Vented front brake conversion

[Lockee]

Looking at converting from solid front discs to vented. Had seen many moons ago the spacer kits with o rings to reuse your existing calipers.

Any leads

[Vern]

Get some vented defender calipers, vented rotors and go from there. When you come down have a look at mine on my rangie.
I got my calipers new from the UK for not much money at all

[Mercguy]

Is there a difference between the defender front rotors and the vented RRC ones?

I'm pretty sure my 91 has vented fronts, can't remember if the rears are, but it would be nice to know if there are bolt-on "upgrades" to improve the braking performance.

[p38arover]

Davis Performance Landys sell the spacers.

Range & Land Rover Front Brake Pads Upgrade Kits - Buy Online (http://davisperformance.com.au/modification/front-brake-vented-spacer-kit.html)

http://davisperformance.com.au/images/thumbnails/420/420/detailed/1/4332.jpg

[loanrangie]

Is there a difference between the defender front rotors and the vented RRC ones?

I'm pretty sure my 91 has vented fronts, can't remember if the rears are, but it would be nice to know if there are bolt-on "upgrades" to improve the braking performance.

Rears are solid but some rrc had vented fronts , think it may be the abs models.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

[350RRC]

AFAIRC there is not a lot of difference in braking performance between solid and vented, stock RRC or def caliper conversion. The def caliper conversion will obviously give better braking performance over RRC, but vented and solid are available for def and RRC, if you get what I mean, and is there really any difference in performance between vented and solid in either application?

Slotted solid with Mintex pads works for me :)

From recollection I think Isuzurover posted that vented rotors are much more prone to warping when suddenly cooled, i.e. mega downhill followed by a creek crossing, or even driving through a puddle on the road when the rotors are hot.

Might be worth a search Lockee before you go further.

cheers, DL

[Mercguy]

OK that's valuable info.
now apologizing for a potential thread hijack, but is there any possibility of converting the rear solid disc setup (easily) into a vented one?

i.e. by using a front rotor setup for example....

just asking. I am not sure if there are any physical mounting differences between front & rear (offset versus diameter versus thicknesses etc) so if anyone knows, could they please enlighten me?

[loanrangie]

Not worth the effort since the fronts do most of the braking.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

[350RRC]

Probably vented front only came along when slush boxes were fitted. Funny that!

Don't think any RRC had vented rear.

I think that if anyone has to really ride the brakes that much in a RRC so that vented front are 'necessary' then something else is wrong, even with an auto trans.

I know people who do not realise you can leave these things in second (high or low range) or even first and get engine braking while doing massive descents.........towing a van haha. They just leave it in drive and ride the brakes, putting up with the smell, vented or non vented.

Mintex pads actually work better as they get hot in a major single stop situation.

cheers, DL

[350RRC]

The ultimate easy one, from everything I have read, especially Dougal's original poats re: def calipers is:

Solid or vented RRC front rotors, solid rears, Def calipers front and rear, D90 MC mounted in a D1 pedal box, biggest booster that fits (someone else will know this, probably D1 from memory). Dougal disconnected the pressure reducer and ran full pressure to the rear using RRC calipers there and found it well balanced.

If doing def caliper rear you'd need to use the appropriate pressure reducer.

Brake lines converted to later single front line split system.

Lock em up boys!

DL

[Vern]

Well what I did on my lse was remove the wabco abs stuff, fitted everything new, disco master, booster, braided lines, fender calipers all round, fender slotted rotors all round vented up front, proportioning valve in the bin, all single line now. Stops way better, but still got brake fade coming down a big hill in tassie with the camper on going down through the gears as well.

[Lockee]

Well what I did on my lse was remove the wabco abs stuff, fitted everything new, disco master, booster, braided lines, fender calipers all round, fender slotted rotors all round vented up front, proportioning valve in the bin, all single line now. Stops way better, but still got brake fade coming down a big hill in tassie with the camper on going down through the gears as well.
My 85 with Chev turbo 400 and 36 swampers was horrible.
Think defender vented and everything else rom my 95 disco should be good. Running WBC dimpled and slotted in my bt50 with their pads is good but dusty

[350RRC]

Braided lines can only help. Goodridge from Paddocks, about $100 for all 5, even extended 2 or 4".

I did everything at the same time (slotted fronts, lines, new mc, and Mintex pads) and it made a massive difference. Haven't gone to Def calipers yet, no real need.

DL