Guest wunntenn Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I'm convinced it will be a worthwhile (if dull!) upgrade! Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreadnought110 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I had nothing but trouble with my drum brake changed to x-eng disc never looked back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I had nothing but trouble with my drum brake changed to x-eng disc never looked under Corrected... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwappat Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I've also bent a few of the brackets, the later version with wings has survived better. The disc has also been upgraded to a flat one. (the original cut steal one had a 5mm run out when fitted new which caused "juddering", now a replaced with a properly made machined disc) Mine is two years old and it too seems to rub abit.(probably due to me not using the truck other than for play and play days) all I have had to do is adjust the cable a fair few times and re-locate the cable onto a different hole on the lever arm (on the caliper). I thought the pads were worn but spoke to one of the company owners at the Peterborough show and he advised me very well, suggesting I undo the lever arm bolt a few turns and move it on the central spline so that the caliper mechanically moves more. Has been fine since. A great product from a highly innovative company whom seem to thoroughly test and over-engineer their products to ensure their reliabity. Nice to see such enthusiam, passion and total knowledge about the engineering side too. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddyWinny Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I fitted an X-Brake about 3 years ago and I'm really happy with it. The original drum brake was for ever seizing up and wearing out a set of shoes each year from having fun at pay and play sites. I had couple of problems fitting it but Simon was really helpful despite the number of phone calls I must have made (If you read this Simon - thanks again). 1) I had to glue the pads into the caliper to stop them rattling 2) I had an issue with the length of the cable (A problem with my Landrover rather than the X-Brake). In the end I made a cable extension piece. 3) The disc doesn't never sat quite square on the drive flange (no matter how clean it is) which means that the caliper is slightly out of alignment and the adjustment is slightly slack to compensate (this is probably the source of point 2. Again, I believe this is more of a problem with the drive flange than the X-Brake as I have since tried another disc and it is exactly the same. Other people I know have fitted them without the above issues. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wunntenn Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 My order for an x-brake was placed this morning, thank you everyone. Interestingly - possibly due to the popularity of this thread (?) Si at x-eng says he's sold more x-brakes in the last day or two than he's ever done before. It would be nice to think you folks enthusiastic endorsements in this thread were responsible for that flurry of support and income! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Another endorsement for Si's customer services - when I fitted my Hydro PTO the cable bracket wouldn't fit anymore. Si sent out the new PTO bracket FOC. CANNOT imagine any other firm doing this..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Thanks all! I've had one for six years now - and never had problems until I bought a Td5 - then understood what the rattling was all about! Following my own advice and re-gluing the pads with Silicone fixed it at once! Other issues people have had and solutions (not mentioned anywhere else: Q: No matter how hard I pull the lever, the brake will not hold on the shallowest slope? A: The cable is jammed / knackered. If it's one of ours, let me know and I'll replace it for free. Q: I can hear the brake rubbing and when I examined the pads, one pad has worn away more than the other? A: The caliper sits on two slides. These need to be lubricated with grease every so often (every couple of years). Change the pads, lube and re-fit. Q: I can hear the brake rubbing and when I examined the pads, one side of the pad is worn more than the other? A: The caliper is not aligned with the disk. This usually means the back-plate is bent. Best option is just to replace it. The Mk2 version is much stronger than the original. Q: I can hear the disk touching the pads once per revolution of the prop shaft. The disk is perfectly flat and there is no crud trapped between the flange <Snigger!> and disk. A: The only other thing it can be is a bent output shaft or damaged output bearing on the transfer box. Often this causes persistent oil leaks as well - but not always. More common than you might think. You can diagnose it easily with a dial-gauge. There will likely be more - but these are the solutions found to the most common problems. Having said that, only about 0.2% of people report any issue at all. In those cases, I have pulled out all the stops to find a solution - in one or two cases, unfortunately, the only option has been to offer a full refund and just take a hit on it. I'd like to say thank you to the members of this forum (and it's predecessors). X-Eng was really born on here and wouldn't have happened without you! I've done my best to sort out the people I blame the most . There is still one person I'm waiting for - who will get a surprise freebie! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wunntenn Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Just to report back on my x-brake fitting experience, which I did this morning - started at 10am and finished at 2pm. Very sweet piece of engineering. I was lucky - prop bolts came off easily, drum came off easily, backplate bolts cracked open with little problem. But then it all went a wee bit wonky as I tried to figure out the caliper orientation onto the disc - I had several puzzled attempts but I just knew from my basic understanding of leverage that something was seriously not right. It seemed perfectly obvious what way it SHOULD go, but it was all peculiar and not what I expected, and I thought I cant be wrong (and of course I wasn't as it turns out). Problem was that the actuating arm on the caliper was fitted 180 degrees out - instead of pointing up to 1 o'clock towards the caliper retaining bolts it was pointing down to 7 o'clock towards the pads. The problem became obvious when I rechecked the x-eng site and Ralph's excellent pictorial guide here. I then wondered if loosening the retaining bolt on the arm would have it explode into a mess of springs and cogs and take my eye out.....but as it happens the retaining bolt is VERY long allowing the arm to be pushed free of the splined shaft by spring pressure and be rotated to the desired angle for correct operation at which point it can be retightened. My first guess at 'correct' orientation was er um ....... correct. Thankfully! After that it was a simple job to reconnect, bolt, fit cable and tighten. Worked first time when I tried it. OBSERVATIONS: Thanks Si for including the new cable. The old one was trashed and removing it was easier with a hacksaw - I cant imagine the time that I'd have wasted trying to get the old one disconnected. I'd suggest anyone else doing this mod gets a new cable. Thanks all for your comments, and cheers Ralph for the excellent pictorial guide which enabled me to practise on the chair last night before undertaking the job today. And to Si at x-eng - its a very nice piece of beautifully elegant and simple engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Glad to read my photo's/time has been useful to you & others, hope the X-brake gives years of trouble free service, mines been on for 3 years with no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wunntenn Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I meant to add.......you often see threads that ask if fitting a Kenlowe fan will improve fuel economy, and the general opinion is no.......well as I levered off the drum from the handbrake yesterday and it fell onto my chest as I lay underneath, I thought - hmm heavy bug*er, and then wondered what the fuel penalty is for whipping that lump of steel around and around is. And then I had my eureka moment - as the x-brake is several pounds lighter (maybe 10lbs?) I reckon fitting an x-brake will give better fuel economy than fitting a Kenlowe fan. Brilliant! And they dont differ in price that much either. Compelling argument then = save the planet, fit an x-brake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 hope your chest is OK, Yes the drum is heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I've had one fitted for 4 years, works without fault. I do wonder given the Xbrake's holding power if the Land Rover hand brake cable will match it. Cable was new with the Xbrake, which can hold a lot more weight on a slope than the old drum brake could. Does anyone know the break limits of the cables? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 Don't know the breaking limit of the cable, I kept the existing cable as it was the correct type. doubt normal use will break it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I meant to add.......you often see threads that ask if fitting a Kenlowe fan will improve fuel economy, and the general opinion is no.......well as I levered off the drum from the handbrake yesterday and it fell onto my chest as I lay underneath, I thought - hmm heavy bug*er, and then wondered what the fuel penalty is for whipping that lump of steel around and around is. And then I had my eureka moment - as the x-brake is several pounds lighter (maybe 10lbs?) I reckon fitting an x-brake will give better fuel economy than fitting a Kenlowe fan. Brilliant! And they dont differ in price that much either. Compelling argument then = save the planet, fit an x-brake! I told Si that fitting the X-Brake was like fitting a lightened flywheel. I'm sure the truck moves forward faster as you increase speed. The other thing I noticed. I'm sure that there's less heat at the seatbox with the X-Brake fited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Mine arrived today and will be fitted on Wednesday ready in time for the 4x4adventures series. and just in time as The VOSA man who did the second MOT today commented the handbrake need adjusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I see you got two dogs free as well you know where my fit guide is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Cheers Ralph I have been perusing it the other dog sodded off and went to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Cheers Ralph I have been perusing it the other dog sodded off and went to sleep. I think the other dog in the picture is the hot dog! I have had my x-brake for about 3 years with no problems at all, it wasn't til I read this post that I remembered I had one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Indeed although Ralph has visited and does know I have more than one dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Fitted mine today what an improvement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 looks a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Ralph I can't believe what a difference there is the old Drum was forever in need of adjustment and still Poor this is like a modern car suddenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 I adjusted mine at fitting & re did it when I fitted the new transfer box a while ago, not touched it since, holds very well, why LR never did it we'll never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royAB Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 why LR never did it we'll never know. Just think how much 'fun' they'd have robbed us of if they had (Just ordered mine...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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