Peugeot Steve Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 I have a 1985 Peugeot 505 STi...just got it. How do I tell whether or not I have ABS Brakes? There are wires going to something on the brakes. I am replacing the passenger strut due to a rusted lower cup piece and will probably refresh everything while I'm in there. Strut was starting to tear up the tire. I would like vented discs and a good set of pads. My car has all original equipment. My searches on the internet for discs is yielding choices with crazy and inconsistent bolt patterns. I know Peugeot uses a weird 4X ???mm. Please help with some names and part # for discs and pads. I plan on just doing some spirited driving---no racing. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcal505 Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 We don't have ABS on our cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 ABS was only on 87+ cars, and ABS cars had the 2pc front suspension assembly that's more common in other cars. (Strut bolts to the spindle) Your car will have the one piece strut, and that lower spring perch is a well know problem area on our cars. Make sure you open up the drain hole so that water doesn't collect on the new/repaired one. For vented front brakes, you need the front hub assembly and calipers off a 505 Turbo car. For all intents and purpose though - you won't actually feel a difference, they'll just have better resistance to brake fade. (Same caliper size, same diameter, same pads). Better bang for the buck would be to put on a better pad unless you actually have plans to track your car - and seeing as it's an auto, I'm quite certain the car is already "over-braked" spec wise. New pads will really make the best difference. (Same pads for the early 944's since they used the same calipers.) The wire you see actually goes to the pads, when it grounds out on the rotor it lights up the brake light indicating low pad wear. Most set ups aren't even hooked up as jobber pads don't have the wire, so if they are still connected, the previous owner maintained it well, at least when it came to replacing parts anyway. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted January 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 I'll be sure to widen that drain hole. Thanks for the clarification on the wires to the brake pads. I'll be sure to stick with the solid discs. For the pads, are you referring to Porsche 944? What years fit?...I'll be relying on some kid at the parts store that knows how to point and click like me, so it's details I'll be needin' (if you please). Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryancohnracing Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 1983 to 1985 1/2 944's have the same pad. Note, to make sure its clear from Rabin's post: The non-vented rotor on your car uses a slightly narrower caliper than the vented rotor does. Same exact pad in both applications. If you are looking to improve the braking, you will be better served buying a quality pad such as a Pagid or one of the many available from several Peugeot suppliers like Western Hemispheres, Peugeot Holmes, or Madhu. It might cost an extra few bucks, but why not support those who support us vs. the stooge at the Autozone, who as you said isn't really qualified to pour a Slurpie. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Yep - what Bryan said... Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Thanks for the details on the years of the 944. I come school of old-fashioned American capitalism. I'll price the other guys, but after adding shipping --they normally can't compete. I gotta get the best value for the almighty dollar, since it's shrinking everyday. The Peugeot specific vendors will just have to be content filling the niche of obsure mechanical and cosmetic parts. Now don't get me wrong (having just spent over $500 with one of the Peugeot guys)...I'll be buying the 'tune-up' parts locally. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohms Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 nice buy - i saw that one on ebay for a while, its pretty close in looks to my 84 if youre in the tri-state area, id say take a trip to ramsey peugeot in nj, with a list of stuff u want. plenty of parts cars there (jeez bean, look at me, shilling for the guy...haha) and also, i'd meet u for a beer and a 84/85 505 photoshoot haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcal505 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 haha, let me get in that STI photo shoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohms Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 well, pick a school on our coast and drive the pug cross country! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Anybody ever paint their calipers? I've seen some really low-grade jobs done on some of the ricers in my town. I would like some advice on spray-on products that won't go on with a mottled look...and stand up to the heat. I know that there are products for this; I've seen them in magazines. There must be a difference in them because I've seen big difference in results. Pics would be good... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 WRT painting the brake calipers, haven't seen too much about that on the Peugeot forums, I'm guessing it's because the calipers are not easy to see with the factory wheels on 505s & the wheels of that era. I have a Jetta and the guys on the vwvortex forums seem to like G2 caliper paint. Comes in a variety of colors, they say it holds up pretty well if you prep properly. OTOH, if you're into brake porn, here's a link to a caliper rebuild, the guy is rebuilding old ferrari calipers to put onto a 70's vintage porsche. Lots of pictures and tips. This guy suggests zinc plating (which is apparently available in a variety of colors), I've also heard of people cadmium-plating calipers... Andre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Anybody ever paint their calipers? I've seen some really low-grade jobs done on some of the ricers in my town. I would like some advice on spray-on products that won't go on with a mottled look...and stand up to the heat. I know that there are products for this; I've seen them in magazines. There must be a difference in them because I've seen big difference in results. Pics would be good... Steve I've heard lots of guys swearing by proper caliper paint, and lots of others claiming that all you need is engine paint. It will really come down to preparation of the caliper for it to look good, and which paint will survive will depend on if the car is just a daily driver or if it will see some serious braking at say an autocross or a track day. Daily driving - engine paint would likely suffice, but if it sees track time caliper paint might be best. Regardless of which paint - prep will determine if it sticks, and the best prep I can think of would be to bead blast the calipers, and then paint. You should be able to mask off the piston seal really well to prevent damage, then paint as normal. Another thing to consider is what paint will be most resistant to brake fluid, and I think caliper paint is likely stronger in that respect. Engine paint being cheap - you could likely just respray touch ups whenever needed. Personally - painting stock calipers wouldn't be high on my list, especially since they're a sliding caliper design, so you'd have to make sure the slides stayed nice an clean, and paint free for them to work their best. If you wanted to do it right - you could tear them down and have all the metal parts coated with a cad plating to prevent corrosion (or something similar). Painting with a spray bomb will also look like you painted them with a spray bomb - which is why it looks funny on ricer cars. I looked at the process of painting calipers as I need to refinish the 4 pot brembo's I'm fitting to my car, and they're painted to begin with. If it were me - I wouldn't paint the stock ones just because of how they function. If you just wanted a bit of colour coming through, then maybe just do the casting that holds the piston and the pads. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 I was thinking of the casting. I painted a set of caliper 'frames' on both a 1980 Fiat Spider and a 1981 Fiat Bertone X1/9 that I used to own. I just used a rustoleum rutty brown rust primer then an overcoat with silver metal specific paint. It held up just fine, but just looked like sprayed metal. The caliper paint advertised in the mags is of a thicker variety and lays down flat and thick. I want that type. What is a spray bomb? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 How did you embed those links? I want to be able to do that. I looked at the series on that caliper rebuild....just plain awesome! It is the best photo documentary I've seen. The gold paint, however, looks bad. His paint job is just awful. Thanks for the reply; maybe, I'll document my paint job when I settle on a color. I'll leaning toward silver or the typical red. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 that guy is a regular on another forum I go to from time to time, he rebuilds brakes for people. Don't know if you saw the text at the bottom of the pictures -- that's not paint, that's zinc plating in yellow. Those calipers are 40 years old, and it doesn't look like they were very well cared for over the years. newer/better cast parts might look better after plating, also. From what I've seen, most people who plate their parts (like brake calipers) use cadmium plating, not sure why you'd want one or the other (cadmium vs. zinc), maybe some of the other forum members can explain this. embedding links is easy, when you are writing your post there are some icons on top of the box that let you format your text and embed links, etc. Play around with them, then preview your post (before you add it) to see how your post will look when it's added. there's also a yahoo group called peugeot-l, it's probably the oldest continuous u.s./canadian internet group out there for peugeot enthusiasts. it's like this forum in that you sign up and some admin has to greenlight your account, just mention that you heard about it here (that's what i did). because it's a yahoo group, you will get inundated with mail unless you opt out of the mailings, it's pretty active (just like this forum); i find it better to log into the group and read the messages from there. i think just about everyone who's a member of this forum belongs to peugeot-l as well. once you are a member of the group you can do searches through threads many years back; you can also search through old threads on this forum...between the two resources, you will get lots of good info about fixing & caring for your car. andre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think the only way you'd get that "smooth" look is if you either use filler, or maybe even high fill primer, then sand it smooth. The castings are quite rough, so I doubt even thick paint would be enough to fill in the surface texture alone. Spray bomb = paint cans. If you want a higher quality paint, you could go to an automotive paint shop that can put automotive grade paint into spray cans. I've done this here in Regina and they're really quite good, but a bit pricey at $20/can. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted March 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have new front discs for my 1985 Peugeot 505 STi. I took the old disc off of the car. I have never seen a set-up before that required the disassembly of the wheel bearing to get the disc off (working per my Haynes manual). I worked the disc free from my rusted strut (I'm replacing it too). I turned around the disc with the other half of the bearing assembly and muscled off the 4 allen head bolts on the disc. How do you get the the center hub separated from the disc? I gave it a few wacks and it isn't budging. Are these two pieces pressed together? My old pieces as covered with brake dust and grime, so I can't truely see if their is a seam in the metal. It is making me question whether I have the correct replacement part. Should I just hit it harder to separate the pieces? Pics attached. Please give advice on how to separate the pieces- or- maybe I have the wrong replacement part? Peugeot Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryancohnracing Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 The hub and rotor are just stuck from corrosion. A little WD40 may help, but most likely a bigger hammer! For what its worth in regard to painting/plating calipers, I prefer cadmium plating as that is what came on so many cars over the years. You get that nice off gold color and it looks sharp to me. Trouble is, it lasts all of about 1 lap on the race track and only slightly longer in spirited street use. On my last race car, I went all out: BBQ black paint. Good cleaning and prep of course, sprayed them and let them dry. To keep that freshly painted look all I had to do was a quick cleaning and a 30 second respray! Viola, black and perfect again! Black is your friend on parts like this, since they will get dirty, nasty, etc and black will hide a lot. If you are hard core intent on the vented upgrade, I have 2 good used vented rotor calipers available and I'd trade for 2 good used non vented ones I have hubs and vented rotors as well. I have a rear upgrade idea that involves non vented fronts on the rear.... drop me a note at bryancohnracing "at" yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted March 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thanks for the info on the hub to disc issue. I'll use a bigger hammer! I decided to stick with solids and pass on the vented. The job started out on replacing the passenger strut due to lower cup severe corrosion and failure that had it leaning on the tire. Once I got in there, I decided to restore and freshen up some stuff. For the heck of it, I priced the rubber rebound piece that sits inside of the coil spring on the shaft of the strut from one of the 'Peugeot' vendors and nearly fell out of my chair....$90!!....I'll stick with the old original. I must say that I did get the ball joint from them for 50% of the price my local parts store wanted. Win some...lose some. Peugeot Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peugeot Steve Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I got the front disc separated from the hub. I had to use wood blocks and a mini-sledge! All of my pieces: replacement strut and all associated pieces have been sanded, primed, and epoxy painted. When I get the last piece in the mail (the lower ball joint...I ordered a week ago!), I'll be assembling. I had to create a drain hole to keep the strut lower cup from rusting out like the original. I've had my project for a few months, but due to my hectic work schedule I haven't touched it much. Add on top the frigid winter temps, I'm far behind in the timeline I've set for myself. I can't wait to get rolling. Peugeot Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EUROTRASH Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 I have a 1985 Peugeot 505 STi...just got it. How do I tell whether or not I have ABS Brakes? There are wires going to something on the brakes. I am replacing the passenger strut due to a rusted lower cup piece and will probably refresh everything while I'm in there. Strut was starting to tear up the tire. I would like vented discs and a good set of pads. My car has all original equipment. My searches on the internet for discs is yielding choices with crazy and inconsistent bolt patterns. I know Peugeot uses a weird 4X ???mm. Please help with some names and part # for discs and pads. I plan on just doing some spirited driving---no racing. Steve Consider yourself lucky, ABS brakes are a royal bitch to replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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