is it worth it

[Boza]

Well i'm looking at doing the next mod to my au series 1 ute and i'm considering doing the series 2 front brake conversion.

What i'd really like to know is is this mod really worth it i can get all the parts required fairly cheap but then again it all depends on the condition of the bushes and ball joints aswell.

Just wondering how many people have done this and are they happy.

[b2tf]

Anything to give you better stopping power is worth it in my book. Series I brakes are awful and thats being polite.

[Mr Hardware]

all depends mate. it is cheap to do yes, but it'll take bloody ages to do.
I've owned a AU1 and still own my AUII, and the brakes on the AUII are light years in front of the AU1. The AU1 with worn pads and worn rotors was just plain dangerous, I had two incidences where I almost ran up a car's **** and one incident where i tapped a fence post. Thankfully, I've never had these issues in my AUII.
So it all depends what you put your importance on. I would guess that a really good quality set of discs and pads (perhaps slotted discs if you can stand cleaning your wheels every week?) might be the go, brand new stock pads & discs certainly made a big difference in my AU1, it turned it it from 'terrible' to 'just acceptable'.

[Bundy]

Well I've gone the other way and couldn't be happier, tossed up the AU2 conversion and glad I didn't go ahead with it, would have involved lots of stuffing around at wreckers and or getting it sight unseen in the post.
I've got the AU Series 1 XR ute so ABS is standard, I've upgraded (4 yrs ago) to slotted rotors all round and bendix pads with the ceramic stuff.
I'll go as far to say it pulls up better the misses BA ute (non XR) with std factor discs and same bendix pads.

[sleeper393]

i picked up complete BF brakes front and rears , and uprights for $56.00 of ebay , for my series 3 , slightly bigger than AU S/2/3 , but it was cheeaper than getting my au ones serviced.

[Boza]

great now i'm even more unsure of what to do

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by Balboa

great now i'm even more unsure of what to do

i thought you might be like that
imo i'd work out how long i wanted to keep the car. if it's something where you want to keep it for at least another 2 or 3 years, then i'd do it.
if you're gonna trade up in a year or two, just get some decent quality slotteds or so.

[sleeper393]

if you can source brake parts privately go for BA or BF brakes , try and get the complete package brakes hubs and uprights , as the wreckers will charge heaps.as series 1 uprights wont fit series 2 & 3 calipers

[Dave_Obsession]

At the end of the day, brakes are kinda important!! You want the best you can get within reason and within your budget.

So, if your budget (and time/patience) only extends to upgrading the AU1 rotors & pads, plus perhaps the ball joints and bushes, then just do that - it will be better than what you have now.

However, if your budget & time/patience is enough to do the AU2/3 brake conversion then do that!! Like others have said here, the S1 brakes aren't great!! Every time I drive my old man's S1 I cringe at the difference in stopping power...

At the end of the day it's up to you and what your circumstances allow you to do...but you want to make sure you have some confidence in that brake pedal when you need to hit it hard......

BTW still available to detail your ute if you ever get the time! PM me

[The Monty]

Ill add my two cents.
Ive done the AU1 to AU2/3 upgrade, and also the AU3 to BA upgrade.
Au1 - 2/3 wasnt worth it IMO, I had DBA slotteds and Bendix pads on before hand, and I liked it better in hind sight.
AU2/3 to BA upgrade was pretty good, but Im not happy with the RDA extreme pads, as Ive nearly come unstuck with them when they are cold because no matter how hard you push the pedal sometimes it just goes rock hard and wont stop.

[Cam]

I just went aftermarket.. But it costs

[The Monty]

355mm upgrades dont count. Your brakes were worth more than my car LOL.