Rear Beam Conversion

[GTi Chris]

I decided to convert my rear brakes to discs. Off I toddles to Scotland in a Van I'd borrowed to pick up my beam for £50. The handbrake cables were cut- he'd told me they weren't.

After travelling all that way it seemed crazy going back empty handed. I already had pads and discs so a handbrake cable wouldn't be a problem would it?

 

I bought a set off ebay and it didn't work, I tried to make it but it wouldn't. The listing had said for rear discs conversions an all- my car rolled down the car park at work (left it in gear- nowhere else to park, late!) into someone else's Astra, she got a quote for £665 for a bumper supplied, sprayed and fitted. Was not in a position to say "You're fukin cars hardly worth that you daft cow'. Instead told her I'd sort it- got a bumper off ebay for £15 posted.......

 

Anyway back to my Scottish, handbrake cabless beam. I managed to get a handbrake cable for a Mondeo that worked.

 

Then I started hearing a rubbing noise when I turned right hard- my black 17inch Pro Race 2's were rubbing against my Spax PSX shox!

 

WTF I was led to believe it was a straight forward swap? it was turning into an expensive, absolute nightmare. I had to put 6mm spacers on both sides to stop it ruining my shox- is this normal? Also I have powerflex polyurethane bushes all round (front and back). It's only lowered 40mm could understand it if it was 60mm. Then I heard another weird noise and discovered one of the bearings had gone on the ream beam.

 

While on my jollies my mate was fixing it for me- I got back and he said 'The new bearings don't fit'. After cross examing him it became obvious he'd presumed the beam was off a 4x4 and ordered the wrong ones. TIT. He's a qualified mechanic as well

 

That was his problem as I found some on ebay cheap so I ordered 2 thinking I'd do both sides. They broke within 2 friggin weeks.

 

Got some more and now the front wheels are rubbing on my inner arches when full lock applied, I think my suspensions, as its been on since August now, has dropped- more spacers required

 

Just noticed my bumpers took a bit of a kicking an all after hitting the Astra.

 

Any replies posts anything would be greatly appreciated- I'm completely new to this site but have owned many Escorts my 1st one being an RS1600i back in the early nineties and I'm getting no enjoyment out of my car after spending wads of cash. Just driving around waiting for the next annoying fukin noise becuase summat else is going wrong.

[Hezz]

what rear disks did you fit? the focus ones?

[JC]

you do know that the rs2k beam will drop the rear end?

 

You will need the MK5 rs2k 2wd handbrake

 

Astra handbrake retaining springs work on the beam, i'm betting your's are missing...

[Flesh Gordon]

I'm pretty sure you didn't need that beam to begin with

 

 

Have a look at some of the posts by Ro55 who has completed the conversion

 

 

From what I've gathered for a mk6 with drums, all you need are Focus Rear Hubs, Puma brake lines, modified Focus handbrake cables

and in my case 300m ST170 disks, mk3 Mondeo Calipers and pads to match the front set up

[GTi Chris]

Firstly thanks for the replies lads- appreciate it.

 

 

I used a rear beam off a Mk V RS2000 2wd not exactly sure of much else because I picked it up off a garage floor in Scotland never saw the car it was off or the Reg plate. It has 270mm discs I know this because I replaced them.

 

I was unaware of any other ways to put rear discs and pads on my Escort at the time when I did it (Focus, V6 calipers etc) that is why I did it this way.

 

Lordjc at the risk of sounding dumb what do you mean "drop the rear end".

 

I realise my post is not very specific and vague and is more of a statement than a query.

 

My main problems are-

 

Why have I had to use wheel spacers to stop my tyres rubbing my shox at the rear when I turned a corner hard (6mm either side) this could be why I'm chewing up rear bearings (spacers not cornering hard)?. My car is lowered 40mm and I have 17inch alloys on as well also powerflex bushes throughout- 1) are Mk V not quite as wide as Mk VI (I very much doubt this). 2) I'm also wondering about the ET (offset) of my alloys now wondering if they are for a Cossie or a Peugeot (ET 15-20 compared with 35-40 for an Escort) going to try my mates 17inchers off his Mk IV RST tomorrow. Is anybody aware of any issues? Obviously this would be nothing nobody on here could assist me with me- I'll have been stung on ebay!

 

Also now my steering appears a tad spongy and my tracking appears off (car not going quite straight when steering wheel straight) even though I had it done a month ago. My mechanic reckons 'the springs will've settled and it'll've dropped again' but it's 6 months and almost 8000miles since I lowered it- I can't see it myself. It's now started to rub the inner wheel arches when the full locks on (turning left and right). I've checked the wishbone arms they don't seem bent. There is slight play in one of the track rod arm ball joints but not to the point that I feel it needs replacing just yet. I have hit quite a few pot holes lately this weather has made a right mess of the roads near me.