Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Rear Disc Conversion

You still say that when driving in wet weather?
BAT has Mintex AF shoes, and CTA has "Eurorotor" shoes... Hopefully at least one of these is better than stock?

Before we get too deep here are we all aware that the rears do have a balance valve so the bulk of the braking is on the front anyway due to weight transfer???

Yes. Drilled rotors were never intended to combat water. Centrifugal force keeps water off the rotors.

Drilled rotors were originally intended to expell gases from old, asbestos-based pads that would fade under hard braking because gas would build up between the pad and rotor as the pad heated up under the friction.

New techologies of brakes pads virtually eliminate the need for cross-drilling.

Slotted rotors were used to actually scrape old material off of pads. Old technology pads would glaze under hard braking. The slots would scrape off that glazing.

New pads are designed for better resistance to glazing so slotted rotors are not necessary.

SQ was right about total area and the ability to absorb heat.

Drilled rotors may not have been intended for water, but they seem to help with it anyway.

And as for heat, I'm not concerned about how much the rotor can absorb, but with how well it can then transfer that heat to the atmosphere, and keep down the total temperature of the system during prolonged use. A perforated rotor is certainly going to have some improvement, the only question is if it's significant.

I haven't given my new brakes a heavy mountain workout this year, but I probably will in a few months, and then I'll have a better idea of whether cross-drilled rotors are merely aesthetic.

I want a rear disc conversion kit. especially if it comes with tips to adjust, or replace the stinking little valve so more braking is done by the rear than is with oem drums. maybe my front end wouldn't dive like a dyke on carpet. plus they would look nice with the other suspension mods i have in the works.

For those of you that seem to be trying to down play the need for better braking in the rear: Yes, it is true that well over half of the braking is done in the rear, and I am sure that a car with an improved stock setup(ie better discs and pads only) will not benefit as much as those with larger front rotors. I have the Baer big brake kit, and let em tell ya' I NEED MORE REAR STOPPING POWER , and if I said my desire wasn't slightly aesthetic also, I would be a liar.

I genuinely hope no one took offence to anything I said in my most recent post. I certainly wasn't trying to argue why rear disc is better than rear drum...if at all on these cars. I was merely pointing out the benefits for me personally. Just to add my opinion of why I want a conversion. If we're going to start a debate about brakes we need to move it to the brakes forum and get everyone(people more knowledgeable than us)involved.