Brake upgrades for Defender

[POD]

My 2008 Puma 130 is in need of some brake work- I'm looking at replacing rotors all round- and I'm thinking it might be a good time to make some improvements to the brakes. I run 255/85 tyres so have 10% better clearance at the diffs, 10% higher roadspeed per RPM and 10% worse braking compared to the original 7.50R16. Also with 320,000km on the dial, the calipers are worn so the pads have some slack. Wondering what upgrades are available and how people have found them? I'm open to considering something that would give increased rotor diameter and larger swept area if there is something out there, I'm not really up for being a test-bed for a non-sorted setup though. The car does not have ABS.

[Slunnie]

Like these?

Big Brake Kits - EXTREMEspec - LOF Clutches (https://lofclutches.com/store/brakes/brakeconversionkits/)

[goingbush]

My 2008 Puma 130 is in need of some brake work- I'm looking at replacing rotors all round- and I'm thinking it might be a good time to make some improvements to the brakes. I run 255/85 tyres so have 10% better clearance at the diffs, 10% higher roadspeed per RPM and 10% worse braking compared to the original 7.50R16. Also with 320,000km on the dial, the calipers are worn so the pads have some slack. Wondering what upgrades are available and how people have found them? I'm open to considering something that would give increased rotor diameter and larger swept area if there is something out there, I'm not really up for being a test-bed for a non-sorted setup though. The car does not have ABS.


My mate at Vari Brakes will sort you out.

He makes the big brake kit that I pioneered for the Iveco 4x4 .

No Defender brake kit listed but its not a problem , wont need sorting its all CAD CNC & Engineering done in simulator.

Vari - Race Brakes (https://www.vari.com.au/)

[POD]

Thanks I will get in touch. I'm reeling from the price list of the various LOF setups, it's a nasty side-effect of ageing that everything is much more expensive than expected. Can't see myself spending what would have to end up in excess of $12k by the time it lands here. Looking into hydroboost also.

[Red90]

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.

[shack]

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.I agree.

I guess the only query might be if you are always running at GVM, you may feel like you need a bit more stopping power.

How do the puma defenders get vacuum for braking assistance?

The TD5 system is integrated in the alternator which is extremely common and pretty reliable, obviously the old 300tdi setup using a standalone pump is not.

Cheers

Edit:

It's a standalone belt driven job.

I'd be checking how many inHg it's pulling... then go from there.

Just my thoughts.

[Tins]

The LOF option requires, for a Disco at least, wheel spacers, which I believe are Verboten anywhere in Oz for road use. I guess there might be wheel options to get around this, which is more cost. Not sure if this applies to Deefers.

[Tins]

The TD5 system is integrated in the alternator which is extremely common and pretty reliable,



Can be undone by a small, L shaped hose that is often overlooked as it is hard to see. Once again, on a Disco. Prolly on a Deefer too. A vacuum-less Disco develops a VERY hard pedal once the reserve applications run out. Much harder than, say, my Ford.


I disturbed mine doing the engine mounts.....[bigsad]

[Tins]

The stock brakes should be able to easily lock up all four at any speed. If you feel they are not great, then there is something wrong.

While this is true, they are still a quarter of a century old technology. Modern brakes provide better progression, require less pedal effort AND have much, much better fade resistance, which would benefit ANY Deefer, let alone a laden one.

It's not only about one stop.

[POD]

While this is true, they are still a quarter of a century old technology. Modern brakes provide better progression, require less pedal effort AND have much, much better fade resistance, which would benefit ANY Deefer, let alone a laden one.

It's not only about one stop.

Totally agree; it's not so much a matter of them being no good, as looking at how they might be better- within the limits of a reasonable budget. Also, brakes not only need to convert kinetic energy to heat via friction, they also need to dissipate that heat to the atmosphere effectively to be ready for the next stop. More booster vacuum (or hydraulic pressure) will do the former but won't help with the latter.
Having said that, the brakes are probably good enough that, if improvements are going to be massive $$$ (by my own definition), I'll overhaul them to the stock level.

[DazzaTD5]

re vacuum pump Defender TDCi (puma)
a 2.4 has a vacuum pump belt driven above the water pump.
a 2.2 has a vacuum pump driven off the rear drivers side camshaft.

re: a half a centry old design...
Yes, its a Defender...

my thought is if you want a modern vehicle with modern braking, then a classic Defender is not that vehicle.

*a turd covered in sprinkles is still a turd.

or as my Pa would say...
*trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
[tonguewink]

[POD]

my thought is if you want a modern vehicle with modern braking, then a classic Defender is not that vehicle.




Yeah much the same thinking that led me to renew the original 2.4tdci engine rather than put a more powerful engine in it- a defender is totally unsuited to being driven fast and I have another car for that; however that's no reason to not try to improve the brakes whilst I am at the point of overhauling them. If it ends up looking like a pipe dream, they have served me 'adequately' these 10 years.

[86mud]

My 130 sits at just over 3T and brakes work great...at 350,000kms. All i have done is upgraded the brake hoses to braided stainless, changed front rotors to vented/slotted/cross drilled and use genuine pads. I rebuilt the front calipers with new stainless pistons and seals about 3 years ago. I haven't touched the rears apart from a new braided stainless brake line.

I know on older models (like my 1998 300TDi) the brake booster cracks around the mounting for the master cylinder. I had to replace my booster due to cracking.

I'd try this first before forking out on LOF or other big brake upgrades.

Cheers

[TonyC]

Hi POD,
Have a look at this thread of Simon's

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-2-a/246335-finally-d2-good-brakes-ebc-dba-8.html#post3218991

When he started it I looked and the same pads and rotors were available for my 95 Defender. Not that I have bought any of it.

I don't know if your later one uses different pads/rotors

Tony