County Brakes

[clean32]

OK
I decided not to go to a second hand Defender diff with disks. mainly because of cost, not just the dif but then new disks pads etc. and there’s nothing wrong with the diff I have, new drums shoes, flanges, all seals good etc.

Now my question is, I remember some one posting that fitting a disco booster was an easy job and it would lighten up the peddle. Is this so? Anyone done this? Any one know where the original post is? ( tried searching)

[JDNSW]

I do not remember that post, but there should not be a problem with pedal pressure on a County. If there is it probably means that either you have a vacuum leak, or the rear brakes are not working properly, probably because they are not properly adjusted - unlike discs, you can expect to have to adjust the drums every service.

John

[87County]

I do not remember that post, but there should not be a problem with pedal pressure on a County. If there is it probably means that either you have a vacuum leak, or the rear brakes are not working properly, probably because they are not properly adjusted - unlike discs, you can expect to have to adjust the drums every service.

John

yes - adjustment procedure is very simple (2 shoes on each side) - its in the manual

[dobbo]

Just get an adaptor plate for a sals and run rear discs using County front hubs and calipers.

There are one or two NSW members making up copies of the adaptor plates

[justinc]

I have found that careful inspection of the rear shoe to drum relationship is paramount to a good pedal in a 110.
The shoe thickness is critical if the drums are worn badly or are over max diameter, no amount of adjustment will help then. I agree with Dobbo, I would be still looking at converting to discs, as the county drums alone are worth a pretty penny each, and that still dosen't take into account the backing plate/ adjuster cams/wheel cylinder problems...

Do it, it is worth it. Fitting the Defender pedal box, booster/ M/Cyl willl also be necessary, but the result is excellent.

JC

[clean32]

I have found that careful inspection of the rear shoe to drum relationship is paramount to a good pedal in a 110.
The shoe thickness is critical if the drums are worn badly or are over max diameter, no amount of adjustment will help then. I agree with Dobbo, I would be still looking at converting to discs, as the county drums alone are worth a pretty penny each, and that still dosen't take into account the backing plate/ adjuster cams/wheel cylinder problems...

Do it, it is worth it. Fitting the Defender pedal box, booster/ M/Cyl willl also be necessary, but the result is excellent.

JC

Second hand defender diff $1200, + new disks pads booster master cylinder = $2200.

New drums and pads (matched) $260.00

But you are correct that some attention is required to get the back brakes feel good, with out excessive pedal travel etc.

Having said that I believe that drums on the back will last longer than disks on the back, and the cost of new disks is not cheep

[dobbo]

Second hand defender diff $1200, + new disks pads booster master cylinder = $2200.

New drums and pads (matched) $260.00

But you are correct that some attention is required to get the back brakes feel good, with out excessive pedal travel etc.

Having said that I believe that drums on the back will last longer than disks on the back, and the cost of new disks is not cheep

Why are you buying a 2nd hand Defender Diff? All you need from it is the adapter plates $135 RRP each, Hubs discs and calipers can be got cheaply.

[clean32]

Hubs discs and calipers can be got cheaply.

where, i was quoted for disks pads and calipers all second hand $800 or a replacement dif for 1200. and the disks look like thay were end of life or close to it.

[Freestyler]

I have a Defender booster and master cylinder in my 85 county and it stops really well without much pressure on the pedal, I can even lock them up fully loaded. The only problem with the drums are there slow heat disipation. If your prepared to use the Gbox a bit and lay off the brakes the drums are fine. If you want to covert to disk all you need is Rangie raer calipers, County front hubs and defender caliper brackets. I am pretty sure 3mm is needed to be machined from these brackets to suit the county after that it all just bolts up.
Tim

[clean32]

I have a Defender booster and master cylinder in my 85 county and it stops really well without much pressure on the pedal, I can even lock them up fully loaded. The only problem with the drums are there slow heat disipation. If your prepared to use the Gbox a bit and lay off the brakes the drums are fine. If you want to covert to disk all you need is Rangie raer calipers, County front hubs and defender caliper brackets. I am pretty sure 3mm is needed to be machined from these brackets to suit the county after that it all just bolts up.
Tim

Defender booster and master cylinder, what year or are thay all the same.
my county stops well, just would like to lighten up the foot for the Komandant, and then only for the one in a thousand panick stops.

[Red Rocket]

One thing County owners need to know is that the rear brake shoes are not all the same. There is no mention in the workshp manual of the fact that the adjusting pins on the shoes are in different places on the leading and trailing shoes. Put them on the wrong way round and you will always have too much pedal travel and poor brakes. Check that the pin is directly opposite the centre shaft of the snail cam adjuster. Above or below is incorrect. If you have had exchange shoes fitted you could have the wrong ones. These shoes are not interchangerable with pre 110 models even though they look the same. If a garage has overhauled your brakes, they could have mixed the shoes up on reassembly and have 2 fleading shoes on one side and trailing on the other.
Red Rocket.

[Freestyler]

They are out of a 1994 Defender, I changed out the rusty fire wall with a defender one when I turned it into an extra cab. The pedal is much lighter that my fathers 1990 County.
As far as I know they were the same for quite a while.
Tim

[clean32]

One thing County owners need to know is that the rear brake shoes are not all the same. There is no mention in the workshp manual of the fact that the adjusting pins on the shoes are in different places on the leading and trailing shoes. Put them on the wrong way round and you will always have too much pedal travel and poor brakes. Check that the pin is directly opposite the centre shaft of the snail cam adjuster. Above or below is incorrect. If you have had exchange shoes fitted you could have the wrong ones. These shoes are not interchangerable with pre 110 models even though they look the same. If a garage has overhauled your brakes, they could have mixed the shoes up on reassembly and have 2 fleading shoes on one side and trailing on the other.
Red Rocket.

That should be a sticky.
Its about Wright for what I had before I pulled it all down for a look, and I was put on the correct track buy a couple of people before hand.

The right hand rear had shoes to small, and the drum was over size anyway. Left rear was around the correct way but over size drum again.

before I pulled it down I had already decided to just replace everything, cant be bothered trying to match bits and get drums relined etc etc, the only thing I would ever get done would be SS liners in the slaves.

She stops well now. All I am concerned about is my 5'9" 50KG wife will not manage a panic stop to well, hence why I am look at options to lighten the peddle a bit. hoping a bigger diameter booster would do the trick.

As to rear disks, I was shown a pile of undersized rear disks ranging from 40 000 klm to 60 000 klm before replacement. it seems that the disks and pads do not stand up to being to dirty for to long.

[abaddonxi]

That should be a sticky.
<snip>

Something like this?:p

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/good-oil/66786-drum-brakes-adjusting-problems-binding-shoe-orientation.html

[bretto]

I fitted rear discs on my 88 county for just under $400 for the lot and about 1hours work,used the salisbury caibler bracket 95 disco hubs discs and capilers and made up the new brake line to suit,stops awsome and dont have to worry about the mud any more

[DiscoDave]

...the Salisbury what bracket?

[clean32]

I fitted rear discs on my 88 county for just under $400 for the lot and about 1hours work,used the salisbury caibler bracket 95 disco hubs discs and capilers and made up the new brake line to suit,stops awsome and dont have to worry about the mud any more

well as i siad before, after seeing a pile of cut out disks and being told that thay were only 40-60 000 klms old, it all starts to sound a bit exspencive.

as the majority of brakeing comes from the frount anyway, i just need to sort out a way how to get a bit more efort to the frount disks. only an issue when fully loaded realy.

[C H T]

where, i was quoted for disks pads and calipers all second hand $800 or a replacement dif for 1200. and the disks look like thay were end of life or close to it.

Clean32

Phone Brirish Off Road in Queensland - they can help with all the bits to do the conversion 07 5445 1094 and should be reasonably priced - they ship parts all over Australia

CHT

[rar110]

I am selling a disco rear axle PM for details