classic mini - disc brakes?

[bruiser777]

Hi guys,

What year/reg did the classic mini change to run on discs instead of drums. Also - is this for front and rear?

Thanks!

Bruce

[love machine]

84 IIRC B reg

[miniman]

Front only. Unless you go for the splendid but highly expensive KAD rear disc setup.

[love machine]

If you fancy your back overbraked? I reckon it's overkill.

[fwdracer]

Late Mini's 1984 on use an 8.4" disc brake setup on the front( 12" wheels). Early Mini Coopers used 7" Discs while later Cooper "S" used 7.5" discs..... to fit under 10" wheels. The 7" disc set up isn't much better than a well set-up set of twin leading shoe drums (front).

Disc brakes on the back of a Mini are for bragging to your mates down the pub about. Totally pointless. The rear end of a Mini with it's drums properly set-up is more than adequate. There is a pressure limitation valve in the rear of the modern Mini braking system to avoid premature lock up of the rear drum set-up (due to weight transfer and generally low vehicle mass over the rear wheels). Putting disc on the back just exagerates this problem.

The last thing you need is the rear wheels of a Mini locking up!! When racing we try and make the rear brakes as inefficienct as possible for this reason.....

[guru_1071]

only advantage of rear disc brakes is reduction in unsprung weight. waste of time on all but the best competition cars!!

[ccharlie6]

on a car like a mini which doesn't really weigh much having discs on the rear would be overkill, i find that upgraded cooper S discs on the front and minifins on the rear is good enough for me (just accept that you won't outbrake any supercars)

[annodomini2]

fwdracer said:

The 7" disc set up isn't much better than a well set-up set of twin leading shoe drums (front).

7" setup is bloody dangerous! Get the 7.5's if you intend to run 10's.

[miniman]

miniman said:

Front only. Unless you go for the splendid but highly expensive KAD rear disc setup.

Sorry, by "splendid" I meant in terms of the quality of design and engineering, rather than whether there is any point getting them!

[bruiser777]

thankyou for the replies.

I am in staples2naples 2006 - and i rekon has to be in a mini ;-) I just want to make sure i have discs on the front for all that downhill action in the alps - so sounds like I need a post 1985 model!!

[guru_1071]

if you are buying a mini purely on its brakes go for a 1990 on model. they have the advantage of the built in brake servo, which gives little or no problems (unlike the 1980s tandam cylinder)

you get a very nice brake pedal and with a set of new standard discs and good quality pads you wont have any problems

[love machine]

I reckon that if you're doing a wreck rally, use the opportunity to take a car you would never buy. I did the Plymouth-Dakar in a 3L capri which we thrashed everywhere and it used a hideous amount of fuel but was worth every penny. Pulling into a spanish toll booth at 125mph with no brakes was funny, we went through the booth about 70! You should have seen the womans face Had to reverse about 1/4 of a mile.

[bruiser777]

been trying to get into the dakar for last 2 years, but no space. This is my first event. Being Naples - I thought a Mini would be very appropriate, and definitely easy to tinker with in the couple of months beforehand/fix en route

[love machine]

Just frigging well go, hook up with the bunch en-route and go for it. I've got a couple of sets of door numbers from the PDC 04. I reckon a Jag XJS would be the daddy!