Rear brake conversion
 

I purchased complete rear back plate and parking brake kit for my MG ZT.
Then i got thinking.

Is there a way to convert the rear parking brake with a rear caliper intergrated parking brake because, if im honest, the hand brake is and has always been rubbish despire constant adjustment and maintenance over the 15 years i have had this car.


Thanks for any answers.

Have a look at VW golf calipers, I have these fitted to my trike and these have the set up that you mention.

Constant adjustment would have meant the mechanism was bending or the cables were stretching.

If, now and then, you did the odd 100 metres or so with the hand brake partly on you would have found the brake would do its job quite well. Drums that only have to work when the vehicle is stationary tend to rust up and give a surface that becomes useless for braking.

They have to be SHINY like in pic below.---:D

Have you ever had an integrated parking brake? I have on Saabs, terrible construction, grit, salt, damn things required regular service - mine operated on the front wheels, they were very effective when they worked. No quick handbrake turns on snow/ice - much prefer the 75 set-up.

Regards

Hi basil.
Get your self to the first Nano meet and we will sort out your handbrake problem once and for all ;)

http://www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk/meets_2014.html

The reason the 75 has drum in disc park brake is because any integrated one was not good enough and would not meet either the legal or Company requirements. I was involved with the braking during development and the decision was not taken lightly to spend the extra money fitting a separate park brake.

My Rover 45 has the handbrake mechanisms build into the rear callipers and they have been nothing but trouble.

The seperate drum idea is much better

I second the above - combined handbrake and brake calipers on the other models (most 200, 400, 600, 800 and later variants of such where applicable) are awful for seizing - I've owned lots of MGR vehicles over the years, and by far the vehicle with the most reliable handbrake system is the 75 / ZT.

Fond memories of having a cherry red glowing rear disc on my first 620ti - and then similar issues with a ZS, a 45, another 620ti... very common, and in part down to poor maintenance (regular brake fluid changes would help prevent the piston corrosion that causes this) but also an inherently weak design it seems.

FYI, for anyone struggling with the handbrake efficiency on the 75 / ZT, there are a number of common causes - most prominently the Handbrake Compensator (Arctic supplies a modified version that doesn't stretch), the Brake Shoes not making full contact with the inside of the drum as some aftermarket shoes seem to be the wrong shape (we have originals here: https://www.dmgrs.co.uk/products/gen...-p-n-sfs100190 )
Finally, the backplates rust through allowing the pins to slip through the plate itself - have had this happen twice so far.
Luckily a set of pre-assembled backplates with everything needed won't break the bank: https://www.dmgrs.co.uk/products/r75...0290-smn000140

While quite a complex design on our cars, it does seem to do the job well when working correctly. :)

You mean like this? I had wound the adjuster off at this point)

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...41be79b66d.jpg

This was the adjuster on my current ZT. The handbrake held ok but whilst I was replacing the carpet I fitted a stainless steel compensator that I had converted. I had a lot of trouble with the handbrake on my previous car, so I fitted one to that and it was good as gold after that.

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...424915d8a8.jpg

I remember my dad having a Renault 25 with combined handbrake within the rear callipers, my dad didn't do many miles so got quite adept at removing and cleaning up the rear brakes.

Surely a drum in disc brake is INTEGRATED ?? Both brakes on one item.

You say they decided to spend the extra money fitting a separate park brake.---:shrug:---Where did they fit it ???