85 Brake Question

[davery]

I have an 85 and am in need of brakes. As look around the websites I find different info concerning when the brakes were changed. Some say after VIN 6002 and some say not until the 85.5 model. I have an 85 (not an 85.5) but with a VIN after 6002. How can I tell which brakes I have? What is the difference?

[manoa matt]

The early spiders used an aluminum caliper that slides on steel wedges and is retained by a cast iron caliper bracket. The setup uses springs that are not intregal to the brake pad, rather the springs are intalled on the caliper bracket. The rotors are 227mm in diameter. Here is what an early setup looks like: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_f ... hotostream

The later brakes are a more modern design that utilizes a sliding pin with an accordian boot that covers the pin. The caliper may also be cast iron. The brake pads have a spring that is intregal to the pad backing plate. The later version looks similar to this, except the rotors are a single solid disc and not vented like the following pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_f ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_f ... hotostream

[divace73]

Hi Matt, what car is the disc (rotors) and caliper from? What is the OD of the disc? (nice setup)

[davery]

I received a reply from a vendor and was told the conversion to the larger brakes happened when conversion to rack and pinion happened. Since I have a box, I have the older brake set up. But still, why do some vendors list all 85's, or at least after VIN 6002, have the newer brake set up? A couple of questions. What was the VIN for the first 85? And what was the VIN for the first 85 with rack and pinion (called an 85.5)?

[divace73]

Can't comment much on the VIN's in 1985 (mine's and 80) but you will know if you have the big brakes or original type once you remove the front wheel. If it looks like the following


you have the older style where disks and pads are plentiful

Also remember that through out the years a lot of out spider have been changed by their previous owners...

[wikkid]

To further confuse, one vendor (believe it is IAP) lists the change as for all 1984-on spiders, starting with VIN xxxx...

As I have an '84, that got my panties in a twist (for no reason)....

[manoa matt]

David,

That is my car. The rear's are standard brakes with drilled rotors. The front brakes are from Performancefiat/Classicricambi which was a vendor that recently went out of business. That was their big brake kit for 13" wheels. It uses Fiat Uno Turbo calipers and rotors.(only available in Europe) The calipers have the same piston bore as the stock spider calipers so they use the same rebuild kit. The rotors are vented, slotted, and drilled with a 240mm diameter. Everything fits under the stock Cromadora CD-16 wheels. Modern brake feel and no re-greasing the sliding wedges evey 6 months.

1985.5 spiders used a very similar caliper (sliding pin design) but were for 10mm wide rotors instead of the 20mm wide calipers the Uno turbo uses. However the brake pads are the same for both calipers.

[divace73]

Hi Matt

Many thanks for responding, goind vented is something I want to do, I have the 15" CD68 replicas and would like to take advantage of the room I have by using a larger diameter disk, do the fiat uno caliper have a unique thread at the back of the caliper for the brake hose, one that differs from the 124?

[manoa matt]

David, The banjo bolt is the same. Being in Australia you may be able to get the calipers and rotors if Uno turbos were imported there. The kit uses a custom made bracket that bolts to the stub axle and spaces the caliper at the correct distance. You could have the bracket made at a local machine shop, its a real simple bracket. However correct me if I'm wrong but don't brake modifications in Austrailia have to be inspected and approved by an engineer prior to being legal?

Send me an email if you want to discuss these brakes more as I do not want to derail this thread further. I can send pictures too. matt.scarton@gmail.com

[divace73]

we never got the uno turbo's (in fact we never got the uno at all), NZ our neighbour got them along with all the other good fiats, our last fiat was the superBrava, Regatta then Croma, unless they were privatly imported (like my car). Many years later we got the Ritmo (Bravo OS), punto and the new 500. Currenlty we only have the 500.

In saying that we do have more recent Alfa's (I noticed a lot of American spell it alpha?? <--Is this a piss take??) that maybe I should look at but most of them have the 5 stud pattern??