So after my tuning mods on my 500 little car is eating kilometers fast so i think it is time for me to continue spending my money and switch to a disc brake at list for the front. I have found a set from Poland which is made for the 126 hub size but he is using those adapters for the 500 wheels. Do you see any problem with that?
Technical Disc brake conversion
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Technical Disc brake conversion
the hobbler
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Be careful that with the '500 adapter' fitted, your wheels/tyres don't stick out too far and make contact with the wheel-arches
Tom i am worry about this also but for what distance we are talking about? if it is like 05cm i guess i can put spacers beneath the adapter and adjust it, what you think? Set costs 280 euros so it has my attention.
So I'm here again looking for disc break kit, the above mentioned is no longer available, I can't locate the guy that producing those. Any recommendations on available kits without breaking the bank? Is it possible to source parts from the market and maybe a couple of adapters so I can make my own?
Thomas
Thomas
the hobbler
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I have the technical drawing (with measurements) for the caliper fitment-adapter for the 126 hubs (it is different from the 500 adapter which only uses 2 bolts to the king-pin upright---the 126 uses 3 bolts). I have your addres in Athens Thomas---would it help if I sent you a copy of that drawing? As for calipers,are you still on 12inch wheels or have you gone up to 13inch wheels? I have 13inch wheels on my car and can JUST fit Cinqucento calipers, but for the 12inch wheels you need smaller calipers. I have heard of people modifying Ford calipers, but there are now calipers on the market for 12inch (or even 10inch!) wheels.
Hi Tom, You probably refering to this difference as pictures bellow between 2 and 3 bolts. If I am going to make a part by part kit my self I will buy those adapters ready since it is not very easy to fabricate them, a pair cost around 50 euros so doesn't worth but thank you for offering. I am running 12 inch CMR rims so if I only knew exactly which caliper and discs I need I can make it my self. Then I will only need the 4x190 adapters which are also available
. Other options is to spend 500 euros and buy the Abarth style disc kit which fit directly to my rims.
Hi Thomas, I'm not sure what size wheels you are using, but I have 5J x 12 rims (minilite) with 165/60 x 12 tyres. My disc brakes are using a modified Fiat X1/9 (and others) caliper with a single 48mm piston that has been ground away to fit inside the wheel. The discs are 10" IIRC. The pics show the fitting and an original caliper without modification. The hub PCD is 98. The suspension is standard using braided steel brake pipes, note there is a spacer too. I am not sure of the dimensions of the adaptor plate, but could find out if needed by stripping a front hub and measuring everything with pictures?
Ian.
Ian.
the hobbler
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Thomas; the Mk1 Ford Fiesta (1976--1983) used 12 inch wheels, with discs on the front. If you can find a set of front brake calipers and discs for one of these early Fiesta's, that should give you the correct (and unmodified!) front calipers and discs.A bit of 'fettling' might be required to match the calipers with the mounting plates, but I don't think that will be beyond your skills. An alternative for the front discs is to obtain a pair of Cinquecento discs (same pcd--98, as on the 126s) and machine them down
Ian no need to strip anything, thank you. I guess that those adapters at the top of this post can bot direct in the place of your spacer and then 4x190 rims can be fitted on. This might be the path but then again i am not sure about those adapters if they are moving wheels out as Tom mentioned above and have problem with my arches.
I have found this kit to be a good solution since it doesn't need adapters for the 500 rims and it is suitable for even 10" rims. I think this is Abart style replica kit. Im am just not sure about the source of the discs and calipers in a case of failure if they are commercially available.
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the hobbler
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Thomas, this might be of help to you. I was looking for an old article that I had written for the "Fiat 500 Enthusiasts Club" magazine (I do a lot for the mag) when I chanced upon an advert by somebody selling a 'disc brake conversion' for a 500/126. Sadly the advert was for a couple of years ago, but what caught my attention was that he was using "Fiat Punto 55" calipers, and the kit was for fitting to STANDARD 500/126 cars, which means that they must have had 12inch wheels fitted. If you are going to be ]making your own kit, finding a pair of calipers off a "Punto 55", might solve the problem of what to fit that is easy to find replacement parts/pads for.
Tom latest research show that the above kit was good back in the 70s but today there are better avail. As you said Punto calipers and discs along with 126 hubs but also caliper plates is a way to build a kit. The catch here is that for 4*190 adapters you get about 8mm wider in each wheel. Something that I don't want. D'angelo has a ready kit which eliminates this problem. Still a lot to learn.
