Brake conversions

[minimax]

can anyone recommend a good brake conversion for the front discs?

I was thinking about the metro turbo route, but all the people I speak to say all you get is a pedal which is impossible to press, and the price of some other makes of calipers! - KAD do some for 2 grand!

[plotloss]

Cheapest and easiest route, depending on the age of your Mini and the wheel size is to get some 8.4 discs off a late mini (post 88 I think).

You can then, if you want to upgrade further, get some of the MiniSport (Padiham) 4 pot alloy calipers as these are the cheapest 4 pots on the market (which is unusual for MiniSport).

Matt.

[phil hill]

I've got the metro 4 pots on mine, the pedal is just fine, a little bit longer than standard but pedal weight is fine. The only problem you have is that you should either replace the rear cylinders or adjust the rear bias a little. The correct diameter rear cylinders are a little obscure, Minispares didn't have any in stock but DSN classics did. If you want I'll look up the diameter/applicable model year for you.

[Fatboy]

I've got some metro turbo calipers and disks to go on mine - but one of the bastard bleed nipples has sheared off (didn't notice when I took them off the metro whcih I bought for £50 - for the engine and brakes, scrapped the rest) Don't suppose anyone knows how to get the bleed nipple out?

[I_cooke]

If you go for the turbo discs, can you not fit the turbo master cylinder (or is it the same?)? If not just go for a slightly larger one. This should bring the pedal back to the top (cost about 20 quid brand new!).
What about a servo? Do you have one? It will reduce feel but require less effort from the driver.

Plus, don't put brakes on the car that are too big, or they won't get up to temperature and can even make matters worse!

[Plotloss]

Isnt the bleed nipple a screw in item?

Could be way off the mark here but surely one could just drill and retap?

Matt.

[minimax]

I_cooke said: If you go for the turbo discs, can you not fit the turbo master cylinder (or is it the same?)? If not just go for a slightly larger one. This should bring the pedal back to the top (cost about 20 quid brand new!).
What about a servo? Do you have one? It will reduce feel but require less effort from the driver.

Plus, don't put brakes on the car that are too big, or they won't get up to temperature and can even make matters worse!

hmmm no servo at the mo - that's why I keep my distance when caining - that will go in with the new brakes

[I_cooke]

Yup, bleed nipples screw in,,, but often shear out! It's because those clever chaps at the garage don't lube them properly when assembling them (use copper grease). Lack of lube causes the thread to corrode and happily stick itself in place.

Best job is to soak it in WD40 or something similar and leave it overnight, (or you will have "rounded flats"!)

Then;

I wouldn't advise drilling and tapping, but try using an "Easy-out" if you bugger up the nipple.

>> Edited by I_cooke on Monday 14th April 20:53

[fatboy]

What's an 'easy out' do?

[Mr2Mike]

Note that the turbo disks (and drive flages) push the wheels out quite a long way. If you have chunky 12's or 13's then you are likely to need some more arch chopping afterwards.

[phil hill]

fatboy said: What's an 'easy out' do?

An easy-out is like a really coarse taper-thread tap, with the thread running the opposite way. The idea is you drill a hole in the offending seized item (lucky for you the bleed nipple has a hole already !!), then thread the easy-out into the hole. Because its reverse threaded it bites the seized part and undoes it. In reality what happens is the part is really seized and won't move, or you break the easy-out. So now you have a piece of broken-off HSS steel in the hole that you can't drill out..........

[Fatboy]

Cheers for that Phil.

Any idea's how to remove the bleed nipple then? (other than be really careful with an easy out?)

P.S. The nipple was sheared off when I got the calipers (bought a whole MG metro for the bits) so I don't know what state they're in - I was planning on refurbishing them totally before fitting them.

[Mr2Mike]

A bleed nipple has a hole running down it's center. You should therefore be able to drill down the center with gradualy increasing drill sizes until you literly are left with a small coil of metal that was once the thread. Then you can pick out the remnants with a scriber etc.

[chris.mapey]

Just fitted the Ferodo Power Stop grooved & drilled discs & fast road pads to mine.

BRILLIANT

MiniSport complete kit was only about £90. (I still have the standard callipers (Mini City)

Don't forget that fitting a servo doesn't make you stop any quicker, it just makes the pedal lighter to push. (my size 12's do a grand job anyway!)

I used to think that my car stopped OK, but now it pulls up really well, and I have yet to fade them.

Chris