Ford disc conversion

[Ondergard]

I DID put it in first, but no wheel lock at all!

Thankfully, I remembered to drive within the limits of the brakes and on most parts of the route that was good enough, but that particular road in Aberystwyth is steep enough to be scary in any car, to be honest, first gear notwithstanding.

[bmcecosse]

Sounds good - must try it some day!

[alex_holden]

They may be in need of some work then. My Traveller is still on standard 8" brakes and I've driven down some very steep hills while heavily loaded (in 1st gear) without fading them.

Also make sure your idle speed is set as low as possible because it makes a difference to how much engine braking you get with your foot all the way off the throttle.

[jonathon]

Jason, to answer your original question, the Ford disc kits comprise of special hubs and caliper brackets to utilise standard Ford calipers and discs. If using standard Minor PCD your discs will need to be re drilled to 4" PCD and the centre bore opened up. So essentially its not just a case of sourcing your parts from the local parts supplier (unless you have the machine facilities to modify the discs.)
Its my view that drum brakes in tip top condition are upto the job if you drive the Minor in a befitting style. Minor brakes have always been ridiculed from the outset for being under braked so if you venture over 50mph you will soon find their limitations. It has to be remembered too that most 'moderns 'have antilock disc brakes and servos, so their braking is far superior and controlled.
I'd say that if you ask the question about upgrading to discs then you have already found the limitations of the original drums. We have many customers having been in this position, who would have given up driving their Minors had the disc upgrade not been available. To convert to a full disc kit servo re plumb etc etc will cost in the region of £1K, not cheap, but in my opinion worth every penny.

[bmcecosse]

Well said Jono! Although I feel the later 8" standard brakes are fine up to the 70 limit.
So - £1000 for full disc installation, and ~ £60 for Wolseley 9" front brakes - and 2 hours easy work to fit them of course.

[Arnie]

Well said Jono! Although I feel the later 8" standard brakes are fine up to the 70 limit.
So - £1000 for full disc installation, and ~ £60 for Wolseley 9" front brakes - and 2 hours easy work to fit them of course.

That is £1000 based on new/refurbished bits as opposed to 60 quid for secondhand parts. A pair of secondhand sierra/escort calipers (they are the same) won't cost much and motor factors virtually give away sierra/escort (they are the same!!) 240x24mm vented discs. You could even go up to the larger rs turbo/sierra 2.9 caliper and 260x24mm discs wich give a much larger pad area, I would'nt touch front drums with a bargepole you and your enlightened friends can keep them. I have just sold a minor with discs all round and since i'm still serviceing it i'm looking fowards to just whipping off the wheels for a quick look at service time rather than mucking around with a screwdriver on 6 adjusters.

[millerman]

For the average 2000 miles per year Minor driver standard braking system is spot on.

Discs are certainly the way to go when you keep up with the traffic and have a sensible annual mileage, ok the cost more BUT apart from changing pads are virtually maintenance free .

I know I have done 100k miles on discs on my old Minor with NO replacing seal etc as with shoes and cylinders

[les]

Sounds like people have different views, that's strange!

[bmcecosse]

With big vented discs - on a standard car - they will never get up to operating temperature. I forsee lots of problems with rusted up discs and seized calipers. But - not to worry - each to their own!
One benefit of the larger drums seems to be - that effectively they v rarely need adjusting !

[Longdog]

I have wolseley drums fitted to my traveller but having owned Minors with discs on I would say that Discs have the edge.Instilling a sense of safety is important after all it's not how you drive, it's the other idiots you have to avoid that are usually the problem so in my opinion it is impossible to have a car "over braked".

[Kevin]

With big vented discs - on a standard car - they will never get up to operating temperature. I forsee lots of problems with rusted up discs and seized calipers. But - not to worry - each to their own!
One benefit of the larger drums seems to be - that effectively they v rarely need adjusting !

Not seen many posts about seized calipers being a problem, and like everything else will depend how old they are and how well maintained.

[frankatrover]

Thanks guys, I really enjoyed reading all your comments on `discs` versus drums. I drove `old` minors when they were not Classics (I`m probably a lot older than most of you). The reason (in my mind) I am fitting discs and servo to my 70 Traveller is that I have recently had a total knee replacement, and am due to have the other knee `done` in about September. My wife will be driving untill I am fit again, and she has only ever driven modern cars. I feel that discs and servo will help to give her the confidence she has when driving her own eurobox. She is a very competant driver (in her car ). She WILL be moving along with the traffic, good style ! Any comments ??

Thanks, Frank

[bmcecosse]

The servo will certainly drop the pedal forces - but properly maintained drum brakes were never 'heavy' on a Minor - they were 'Little Old Lady' cars remember. But discs + servo may well suit you and your wife nicely - just make sure the job is done properly - it won't be cheap!

[linearaudio]

Not wanting to appear as though I've changed to the 'enemy' camp, but the 'little old ladies' probably, like most Moggy drivers of the time (or most other drivers) never went particularly fast and were not subject to the sorts of traffic levels and situations that we are! I wouldn't classify the standard brakes as light unless you are just slowing rather than abrupt stopping. I know-anticipation etc, but that seems to work less and less nowadays, especially in-town! As my wifes' car is a "power braked" Xantia, I notice the contrast between our cars somewhat keenly!

I still have a nagging suspicion that the lever angles with the standard pedal arrangement could be a significant factor, as they seem to tend toward the obtuse as you press further on the pedal.

However..... on the skinny tyres of a standardish Moggy, how light would be sensible on the brakes? If you servo them you might you tend to lose some feel before they break away (just a thought), especially if my suspicions about the lever angles with the standard master cylinder arrangement are right.

Note: I'm thinking of the car in the hands of someone not neccessarily " in tune" with the car as a whole, not suggesting that all you servo users have got it wrong!

Would slightly wider tyres/ rims also be a good idea if going down this route? But then where do you start losing out due to too wide a tyre contact area for the vehicle weight? I remember my "Nova" beetle based kit car-215mm wide tyres on 14cwt car. Stopped on a sixpence in the dry, but in the wet everything just locked up!

As the Moody Blues once noted it's "a question of balance"!

[bmcecosse]

Certainly the braking limit on my car is by far the tyre grip to the road! It's all too easy to lock everything up - even on a dry road. The conversion here is to discs I believe (not something I believe in - but each to their own!) and so a servo WILL be necessary if a light pedal is required.

[frankatrover]

Sensible comments all around, and points taken. I think what I had in mind was the servo part to make the braking `lighter` for my wife, and the discs were my `immpression` of being better?. Larger drums may have been the most economic way to go......but in the end, I just like the `idea ` of discs. If I knew how, I would upload? a picture of Bess, my Traveller, and write in a few bits about me (like you all do), but at over Seventy, maybe I`m not supposed to know these things
Still, like the old Moggies, I`m still going and thats a bonus. I`ll keep watching all your discussions and enjoying the banter. Thanks again, Frank

[LouiseM]

If I knew how, I would upload? a picture of Bess, my Traveller

When posting a message you'll see a box marked "upload picture" at the bottom of the text box. Click on "browse" and then choose a picture from your computer. The photo will then upload with your message. To add more than one photo click on the "preview" button then follow the same procedure as above. Easy when you know how

[frankatrover]

Thanks LouiseM, I`ll try that when I have a couple of hours to spare <br><br>

[linearaudio]

Thanks LouiseM, I`ll try that when I have a couple of hours to spare <br><br>

Looking at the time difference 'twixt her post and yours, I make it 20 hours! Thats my kind of "couple"

Love the car- the only colour to have a Traveller

[frankatrover]

I`m glad you like the car..........but my watch makes the differance between mine and Louise`s post nearer 2 hours??