Modification

RS2000 Front Brake conversion

The front setup is from the Escort, the calipers being the standard Ford M16 design, except the pistons are considerably larger then seen throughout the rest of the Ford range. I want to carry the 'as new' theme to every aspect of the car, so even the calipers are going to receive a complete overhaul and restoration.

The calipers are single cylinder design and the discs measure 270mm*30mm. I am going to stick to standard Ford discs as I don't believe in using cross drilled or grooved discs for the road. These are utilised by racing teams where brake temperatures reach more than twice that of road cars, here the holes and grooves help to move pad dust and gas (created by the pads) away from the braking surface. Grooves and holes only serve to take away valuable surface area in a road application.

Front brake installation - RS2000 Conversion

The calipers are attached to the front hubs with two 17mm bolts, and after the brake line has been disconnected the calipers can be removed from the hub as a complete unit. The discs are held onto the hubs with either screws or lock washers over the wheel studs, once these are removed the disc can slide off over the studs. Here are the calipers as removed from the scrap car:

I have also restored the hubs, which I dealt with in the suspension section, the calipers received similar treatment. Both calipers were stripped down, which is a case of loosening two stainless steel sliders (with an Allen head) - the caliper then separates into two, large, cast pieces. The pads can now be removed and all the rubber seals (seven including dust caps).

I took the stripped calipers along to the powder coaters, along with some other parts. I decided to have them done in gold. When I picked them up I was extremely pleased with the result, at some stage I think I will strip the rear calipers and have them powder coated too. Here they are rebuilt, you wouldn't think they were that they were once that oily mess in the top photo!

Left - Here are the calipers and discs (minus pads) on the hubs.

Right - The finished result - the calipers on the hub complete with new Ford discs. The car is starting to look really good now...

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