Reliant Disc brake conversion

[Manky Monkey]

Still is to me. 
Wow! Did you meet Lady Penelope? Was she as sexy in real life as her screen image? I saw Brains in a TV ad for bottled water recently, but you never see any of the other guys do you. I guess they've all retired now to live on their royalties. 
Told you those hubs are a bugger to shift didn't we!
I'd rather sell my carriers as a pair than end up with an odd one myself.
Willl Seat Leon caliipers fit? No idea! Try 'em & let us know! I only originally used VW Golf calipers cos I had some to hand at the time & they incorporated a mechanical handbrake assembly. Any caliper that fits over the disc will do.

[brains]

hi andy  yes I have seen the lady p naked ... she was about 1m high and perfect in every way. but like most women she was better with clothes on...... I was never allowed on my own with her.......  as I was sixteen at the time....and would have .......got tangled in the strings...
Still the seat leon callipers do fit the mrk2 carriers ok and the carriers have the same spacing that fits to the adapter plates so I will try them to see if they fit over the disc central and let you know...

[brains]

Hi everyone
I have been trying to work off the christmas dinner doing the rear axle and have been too heavy handed and messed up one of the end nut threads on the shafts. Does anyone know what size and thread they are or have a spare one ? . Andy if you read this  would like to buy your pair of carriers as the one I have seams to be wrong. Please pm me if you still have them , thanks Brains

[Manky Monkey]

Hiya B. Yup, still got the brake carriers, as mentioned before. Still 30 quid. Pm me your address & I'll get them in the post to you in the next few days. Just arranged to sell the spare axle we had & Mouse had our last pair of spare driveshafts, so no more here I'm afraid. Not sure of the thread size. Give Michaels of Selby a ring, (their details are in the Links for Commercial Purposes section). They'll know. Probably easier to get your existing shafts re-threaded. Any competent lathe operator should be able to cut a new thread for you. Doc, ("Twisted Patience"), does small lathe jobs. Check the Members list for his email address.

[morrag]

I believe the Nyloc nuts on the half shafts to be 5/8" U.N.F, also, its very common to require 20 tonne+ to remove the hubs from the shaft, using a vertical garage type press, bring the pressure up gradually, and before resorting to heat, a slight tap on the shaft end with a copper mallets will allow the "hamonics" to pop the shaft! usually! probably!....possibly,does the job,( leave the nut on a few threads to prevent the shaft taking off!) Morrag

[brains]

Thanks morrag for the thread size   I messed up the nut on re-assemble have already had the nightmare of getting the hubs off  regards brains

[Dicky]

This is the stage i'm at at the moment.

I assume the hub needs to be removed when doing the conversion so that the 'old' back-plate/brake cylinder carrier can be removed and the new carrier plate fitted.

Anybody taken any pictures of getting the hub off.

[Dicky]

Also, I got 2 front brake disc's off a Vauxhall nova, but there not originals.

There 'vented' type.  20mm from front disc face to back disc face.  Will the recommended VW gti disc brake carrier still fit or is there an alternative.  I hav'nt managed to source any carriers yet and don't want to waste money on the wrong type.

[Dicky]

While i'm asking questions, got some wheels given.  55/195/R13's, too small or OK.   Everybody seems to go for R15's.

Comments welcome.

[Manky Monkey]

Wrong discs mate. You've got the later vented ones there. You need the earlier unvented jobbies. I think they were fitted on the diesel model. Just nipped out to the shed with a tape measure. The jaws of the caliper carriers are only 12mm. Any decent autofactors will sell you a pair of the correct discs for about 12 quid.
Wheels- we've used 14s & 15s, but with low profile tyres. Overall rolling diameter, (tyres on wheels), averages 24 inches. If you go for 13 inch rims just use taller profile tyres. Check the Tyre Size Calculator in the Motors section of the main site. Smaller diameter tyres will give you quicker acceleration but less top speed. Taller tyres, higher top speed but you'll struggle to pull away. 24 inches seems a happy medium.

[morrag]

Dicky, See my earlier reply to Brains, re removing the hubs off the half-shafts. As Mr. M has already stated, you need the unvented discs, and their not worth buying second hand, its the carriers that are usually the most difficult to find.Morrag

[morrag]

Oops!, should have credited Mr M for the very excellent pic of one of his machines,showing a view of what you have to achive, sorry, Morrag

[Manky Monkey]

'Tis my own personal mosheen is that.
-Yeah, I know it's still not finished.
No piccies of the hub mid-removal, but if you unbolt the 4 bolts that hold the drum brake back plate to the end of the axle tube, you can give the back of the hub a sharp whack with a lump of wood & a big 'ammer & it should come out of the axle tube with the drive shaft still attached to the hub. Then, as stated elsewhere, you need to get the hub pressed off the shaft at your local garage, or anywhere else that has a suitable hydraulic press.

[tony b]

ive tryed to print off the axel plate pic and it will only come out the same size as the pic on the screen,what am i doing wrong.

[Manky Monkey]

Oh, we've had so much fun with this!
I own this website Tony & I've got no idea how it's done. I'm told there's a way but buggered if I know how. Anyone? If I can find them, we were sent a couple of photocopies which should be full size. Let me have a rummage & I'll get back to you. If we've got them I'll post you one.