Technical Disc brake conversion

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Technical Disc brake conversion

Hi Pete

I used this product and it works fine. I chose it as it is similar / the same as the original disc upgrades at the time, however there was a little fettling required for the adaptor plates required for them to fit on snuggly.

Peter

Just to double check, the adaptor plates do come with the kit? It looks like they do from the photo.

The car's due its MoT in the next couple of weeks so, while it's with my local mechanic getting its MoT (who I trust) I'll ask him to switch the drums for these. Just double checking that, fettling aside, he'll have everything that he needs?
 
Pete

The adaptor plates come with the kit, you might as well change the front hoses while you are at it.

Peter
 
Just to double check, the adaptor plates do come with the kit? It looks like they do from the photo.

The car's due its MoT in the next couple of weeks so, while it's with my local mechanic getting its MoT (who I trust) I'll ask him to switch the drums for these. Just double checking that, fettling aside, he'll have everything that he needs?

There is no adapter plate. The hub with 4x190 holes is a single unit that the brake disc is bolted to. This is why this upgrage kit doesn't extend your track width.

Cheers, Steve
 
Steve

May be we are at cross purposes, I was referring to the adapter plates that secure the disc caliper.

Out of interest I thought the disc and the hub were one unit as you say, BIIRC when I looked closer they did appear to be actualy made of two pieces (disc & hub) which led me to think that they could be split?

My wheels are firmly on the car so I cant check so I may be wrong.

Cheers

Peter
 
Steve

May be we are at cross purposes, I was referring to the adapter plates that secure the disc caliper.

Out of interest I thought the disc and the hub were one unit as you say, BIIRC when I looked closer they did appear to be actualy made of two pieces (disc & hub) which led me to think that they could be split?

My wheels are firmly on the car so I cant check so I may be wrong.

Cheers

Peter

Yes sorry, it was me misinterpreting, yes as you say the caliper brackets are included.

And yes, the hub and disc are separate units, bolted together like the majority of disc brake hubs. Like you, I didn't unbolt mine, but it would be possible to split and buy the disc separately.

Cheers, Steve
 
Steve,

No problem at all, like the pads it would be good to know the source, but there again, knowing the mileage I have done in the last six years, I am never likely to need new pads or discs!:)

Cheers

Peter
 
Disc brakes arrived yesterday. Very well packed an all present and correct. So far so good. Booked in to be fitted at the same time as the MoT on Tuesday.
 
Disc brakes arrived yesterday. Very well packed an all present and correct. So far so good. Booked in to be fitted at the same time as the MoT on Tuesday.

Good news, if they are open to it/have enough time, you could ask them to put it on the rollers before and afterwards to see what difference there is in braking force and evenness in braking side to side between the drums and discs.

Unfortunately on mine, I changed out all of the brake lines, rear brakes completely and converted front to discs for MOT, so I couldn't compare.

Cheers, Steve
 
Hi everyone.

Thanks for all of your pointers so far on this thread. Hopefully it will all culminate tomorrow with a successful conversion to disc brakes, at the same time as (hopefully) passing the MoT for another year.

The mechanic that I've lined up to switch them over has asked me if I've got instructions to carry out the conversion procedure. I haven't, but I did say that a number of people from the owner's forum have carried out the conversion themselves, so it should be pretty straightforward and intuitive.

The kit includes:

1 - The discs themselves, which are already attached to an outer plate.
2 - A pair of callipers.
3 - Two clips/springs.
3 - Four pads.
4 - A pair of 'A' shaped frames.

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Does anyone have a quick guide that will help to explain how it all comes off and fits back on?
 
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Ah - here's your first lesson in upgrades /mods for Fiat 500
There are no worthwhile instructions - ever -
i bought a 500 5 speed gearbox conversion - instructions were hopeless.

I'm sure Steve HG can explain this conversion - but be aware of further mods with no instructions....
Think steering rack conversion, 5 speed conversion, rear disc conversion, Abarth dashpod conversion.....you have to work it out yourself.....or ask here!!
 
There is a (sort of) set of instructions for fitting front brake discs to a 500. Look on the "Club 126 UK" site---go to 'forum' (in the 'menu'), then to 'Tuning and customising' and finally to the 'front disc conversion' site by "Rusty's Uncle". The site will give you a list of required components and how to basically fit them.
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There is a (sort of) set of instructions for fitting front brake discs to a 500. Look on the "Club 126 UK" site---go to 'forum' (in the 'menu'), then to 'Tuning and customising' and finally to the 'front disc conversion' site by "Rusty's Uncle". The site will give you a list of required components and how to basically fit them.
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Thanks Hobbler, very useful (as ever).

I managed to locate the instructions, re-wrote them slightly and handed them over with the kit this morning. The mechanic who's doing the MoT and the conversion (a neighbour of mine who runs a very reputable local garage, a handy mate to have) took one look at it all and said it's "pretty straightforward".

He's also pretty sure that the pads for this particular kit are a straight lift from the classic Mini Cooper, and are very easy to source (am I allowed to say 'Mini Cooper' on this forum?). He's going to cross reference them with a set to confirm.

More later. Hopefully it passes the MoT OK and the conversion is a success. If all goes to plan I'll drive the car later and give everyone an immediate view on the increase in stopping power while the feel of the original drums is still fresh in my mind.

As a footnote, the more I've researched this kit the happier I am with my choice. It seems to be a very faithful reproduction of the original Abarth 595/695 optional conversion (rather than parts lifted from a Punto, Sceicento, Fiesta with some adaption). I'm sure the modern kits will be more efficient/powerful under braking, but given that I've tried to convert the car to an Abarth spec as accurately as possible, this kit is sitting well with me!

Hopefully I'm not eating those words later!
 
So, here's an attempt to square the circle on this thread.

The good news is that the brakes are on the car, and they're good. Very good. It's not quite the same as jumping from the Fiat in to my boring, modern, Audi A4 estate, but it's not far off and it's noticeably much, much more efficient at stopping.

The biggest difference is the firmness of the pedal, which feels much more like a modern car. The drum brakes felt pretty spongy in comparison (when I've driven it for a few days running I almost put myself through the windscreen when I get back in to a modern car)! But now the pedal is rock solid from the first millimetre, like a modern car I guess.

It wasn't quite as easy as a straight swap, and there was some fettling involved (which I think I'm learning is pretty much always the case with classics). Nothing too dramatic:

1 - My wheel bolts were unusually long and were catching on the discs. So they had to cut those down to fit.

2 - The plate that the callipers mount to didn't have any fixing bolts. They didn't have any kicking around the workshop and had to quickly source/buy some.

3 - They also needed to add some washers/spacers between the mounting plate and the assembly to stop some additional catching (I assume on the hub or the disc).

Nothing too dramatic, but enough to make an alleged 2 hour home garage job a weekend long head scratcher.

The not so good news is that the mod has resurrected an old problem of mine, and that's tyre rub at the front of the wheel arches when turning (especially at speed). My arches have been fettled twice before to scavenge a few millimetres, firstly to account for the alloys and secondly the Abarth suspension.

It's always baffled me, but Middle Barton diagnosed the reason last year. At some stage in the car's history it's had a front end shunt. Nothing serious, but enough to just push the bottom of the front panel inwards and, with it, the front of the arches.

MBG's panel beater managed to pull it out last year as a temporary fix, claiming back just enough clearance for it not to be an issue, and I never got around to getting it done properly. Now that this mod has reclaimed those few millimetres it's time to visit a good quality panel beater and give myself plenty of clearance in those arches!

To end on a high note, it flew through the MoT!
 
Sorry, I didn't respond with some fitting advice and to let you know you'd need bolts and split pins. I'm US again with work.

I'm glad everything went well and it sailed through MOT. If they didn't, I'd personally advise using some 270 loctite on caliper bolts.

Cheers, Steve
 
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