Rear Brake Drum to Disc Conversion

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CPBerry2011

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Hi all. Hope you are all doing well.

Just wanted to ask if it is possible to convert the stock rear drum brakes to discs on my 71 Bay whilst keeping the stock wheels? If so, which conversion kit would you recommend and where can I buy it.

We drove through the North Wales mountains fully ladened last summer and the braking wasn't brilliant (I know that is standard practice on hilly roads and fully loaded) but if I can make it safer/better then I would appreciate any pointers.

Cheers.

Chris.

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I would have thought decent disk brakes on the front would be doing most of the work. As long as the drums are adjusted ok they shouldn’t be a problem on the back. Do you have a servo on the front disks? That will help a lot.


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I’ve not heard a good report on any of the conversions so far to the point that some are considering returning to stock. We’ve had some massively detailed work on here from a member involved in this sort of design work professionally after he moved over to Oz. The upshot of this was that the numbers really supported the facts that properly adjusted drums were Just as good as discs apart from maintenance and adjustments to within such a small amount that it was negligible. The major advancements were by fitting a decent servo to upgrade performance, I know most of this was about front brakes, but the things that you were mentioning would apply mostly to your front brakes and I’m guessing you have the very first lot of discs on yours already. Does you got a servo ? As that would enhance your braking experience, and different pads would be my next go to, and then bigger discs and callipers would be my next thing. I would give the rear a miss altogether. Pads material is usually a compromise on braking efficiency versus wear rate just like tyres grip versus wear, so that’s where I’d head first.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,rear discs look cool, but,,,,,, :roll: :mrgreen: ;) :mrgreen: :roll:
 
mike202 said:
I would have thought decent disk brakes on the front would be doing most of the work. As long as the drums are adjusted ok they shouldn’t be a problem on the back. Do you have a servo on the front disks? That will help a lot.


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Thanks Mike. Yeah I have a servo. May look to upgrade it though to see if that helps.

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ozziedog said:
I’ve not heard a good report on any of the conversions so far to the point that some are considering returning to stock. We’ve had some massively detailed work on here from a member involved in this sort of design work professionally after he moved over to Oz. The upshot of this was that the numbers really supported the facts that properly adjusted drums were Just as good as discs apart from maintenance and adjustments to within such a small amount that it was negligible. The major advancements were by fitting a decent servo to upgrade performance, I know most of this was about front brakes, but the things that you were mentioning would apply mostly to your front brakes and I’m guessing you have the very first lot of discs on yours already. Does you got a servo ? As that would enhance your braking experience, and different pads would be my next go to, and then bigger discs and callipers would be my next thing. I would give the rear a miss altogether. Pads material is usually a compromise on braking efficiency versus wear rate just like tyres grip versus wear, so that’s where I’d head first.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,rear discs look cool, but,,,,,, :roll: :mrgreen: ;) :mrgreen: :roll:
Thanks ozziedog. I'll leave the rears on drums then and try your suggestions to see if that improves things. I do have a servo but might be time to swap it out as it's been on the bus since I bought it in 2014. Thanks again. P

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What do you mean when you say the braking wasn’t brilliant - requiring lots of effort when pressing the pedal, or having issues with overheating and brake fade / pedal hitting the floor?

Servo-assisted brakes should easily be able to lock up the wheels (by which time your tyres are the limiting factor), so I’d be of the opinion that if you can’t lock them, the system isn’t performing as it should be. Fresh fluid, fresh pads, checking for leaks - start with the basics before swapping out parts!


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