This is a basic how-to on converting to rear disc brakes using mk3 cav or astra hubs. This is a very simple swap and is very worthwhile since the disc setup brings both better braking and easier maintenance.

Now if your thinking of doing this I assume you can remove the beam yourself so im not going through that. The rear brakes will need to be bled afterward and there is a small bit of welding needed on the handbrake adjuster.

The easiest way to do it it to get your hands on a complete mk3 cav rear beam complete. This just bolts straight on without any modification leaving you with only the handbrake cable to sort.

If however you can't get one of those but can get the disc hubs all is not lost, you can use your mk2 beam.

If for have early NON ABS hubs they will fit straight onto the mk2 beam.

If you have ABS hubs it goes as follows

Horrible drums

and off

Now when you compare the ABS hub with what you have taken off the problem becomes obvious

Old one

New one with stupid massive abs sensor

The hole in the beam is too small so to get the hub to fit it has to be opened up to 61mm.

There are a few ways to do this I used one of these with a carbide tip

Hole marked up to be widened

And done

Then it all fits together

Brake line

If you have mk3 disc setup ones they fit straight on but if you dont you basically have two options.

1- replace the line with some copper or nickel brake line. If you dont have the tools to do this yourself most motor factors will make it up if you give them a length (bending a bit of thick wire into the right shape is a good way to get the right length)

2- bend the old drum pipe to reach the caliper. This works OK but IMO a new pipe is the way to go.

Ill be making up a new pipe for mine but just to prove that the drum one will fit

Handbrake

This has to be done no matter what beam your fitting.

You will need to get a pair of mk3 cav disc handbrake cables which fit directly onto either beam. The problem is that mk3 cav cables are longer so you need to loose the slack.

The easiest way to do this is to get this little bugger (the adjuster used on both 84-88 mk2s and ALL mk3 cavs)

The adjuster is 140mm long overall and by making it shorter you loose the extra slack on the cable. You need to cut a bit out of it (about 25mm) so you end up with it being 115mm long.

Take the width of your grinding disc into account, it needs to end up being 115mm long or you wont get the ends of the cable into it.

And weld it back together

This is fitted as it would normally be and the mk3 disc brake cable will now fit the car perfectly. Once its all bolted back up and the system is bled your good to go.

You can also use larger Vectra or Saab 9-3 rear disc brakes if you want. Its a cheap 5 stud conversion too. Backplate needs redrilling though..

Edited 7 Aug 2014 by Frisco