Rear Disc Brakes for a Sunbeam Alpine! Tiger?

[Aladin Sane]

I have 14×6 panasport minilites. When I put the wheels on, there was a millimeter or two clearance between the wheel and the caliper. I addressed this by installing longer studs and some 1/2" spacers. This was the before shot. Very tight.

 

[Jay Laifman]

Bill/Dan - my exhaust pipe is in the way of the e-brake rod getting to the lever on the caliper. Thoughts on bending it to fit? I wouldn't have to bend it much. Just to curve it around a little. But, I'm concerned that the constant pulling and pressure will ultimately stretch it straight again and rubbing against the pipe.

Also, in playing with it, I think I might try using the stock rod to bend it. It will shorten it a little, and then give me more play with the other side.

 

[Aladin Sane]

I chose to ditch the original rod assembly and use flexible parking brake cables. I just finished installing them today, it was very easy to route.

 

[Jay Laifman]

What do you mean? Did you get a longer cable and put a pulley at one of the calipers?

 

[DanR]

Bill/Dan - my exhaust pipe is in the way of the e-brake rod getting to the lever on the caliper. Thoughts on bending it to fit? I wouldn't have to bend it much. Just to curve it around a little. But, I'm concerned that the constant pulling and pressure will ultimately stretch it straight again and rubbing against the pipe.

Also, in playing with it, I think I might try using the stock rod to bend it. It will shorten it a little, and then give me more play with the other side.

Jay, I had to bend my E-brake rod on my Blue Boy V6 because of the dual exhaust pipes, but not on my SIV 1725 with wire wheels

 

[Aladin Sane]

What do you mean? Did you get a longer cable and put a pulley at one of the calipers?

No, I bought a kit that included two very flexible jacketed cables. The kit was made for the saturn calipers. The two cable jackets terminate at this bracket where inner cables extend to the shackle that mounts to the brake lever.

 

[Toyanvil]

I also used cables.

 

[Aladin Sane]

I installed mine after the rear end was back in the car, and it was still very simple and easy.

 

[DanR]

No, I bought a kit that included two very flexible jacketed cables. The kit was made for the saturn calipers. The two cable jackets terminate at this bracket where inner cables extend to the shackle that mounts to the brake lever.View attachment 28825

Alan, I would like to know the source and part numbers you found for your modification with the rod/cable. Very interesting.

I have to remove the Saturn "levers" to make my kit work using the stock Alpine/Tiger pieces.

 

[Aladin Sane]

I bought my own saturn calipers and just used the existing ebrake levers. It was very easy. I had a local fab shop working on my dana 44, and he said he had to make a few mods to mount the calipers. I am not exactly sure what he had to change. I didnt think it was related to the brake levers.

I will get back to you with the source of parts for the cables and linkage.

Brian

 

[Aladin Sane]

Dan, I sent you a text with the link to Amazon I used to buy my cable kit. It looks exactly like a wilwood kit they also have, that costs twice as much.

 

[DanR]

I'll take a look, thanks,

DanR

 

[belmateo]

Most mazda and Honda cables will work as well at a lower cost.

 

[Jay Laifman]

Bill/Dan - my exhaust pipe is in the way of the e-brake rod getting to the lever on the caliper. Thoughts on bending it to fit? I wouldn't have to bend it much. Just to curve it around a little. But, I'm concerned that the constant pulling and pressure will ultimately stretch it straight again and rubbing against the pipe.

Also, in playing with it, I think I might try using the stock rod to bend it. It will shorten it a little, and then give me more play with the other side.

I wanted to report that this is what I did. It worked perfectly. I bent the rod a little to go around the exhaust, then I cut the end a little shorter, and put another little 90* bend to go into the e-brake lever, using the stock clip. Bing, bang, boom. Fits and works great.

I also want to report how happy I am with the product and how the car brakes now. So firm. So balanced. I had asked DanR if I needed any different balancing. Silly question. Beautifully balanced. And if I didn't mention it above, I changed my .70 MC to a .75 MC, without a booster. I really like the firmness, but not too firm. (I can't fit the full size MC because of the Webers. I have the servo on the Tiger and it does work great. So I'm not anti servo.)

I will also add that admittedly my early, self bleeds didn't really work. I was blessed to have both my sons home and with free time. I had one at the pedal, one at the MC, and I was at the bleeder valve. We did a full and fast bleed, and now perfect. It's amazing how much better it goes when I don't have to keep popping up and checking on the reservoir. Ha.

(Adding the word disk to this thread because I searched for this thread first using "disk" and it didn't show up until I used disc. "Disc" is the "correct" British spelling. But just in case anyone else searches for this using the US spelling.)

 

[belmateo]

You can bleed your brakes and hydraulic clutches by yourself, have done it many many times.

https://www.amazon.com/ABN-One-Man-Brake-Bleeder/dp/B00SYQQ6KK/ref=asc_df_B00SYQQ6KK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312280085431&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10136506313270204191&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1013581&hvtargid=pla-571251780858&psc=1

 

[Jay Laifman]

I have the Motive brake bleeder, which I agree is the most amazing thing ever. It pressurizes the MC reservoir and pushes fluid through it. The problem is that it doesn't have an adapter that fits on the top of my MC.

I don't tend to like the ones like you show. They risk sucking air back in through the threads of the bleeder screw. They would be perfect if you have bleeder screws that have the spring valve inside the bleeder screw. I just don't have those on the Alpine now. And I don't know that the threads on these new calipers are deep enough for one of those screws.

 

[Shannon Boal]

I have the Motive brake bleeder, which I agree is the most amazing thing ever. It pressurizes the MC reservoir and pushes fluid through it. The problem is that it doesn't have an adapter that fits on the top of my MC.

I don't tend to like the ones like you show. They risk sucking air back in through the threads of the bleeder screw. They would be perfect if you have bleeder screws that have the spring valve inside the bleeder screw. I just don't have those on the Alpine now. And I don't know that the threads on these new calipers are deep enough for one of those screws.

I put teflon tape on the bleeder screw when I have to use a suction bleeder.....works fine

 

[belmateo]

I have the Motive brake bleeder, which I agree is the most amazing thing ever. It pressurizes the MC reservoir and pushes fluid through it. The problem is that it doesn't have an adapter that fits on the top of my MC.

I don't tend to like the ones like you show. They risk sucking air back in through the threads of the bleeder screw. They would be perfect if you have bleeder screws that have the spring valve inside the bleeder screw. I just don't have those on the Alpine now. And I don't know that the threads on these new calipers are deep enough for one of those screws.

There is no risk of air getting back in if you are using it correctly, meaning the bottle is the highest point. You can even use the gravity method with this as there is always fluid in the line and eventually the bottle.

 

[Jay Laifman]

Well, I disagree. But we should discuss that in another thread. This one is about the disc brakes.

 

[belmateo]

LOL, we agree to disagree.