Brake upgrade

[SLW4491]

Just watched the Wheeler Dealers episode where Ant installs Volvo (240?) brake kit on the 1969 Datsun Roadster 2000 as a direct bolt on. (Made it look easy of course. "Only took minutes."). Rotors and calipers and pads looked like a significant upgrade. Does anyone have any idea where to get such a bolt on kit? Thanks.

[DAC21]

Old thread that you might be interested in.

http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=12775

[todd lorber]

Doing that upgrade definitely give more gripping at the front end. Just know that these cars (pretty much all cars) are engineered to have the fronts and rears work together-i.e. balanced. When you introduce more clamping in the front, the rears will then have proportionately less impact. To compensate for this, you will either need to increase braking hardware in the rear, or get a proportioning valve and dial it in (presumably with trial and error) in order to compensate.

Generally speaking, unless you are tracking the car and worried about heat buildup, a well functioning stock system is adequate. Now, if you are planning on adding a bunch of horsepower, upgrading all four corners would be a good call.

[Curtis]

http://www.new-datsun-parts.com/datsun- ... rakes.html

[AidanDawn2000]

Woo my time to shine!

Just did this swap a month ago and might be able to help!
For me this swap was motivated just as much by cost as by any performance benefits. I hear the people who say stock can work very well and it is a valid point that the donlop design was shared with everything from heavy Jags to Le Mans Ferraris and Astons. But my stock brakes weren’t in the best shape and finding new ones or even resleaving was going to be prohibitively expensive.

So anyways.... finding 92 Volvo front calipers was actually a bit tough but once I did they were only $40 a side (make sure you give them something or core charge can be brutal) and install was very easy thanks to the great kit from Mike http://www.bluehandsinc.com/311-roadst ... e-kit.html
Total was
+$80 for the calipers
+$220 for the kit and machined vented rotors that came with it including shipping
+$26 for two new braided stainless brake hoses with banjo ends (some kind of 90° fitting like a banjo is needed when moving to the Volvo setup)
+$21 dirt cheap ceramic brake pads from amazon.

$347 total


Don’t really have more bite than stock (at least not with these off brand $20 pads) but they are 100 times more fade resistant.

[Curtis]

Yes the Dunlops were used on Jaguar XKE and the Jag owners complain about the brakes not holding up under heavy braking conditions. XKE weighs 500 pounds more. I have not done enough hard braking to experience this and when I hit the brakes it stops. Of course they lock up under full braking, no ABS on these cars.

They make a brake upgrade kit for the Jags and I am currently waiting for the Datsun model in aluminum. The covid interfered with the testing. But they will not be $347 like the Volvo ones you just did. They will however bolt on with no modifications.

[Pjackb]

I happen to have 3 cars each with a different brake kit
Car #1 has stock brakes in fair condition
Car #2 has Volvo brakes (and rear disks)
Car #3 has Wilwood Dynalyte with larger custom rotors

Car #1-2 are very similar in their braking capabilities and feel #1 needs a little more pressure to bite but I know it’s because the car had sat for a long time and new pads adjustments would correct that , all in all I feel performance wise there’s not much benefits , but there’s definitely a cost advantage if you need to overhaul the brakes

Car#3 is in a different league, braking is crisp and strong and has a fully modern feel . It’s a totally different car. Cost for the kit from DRP is about $700 plus the rotors and you can go with regular roadster rotors

YMMV

[AidanDawn2000]

I happen to have 3 cars each with a different brake kit
Car #1 has stock brakes in fair condition
Car #2 has Volvo brakes (and rear disks)
Car #3 has Wilwood Dynalyte with larger custom rotors

Car #1-2 are very similar in their braking capabilities and feel #1 needs a little more pressure to bite but I know it’s because the car had sat for a long time and new pads adjustments would correct that , all in all I feel performance wise there’s not much benefits , but there’s definitely a cost advantage if you need to overhaul the brakes

Car#3 is in a different league, braking is crisp and strong and has a fully modern feel . It’s a totally different car. Cost for the kit from DRP is about $700 plus the rotors and you can go with regular roadster rotors

YMMV

Great share! What did the WW kit comprise? just sweet calipers? New master? Booster? Are the rotors vented?

[RustyBucket]

For FYI - and giggles there is --> (www.new-datsun-parts.com) has a kit "RBB01 VOLVO 22 MM SLOTTED AND DRILLED VENTED ROTOR BRAKE KIT $770.00" .

I was told that the stock Brake master cylinder has enough pressure to work with the upgrade. Although the car has stock drums on the rear. - The question of the :pressure balance: between front and rear systems requires some investigation though.. My understanding is that 60% of the stopping power comes from the Front, so if there is an expert on the forum, I'd like to know if a pressure valve is needed ??

THanks

[redroadster]

I was a Volvo tech
those rotors 2.5 x a 311 rotor weight. The 244 could of had a gun turret a top it ..a tank

[RustyBucket]

I had a 265 Diesel wagon ( great car) , traded in for a 740 turbo wagon , sold to get a 850 , ( had 4 of them, and gave them to my sons to drive- for safety sake) then a couple of old "V" series- All were shade-tree mechanically supported.

None of which were really that hard to work on since the Swedes figured that a human would have to be able to get physical access to the bits that need to periodically repaired/replaced. When Volvo went Chinese - I was done.

Give Me the Old "Built like a Swedish Brick S#i+HOUSE" - they were FANTASTIC .
IMHO

[RustyBucket]

BRAKE UPGRADE TO VOLVO BITS...

Just found this link ( thanks to whoever originally posted it !!)
​https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/datsu ... ipers.html

[redroadster]

I had a 265 Diesel wagon ( great car) , traded in for a 740 turbo wagon , sold to get a 850 , ( had 4 of them, and gave them to my sons to drive- for safety sake) then a couple of old "V" series- All were shade-tree mechanically supported.

None of which were really that hard to work on since the Swedes figured that a human would have to be able to get physical access to the bits that need to periodically repaired/replaced. When Volvo went Chinese - I was done.

Give Me the Old "Built like a Swedish Brick S#i+HOUSE" - they were FANTASTIC .
IMHO

You could make / flag 8 hours in 2.5 hours
My dealership in Mo. Had 95 % KS clientele by appointment
I had 14 to 16 hours by 2:30 pm 50% of the time and took off
Too bad Datsuns didn't use the same steel ...it was hard to get it to rust

[RustyBucket]

Had 95 % KS clientele by appointment ??

None of my Volvos had or developed rust. Swedish think of that issue, they did a great job engineering the drainage and rust proofing processes. To bad Nissan didn't think of putting the plastic inner fender wells liners and sealing the spot welded panel joints !! Would have saved a lot of labor now

[JT68]

If anyone wants some volvo calipers, I have some cheap. We bought them for other projects, but have no use for them. Just pm or email//