T3 Kombi brake upgrade
baghall - March 5th, 2016 at 09:23 PM
Been thinking of using the later model '86-91 model calipers on my '85, are they compatible and am I correct in thinking that the later models had
larger pads?
Also what has people used to upgrade the rears to disc brakes?
Would love people's thoughts and experiences.
Thanks
psimitar - March 6th, 2016 at 12:59 AM
Well from what I can see on the VWHeritage website the pre 87 discs were larger in diameter than the later discs by nearly 20mm plus the early used a
twin piston non-floating caliper compred to the later single piston floating caliper.
IMO a twin non-floating caliper is always gonna give better performance over a single floating caliper. Modern cars use em cos they're cheap to
manufacture.
If you want better brakes then look at vented discs with second hand 4 pot Porsche calipers. Can still pick up up fairly cheap from UK scrappies 
mackaymanx - March 6th, 2016 at 11:11 AM
Rear Discs in progress
http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/t3-rear-disc-brake-conversion-kits.51582/
PAZZAN - March 6th, 2016 at 01:56 PM
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=vanagon+big+brakes&biw=1920&bih=95...
PAZZAN - March 6th, 2016 at 01:57 PM
http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?id=23870
baghall - March 6th, 2016 at 04:05 PM
Thanks for the links guys have put myself down as interested in T4 rear discs. Find it interesting psimitar that the fronts in the later model could
be worse than the earlier models.
psimitar - March 7th, 2016 at 01:21 PM
| Quote: |
Originally
posted by baghall
Thanks for the links guys have put myself down as interested in T4 rear discs. Find it interesting psimitar that the fronts in the later model could
be worse than the earlier models.
|
Not necessarily worse in terms of day to day ability but in terms of outright performance they're mediocre.
The single piston sliding caliper is given a much larger piston diameter so that it has similar clamping force to the twin piston earlier caliper.
Then they increase pad surface area to increase the amount of friction available but compared to a multiple piston caliper the sliding caliper can
never compete just due to how the clamping force is spread across the pad.
In multi piston calipers the braking pressure is more evenly distributed over the pad leading to better brake feel and more even pressure onto the
disc surface. The more evenly the pad is pressed against the disc then the larger area of friction compared to a single piston that will have reduced
pad to disc pressure towards the edges of the pad. A 5mm steel back plate may seem quite thick but under such pressures you'd be surprised how much
flex there is.
It's kinda funny how people don't realise how costs are being cut in high end performance vehicles like the sporty Mercs, Audis and Jags. They use
discs the size of dustbin lids but use the cheap to manufacture single piston caliper compared to 5 or more years ago when they still used 4 pot
calipers with smaller discs that could still out perform the larger latest single pot brakes