14 replies to this topic

[hatchet]

Hi all.

I'm looking at buying another mini, but it has drum brakes all round. so I was wondering if anyone knows approximately how much the cost would be to convert the front drums to disc brakes??

Cheers!

[Pavel]

Depends if you want to use 10" wheels or you don't mind running 12" wheels. Also if you want a new setup or a used one.

[Guess-Works.com]

You should be able to get a good servicable drivertrain (shafts' hubs disks and calipers) from a scrappie or ebay for about 50-70 quid... ( that's 8.4's ) I'd then spend a little more on new ball joints, CV boots and pads'...
If they need new disks / CV's / bearings or calipers re-building then the price should reduce proportionally.

If you want to stick with 10" wheels, then the money get's silly....

[Guess-Works.com]

Ooops... forgot to mention... you'll also want to change the drums at the back to the 1" spacered variety or your mini will look like it's been pinched in at the end !!! :grin:

And finally, to please Mr MOT you may need arches, as the wheels will be 1" further out than they use to be, and hence protruding from the bodywork, but sometimes you can get away with it...

and then, as it seems to be a hot subject in another post... tell you insurance broker !

[hatchet]

Cheers people!

I'll probably have 12's, much as I'd like to put 10's on there's no way I'd be able to convince the accountant (wife) to increase the budget to accomodate them!!

[Woody]

And look at it this way , now you can have a decent sized brake disk and proper brakes !

[siggy]

Proper discs - ie 7.5 'S' ones only cost about £300 and then you can still run Mini size wheels (10s)

Siggy

[minimadjonesy]

I bought the conversion to change 8.5inch discs to cooper s discs and that cost me £350 - I believe the hubs may be slightly differnet for drum braked mini's but I could be wrong!

your best bet is to go to Ebay and buy a cheap knackered mini with discs on it and swap them onto your car! :grin:

[siggy]

Drum and disc brake uprights are different.

Siggy

[Guess-Works.com]

If you do go for 10's and are able to swallow the 300+ for the S calipers, then what about going the whole hog and get some 4 Pot alloys....

I did this a couple of years ago and have never regretted it.... absolutely awesome stopping power

[Dan]

Drum and disc CVs are also different, as are drum, S disc and non-S disc driving flanges. And the wheel bearings in those uprights, not that you'd try to re-use the old ones anyway. And remember you need the chamfered washers.

Cast Iron callipers cost abot £110 each, and Alloy 4-pots are around £300 a pair.
A full kit of new parts, un-assembled for conversion costs around £570 with iron Cooper S callipers, or £630 with Alloy 4-pots. As has been said, a great deal of money can be saved by buying most of these parts second hand. Have a look around at MITP this weekend. You'll save the most money by buying individual parts from different autojumblers, 'because they won't rip you off if they don't think you're after the full setup.

[jeffberg]

remember that the twin leading shoe drums are better than the small Cooper Disk brakes

[mini_ron]

remember that the twin leading shoe drums are better than the small Cooper Disk brakes

errr, how so?

i have had a bit of a shock, on my mazda i had EBC spotties and green stuff pads.

now i have a car thats older than me with drums!! its not so bad tho, an i love the fact it seems every mini owner waves or flashes when drivin about!

LUSH!!

[jeffberg]

the twin leading shoe drums have more stopping power than the 7" discs.... remember that the only advantage to disks is cooling. For instance.... Tractor Trailers (here we call them Semi, there I guess you call them lauries) use Drum brakes. Drums have more surface area, they just heat up.

I have all drums on my mini with a 1275 with a good carb and exhaust. I have no trouble stopping. I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with the discs. If you know how to drive a car you don't need them.

[Guess-Works.com]

I think we're all lazy... and I think you'll agree, with drums if you don't keep on top of the adjustments then you'll end up with no stopping power at all... but disks are self adjusting...

There is also the problem with insurance.... many insurers wil not touch drum braked cars with a sniff of engine modification... and no 1275 mini had drums as standard.