Technical Front brake disc kits

[Noah500]

OK, after an "oh ****!" moment at the weekend when I nearly ploughed into the back of a queue of cars at temporary traffic lights it was brought home to me exactly how poor the drum brakes actually are. I'm thinking about a disc brake conversion over the autumn/winter and I've started looking at kits that retain the existing standard 500 wheels. So far I've found 3:
Ricambio: kit £474 with vented discs but you need to add the wheel adapter kit at £144
Motobambino: kit £583 with solid discs, wheel adapters included

fiat500spareparts (ebay): kit £420 with drilled discs and wheel adapters included (also new flexi hoses)


What are people's experience with any of these?

Cheers,

Simon

 

[Noah500]

Oh, also Auto-bella (ebay) kit £529 with solid discs

 

[Toshi 975]

I went for the Ricambio kit years ago after similar experiences to you. I went for that one as it was pretty much the only one available in the UK at the time and it solved my worn wheel bearings and king pins at the same time. I am not crazy about Ricambio as a company but the brake set up did the job and I was glad to have it on a number of occasions.
If you find yourself needing a pair of adaptor plates I have a spare new pair that I will sell a lot cheaper than that price.

 

[the hobbler]

When fitting discs to the front (NOT required ,or reccomended for the rear) one of the things that you have to look at is--how much do they widen the front track by. Some kits increase the track by as much as 1 inch PER SIDE. Some kits, if you do a bit of hunting, hardly increase the track at all. Another thing to consider is--how much rubber have you got on the road. I have 5.5 x 13 inch wheels/tyres and I can, if I try really hard, lock the front brakes in the dry, and easily in the wet.
Another thing to consider is--what master cylinder are you going to fit. You CAN get away with the original, but you will probably have to fit the smallest rear wheel cylinders that you can find (I did)--the front calipers will use a lot more of the available brake fluid than the old front wheel cylinders.
Another kit, is the one 'D'angelo Motori' sell. It comes complete with new uprights, front stub-axles--the lot. Looking at the kit, they seem to be using 126 front uprights, which have 3 bolts for securing the adapter plate to the stub-axle carrier, as against just the 2 bolts that the 500 stub-axle carrier has. The D'angelo kit is E450--£385. I have bought variouse parts from them, and have never had a problem

 

[Noah500]

Thanks both for your replies - good additional things to think about.

I think the Ricambio item does also recommend a new brake cylinder (and reservoir?) - presumably a dual one so the front and rear are on separate circuits? ... any specific recommendations?

Good point about the track width increase, too.

Simon

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Thanks both for your replies - good additional things to think about.

I think the Ricambio item does also recommend a new brake cylinder (and reservoir?) - presumably a dual one so the front and rear are on separate circuits? ... any specific recommendations?

Good point about the track width increase, too.

Simon

Hi Simon, I have a differing mod of various Fiat parts for my front disc's, but I would recommend a dual master cylinder and the later 126 rear brakes which are slightly larger. Tom's comment regarding the 'D'Angelo' kit is valid we have both purchased parts from them in the past and they are of good quality and they have good communication too. Your money your choice
Ian.

 

[the hobbler]

I have only a 'single circuit' brake system on my car with a "servo" master-cylinder. The master cylinder need a fair bit of 'fettling' to make it work properly, but now it works fine with no problems. To fit a 'dual-circuit' master cylinder in a 500, you need to either chop the front bulkhead a bit to make it fit, fit a 'right-angle' master-cylinder or, there is another small dodge to give you that extra 10mm that you need to fit a 'dual-circuit' maste-cylinder without chopping holes in the frontbulkhead.
By having only a 'single' master-cylinder,I had to (as mentioned earlier) fit the very smallest wheel cylinders to the rear (5/8in--126 MK 1 rear)---I have no problem in stopping!

 

[Toshi 975]

I have a spare pair of new 5/8” bore brake cylinders should they be required

 

[ClassicFiat500]

I have a spare pair of new 5/8” bore brake cylinders should they be required

Hi I have front & Rear discs brakes that came from Ricambio prior to me buying my car.
Do Not fit them on the rear it makes the handbrake virtually useless. The only thing I have found for some strange reason is my front brakes seem to bind a little after about 5 miles of driving, this maybe due to not using the car much (15 miles last year) its in Middle Barton Garage at the moment being serviced

 

[Noah500]

I have a spare pair of new 5/8” bore brake cylinders should they be required

OK, thanks