1.9 Front Calipers But On The Rear?

[jameswallace. 8]

I don't know if this is possible. But just an idea.

 

I have 1.9 front brakes in the garage and looking at buying a 1.9 beam but without calipers.

 

Would it be possible to run the front calipers on the rear?

 

If so what problems will I run into

 

Thanks

[Biggles 65]

Lack of fittings for the handbrake cables.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

No handbrake mechanism, and they are a bigger body which will foul the inner arch.

[jameswallace. 8]

Ah aha of course! That thought hadn't even crossed my mind!

 

Is it legal to have a hydro instead?

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

For the sake of £40 for some used rear calipers, you'd rather go to all that trouble?

[Anthony 1,002]

No - handbrake needs to be a separate system to the main brakes, so they couldn't share a hydraulic setup.

 

Honestly, for the £40 odd a pair of rear calipers will cost plus say £20 for cables and a couple of copper lines, just do it as it should be. Proven, simple, legal, and hardly expensive.

[cheesegrater 43 1 Cars]

1.6 pad carriers have been used before if are that way inclined to use vented rears.

[tomcolinjones 26]

escort road rally lot use front calipers on the back, and to make it legal they just tack weld the end of the cable to the caliper body because the m/c is operated off the standard handbrake lever, along with the cables, it cant fail mot.... So I'm.told! Though I really wouldn't recommend anyone doing this, mechanical handbrakes are poor st the best if times, but its better the nothing!

Edited March 4, 2015 by tomcolinjones

[Anthony 1,002]

escort road rally lot use front calipers on the back, and to make it legal they just tack weld the end of the cable to the caliper body because the m/c is operated off the standard handbrake lever, along with the cables, it cant fail mot.... So I'm.told!

I'm pretty sure in the strictest sense that should still fail the MOT - it'll pass the brake effort tests easily enough, but it should still fail on the handbrake not being an independent system given that the cables aren't actually connected to anything.

 

If it was a rear caliper (so it had a handbrake mechanism) and the cables were loosely fitted to it but never actually pulled tight enough to do anything and it was the hydraulic part doing all the work, then that should still pass as there would be an independent system present which the MOT tester couldn't prove wasn't fully functional.

 

Unless that's how what you're describing passes, because even though it's obviously not doing anything, the MOT tester can't prove it and thus it's pass and advise? I don't think I'd want to rely on that if the car was subject to a full VOSA investigation though!

 

Obviously you'd be completely bypassing the point of that requirement though in that there should be two independent brake systems so that you can still slow/stop the car should one fail. You might have a second MC with a hydraulic handbrake setup, but if you lose a hose or seal on the rear hydraulic side you're still stuffed and will have no brakes.

[jackherer 543]

As above, passing an MOT doesn't necessarily make a car road legal. The police or DVSA (used to be VOSA) will be all over it and can give you points and a fine.

[Batfink 201]

You would probably run into issues with caliper piston size affecting the brake balance. I'm not sure what benefit you would have from running the bigger caliper to be honest. I guess you would remove the brake compensators and run a bias valve to reset the front/rear brake bias.

 

If you are running bigger front brakes you will have moved brake bias forwards so changing the rear setup could in theory bring the car back to a standard balance but it probably needs to be a bit more mathematical so i'd probably just flog the calipers and use the funds on some uprated brake pads.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Batfink

[mikeyd 13]

escort road rally lot use front calipers on the back, and to make it legal they just tack weld the end of the cable to the caliper

they actually weld a washer to the pads and run the cable through to pull the pads together but with sierra calipers now cheap with a proper handbreak mechanism that bodge-up is less common now [rally cars bodged on the public road -surely not ]

[jameswallace. 8]

Awesome thanks a lot guys! As you say though easier to locate some rear calipers and use them instead. If anyone has a good set knocking about please let me know!

[Batfink 201]

stick with the original calipers. Use a brake pad more orientated for race use and you will have more than enough rear braking power.