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Rear disc brakes Retrofit - Feeback Wanted


MarkTB

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Can anyone who's done this conversion give me some feedback please. Wanting to know if you've noticed any improvement in braking after swapping the drums to discs? I've got chance of a rear axle for SWMBO's Fabia, and personally think rear discs perform better generally, but want to hear actual like-for-like reviews. Not planning on doing it for the aesthetics, but for improved performance/safety.

 

Cheers.

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  • 6 months later...
On ‎31‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 13:38, MarkTB said:

Can anyone who's done this conversion give me some feedback please. Wanting to know if you've noticed any improvement in braking after swapping the drums to discs? I've got chance of a rear axle for SWMBO's Fabia, and personally think rear discs perform better generally, but want to hear actual like-for-like reviews. Not planning on doing it for the aesthetics, but for improved performance/safety. 

 

Cheers.

 

Anyone? Resurrecting this as I need to either refurbish the existing drum brakes, or go ahead with the retrofit and purchase a rear axle. As above, not planning on doing it for the aesthetics, but for improved performance/safety - if any, therefore wanting real world like-for-like comparisons from those who have completed it please.

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I have seen this done before on Briskoda forum and if I recall, you need to swap the whole rear axle along with some other bits and bobs. I think it is do-able but a bit pointless unless you really, really wanted to have read discs.

I have rear discs as I ordered ESP when it was an option (Standard now) And that meant discs over drums so there MUST be some gain to it!

As Xman mentioned, most braking force is on the front. I think he over-quoted and it is more like a  70% to 30% front to rear ratio but still fairly significant. That said, anti-lock brakes and braking force distributers should control that anyway!

 

As mine were factory, I can't actually compare BUT I have heard some people say Fabia brakes are poor where other think they are fine. I have driven many cars over the years and find mine to be a reasonably well set up braking system. They perform more then adequately and I have had a few students who after having driven an even newer car, such as a Ford Focus, think my brakes are sharp! They do seem predictable and well controlled. I also have a small preference for Bosch brake pads and discs and find they wear reasonably well and work nicely, for a decent price. (I usually use that brand for all my filters, too). Faith in their product, I guess. 

 

I would defy look into the "small print" to see if there is anything else that needs changing and/or altering prior to doing the job though as it will be apita if you get part way through and can't complete without more parts!

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Rear axle from Fabia vRS mk2 (or other cars of same part no)

 

Obviously caliper and carriers from Fabia vRS mk2 (again other cars of same part no)

 

Rear discs and pads 

 

Hand brake cables (MK2 vRS hatch or estate depending)

 

Brake lines (ones from original axle will bolt up)

 

Axle mounting bolts and nuts

 

Abs sensors from original drums should work but vRS mk2 ones will also work 

 

Everything else should bolt up exactly the same as before, in terms of difference?  Not much other than looks and actually feels like I have a hand brake now 

 

 

My setup is front 312mm upgrade with 256mm upgrade (different calipers and carriers though), the braking is well balanced and haven't changed anything ECU side.  I like it better than the drums setup.

 

I believe that's it, I'm sure someone will correct me or add too

 

 

Edited by Kgod1991
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A bit into this thread, but, my wife's first Polo in 2002 came with rear disc brakes and her current Polo in 2015 came with rear disc brakes, on the other hand my daughter has a late 2009 Ibiza with rear drum brakes, so I have been driving similar cars with both types of rear brakes regularly.

Now, if you asked me if I feel safer driving the ones with rear discs I can only say no, absolutely no difference in the feel/performance of these cars.

Which would I chose if I had an option - the rear discs every time, but that is mainly due to my perceived ease of maintenance on rear disc brakes, do I like the extra points that rear discs give for aesthetics, absolutely. 

So, on these counts and your thoughts, if I were you I would just keep the rear drum brakes in serviceable condition, maybe open them up every year during late spring and clean them up.

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I agree with the above, keep the drums. They are a bit more of a hassle to adjust and maintain but I doubt you would see any difference at all changing to discs, and even if you did it would not be worth the hassle

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Thanks guys. You've confirmed my queries/suspicions. I agree with you rum4mo, my own perception is easier maintenance and improved looks from the discs but as i said i wasn't wanting to do the job if no real gains/benefits, so thanks for the comparisons. 

New shoes, etc. it is! :thumbup: 

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Our 2002 Polo 9n has rear discs,our 2009 Fabia has rear drums - which car has better brakes ?

The Polo :biggrin:

The rear drums on the Fabia also look cr@@p,the Polo rear discs look fine.

The Polo Handbrake is very easy/light to operate and powerful,the Fabia handbrake struggles to hold the car on steep hill starts.

The Fabia brakes feel fine for normal driving but can start to feel a little 'strained' when having to brake down from Mway speeds or descending a long steep hill,The Polo brakes always feel powerful and fairly effortless.

The only downside I can think of about the Polo rear discs is that it is the only car I ever owned where the rear wheels get dirtier than the fronts purely because of brake dust/disc rust spinning out to discolour the alloys.

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Sorry off topic, but, I've just spotted and read your past cars/sheds, Holbay  and an Apache, that Apache was the South African Austin 1300 with a boot, maybe even bigger engine?  A fitter at work used to run a Holbay Rapier and spent most of his overtime washing/cleaning the parts for the top end of the engine, still kept him happy.

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Hi Rum

Yeah the Apache still had the 1275cc 'A' series engine,mine had the 'strip' speedo and the interior looked identical to the old 1100's sold in Britain.

I had my Apache in Zimbabwe in 1984,I worked out there for a year and (mostly) used the car  to travel from Thornhill Air Force Base,Gwelo (where I was living and working) across to the other side of town to an old WW2 airfield (Moffat Field)  where the gliding club was based.Great gliding conditions - in the summer I only had to work from 0600 until 1300 and then could escape and go do some lovely glider flights.

The Holbay Hunter GLS I ran from 1980 to 83 whilst I was still in the RAF,it was a great wolf in sheeps clothing LOL - 4 speed box with electric overdrive and just getting into its powerband at 85 in 4th overdrive,of course compared with modern cars it is not very powerful but at that time it was quite a quick car.I never had to do any major work to the engine btw,the GLS was super reliable and was used for long trips almost every weekend.When they stopped selling 5 star fuel the engine started 'pinking' like a bar steward on 4 star - but luckily I was working on piston engined aircraft at that time :wink:  so a solution was at hand LOL.

 

Forgot to say - yes it was an RSA built car - externally it was an 1100 centre section with a Triumph 1500/Dolomite type Bonnet and Boot bolted on - quite a pretty little car :biggrin:

Edited by YS53
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Yes, Apache was quite a pretty looking car for that period, I can't say how/why I knew what they looked like, but as soon as I spotted one on my way to work in Edinburgh, maybe late '70s, I knew that it was.

 

I think that the top end of the Holbay Rapier was frequently taken apart, well because he was a fitter and we had plenty ultra sonic baths and lovely Freon to clean things with! Somebody got very annoyed when I used one of these baths to "recycle" the breather from my old Escort van though.

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Just watched this on Youtube. Edd China of Wheeler Dealers fame has done a pilot called Edd China's Garage Revival Program Pilot: The Golf GT(I). This featured retro fitting drum brakes to discs. Interesting watch.

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I just wish Edd China would get a slot on Quest etc so that I would watch them without having to look for them on Youtube  (for some reason), it was a bit of a pain for me watching Wheeler Dealers and the interesting stuff taking a back seat, seems having someone doing lots of "real work" was too much for Mike though.

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On ‎20‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 06:45, YS53 said:

Our 2002 Polo 9n has rear discs,our 2009 Fabia has rear drums - which car has better brakes ?

The Polo :biggrin:

 

Presumably the front discs are the same size on both cars, for a fair comparison?

 

I have similar observations (except for the vanity/appearance business which is a perpetual mystery to me). But my Polo has 256mm fronts versus the Fabia's 239mm, so I can't attribute all the difference to the discs/drums at the back. The superiority of the Polo's braking even had me looking for faults with the Fabia about a year ago, as it seemed so poor in comparison. Even the professionals at my local VAG indy couldn't find anything wrong though.

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10 hours ago, rum4mo said:

Yes, Apache was quite a pretty looking car for that period, I can't say how/why I knew what they looked like, but as soon as I spotted one on my way to work in Edinburgh, maybe late '70s, I knew that it was.

 

Yes the Apache was quite a cute little car,I got my Triumphs mixed up on my previous post - I should have said that the bonnet and boot were similar to a Triumph Toledo.

The old BMC transverse engine was a little unsuited to hot climates at that time though - it still had the original side mounted radiator + belt driven  cooling fan and on really hot days I found that I had to drive at approx 45mph to keep the coolant temp to a reasonable figure,any slower or faster than 45 would see the temp gauge climbing.

Later cars might well have had a front mounted rad + electric fan but my car was quite an early one.If I could have got hold of an electric fan I would have done the conversion myself LOL.

However I normally only used the car for fairly short journeys so was not usually a problem.

The longest journey I did in it was up to Harare for a job interview with 2 other guys - Harare  was  approx 280 Klicks Nth of Gwelo,it was a very hot day so cruising at 45 was reqd,on the way back - the SU elec fuel pump went on strike,luckily I had 'previous' with SU's so the guy on the back seat had the 'pleasure' of facing backwards and clouting the boot mounted SU pump for the last 100 Klicks back to base :biggrin:.

I could not get a correct new/spare pump so eventually replaced it with a huge elec pump from a small truck LOL

The Apache you saw in Edinburg was possibly a Spanish built one.

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26 minutes ago, Wino said:

 

Presumably the front discs are the same size on both cars, for a fair comparison?

 

I have similar observations (except for the vanity/appearance business which is a perpetual mystery to me). But my Polo has 256mm fronts versus the Fabia's 239mm, so I can't attribute all the difference to the discs/drums at the back. 

 

Hi Wino

Good point - 

Our Fabia has 288mm vented Front discs

Our Polo has 256mm  vented Front discs

 

According to Parkers the 2 vehicle weights are -

Fabia 1.9 tdi PD = 1170 kg

Polo 1.4s 16v = 1199 kg

 

So the Fabia may be slightly lighter - but not by much.

 

The Fabia brake performance I would personally classify as barely adequate,the Polo brake performance I would classify as excellent.

 

The appearance thing for me is that (1) The Drums look pathetically small compared to the car size and wheel size (2) they always go rusty and look cr@@p.

 

On the polo if I want to polish up the discs I can just drive with the handbrake lightly 'on' for half a mile,if driving a reasonable distance of course they will polish up anyway :biggrin:

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