4 lug vented Cressida rotor for MGB

BlownMGB-V8 · January 29, 2012, 10:53:58 AM

Drive it in the rain and brake hard to the point of just about locking up the front wheels in a tight turn with a safe runoff area. This can be done in a large vacant parking lot. If your rear brakes are doing anything this is where they will put you slightly sideways. Mucho sideways is too much, no sideways isn't enough. Play with it until you get the feel for it, then you can try it on dry pavement.

Jim

mgb260 · January 30, 2012, 02:31:47 AM

Robbie, You are probably well matched, as that combination was designed by Mazda to work together. I'm curious if your master for the rear brakes had a built in residual valve you removed.(drum brake on rear Datsun pickup) If not your rear brakes may drag. I use a 2lb residual valve front and rear and throw away the anti-rattle clips on the front calipers. Also on alot of these conversions make sure you have a little freeplay on the master pushrod. Either wiggle it a little where it connects to pedal or have 1/4" freeplay at pedal. Did you use ceramic pads and the shims behind the pads?

socorob · January 30, 2012, 02:42:30 PM

No shims behind the pads. On the front I used Wagner thermo quiet pads, whatever they are.

classic conversions · January 30, 2012, 11:26:36 PM

To check the brake bias between the front to rear, is done in a straight line.
Have a friend stand on the side while you brake hard and observed if the front lock up first or the rear.
The ideal is for the fronts to lock up first and then the rear.

If you have an equalizer valve on the MC then doing its job.

Teh danger is to lock up the rears first, this may cause the car to spin.

MGBV8 · January 31, 2012, 08:10:40 PM

If the rear locks up first, you will know it.

NCtim · April 21, 2012, 04:37:40 PM

Sorry to resurrect this awesome thread but I have one question; What did you all end up deciding for the MGB front brakes? I ended up getting lost and rereading and reading until my wife's friend just woke me up at the computer and now I can't figure out what my notes mean.

I'm just trying to create my parts list from your "best practices" and learn from your innovation. I don't own a machine shop and have little confidence in most of the ones around here so bolt-on and light weight and simple are good for me.

NCtim

mgb260 · April 21, 2012, 07:45:18 PM

Almost a bolt on. You will need 1/2" aluminum spacer either between rotor and hub (use MGB rotor as template)or hub and wheel (longer studs for 98-2002 Camaro/Firebird/Corvette 12mm) to allow wheel clearance for the thicker 4 piston calipers. The 4 holes in the Cressida rotor have to be reamed slightly to match the MGB rotor pattern. Also could use the slightly larger diameter (11") 89-91 VW Corrado rotor. It has cooling holes in the hub. You would have to open up the center hole to match the MGB rotor. Rotor offset would determine the thickness of caliper adapter. VW Corrado rotor pictures:

NCtim · April 22, 2012, 11:35:50 AM

Thanks Jim.

Cheers,
Tim