Drum to disc brakes - how? Can anyone help?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Kokopelli - 30 Jun 2006 21:25 GMT

Hi, I've had a mini mayfair for a few years, so I know my way around a
mini - but I'm not a car genius by any means so go easy on me!

I've managed to buy a nice clubby estate in really good condition. It's
a 1.1 with chunky 10 inch alloys and I'm thinking of fitting disc
brakes if I can - you can certainly notice the difference between the
mayfair and this when stopping!

Is there an easy/economical way of doing this? Or even a difficult one?
Is there a standard convertion kit or method. Or a guide somewhere
maybe?

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Reply to this Message

RS - 30 Jun 2006 22:12 GMT

Since you have 10 inch wheels, you need cooper S 7.5 inch discs and
calipers. These are an expensive upgrade. Do not fit 7 inch discs as these
are rubbish. The standard 8.4 inch discs (used from the early 80's onwards
WILL NOT FIT WITH 10 INCH WHEELS (unless you put 12 inch wheels on.

check out the main spares sites
www.minispares.com
www.minisport.com are both good.

RS

> Hi, I've had a mini mayfair for a few years, so I know my way around a
> mini - but I'm not a car genius by any means so go easy on me!
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Reply to this Message

Kokopelli - 01 Jul 2006 08:16 GMT

Thanks RS,

So, what would you do? New 12"s or cooper discs?

Reply to this Message

$ - 01 Jul 2006 10:48 GMT

IMHO - go with an 8.4 setup. Can be had for much cheaper and will stop the
car better. Espesh if you buy good discs and pads and fit braided hoses all
round. I drove my brothers 1380 with the cooper disc setup and it felt a
bit wooden and need lots of pedal pressure to stop. I believe the racers
machine down vented 8.4"s to 7.9" and fit KAD 4pots, expensive but they go
under 10's.

For an everyday car I would just find an 85/86 on mini in a breaker and take
the whole hub and brake assembly and fit it to the clubby.

Chri$

> Thanks RS,
>
> So, what would you do? New 12"s or cooper discs?

Reply to this Message

Kelley Mascher - 02 Jul 2006 21:23 GMT

My experience is that 10s handle better than 12s for similar spec
cars. You can usually lower a car on 10s more with less modification
which is another plus.

In the U.S. the 'S' brakes add as much or more to the value of the car
than their purchase price.

Cheers,

Kelley

>Thanks RS,
>
>So, what would you do? New 12"s or cooper discs?

Reply to this Message

Turbo Jo - 01 Jul 2006 08:47 GMT

> Since you have 10 inch wheels, you need cooper S 7.5 inch discs and
> calipers. These are an expensive upgrade. Do not fit 7 inch discs as these
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>>
>> Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hasn't someone produced some 10" wheels that fit over the 8.4" discs and
calipers?

You could always try this method from Eric Harrison. I found it on the
net a while back when looking for a way to convert to 10" wheels. This
was before I bit the bullet and bought a Cooper S set up. (Still haven't
told the wife about them).

Cheap Mini 10 inch Disk conversion

This page is information only, use at your own risk. No responsibilty is
accepted by the page owner.

1. Obtain a pair of fiesta mk1 calipers and securing bolts.

2. Get a pair of standard metro drive flanges (not MG or HLE)

3. Remove your standard 8.4" discs and have them machined to 8.1"

4. Remove your mini calipers and flexy's

5. Drill out the threads on the mini hubs so that the Fiesta bolts are
a clearance fit.

6. Using a file or grinder remove about 1/8" from the web of the fiesta
caliper.By holding it up against the hub it will be obvious how much you
need to remove.

7. Mount the calipers on the front face of the hub with the bolts in
from the rear.This is just to make sure they are a good fit prior to
final assembly.

8. Fit the metro flanges to the machined discs and refit.(The metro
flanges will move the disc out about 3/8" further than the mini ones)
9. Refit the calipers.

10. Now the dificult bit.Connect the brake pipes back up.There are
numerous ways just remember that fiesta calipers are metric. Use a ford
transit flexy with a banjo bolt at the caliper end.At the other end I
had a metric end put on the original brake pipe at the point where it
goes through the subframe.

The calipers have stainless steel pistons as standard and very rarely go
wrong,however do be carefull if you are using scrap yard calipers as the
bleed nipples have a tendency to shear.
Refit ones with larger head size to avoid having any problems after they
are fitted.

Courtesy of Eric Harrison

Reply to this Message