Landrover brake questions but not for a landrover

Having just finished my dads Renault 5 get turbo rebuild I got round to doing a few bits ok my mk2 escort mainly trying to work out what I'm going to do with the brakes.

Whislt doing a few big on my 90 after work I thought the caliper bolt spacing a looked similar so out with tape measure, and there 90mm the same as my mk2 escort front struts,

Now I have a spare set of front calipers on an axle in my mates lock up. I think my escort discs are something like 248mm so a fair bit smaller than a defender but my main question is can I run a vented disc (from an escort) with none vented calipers of a defender of they fit of cause.

The difference between vented and non vented LR calipers is a spacer plate fitted between the two caliper halves so that aspect should be ok. Main issue may be caliper piston diameters, calipers and master cylinders are matched to a degree. If you increase the surface area of piston then you also increase the volume of fluid required to move the pistons the same distance. The master should be increased by the same percentage to keep the brake pedal travel / caliper piston movement ratio the same. If you put larger area pistons/calipers on but leave the master the same then you will need more pedal movement (and therefore more brake fluid volume) to push the caliper pistons the same distance. Obviously the reverse is true if the piston area is smaller. Not easy to explain without pointing at pictures!!

You would also need to check that brake pads cover the full working area of the disc, if they don't then you will end up with tapered pads and reduced efficiency. Also would need to check that the whole of the piston is pushing against the disc

I understand about the brake pad area ect on the disc and I will get the callipers and check it,

As for the master, there isn't one as of yet, I have read that some use defender 90 none abs master, but I've been looking at bias pedal boxs ect and I will give the piston sizes ect to the company that's sells them and they will supply the correct masters,

Well, you could go for a full Land Rover brake conversion in that case. And while you're at it, why not see if a 200TDi block will fit in the engine bay?

Brown said:

Well, you could go for a full Land Rover brake conversion in that case. And while you're at it, why not see if a 200TDi block will fit in the engine bay?

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Could do I already have a 200 in my challenge truck, the escort currently has a 2lt pinto on twin webbers so is a simple as a tdi anyway

Land Rover calipers are heavy compared to the alloy 4 pots fitted to modern cars, I would look on the bay for something like Clio sport or Scooby 4 pots.

Brown said:

Well, you could go for a full Land Rover brake conversion in that case. And while you're at it, why not see if a 200TDi block will fit in the engine bay?

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If he really wants to slow it down effectively he could go for a 12J.

boguing said:

If he really wants to slow it down effectively he could go for a 12J.

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Haha like your thinking,

It was just a thought to get it up and running having races alsorts of cars for years I understand about unsprung weight ect,

I have a set kicking round so it's worth a shot, if not the wilwood make a very well priced 4 pot conversion