11 replies to this topic

[Miki Leyland]

Do they exist for Minis?

 

Would be a great upgrade for drums... they are a nightmare to have them properly adjusted.

 

Perhaps they wouldn't sell that many disc conversion kits for the small engines. Just a thought.

[jaysmini1983]

easier and most likely cheaper to convert to disc's. 

[Miki Leyland]

easier and most likely cheaper to convert to disc's. 

Disc conversion is not that cheap...

[GraemeC]

... they are a nightmare to have them properly adjusted.

 

 

Are they? 5 minute job.

[imack]

As above they're a doddle to adjust so long as they're correctly maintained and adjusted with the correct tools.

Edited by imack, 09 July 2020 - 04:34 PM.

[Ethel]

If you're mentioning disc conversions can we assume you mean front brakes? Discs will always be more controllable & predictable than drums even if well adjusted drums can have at least as much stopping power. I doubt there's been any twin cylinder self adjusting drum setups, manufacturers were already adopting discs for up front. I wouldn't be that surprised if someone's grafted in backplates, shoes etc from something like a Fiesta, but it'd be a lot of work for little gain.

[Spider]

 

easier and most likely cheaper to convert to disc's. 

 

Disc conversion is not that cheap...

 

 

When comparing Drums to Discs, I gotta say, I could never understand how the Drum set up was cheaper than Discs, I'd guess that as the Discs are better Brakes, an up-grade, they were likely priced around that.

To then make Self Adjusting Drums for these would be another big added cost.

 

Disc sets are cheaper now than they were at any time, I recall being able to sell a set of used 7.5" Discs for $1200 (about 600 quid) in the 80's and the que for them would be out the door.

 

Drums can work well, but really high maintenance and not just needing adjustment. I think it's not a bad idea having them as a manual adjustment arrangement as you need to frequently get down and look behind the wheels, where you'll likely catch other issues, before they become a problem.
 

[Algordo1100]

... they are a nightmare to have them properly adjusted.

Are they? 5 minute job.

Yep. Just did mine. 5 minutes.
The adjusters are new though. I mean if they're stuck its a right pain.

[Cooperman]

when I started rallying in an 850 Mini in 1961, we used to carry a brake adjusting spanner and needed to take up the brakes sometimes twice on the fronts and once on the back during one all-night rally. To think we had narrow single shoe front brakes, but we fitted VG95 brake linings. 

On my 'S' I usually adjust the rear brakes once during a rally. It takes about 2 minutes each side.

[jaysmini1983]

 

easier and most likely cheaper to convert to disc's. 

Disc conversion is not that cheap...

 

 

thats not what i said, agreed its a big cost to convert to disc's but this would be cheaper than a self adjusting drum set up.

[Ethel]

Think of it as yet more Mini subliminal genius.

 

Crap brakes are yer Min's way of getting you to lube its grease nipples too.

[viz139]

I doubt at this point that many drum braked minis are being used as daily drivers so getting under your low mileage mini once a year to grease and check ball joints and rubbers you would barely notice the time it takes to adjust brakes.