Thread: disk brake conversion

If you can get a set of 110 front hubs complete with brake rotor, they go straight on the rear stub axles without changing anything, apart from removing the drum brakes.

Then get the rear calipers, a pair of caliper mounting brackets from a defender model before the change to welded brackets, and bolts. You will need to make spacer plates to move the bracket inboard about 5 or 6 mm.

The brake line needs a bit of massage.

Hi

I did this a few years back. You really need to change the brake master cylinder/booster as well.

The brakes on the drum brake ration do not offer enough retardation unless the ratios are also changed to one for disk slaves rather than drums.

If I remember right I used a discovery 1 MC & booster. My 85 county brake box has a different hole arrangement, a bit of careful drilling filling and modding was needed to get it all to the MC/booster onto the peddle box.

A different fitting was need for the vacuum attachment into the brake booster.

There are threads - old ones one doing this.

The fit between the calliper bracket and and disk is also very tight - like really tight - and you should get the brackets and spacer washers set exactly so using a mill.

The brake line terminations may also need changing to, mine did.

That all aside do it they are so much better, the next time you back down a hill you'll be happy you did it.

Clive

I did mine a few months ago ended up using 95 deffer rear stubs rear hubs rotorand calipers and brakets complete pedel box with m cylinder and booster also changed front to vented rotors and also replaced all wheel bearings lots of work but def worth it nice brakes now o I had a wreck for parts

For starters, how mechanical are you? The cost is going to depend largely on how much you can do yourself.
Secondly, do you already have any upgraded goodies in the rear diff or is it standard 120?

The easiest way is to buy a defender disc brake rear diff complete and roll it under, but if you've already got upgraded axles/flanges/locker that will be a backwards step apart from the brakes, as you can't just swap in your good stuff.

As others have already said, you really need to change the master cylinder for a disc brake one, and I agree with Clive22 - the D1 booster is well worth the effort.

If you need some rear brake shoes etc to get you going while you decide the best course of action let me know. Pretty sure I've got some good slightly used ones lying around from my conversion you can have if you need.

Steve

Yep like steve said do a full diff swap

The 109 has one in the markets section from a 93 def hes at tweed heads and for $500 its a good buy my 2 new caliper mounts cost me half that and i still need to find other bits to do the conversion to the county as id buy eric's diff if i had the coin to spare

I did my disk conversion a few weeks ago.....definitely worth doing.

I finally got around to putting a thread together, hopefully it's helpful.

County rear disk brake conversion, pics & p/n's

Cheers, Murray

Sorry up front for hijack, but I'm sure this will be a quick and simple...

What is so bad about drum brakes? Need adjusting all the time..... and?

To put it another way, how long will I last before I decide to upgrade?

Originally Posted by Judo

Sorry up front for hijack, but I'm sure this will be a quick and simple...

What is so bad about drum brakes? Need adjusting all the time..... and?

To put it another way, how long will I last before I decide to upgrade?

If they are properly adjusted, you'll probably last until you either:
A - travel on badly corrugated roads and find your adjusters are backing off by themselves and you are continually having to adjust them, or
B - happen to drive someone's County with a disc brake conversion (especially one that has a Disco dual diaphragm booster in it).

To twist Crocodile Dundee's saying - "Those ain't brakes - THESE are brakes".

I've had a 1990's disc-braked Defender driver comment "I keep forgetting about these brakes" when he drove my County for the second time.
Reminds me - I must clean those eyeball marks off the inside of the windscreen

Put another way, are they brakes on your County as good as the Disco? Well they can be. You're welcome to have a drive of mine sometime to speed up the process if you want

EDIT: Apologies for the over-the-top "I love my rear disc and D1 booster upgrade"....

Steve