Thread: Series disc brake conversion --- I did it my way

Would it be easier to use an early defender front coiled diff assy with discs already fitted and get the spring mounts cut and leaf spring mounts fitted. Are they available with a 10 spline centre so I can fit my 4.7-1 Diff centre??
As I have already got a Salisbury diff fitted can I get the rear discs of a defender as well??

Just wondering. Cheers Rod.

If you do a search, you'll see that people, (mostly in England), having been doing this for years, with varying results. The track rod gets in the way of the leaf springs, so they usually have to make fairly thick mounts on the axle to raise it over the springs. It's not ideal, and engineering it here would be a real headache.

As Davo says, the track rod on a Defender sits in the same position as the spring pack. You either need to space the axle housing off the spring pack which pushes the front of the chassis closer to the ground, meaning that you have to fit extended shackles and then wedge the axle housing to correct the pinion angle. Wedging the pinion then changes the caster angle which means you have to slot the housing flanges to rotate the swivel balls on the housing.

Once you have corrected the pinion and caster angles and also chassis height, you have to get special inner axle half-shafts made up because the Defender has a CV swivel and the track about 6" wider (half-shafts are longer). After all that you then have different 5 bolt drive flanges on the front and 6 bolt flanges on the back (so you need to replace any freewheeling hubs if you still have them).

It all starts to become quite expensive and complicated rather than the simple spannering of cookey's conversion.:

1. remove road wheels and drums,
2. remove drive flanges and wheel hubs,
3. remove brake backing plates,
4. remove swivel housing filler plug and fit replacement,
5. bolt on caliper brackets,
6. fit exchange wheel hubs with rotors and refit drive flanges,
7. fit new calipers,
8. swap brake pedal box and masterVac.
9. connect hydraulic lines,
10. bleed system.

Cookey's conversion could be done in a couple of hours, you don't even need to dissassemble the swivels or take off the steering rods. IMHO worth every cent if just in the time saved.

Thanks for the info guys. I think cookey will have another customer for his disc conversion eventually when ive saved enough money. its hard being a pensioner...lol. I have the necessary expertise to fit the conversion myself being a qualified mechanic so I hope it will save me some $$. Cheers Rod

Love the looks of this are you still offering this kit?

I uploaded a video in youtube in order to show the world my Land Rover Santana 109 Diesel Series III braking from 50 to 0 km/h. That is 31 to 0 mph.

You can see the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wGHh0woJk

This is the result:

Gday Guys
my name is travis and i currently one of the RAEMUS Rover team members. through out this year we have found the more the car progresses the harder it becomes to stop. so as a team we are looking at options at a disc brake conversion to the vehicle. blknight did you end up getting this kit ? i would be very interested in what you think. and does anyone have contact details for cookey? i have sent him a PM so hopefully he will get back to me. If any one here is interested we now have a Facebook page for RAEMUS rover feel free to look us up. I will also look to update the RAEMUS Rover thread on your site when i get a chance.
cheers travis

Hi Tavr

Cookey is on his way back from Narrabri tomorrow, he should be able to answer a PM after that, poss Friday evening.

I can tell you that he has changed the brand of calliper because of supply /condition issues which required a change in the mounting bracket. The new callipers are brand new not reconditioned and the brackets are the same for front and rear. Clearance between the calliper and LR wheel rim is also better. The change means that there are two piston sizes to compensate to front-rear balance so an improvement on the earlier design which required a pressure limiter in the rear system.

There is a batch (10 axle pairs) of brackets being CNC machined as we speak, which will also improve consistency over individually machined brackets. Setup of a second vehicle with the new design is imminent and engineering approval occurs shortly after that.

Supply of axle sets should be able to commence shortly after engineering approval.