Keep the rearbrake as a handbrake?

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

Has anyone upgraded to rear discs on a T2 but kept the original brakes as handbrake?

13 window deluxe · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

it would have to be a big disk mounting bell to clear the old rear drum plus you would be increasing the unsprung weight massively not good why not just use caliper with a hand brake or use a second light weight alloy mechanical spot caliper for the handbrake?
_________________
1964 rat 13 window deluxe 1Z tdi,
1975 rhd twin slider tintop (TBA)
1991 golf 2 gti with tweaked AHU tdi,

previous tdi swaps: gone but not forgotten
1979 rhd twin slider tintop bay ahu 1.9tdi
1990 T25 1Z 1.9tdi
1993 suzuki samurai with 1Z 1.9tdi

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

It's not worse than any car that already use that design, BMW, Subaru, Toyota, Mercedes to name a few. I have very nice calipers from a BMW, but not the handbrake parts. In worst case I'll have to fabricate something, I just hoped that somebody already did it to get some info. Happy

13 window deluxe · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject:

yes but the bmw, vauxhall, volvo, etc drum in disk type handbrake use very small shoe/drums that are inside of the disk designed to hold a car on a hill not to stop a car that is left up to the caliper .A rear engined van intended to have drums has large rear shoe due to goods carrying capacity and weight bias to rear hence the large rear drum so you would need a massive disk to fit over it, in my opinion the bmw rear calipers are a no-go there are loads of good light weight rear calipers to use with integrated handbrake mechanisms
_________________
1964 rat 13 window deluxe 1Z tdi,
1975 rhd twin slider tintop (TBA)
1991 golf 2 gti with tweaked AHU tdi,

previous tdi swaps: gone but not forgotten
1979 rhd twin slider tintop bay ahu 1.9tdi
1990 T25 1Z 1.9tdi
1993 suzuki samurai with 1Z 1.9tdi

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

Actually, I don't think that the rear drums on my bay are big. The Subaru Legacy hand brake drum is almost the same size. The BMW station wagons usually have vented rear rear discs, almost the same diameter as the front discs. So the rear braking mechanism will be a lot more brutal with the BMW-setup than any disc's I've seen so far.
And I need it. My van needs a special scruutinering before it's legal again because of the new engine and the MOT requirements here. I have to change to better brakes that can match the modern specification, a retardation higher than 5m/s2 - fully loaded.
So I need those brakes.

richbaker78 · Teacher of Padawans Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 1298

still dont think you will get a disc over your drum mate - ive never seen such a disc on a car or van.

if your worried about braking capacity and want an inbuilt handbrake...have a look at my (and Jps) 944 S2 rear suspension assembly. big rear vented discs and a drum handbrake.

I think you could end up wasting a lot of effort trying to fit the BMW calipers that dont seem to do what you want. There are lots of other options out there where ther caliper can be used as a handbrake.

Another possibility is you go for a hydraulic handbrake...but it depends how your regs. view that - i think you have to have it as a seperate circuit over here in case of brake failure.

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

But I think you misunderstand me. I don't want to use the drum, I want to use the mechanism. The BMW rear discs are big enough to swallow the drum parts.
BUT, my scruutinering engineer gave me a brilliant suggestion: Pretty much all racing cars he test uses hydralic handbrake, so why not... Happy

He even gave me this link: http://www.rallydesign.co.uk

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

And now... ...I changed again! Grin

I went to the spare parts place to find discs that I could use. After hours of measuring, the only thing I came out with was a new set of rear calipers. I got a pair of after market calipers for a VW Passat -00. The main reason was the weight, the are at least half the weight of the BMW calipers! And as a bonus of course they have the hand brake function. I don't need to fabricate the mechanism and therefor save even more weight.

So sort of, I resign. Happy

Neil-C · Jedi Knight Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 192

Hi sven,
that caliper looks very similar to the one I used on my split/bay brake upgrade. I used a Passat disk for the rear, I found it to be the best fit, the center bore was spot on, so a nice fit and the stud holes also good. It is 288 diameter which was fine for me as I run 16" wheel but as the disk is solid you could reduce it down to fit.

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Hope this helps.

Neil.
_________________
66 Camper with 2.2 Subaru
63 Triumph TR4 with Rover V8

13 window deluxe · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:18 am Post subject:

i run passat/a4 alloy calipers on the rear of my split and the handbrake is very good! the drum in the handbrake idea was a lot of trouble plus a massive increase in unsprung weight, p.s. a hydraulic hand/parking brake is illegal in england
_________________
1964 rat 13 window deluxe 1Z tdi,
1975 rhd twin slider tintop (TBA)
1991 golf 2 gti with tweaked AHU tdi,

previous tdi swaps: gone but not forgotten
1979 rhd twin slider tintop bay ahu 1.9tdi
1990 T25 1Z 1.9tdi
1993 suzuki samurai with 1Z 1.9tdi

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

Neil-C · Jedi Knight Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 192

I think they were from a Passat 2.5 TD <2000, 288 dia and 57 off set , not 1oo% sure but I can look through my rubbish record keeping to try and confirm. I did have to reduce the Bay flanges by quite a bit to fit inside the disks but completed a 3000 mile trip this summer without any complaints from the hubs.

_________________
66 Camper with 2.2 Subaru
63 Triumph TR4 with Rover V8