Popular Post garrycol Posted January 16, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2016 Just under 3 years ago I bought two 101 disk brakes kits from Zeus. There was one set for myself and one for a friend. He fitted his to the front of his 101 in May 2013 and I have yet to fit mine. Today he advised his Zeus brake discs are cracked. He noticed a big crack in the brake rotor. It turns out both discs are cracked and the cracks have spread from almost every bolt hole used to hold the disc onto the hub. He cannot see anything that will stop these cracks spreading and this will lead to sudden a catastrophic failure of the front brakes. As these disks are unique with none other available except from Zeus, he treated the brakes well and they have not been cooked.The discs have been good until now with no wear showing on the disc itself and he was extremely happy with the Zeus conversion. The biggest crack has traveled 1/3 of the way though the disc radius. This is a pic of one of the smaller cracks This is a pic of the new unfitted disk - the cracks emanate from the bolt holes. Has anyone else heard of these brake disks developing cracks or failing. Cheers Garry 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepé le Pew Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 They used to do distribution gearsets for the 4 cilinder diesels and i've heard stories of the gears not being up to spec and cracking and/or shedding teeth. No hands on experience though. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'd suggest he contacts ZEUS asap and see what they have to say. We have on both axles their stuff for years and no problems.. As you say, brakes are not to be gambled with.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 I'd suggest he contacts ZEUS asap and see what they have to say. We have on both axles their stuff for years and no problems.. As you say, brakes are not to be gambled with.. Thanks - have you tried to contact Zeus lately - they seem reluctant to respond to anything. Nevertheless I have sent them a message and will await their response. I was the purchaser not the user so I guess I will have to deal with Zeus. Cheers Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I looked into Zeus brakes several years ago. They looked like a good option for Series Rovers, but I was concerned with how easy it'd be to source new discs. I seem to recall they were modified Chrysler discs with redrilled stud holes. If the 101 discs are similarly modified, then it's possible that a batch have been made slightly off spec with those results. That said, have they been made really hot and then suddenly quenched, like heavy prolongued braking down a long hill and into a stream of cold water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Brake components should be designed to take use/abuse without cracking! Zeus have a history of making things with the wrong grade of steel, as has been mentioned, google their Turbo D cam' drive gears. I'm surprised they're still in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pollywog Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I hope you manage to get hold of Zeus to sort it out but as a side it may be worth contacting http://www.bgdevelopments.co.uk they should be able to make some new good quality discs for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks for all the comments - the owner was well aware the disks are a "one off" and when worn out in the future may have been hard to replace so has been very careful in the us of brakes - he is a mechanic and very experienced in 101s - his vehicle is his daily runner which is now off the road. He believes that the steel that the disks is made out off is too hard and hence too brittle as the disks show no evidence of use from the brake pads as would have been expected after nearly 3 years of use. He is looking at getting some disks made locally but that will take time. Still waiting for a response from Zeus but I am not all that hopeful. Oh a local guy has developed a front 101 disk brake system using rear D3 brake calipers and disks. Unfortunately it is a one off - but is a ventilated system not a solid disk. Cheers Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 When I call them they are usu. good to deal with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daslandroverman Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Let's be honest, the D3 based setup is a lot better looking than the zeus kit, and uses all Land Rover consumables. I have a mate who has had a set of their timing gears in his 200 Tdi for over 20 years now. The engine is in it's third vehicle, and whilst noisier than the timing belt setup (you really can hear it coming before you see it) it's been a reliable runner. I do however recall he wasn't as impressed as he could be, as there was no provision for a hunting tooth in the gearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Yes it does look good - I will need to replace my disks in my RRS brakes before too long and I will keep the old disks and see how they compare with what Zeus has done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Thanks for all the comments - the owner was well aware the disks are a "one off" and when worn out in the future may have been hard to replace so has been very careful in the us of brakes - he is a mechanic and very experienced in 101s - his vehicle is his daily runner which is now off the road. He believes that the steel that the disks is made out off is too hard and hence too brittle as the disks show no evidence of use from the brake pads as would have been expected after nearly 3 years of use. He is looking at getting some disks made locally but that will take time. Still waiting for a response from Zeus but I am not all that hopeful. Oh a local guy has developed a front 101 disk brake system using rear D3 brake calipers and disks. Unfortunately it is a one off - but is a ventilated system not a solid disk. Cheers Garry That sounds like a great idea Garry! Don't suppose you have some good pictures that you could post do you? I'm sure there are other 101 owners who would be interested in this. Or does he have some plans he would be willing to share? I have to say when I have dealt with Zeus they have always been quite helpful and I've never had any issue getting hold of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 Sorry what I put up is all I have as I saw the information somewhere some time back and grabbed that pic. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTods Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Just looking for the best source for rebuilding some Type 3 brakes. Wheel cylinders look good, but if there is a good quality replacement I would rather replace them. Spring kits and cylinders look to be the same for 71-79 Type 1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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