Help with brake systems

[mokeinmalta]

I need to buy the entire braking system for my '67 English Moke but as I bought her in parts I have no idea whether the bits I have are original to '67 or not. Problem is there seem to be at least 3 different eras of brake systems

Early ('59 - '64)
Late ('64 - 67)
Twin (67 - ??)
Discs ??

Some systems had one slave cylinder per wheel, others have 2. Different cylinders have different bores. I think I should be on the older single line system not the later double.

Rather than model year I need to work on the parts I already have, which are back plates & drums.

If I pick one system and stick to that all the way, should I be fine?

Any help or pointers appreciated!
Thanks
Steve

[spider]

Hey mokeinmalta, just before we all get too carried away, are you looking to keep it original or do you just want a brakes that will fit and work?

[Wally2]

Hi, Have a look at Somerford's site, they give a good description of all the different brakes on minis.
http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/in ... page&id=60
Cheers
Chris

[mokeinmalta]

Hey mokeinmalta, just before we all get too carried away, are you looking to keep it original or do you just want a brakes that will fit and work?

Correct answer is (B) brakes that will fit and work

Thanks
S

[spider]

I'll just kick off by suggesting that if you are buying everything for your brakes, you may well find it cheaper to go straight for 7.5" Cooper S Discs. I would not advocate buying second hand though, as by the time they are overhauled, they'll probably cost considerably more than new. These will also give you quite good brakes for the fronts.

Coming back to the Drum set up, the twin leading shoe type, that uses 2 cylinders per wheel are by far the better set up. The backing plates for this set up look like these;-



just check that the adjusters are useable, as they do wear. They should have some friction in them, so they stay put when adjusted. Also look at the pins to see they are not unduly worn and that the square (for the spanner) hasn't been rounded off.

On to these, I'd suggest fitting wheel cylinders with a 1" bore (there are also 15/16" and 13/16" types available) as these will give a lighter pedal (your wife will thank you ). The Twin leading shoe set up also uses 1-1/2" Brake Shoes.

The rear brakes were the same from start to finish, only there are wheel cylinder sizes. If running with the 7.5" discs, then fit a 5/8" rear wheel cylinder and if running with the twin leading shoe drums, then fit a 3/4" Cylinder.

On the front rail of the rear subframe is a pressure shut off valve. Parts and springs are NLA (as best I can find out) and there were different shut off pressures depending on what the brake set up was, from about 250 psi to about 430 psi (from memory). The purpose of the shut off valve is to prevent your rear brakes from locking as this will cause your Moke to want to swap ends rather quickly. If you find your rears locking up, then as a suggestion, you can dismantle this valve and grind back the spring (just do about 0.5 mm at a time). This will reduce it's cut off pressure and so lock out the rear brakes sooner.

I'd suggest fitting a Master Cylinder (single circuit will be fine) with a 0.70" Bore. it will make the pedal go a bit lower when using them, but will give a softer pedal. Also, if fitting discs, you may want to fit a booster as these (discs) do give a very hard pedal, many run without though. You may also have to check what MC is compatible with the brake pedal that you have, as there are a few different length push rods, depending upon the pedal type. This one;-

https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... 0to%20shop

for example will probably do the trick, but I'd suggest checking with them after finding out what pedal you have.

Most Brake shops can make up any brake lines that you may need, however, from what I've seen, none will bend them to the right shape. If getting them made, try making up some templates from coat hanger wire. Or you could for a small investment make your own pipes.

[mokeinmalta]

Spider that is exactly the guidance I needed, thanks so much for taking the time to help.

Are the 7.5" Cooper S discs a straight fit to the axle or would it need a whole new set up?

Thanks again
Steve

[spider]

mokeinmalta, glad that maybe of some help.

Regarding the Disc Brake set up, basically everything between the ball joints is different from Drums to Disc set up. Your drive shafts (not the CVs though) will swap over.

I'd suggest you consider a kit like these for example;-

https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... ~Kits.aspx

which I recon represent good value for money. You'll also find that the disc set up is considerably lower maintenance (no wheel cylinders on the front to leak) and they are self adjusting. Just keep in mind that you'll need the 5/8" rear wheel cylinders to go with this set up.

[Doug G]

mokeinmalta, glad that maybe of some help.

Regarding the Disc Brake set up, basically everything between the ball joints is different from Drums to Disc set up. Your drive shafts (not the CVs though) will swap over.

I'd suggest you consider a kit like these for example;-

https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... ~Kits.aspx

which I recon represent good value for money. You'll also find that the disc set up is considerably lower maintenance (no wheel cylinders on the front to leak) and they are self adjusting. Just keep in mind that you'll need the 5/8" rear wheel cylinders to go with this set up.

I can endorse this +1