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Rear drum to disc brake conversion

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contour_r_us

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Dec 31, 2002
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Portland, Oregon
TEAM - I have researched this to the "ninth degree" on various sites, yet still can not find a straight answer to my question. Background - '95 2.0 w/MTX, non-ABS, rear drums. QUESTION IS THIS: The rear brake "pressure regulators" are installed into the rear brake "hard lines" at the master cylinder. My donor vehicle is a '98 SVT E0. It came with the rear disc brake "pressure regulators" installed at the end of the rear disc flexible brake lines, just where it connects to the support bracket on the rear struts. How should I proceed with these rear flexible rear disc brake lines and their "pressure regulators"? I will go silent and listen to the "wisdom of the web" at this time. Mechanical conversion went w/o incident. Thanks beforehand!
 
I'm stumped. you found an SVT without ABS? I've never seen regulators at the rear on SVT's. I sold a non-SVT/ non-ABS disc brake parts set from a 96 tour to compudude86. It had the pressure regulators at the master cylinder on that one.
 
Dennyb - oh no, the SVT donor has ABS. This "pressure regulator" I speak of has nothing to do with ABS. I will NOT be using ABS on the '95. It is strickly a case of what do I do with the rear brake lines and the pressure regulators. They also act as "gender benders" (for you electronics folks). Yes, I have the pressure regulators already at the MC on the '95. If I don't use the SVT pressure regulators at the rear brake lines, then I have an issue with connecting the SVT rear brake lines to the '95 "hard line". Make sense? btw - Thanks for your response, and I have seen, in my search, posts pertaining to compudude86 and his brake conversion.
 
When I installed braided rear brake lines on my Roush, they were not threaded for the regulators, so I just left them out. No difference at all in braking performance (except for the obvious increased firmness from installing braided lines).
 
B3NN3TT, Thank you for confirming this - I suspect this is the way I will ultimately go. I will leave the "pressure regulators" at the MC (master cylinder) and see how the brakes perform. Concern here is simply over front to rear brake bias. On my '86 VW GTI, I have a mechanical "pressure regulaor" that came (stock) attached to the rear beam axle. When the front end dives (hard braking) the brake pressure bias changes to reduce the amount of "rear brake" (4 wheel discs) in order to prevent rear wheel lockup. Well documented in what happens when one converst a VW of that era (or earlier/later) to rear discs w/o a rear brake presurre regulator of some sort - the rear wheels readily "lock-up" with the least amount of brake pedal pressure - very undesirable to say the least. When I installed Neuspeed lowering springs on this GTI, the mfg included a poly urethane "insert" that is installed in the aforementioned mechanical "pressure regulator". The purpose is to change the degree of rear brake bias thru reduction of rear brake pressure. Simple but clever.
 
B3NN3TT said:
When I installed braided rear brake lines on my Roush, they were not threaded for the regulators, so I just left them out. No difference at all in braking performance (except for the obvious increased firmness from installing braided lines).
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I failed to ask, what brand of braided rear brake lines did you install? TIA -
 
The "pressusre regulators" you are talking about, I think are pressure-conscious reducing valves, aka pressure-control relief valve.
 
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I want to clarify my position on brakes. Disc brakes work fine without a holding valve. On drum brakes you need a valve to have the rear shoes activate first and then after this the fronts come in. It is the proportioning valve on older cars that did this. You have to overcome the return spring pressure to move the shoes in the rear and its only a couple of psi. If these valves are used on disc brake cars you have the pads held against the disc when brake pedal is released. I wouldn't use any of these parts from the drum system and make sure if not ABS that the pressure valves used will release fully when the brake is off. The devices on the non ABS car I had looked like they regulated peak pressure to prevent lockup. They also were only on the front at the master cylinder.
 
dennyb, found out those things on that non-ABS car you saw are called pressure-conscious reducing valves, aka pressure-control relief valves.
I'm ajusting my previous post, some inacurate info on there. I thought they were one way check valves.
So, contour_r_us, if your car has them on the master cylinder, then no, you shouldn't need them in the rear.
 
CSVT_0611 - I am hearing you loud and clear. Only problem I forsee is if I use the rear disc stock flex lines, then they will not thread into my exsisting rear lines, due to gender differences.
 
dennyb said:
Buy new rear lines. Or i can send you free the lines from the rear of my parts car. PM me if interested.
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Thanks for this offer!!! I will let you know this weekend, as I hope to get to the point of installing rear brake lines by then.
I so appreciate all the help you and others have provided. Again, Thank you all!!
 
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