Scimitar Rear Disc Conversion
Scimitar rear disc brake conversion. With 4 pot Wilwoods up front, and a lighter engine you need something a bit more up to the job at the rear...
If you need backplates to carry out your own conversion on an SE5 or SE6 Scimitar GTE I may be able to help as I have since broken my Scimitar for parts.
Email sam@v8church.co.uk, I used VW Corrado G60 calipers and carriers mounted upside-down for convenience with the handbrake cable connection, and Rover 800 rear discs which fit bar drilling out the stud holes to 1/2".
I have been running my SE6 with this conversion since November 2005 and it is mighty. The braking feel is far better and combined with the Wilwood 4 Pots up front my Scimitar now stops better than ever ... over and over again ... When braking from high speeds the power is superb, less effort than my V6 Quattro is required to bring it to a very prompt halt - all using the standard master cylinder.
If anyone tells you "the standard scimitar brakes are fine, you can lock them up at 100" (you know, in that squeaky anorak tone) then just invite them on a brisk drive down a decent twisting hill.
Here are some pictures taken before I fitted the axle (last year).
Since no-one else volunteered any information this conversion was worked out by ABC Computer Desks (yes, they make desks but as engineers were invaluable in getting parts designed and made). Its was very "trial and error" and required set-up via an adjustable brake bias valve to get the braking balance right.
The handbrake wasn't a big issue, the mechanism on the VW / Audi calipers is very Scim-cable friendly... I had to lengthen the bolt-in handbrake cable mount in the transmission tunnel by 6 inches to buy enough cable to reach the calipers but this was only an hours work.
Other Options...
Jaguar IRS axle - An article by Mr Will Cowell who converted a Scimitar some years ago to Jag IRS.
There's some debate (as usual) about the benefits of Jag IRS but here we're all in favour of modifying and trying rather than whining and being negative.
People worry about "unbalancing the braking effort", one guy I asked bored me to tears about "asking the RIGHT questions", "what is the un-sprung weight?", "have you calculated your..." - you get the picture! It's all crap, if you just want to go a bit quick then get on with this mod, if you have the time then do the maths and impress girls with your superior speccy powers!
Disclaimer: Messing with brakes on a car is very likely to get you and others killed nastily and unfairly - don't do it!!! If you run a non-standard braking system it should be for track use ONLY.
Watch this space to see how I get on though eh...
