Stage 1 brakes

[Andy Dawe]

Some one built a very nice 88 inch using only brand new bearmach bits. I seem to remember they used hub and brake assemblies from Range rover onto leaf sprung axles. I think some engineering work was required to mate it all together.

It was on the Bearmach stand at Billing some years ago and appeared in one of the landy mags. It was a very nice vehicle and well finished. Interestingly i think it had it's own chassis number like BM1.

Anyone else help jog the grey matter.

I think Bearmach may even of built it themselves.

[primsil]

I want to bring this back to life for a moment. Is there not enough similarity with the hubs on RRC or Discos to swap them right over to the Stage 1? There has got to be someone that has tried it. I am much more likely to find spare parts from a RR or Disco for less than the cost of the kits . . .

As I mentioned in the other thread I do intend to do this myself as I have 94 disco axles and 72 RR front hubs and driveshafts and a spare set of stage1 hubs, but I am waiting on a business meeting to eventuate so I can pick them up and bring them here to begin work on them. They are 380+ km away so I dont want to go there twice, not when my RR costs $120NZ each way for fuel.
The 72 RR hubs have the same bolt pattern as the stage1 where they bolt on to the axle housing, but the ones I have are well worn. I have just obtained a pair of new stage1 swivel balls so am going to look at using them, but it may be easier to get a new pair of RR ones, I dont know until I get them all apart.
Should know later this week when I am able to meet down there.

[primsil]

The major hurdle that I am aware of is that stage1 have the railco bush to help dampen shock, however a steering damper could be fitted to do the same job.
I am told the stage1 driveshafts have the same splines as the RR cvs so should hopefully be able to mate the two. The RR shafts are too long to use.
The things I have to check are the steering geometry, as in king pin inclination for caster, the length of the driveshafts when the stage1s are fitted to the RR hubs, and the track width of the RR hubs on the stage1 housing. I have been considering the possibility of slotting the holes in the swivel balls to enable them to be rotated on the housing, so that the castor angle can be adjusted.
Later RR had a seven bolts to the housing instead of six.

[arcticrover]

It sounds like you are going to do the legwork on this, so I will hold off. I've got plenty to do with the engine and body in the mean time. . . . keep us posted!

[Basil]

They are like chalk and cheese mate have seen it done a few time's and they have all been highly dubious to verging on the point of dangerous, i think thats why the proper conversion is so expensive, because the supplier's know this is the only safe way to do it properly.

[primsil]

I think I disagree with you there, they are expensive because they are the only ones available, building your own does not have to be unsafe, just takes a bit of thought and ability. I am trying to find a cheap and easy, safe way of doing it, none of my projects are unsafe and they are constructed to a standard as high or higher than what would come from the manufacturer.

[Basil]

Hi primsil, i agree building your own does not have to be unsafe and please do not think i doubt your ability to do this project far from it, all i said was the one's that i had seen done were done badly, one guy even admitted to me that his truck would never pass it's mot with what he had done, and yes in hindsight you are right they are expensive because they are the only one's availble.

[primsil]

Not as easy as it looks, have done a little more comparison work, the results are here http://www.orrp.com/smf/index.php?topic=22551.0

[Andy Dawe]

Just to update on the front rear brake bias issue when fitting Zeus disc brakes front and rear. I purchased NTC6868L from Craddocks called a 'control valve pressure reducing Range Rover and disco'. £43. I traced the item on my wifes early disco and it is fitted in line from the feed pipe to the rear axle. Handily enough I discovered the item screws perfectly into the dual circuit master cylinder found on the Stage One. The pipe that was removed needed a new LARGER metric union which was flared on. The rear axle no longer locks up on hard/emergency braking and allows the nose to dive when braking. Hope the picture helps

[onno wielinga]

ti console http://www.ticonsole.nl have changed their conversionset; it is now fitted with ventilated discs (parts from the present santana anibal fitted). no grinding needed with this set.
it is probably identical to the rocky mountain set?

they also sell parts to convert a standard frontaxle to permanent drive (maybe interesting if the stage one partssupply will dry up at some point.

[AAXD]

My stage 1 currently has no bias valve(one of the many reasons it's not on the road yet). I drove it from RI to CT, about 120 miles and it drove beautifully and the brakes were strong despite the fact that one of the rear drums was full of 90 wt from a bad axle seal. When I had the front body bits off I found the original bias valve still bolted to the chassis, but there were no lines running to it. Someone had installed homemade lines coming straight out of the master cylinders to each wheel. When I put the body back on and drove it around it would lock up all 4 wheels at the slightest tap of the brakes. I'll need to sort them out when I get it out of winter storage next year.

[Pyro-Mike]

Do any of you with the Zeus conversion know if it alters the track of the vehicle? in other words would I need spacers on the back if I fitted a zeus kit to the front only?

Cheers

Mike