Thread: 101 disk brakes

Originally Posted by bed_bug

A friend and I have been looking at the engineering of this and we think there is another option. But to make it for just six maybe vehicles would it be worth doing?

So, we wondered ...

A big IF, there were a kit that was affordable and was retrofitted in the same way as the Zeus, how many people may be interested?

Steve

I'd be interested, but only A. If they have more stopping power than Zeus, (which would require two callipers if retaining the original 16" rim....), and B. Only because I just don't have the time to make my own....

How much $$$ sorry.. £££ would we b talking per set? Cheers for now.

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree with all the plus and minus things you all see and there's no change to that. Without serious time and investmentI I can't see us making any major brake performance gains over the drums or Zeus Disk kit. Where we think we can improve, is with a competitively priced product because at the moment , there simply isn't one. We haven't evaluated how much this would cost yet. I wanted to find out if it had any value? Our pricing would be based on a responsible uplift of costs rather than the maximum we think we could get away with.
Steve

One concern that may need to be considered, It may need to be engineered for use in Australia.
It depends, of course, on how these things are produced.

Originally Posted by bed_bug

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree with all the plus and minus things you all see and there's no change to that. Without serious time and investmentI I can't see us making any major brake performance gains over the drums or Zeus Disk kit. Where we think we can improve, is with a competitively priced product because at the moment , there simply isn't one. We haven't evaluated how much this would cost yet. I wanted to find out if it had any value? Our pricing would be based on a responsible uplift of costs rather than the maximum we think we could get away with.
Steve

I've been looking at ways of putting 'big stoppers' on the front of mine, as the brakes are fine but only from 80kph and below... With the Cummins up its arse, stopping the 101 quickly from 110kph at the moment is not an option.... , and this is why I am contemplating stepping up to 19.5" rims like the last OKA's, and then being able to sit some decent vented disks in there along with big callipers.. But... Several have said that it wouldn't be a good move and that the tyres with the same outer dia as my current 255/100 R16's but with an inner of 19.5" wouldn't have the same flex and would make for a harsh ride... Being a truck tyre tho, they'd have to wear better than the XZL's are!! Still chewing on this. Thinking Im going to have two made up and they can end up on the trailer if they don't work on the 101.. (Sorry!!! Wandering off topic here!!)

Having seen the picture of the 101 with its rear wheels in the air under heavy braking, I wonder why there is an expectation of extra stopping power.

Locking the front wheels is just past the point where maximum braking is achieved, which from recollection is quite possible with 101 drums. So no matter how many callipers you fit, this maximum is unchanged.

Where you benefit with discs is:-
1) greater capacity for heat dissipation meaning greater ability to maintain brake performance under heavy use (high speed, prolonged use, long down hills, etc...)
2) no adjustment required meaning less time spent with wheels off the ground, spanner in hand, cursing.
3) reduced sensitivity to coefficient of friction variation which means more even braking and less weaving
4) similar to above, but they don't suffer from being wet too.

Now while the Zeus brakes require some adjustment to get them to fit behind 16" rims, there are plenty of calliper/disc set-ups that will fit and will be matched to the GVM needed to have some chance of engineering approval.

It's worth doing for the above reasons, but don't expect massive increases in outright stopping power. The real gain is being able to step hard on the pedal confident that you will stop in a straight line.

Just my two pennies worth.
Ian.

Originally Posted by roobar_and_custard

Having seen the picture of the 101 with its rear wheels in the air under heavy braking, I wonder why there is an expectation of extra stopping power.

Locking the front wheels is just past the point where maximum braking is achieved, which from recollection is quite possible with 101 drums. So no matter how many callipers you fit, this maximum is unchanged.

Where you benefit with discs is:-
1) greater capacity for heat dissipation meaning greater ability to maintain brake performance under heavy use (high speed, prolonged use, long down hills, etc...)
2) no adjustment required meaning less time spent with wheels off the ground, spanner in hand, cursing.
3) reduced sensitivity to coefficient of friction variation which means more even braking and less weaving
4) similar to above, but they don't suffer from being wet too.

Now while the Zeus brakes require some adjustment to get them to fit behind 16" rims, there are plenty of calliper/disc set-ups that will fit and will be matched to the GVM needed to have some chance of engineering approval.

It's worth doing for the above reasons, but don't expect massive increases in outright stopping power. The real gain is being able to step hard on the pedal confident that you will stop in a straight line.

Just my two pennies worth.
Ian.

Agreed
Ron

Whilst the picture wasn't in any way a fake the reality is I don't know anyone who has reproduced that result. To reproduce that condition you would need minimum slack in front system. How could you ever achieve twin leading shoe self servo effect to that amount of gain today on a day to day basis? Even the pair of new drums I have on the shelf aren't true enough. Or maybe it's something else causing the out of circle action. I'm not saying that a set of disks using the same fluid capacity will produce better results than the drums . but I don't see the picture as being a workable reference 30 years + down the line. Steve

After living with the Zeus disc brakes on the front for a while now I would not go back to drums.
At the time of the high Australian dollar the cost I though was cheap.........in fact cheaper than than a disc rotor replacement on a expensive 4 wheel drive for a whole kit.
Until you sit down a really look at what is involved in fitting disc brakes to the front of a 101 you will see normal landrover disc componets will not swap over like what can be done on a series Landrover.
The C/V housing is just too big and the insides of the standard wheel too small.
Zeus has been very clever in the way they fitted in all the parts and how they retained similer brake pedal force required to stop by using a 4 pot caliper.
In fact the conversion can only be done the way Zeus has done it and even then it only just fits and works correctly.
Buy the Zeus kit............no saving in doing it yourself or better braking.
The secret of the Zeus kit is the large machined bracket which holds the caliper and the large specially shaped disc with 4 pot small caliper.