Technical Front disc brakes

[stocky]

I know there's not many of us active on here but I'm thinking of upgrading to front disc brakes.
Looking at the usual suppliers a conversion set costs £500 plus. Does anyone know if there's a fiat model that I can source discs second hand that will fit the 600 and save me a few quid?

 

[summersc]

I know there's not many of us active on here but I'm thinking of upgrading to front disc brakes.
Looking at the usual suppliers a conversion set costs £500 plus. Does anyone know if there's a fiat model that I can source discs second hand that will fit the 600 and save me a few quid?

Hey @stocky. I am not sure this helps but the conversion kit I ordered claims the rotors are from a 124. The kit also has shims to correct the backspacing.

I have yet to install mine so I can’t comment on the fit just yet.
The kit I ordered is here: Fiat 600 Zastava 750 front discs brakes conversion kit - Oldtimer-shop

Let us know what you figure out!

 

[stocky]

Yes Racambio do a similar conversion. Think even if I sourced some 124 I'd still need the spacer plates so may just buy the kit although it's a lot of money. They also do the rear ones but they're over £800.

 

[summersc]

Yes Racambio do a similar conversion. Think even if I sourced some 124 I'd still need the spacer plates so may just buy the kit although it's a lot of money. They also do the rear ones but they're over £800.

Nice. That Racambio kit says it allows use of the 12in wheels. The kit I linked above requires 13in wheels (which I have). Good info for anyone looking to convert their 600.

I am planning to keep the drums in the back for now and see how things perform.

 

[summersc]

For those who are interested... I am pretty new to the world of 600s, so I am making plenty of mistakes during my restoration project. My front disc brake conversion is a great example. The kit I link above assumes (600D or newer maybe?) that the front hubs and front drums are separate parts. On my 1960 600, the front hub and drum are one part and slide onto the spindle as one. I realized this only after opening up the box for installation.

I toyed with the idea of having the drums turned down into hubs for me to use, but that would have really messed up my wheel offset.

Long story short, Ricambio has come to the rescue and sourced some hubs and rebuilt spindles for me to use. Any savings I may have realized with the kit I ordered has disappeared, and then some. I recommend folks just order the kit from Ricambio. The thought put into it is worth any extra $$. I hope this helps save others from paying the same stupid tax I have been paying.

 

[summersc]

Here is what my kit ended up looking like with the proper spindle and hub. Note that the rotor does not locate on the hub center. Rather, it locates inside the top hat. not ideal:

I am waiting on the parts that werent in the box to hold the caliper in place, which appears to be an X1/9 or 127 caliper. Plus, I just noticed that the threads on one of my calipers are damaged, bah!

this has been a battle for me, to say the least, and a bit of a crappy experience. Anyone considering doing this and not buying the Ricambio kit should tread carefully... and keep an eye out of some of the pitfalls I have fallen into. 1. make sure your kit is appropriate for the hub/spindle you have on your car. 2. make sure all the parts are in the box 3. try to make sure the rotor locates properly to the hub so it spins true.

It was also suggested that when converting to disc brakes get the braided sst brake lines to manage the higher pressures.

 

[348azeus]

Although they are probably extremely difficult to find, 850 Coupe front bibs and discs are a bolt on swap.

 

[stocky]

Thanks only just seen this

 

[summersc]

Hey all. More info to share on a disc brake conversion for our 600s. I have learned that, while the calipers for a 124 and X1/9 appear to be the same, the caliper brackets are different. It doesnt matter which you use, I dont think, but it does matter that you get the correct hardware for your caliper bracket. Here is a pic of two caliper brackets...

I believe that 124 bracket is on the left, and the X1/9 bracket is on the right. It makes sense folks mix them up. The important thing to note are the caliper bias springs (installed in the pic). The X1/9 brackets take a spring with a bend at the caliper. Also, the mounting holes are in very different locations. See here:

the kit i ordered above (oldtimer shop) came with X1/9 brackets, but no hardware. So, it took a while for me to figure out the correct springs. I hope this saves someone the time.

Here is how my setup finally turned out:

I did have to file the wedges and caliper bracket to get my caliper to slide smoothly. Without some filing, it would bind and not release the pad on one side. I sure hope they work well enough to be worth the hassle.