making or part making my own hence my question about whether it is possible. I wouldn't dream of putting a set on my Mini Cooper for example as I agree it would be pointless.

Paul - I have just added your topic to my watch list, its a very nice car. Do you have any more pictures/info on your home brew rear conversion? What calipers did you use, how did you tackle the handbrake and did you have to fabricate the parts from scratch or modify existing?

Cheers

Luke.

Edited by LukeH, 27 January 2010 - 05:22 PM.

[roofless]

mine are simply golf Mk2 rear stubs attatched to mini arms via the use of an adapter / spacer.

[LukeH]

mine are simply golf Mk2 rear stubs attatched to mini arms via the use of an adapter / spacer.

do you have any pictures please? drawings of the adpaters?