Ok, thanks to the board and HTI Johnson, I have done the rear disk swap on my lifted 85 wagon.

 

So last week I drove to my brothers on the other side of the mountains. The rear disk conversion was a big improvement. I was showing off my mods, and my bro had a question I couldn't answer. And for what it's worth, big bro is an old hot rod builder from the 60's. He knows way more than me, but not much specificaly about Soobs or Japanese cars in general.

 

He pointed out that stuff under the chassis on the drivers side that all the brake lines go to. Darn, I wish I could find my notes, but lost them. I just can't remember what he said that stuff was called. A "something or other actuator?" It's looks kinda like a master cylinder or valve. His point was, he said, that cars with drum brakes have this thing. Cars with 4 wheel disk do not. He said that when converting to 4 wheel disk, that valve is left out of system, bypassed, or the pads will drag. Premature wear.

 

Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Does he?

 

Thanks,

Pyro

sounds liek hes referring to the proportioning valve.

 

explain to him that the subaru uses the same platform for either drum or disc, and disc was offered on turbo models and that was the only diference in brake design. the rest of the brake system is the same design throughout

 

also explain to him that its a dual diagonal braking system. that one front wheel and the opposite back wheel are on the same brake circuit. this way of a front brake line blows out on one side, you will still have the other front brake working, and one rear brake to keep the car in line. this is contrary to older domestic(hot rod) vehicles where both front and both rear are on the same circuit, so if a front brake line goes you have NO front brake

 

to impress him further, and maybe also to make the proportioning valve thing make more sense to him, is the hill holder and how it works

 

the hill holder holds brake pressure to the back wheels when the clutch and brake are pressed at the same time, and the brake pedal is released so long as the clutch is still presses, its cable actuated, show him the hill holder i'll bet he cant comprehend it!(old hot rod builder, not a "foreign jobber"

Thanks Miles!! You did agreat job at explaining this. Big brother is not very understanding of my Soob passion. He just can't comprehend why anyone would want to put all this time, money and energy into an old "Jap econobox".

 

Pyro

there have been a few hundred of these conversions done with no ill effects.

 

your brother might be familiar with the hill-holder as i think it was available on studebakers? could be wrong.

 

 

SPAM ALERT: I have two sets of rear discs available; one for 4WD and one for 2WD. 4WD-$100/ 2WD-$80 due to rust.

You can tell hime the hillholder is like a "line-lock", except instead of locking the front wheels it does the diagonal thing.

Thanks Miles!! You did agreat job at explaining this. Big brother is not very understanding of my Soob passion. He just can't comprehend why anyone would want to put all this time, money and energy into an old "Jap econobox".

 

Pyro

 

I get that alot to from most everyone. Why waste your time and money on these things? 99% of them know nothing about them... they dont realize they came with things like Miles pointed out; or other options like turbo engines, the six cylinder engines, adjustable air suspension, manual adjustable suspension, 4wheel drive with hi and lo (ive noticed a lot of truck dudes dont know what 'dual range' means but they understand high and low range), rear limited slip diffs, driver controled center diffs, the list goes on and on and on as to what makes these cars just so damn cool

 

Problem is ppl just assume its the same as every other optionless, poorly designed, and even worse manufactured, 'econobox' they have seen.