Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Roadster (2010) rear brake conversion drum - disc?

Hi,
after I experienced some fading in brake power when driving highway (German Autobahn legally allowing some higher speed :-) ) and steep alpine pass routes, I wonder if a conversion of the rear brakes from drum to disc would make a notifyable difference. My Roadster Sport (2010) has the Caparo disc brake in the front, I would asume them as capable to handle, but suspect that the drums
are not on even level.
Does anymody have similar experience, and experience with a conversion? Any recommendations on a matching disc brake conversion?

I was told the rear drums were more than adequate for road use on a Morgan given its light weight, when I first ordered my Roadster. After nearly 14,000 miles I've had no reason to disagree although I did fit EBC green stuff disc pads for much improved bite.

Good advice on trying more qualitative brake pads for the front - thanks, Rich. It is indeed not a problem in regular use, but in repeated heavy brake us, e.g driving down alpine pass with narrow curves - seems to be a thermal problem, which the EBC Greenstuff pads seem to address.
Probably also a much more economical way to try out :-)

MarcelT first get your rear brakes checked on a rolling road. In uk I got that done for nothing. On my car it showed up how inadequate the rear brakes were. After getting them sorted by the boss of a well known racing garage they have never been so good and the braking so balanced.

Something I used to say during tours Richard, if asked about drum rears. Perfectly adequate unless circuit racing or living in the Alps! Many of the racers are still using drum rears.
As IcePack (what a suitable monicker for the present weather systems!!) writes, it is worth having the efficiency checked and possibly correctly balanced to the fronts.

In France during the "Contrôle Technique" (MOT) the forces of the 4 brakes are measured and reported. The forces of the rear brakes are 25% higher than the front ones, (the front brakes are clean, no grease). I don't know if you get the same datas in Germany during the control? Have a checking.

Marcel, I agree with the previous speakers. I made it for the first time this summer that the brakes of my 4/4 stank and smoked. That was early in the evening the Großglocker uphill without any traffic, warm and dry from the starting point Zell am See. It smoked uphill, not downhill (downhill I was rather fast cruising without using the brakes too much because I much prefer to move the 4/4 in a sporty way uphill, it gives an enjoyable but safe and controllable feeling to me). On all other rides I never had any problems with the brake, even on three different Roadsters.
I would like to add one point. I bleed the brake lines every year. Quite a bit of air collects at the farthest brake, which is the right rear on the LHD car. This makes the brake quite ineffective.
But: because these cars are so light and the front brake is so good, sometimes you don't even notice it in everyday life. Only when you have bled and the rear drum brake is added again to the over all performance you clearly feel the positive effect.

The only driver I know who really complaint about the rear drum brakes, especially about the automatically adjusted brake pads was Günter Biener ten years or so ago. The drum brake and the brake pads were glowing and due to the expansion of the brake in the heat, the automatic readjustment was wrong at the end when the brake cooled down so that it no longer had free play but was grinding.

He let convert his Plus 4 Supersport to rear disc brakes. He drove 90% race tracks like Spa with her and Yokohama A048 tyres.

I was advised that rear discs would over brake the car for normal use. Also to change the fluid annually as air & water collects at the rears and the pistons then rust.

Mulfab offer a racing disc solution but it's a 'contact us' option. I'm sure SiFab would have a solution too.

Having your rear brakes more powerful than the fronts isn't a recipe for stable and calm corner entry!! ..... most of your braking power comes from the fronts .... with the weight transfer loading up the front tyres and unloading the rears the car will be unsettled with over-powerful rear brakes.

Interesting to hear that people like the EBC green stuff pads .... I have a mate works for them .... might give him a call

K

TBM posted while I was typing .... I think I'd want some sort of brake compensator if I was upgrading the rears ..... locking your rears flying into a bend isn't a happy place to be from experience.