Poor brakes / vented disc upgrade

Hi Guys,

I hope you can help!
I have just rebuilt a defender 110 (1987) with single discs on the front and drums on the back. My issue is that the rears lock up first and so are working well. Fronts are not so good but will also lock up if I push really hard. Just put new pads on the front but no real help.
Few thoughts:

• My callipers were stiff to retract when putting in the new pads – would this affect actual braking. If so and I need new callipers could I easily upgrade to vented callipers and discs?
  
• If I go down this route will my rear drums still be ok?
  
• Could my brake master cylinder/servo be an issue?
  
• I am wondering if I put the brake pipes on the wrong way on the master cylinder. Currently front pipe goes to the front brakes.

Any help much appreciated

oh one other option is to but later axles front and rear (thus I can fit alloys with out spacers - which look great but cover the side of the car with mud!)

more than likely seized/sticky calipers. either buy some new or refurb them.

personally, i think vented won't do much over solid. it's not like you slam the brakes on all the time when driving a defender.

iirc on yours the front pipe fruns from the front drivers then tee'd over to the passenger.

are yours the lockheed long split pin type?

Thanks for your response,

Sorry what is iirc? anyway, currently the forward brake pipe out of brake master drops down (on the right) and forward to a T where it splits to both front brakes.

Again sorry what is a "lockheed long split pin type?"

cheers

raudiduncan said:

Thanks for your response,

Sorry what is iirc? anyway, currently the forward brake pipe out of brake master drops down (on the right) and forward to a T where it splits to both front brakes.

Again sorry what is a "lockheed long split pin type?"

cheers

Click to expand...

if i remember correctly

go grab the parts catalogue 87+ from here.. and any others you want pdf Land Rover Manuals | Landroverweb.com

around page 494

by split pins i mean does your front caliper pad fitting kit look like

Change the calipers or overhaul them plus free off the sliders. what is a vented caliper.
IMO vented discs will make no difference.

My pins holding the pads in are solid bars (approx. 8cm long) with split pin going through the ends.
Sounds like I should invest in some calipers - does it matter which make? £40 ones ok?
cheers

raudiduncan said:

My pins holding the pads in are solid bars (approx. 8cm long) with split pin going through the ends.
Sounds like I should invest in some calipers - does it matter which make? £40 ones ok?
cheers

Click to expand...

Should be.

"My callipers were stiff to retract when putting in the new pads – would this affect actual braking. If so and I need new callipers could I easily upgrade to vented callipers and discs?"

the joy of land rovers is that the calipers are easily rebuildable with new pistons.

did both my front brakes with new stainless pistons and seals for 80 quid total. - your 40 quid replacement caliper (from where might i add) wont have stainless pistons

top drive said:

"My callipers were stiff to retract when putting in the new pads – would this affect actual braking. If so and I need new callipers could I easily upgrade to vented callipers and discs?"

the joy of land rovers is that the calipers are easily rebuildable with new pistons.

did both my front brakes with new stainless pistons and seals for 80 quid total. - your 40 quid replacement caliper (from where might i add) wont have stainless pistons

Click to expand...

They won't have stainless pistons true, nor will they have corroded bores and contrary to what you may think, even stainless can corrode.
Island 4 x 4 do calipers at arounf £40.

Ok Thanks for both of your advise.
I don't fancy the grief or rebuilding so will go down the cheapo calliper route. Can easily replace them again in 5years time.

And yes stainless loves reacting with steel in salt damp conditions...

steel loves reacting with steel in salty damp conditions

i rarely see corroded bores when doing bike brakes and opened up my 27 year old landy brakes a few weeks back which looked like they had been dumped in the sea for 27 years with siezed pistons with no corrsion to the bores(which are non contact anyway) - its the seal recess that will give you headaches if its corroded

fair enough if you CBA rebuilding though - your call

When I did my brakes last year I fitted new seals and pistons to my existing callipers. it wasn't too difficult. The hardest thing was getting the old pistons out as some of them were stuck. The internal bores and the grooves the seals went in were in surprisingly good condition so there was no need to renew the whole casting. For the master cylinder on the other hand I just bought a complete new one because I didn't fancy messing about with little springs and rubbery rings. You won't necessarily feel the benefit of vented discs in a Land Rover unless you drive it like a rally car.

I was impressed with the vented discs I put on the front of my landy but am less than impressed with the rears. The drivers side rear rattles the brake pads around and drives me nuts. I'm hoping a new hub will help cure it as everything else on it is new.