ford disc brake conversion, yes or no???

[PaulTubby]

Hi all, is there a big difference re the ford dics brake conversion kit over a standard setup .. im thinking of upgrading to ford discs and a servo and wonder peoples views....

[bmcecosse]

My view is well known......but if you have the cash, and intend to drive the car 'hard' - by all means go ahead!

[tom1985]

Mine has MG midget front discs fitted. Whilst hardly giving modern levels of braking, it is a considerable improvement over the standard brakes, and it stops as quickly as I need it to. Never considered a servo, doesn't really seem necessary to be honest.

I must admit I didn't do the work myself - they were on the car when I bought it. But I can be sure that replacement parts are easy to come by, and are likely to remain so, which makes it a good choice for conversion in my view. Also, since it is from another BMC model, I don't feel like it spoils the character of the car too much, you can always argue it's a conversion that (in theory) owners could have done at the time, when the Minor was still in production...

[bmcecosse]

Indeed - many did - as Spridgets found their way in to the scrappy. But the Wolseley or Riley 9" drum conversion was ever popular too! And I suggest better braking than the tiny Spridget discs....

[aupickup]

well the larger drum brakes are fetching about the same as disc conversions now
I had marina discs on a van and were well pleased with the set up
go for discs

[philthehill]

There are a set of Riley 1.5 front brakes for sale on 'e' bay at a BUY IT NOW price of £225 which I consider reasonable. Item No: 231030506920.
If anyone is looking for Riley 1.5 brakes I would grab them quick as they do not come up for sale very often these days.
I had Riley 1.5 brakes on the front of my Minor before the Marina discs and they were very good brakes.
My only comment regarding the Ford brakes is that I did consider them but when the Ford brake assembly was weighed they were heavier than the Marina assembly including the Marina hub so did nor proceed and stuck with the Marina set up. For me weight is everything!

[bmcecosse]

They are huge brakes - wider shoes than the Wolselely, and they look to be in good order. I was going to say they seemed a bit expensive until I noticed they come with FREE delivery... So I agree - a good price, and easily fitted in an hour or less per side!