20 replies to this topic

[JimCooper]

Update at the bottom of the page, need more advice please

I'm looking to upgrade from the drums on my 63 Mini.

I have done a search (quite hard when there's a limit on words under 4 characters!) which has given me some information but I have some specific questions.

1) I want to keep my 10" Minilite alloys - Can I use the aftermarket 4 Pots and 7.9" solid discs or would I be better off with the Cooper S setup?

2) My Mpi Cooper stopped really well - would the 4 pots be better even though the disc size is smaller? How would the Cooper S setup compare to the Mpi?

3) Would I need to fit a servo or will I be ok with the standard set up? If so what servo fit straight on?

4) Can I buy second hand 8.4" shafts, hubs and flanges off ebay etc to reduce costs if I went for the 4 pots?

5) Brake lines/hoses - What do I do here?

6) Rears - can I just fit super fins / mini fins and longer studs - someone metioned the cylinders need changing too.

Cheers

Edited by JimCooper, 05 May 2011 - 01:22 PM.

[mk1leg]

your better off getting new.....as 2nd hand parts need new bits and a good 4 pot callipar set would set you back £300 then the hubs and discs .............

[JimCooper]

your better off getting new.....as 2nd hand parts need new bits and a good 4 pot callipar set would set you back £300 then the hubs and discs .............

Cheers, I don't mind spending the money just want to get the best set up

Edited by JimCooper, 22 September 2010 - 09:08 AM.

[JimCooper]

Can anyone else help with some answers

[bmcecosse]

When I did this - I just bought a second hand set of complete standard discs/hubs/driveshafts from a later Mini. Quick overhaul/regrease - turned the discs down to 7.9" (just takes the rust edge off the disc!) and fitted them with Fiesta Mk I calipers and MG Metro drive flanges. No servo required - best brakes by far! The Fiesta caliper has m10 X 1 brake connection - just use the Fiesta flexi pipe and make an adapter pipe to connect to the T piece under the master cylinder. The whole lot cost me £80 a few years ago now. Simples!!

[JimCooper]

When I did this - I just bought a second hand set of complete standard discs/hubs/driveshafts from a later Mini. Quick overhaul/regrease - turned the discs down to 7.9" (just takes the rust edge off the disc!) and fitted them with Fiesta Mk I calipers and MG Metro drive flanges. No servo required - best brakes by far! The Fiesta caliper has m10 X 1 brake connection - just use the Fiesta flexi pipe and make an adapter pipe to connect to the T piece under the master cylinder. The whole lot cost me £80 a few years ago now. Simples!!

Sounds interesting, but aren't they single pots? Are they better than 2 and 4 pot calipers for another reason eg larger pads?

[scottish minivanman]

Can I ask a question,

Are the Drive flanges required for this conversion standard Metro or are they the Turbo ones, (or are they the same, turbo/standard)





Minivanman

Edited by scottish minivanman, 22 September 2010 - 10:19 PM.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - they are nice big single pots/sliding caliper - very reliable, no sticking - excellent calipers. And yes - they have large area pads. I never had any fading - and that on standard Fiesta pads. I used MG Metro drive flanges - but I believe all the later Metros (with A series engines) had the MG Metro style flanges.

[james753]

Just another possibility here.... Get any old hubs from a disk brake mini (8.4 inch setup preferably in ok condition) and buy a minispares kit to convert 8.4 inch brakes to fit under 10'' wheels. - Included is smaller disks and flanges, and 2 pot calipers - mine seem to stop really well, but i haven't driven it really hard yet... still running in

You also need the driveshaft splined ends bits which go onto the cv joint and through the hub, as they are different diameters from drums to disks, disks having larger ones. (i think this is correct, but it's getting late - i may stand corrected...)


3) Would I need to fit a servo or will I be ok with the standard set up? If so what servo fit straight on? I'm not using a servo, seem to work fine without, but i haven't had the comparison. Not fitting a servo saves on extra brake line plumbing.

5) Brake lines/hoses - What do I do here? Same ones are fine, - i took the opportunity to upgrade to braided hoses. I also made sure the master cylinder seals were ok, checked for leaks etc.

6) Rears - can I just fit super fins / mini fins and longer studs - someone metioned the cylinders need changing too.
I can't see why you would need to change the rear cylinders, i'd just stick with what's already there, the rear brakes tend to lock quite easily if they are in good condition anyway due to the amount of weight over the rear (or lack thereof!)

hope that helps
James

[JimCooper]

Just another possibility here.... Get any old hubs from a disk brake mini (8.4 inch setup preferably in ok condition) and buy a minispares kit to convert 8.4 inch brakes to fit under 10'' wheels. - Included is smaller disks and flanges, and 2 pot calipers - mine seem to stop really well, but i haven't driven it really hard yet... still running in

You also need the driveshaft splined ends bits which go onto the cv joint and through the hub, as they are different diameters from drums to disks, disks having larger ones. (i think this is correct, but it's getting late - i may stand corrected...)

Good idea, some hubs and shafts from an 84> car and this set up: http://www.minispare...ty=pb&pid=42536

3) Would I need to fit a servo or will I be ok with the standard set up? If so what servo fit straight on? I'm not using a servo, seem to work fine without, but i haven't had the comparison. Not fitting a servo saves on extra brake line plumbing.



5) Brake lines/hoses - What do I do here? Same ones are fine, - i took the opportunity to upgrade to braided hoses. I also made sure the master cylinder seals were ok, checked for leaks etc.

Keep it simple then

6) Rears - can I just fit super fins / mini fins and longer studs - someone metioned the cylinders need changing too.
I can't see why you would need to change the rear cylinders, i'd just stick with what's already there, the rear brakes tend to lock quite easily if they are in good condition anyway due to the amount of weight over the rear (or lack thereof!)

I was more thinking along the lines of spacing the rears out to match the fronts, so could just fit some spacers?


Thanks to everyone for replying. I have seen some second hand Fiesta brakes in the classifieds but at £240 they seem a little steep!

Edited by JimCooper, 23 September 2010 - 01:51 PM.

[tommy13]

Just to add to what has already been said, I think the standard 8. 4" setup increases the track by about 10mm each side over the original drum brake. If you go down the Fiesta route then the metro flange (from a vented disc Metro) adds another 5mm to this, so if you don't have arches you are going to need them. In addition, not all wheels fit over the Fiesta setup without the use of spacers. This may also be true of the 7.9" 4 pot setup although the shops selling these should be able to advise you. There are some threads on here with advice about which wheels will fit over different brake setups. I have found from experience that some of this advice is wrong or at least neglects to mention that substantial spacers will need to be used in order to stop the wheel rim fouling the caliper.
Rear wheel cylinders.
As you can imagine, the pistons in the caliper you choose will probably have a much larger combined surface area than the old wheel cylinders. Even though the pads probably contact the disc with less movement than the old wheel cylinder and shoe arrangement, the footpedal travel may be greater after fitting calipers. This can be countered to some extent by fitting smaller bore wheel cylinders to the rear. Smaller wheel cylinder bores produce less breaking effort, but this is desirable when the front brake performance is improved as explained in this article.

http://www.minispare...x?ty=ad&aid=127

I used Fiesta front caliper and 9/16" bore rear wheel cylinders on my lad's Mini, which seems to work well.
Please remember your life depends on your brakes and if you are not sure.... Don't do it.

[Spitz]

I fit 7.5" to my 77 early this year. It stops fabulously...I autocross the car.
No need for a servo!
I have a servo on a later ( 89 ) MINI and I must say....although the pedal is easier, I like the non-servo feel better! It does not take a strong leg to stop on a dime ( sorry, penny ) without a servo.

As above...more plumbing with a servo, plus plumbing the vacuum from the intake manifold ( so you'd have to tap your present one or purchase a new manifold )

[JimCooper]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'm going to go for the 7.5 S or 4 pot set up with no servo and the GWC1129 rear cylinders with some spacers and longer studs on the rear. Should hopefully fil the group 2 arches out nicely

[JimCooper]

Hi All, just a little update on this, and a bit of a problem!

I purchased some later type disc hubs and bought the mini spares 7.9" 4pot caliper conversion kit along with the disc type rear cylinders and new spacered drums.

The car stops much better than the drums but not really as well as my 91 city, 92 cooper or 2000 sportspack, I know these all had servos and mine doesn't but the problem I have is that the rears lock up very easily so I can't make full use of the 4 pots. The brakes are all bled and the pedal is firm not spongy.

I have the same servo/master cylinder set up as a pre-84 mini would have and my mechanic seems to think that it cannot cope and I need to upgrade to the later type servo set up.

I'm interested to hear other people's experiences with upgrading from drums to 4 pots and if I should just upgrade and add the servo?

If so what would I need to buy - Hoping to pick some bargains up from the Himley Hall show!

Cheers

Jim

[JimCooper]

Hi All, just a little update on this, and a bit of a problem!

I purchased some later type disc hubs and bought the mini spares 7.9" 4pot caliper conversion kit along with the disc type rear cylinders and new spacered drums.

The car stops much better than the drums but not really as well as my 91 city, 92 cooper or 2000 sportspack, I know these all had servos and mine doesn't but the problem I have is that the rears lock up very easily so I can't make full use of the 4 pots. The brakes are all bled and the pedal is firm not spongy.

I have the same servo/master cylinder set up as a pre-84 mini would have and my mechanic seems to think that it cannot cope and I need to upgrade to the later type servo set up.

I'm interested to hear other people's experiences with upgrading from drums to 4 pots and if I should just upgrade and add the servo?

If so what would I need to buy - Hoping to pick some bargains up from the Himley Hall show!

Cheers

Jim