15 replies to this topic

[biker1981]

I have just bought a 1982 mini and it has drum brakes at the front ..... I just wondered can I stick any mini lite wheels on the front or are you restricted having drums.

Should I upgrade to discs at the front is it. Big job pls?

[alex-95]

You can put what ever wheels you like on drums.

 

What wheel size have you got/fitting? if it's 12"+ then 8.4's will do the job. If you buy the complete unit ( discs, hubs, cv joints etc) then it is a case of splitting the ball joints and track rod ends, removing the drums and cv joints, fit the disc assembly re-plum the system and bleed it.

[carbon]

I have just bought a 1982 mini and it has drum brakes at the front ..... I just wondered can I stick any mini lite wheels on the front or are you restricted having drums.

Should I upgrade to discs at the front is it. Big job pls?

The standard drum brakes have a different wheel offset to disc brakes. If you use alloys which fit over disc brakes then most of these will require use of one inch spacers both front and rear (either separate spacers, or the wider 'superfins' with cast-in spacers) plus longer wheel studs.

 

You may be able to fins some alloy ten inch wheels which were originally intended for use with drum brakes, but these are probably getting a bit thin on the ground these days.

[Cooperman]

The 'reverse rim' wheels were designed to allow wider wheels on drum braked cars without spacers being necessary. So wheels with the Cooper 'S' datum offset will not fit as the tyres will hit the dampers. On the rear it is easy to just fit 'S'/Mayfair type spacered drums, but on the front longer studs and spacers are necessary. Alternatively, just buy wheels with the correct offset or fit a set of disc brakes.

The 997/998 Cooper also needed spacers to fit 'S' wheels despite having disc brakes.

[1984mini25]

Should I upgrade to discs at the front is it. Big job pls?

 

Not if you buy a complete hub, calliper, disks, hoses (disk brake ones are shorter and the drum ones will foul the tie bars if used) and driveshaft's (the disk brake ones are thicker) assembly from a donor mini. Then its a case of swapping them over and bleeding the brakes.

[biker1981]

I think I will just put 1inch spacers then some 12" alloys. So can I confirm this will work ok ?

[Tommyboy12]

Not likely. If you use a thick spacer you'll probably need longer wheel studs. Although that's not too long a job to change them. Take the hubs off, knock the old studs out and knock the new ones in.

[Bungle]

a lot of wheels will just bolt onto a drum braked mini

 

it's the clearance on the inside of the wheel you will have to check as the wheel will stick in more than on a disk braked car 

[madaboutcherry]

i had Dunlop d1's on my drum braked car.

[gazza82]

I'd fit the wheels then see what spacers you need. The narrower the better ... Avoids stress on the hubs/bearings/etc.

[1984mini25]

Not likely. If you use a thick spacer you'll probably need longer wheel studs. Although that's not too long a job to change them. Take the hubs off, knock the old studs out and knock the new ones in.

 

 You can get 1" thick spacers with screw on wheel stud 'extenders' but anyone who fits and uses those needs there head looking at imo.

[Ethel]

Changing studs on a drum braked car isn't difficult, I can't think of a reason why you couldn't put spacered rear drums on the front also - as long as they're new, as the shoes are wider. You can use drum drive-shafts, they are thinner, but all outer CV's are interchangeable.

[minidaves]

just fit a set of spacer drums front and rear 

[biker1981]

Changing studs on a drum braked car isn't difficult, I can't think of a reason why you couldn't put spacered rear drums on the front also - as long as they're new, as the shoes are wider. You can use drum drive-shafts, they are thinner, but all outer CV's are interchangeable.

Thanks all... I'm going to buy 1 inch spacers. What size studs should buy please ?

[Cooperman]

1" longer than standard  ?