[GUTD42T]

Hi Guys, I know a lot of you have upgraded your front pads. However I think that a front and rear brake upgrade would be a far better idea. So I have been on the search for information, but to no avail. So I dug further and found out that the R51 Pathfinder has the same brake booster but different master cylinder to the D40 Navara. So that should be easy to change, allowing us to fit Pathfinder rear disc systems. It seems that a vehicle with drum braked rear, pumps more fluid to the front and less to the rear. While the disc all round pump evenly front and rear. Interesting fact is that a disc/drum system pumps more to the front than a disc/disc system. This maybe part of the reason, the front brakes on the Aussie Navaras cop a hard time?
Does anyone know what diameter our fronts discs are? As I found this website that lists two sizes. Japanese Import Car Parts
please scroll down to see them. Also on the lookout for an aftermarket 4 pot front system with an upgrade to a two pot rear disc system.

:itsfriday:

 

[Moorie]

Gday, think it's been discussed before - the hassle is that the Pathi's have an independent rear end. You would need to get the required bits from a US Frontier (if it's possible at all).
Hope that helps, Moorie.

 

[Aussie Frontier]

I upgraded rotors and pads and the truck will stop when you want it to and now doesnt paint my wheels black as soon as you think of putting on the brakes.
As far as I know all D40 Navara allhave the drum brake rear end. Its only the Fronty that has the rear disks.
We looked at buying the parts from the US and it was really only a matter of costs being over the top.
The handbrake all needs to be redone as well .
Our diff the M226 or M266 never can remember lol is the same as the US diff however the costs of bring one over is rediculous. I think I remember someone saying a new diff was 2k plus brakes.

 

[GUTD42T]

Thanks fellas for the replies. I am aware of the differences between the Navara and Pathfinder. However if the Suzuki Sierra drivers can put Suzuki Swift disc brakes on the rear and have them work. Then I believe that it should be even easier for us. Coming from a Patrol ute to a Navara, has highlighted a few areas Nissan need to improve. In my opinion Nissan could seriously tie the market up if it had gone that little bit further. It could even do away with the Patrol ute if it made the Navara heavier in the chassis and drivetrain, as well has giving us either a V6 diesel, or hell be imaginative and cast a V8 eight block of 5 litre capacity and use the heads, pistons, conrods etc from the YD25. Toyota Landcruiser ute? Ha who would buy one of them then? Everyone would want of the improved Navaras. Oh yeah one last thing, I would go back to the live axle front end. Far better offroad.

The brakes, well I am not giving up on those. Waiting for a price on four pot front calipers. :rrg: The rears could be even closer to improvement.

I know I might be going on and on. But it was the same when I had GU ute. Everything I wanted to improve engine wise, no one could do. Then I sell it, and low and behold. People flood the market with upgrades for it. I hope that this isn't going to be the case again.

 

[montana2835]

main reason why utes in this class have drum rear is to do with import duty/taxes put on by government as commercial vehicle from years ago.it took a long time for trol and cruiser to get disc with a deal done with gov bs i cant recall atm.

 

[Ozroder]

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f47/m226-disc-brake-conversion-36987/

Have a look at this...........Ozroder

 

[NavaraST-X]

I upgraded rotors and pads and the truck will stop when you want it to and now doesnt paint my wheels black as soon as you think of putting on the brakes.
As far as I know all D40 Navara allhave the drum brake rear end. Its only the Fronty that has the rear disks.
We looked at buying the parts from the US and it was really only a matter of costs being over the top.
The handbrake all needs to be redone as well .
Our diff the M226 or M266 never can remember lol is the same as the US diff however the costs of bring one over is rediculous. I think I remember someone saying a new diff was 2k plus brakes.

What brand of rotors and pads are you running on the front. Is the Navara better on braking? Better response?

 

[Aussie Frontier]

I scored DBA drilled/slotted rotors with Ceramic pads by Hawke Racing in the US.The guys at Compfriction hooked me up.

I use the truck hard on the racetrack and yes when I really want it to stop it does. I get the ABS hammering away on a regular basis.
The trick I have found is how you apply the brakes
Apply gentle pressure you slow down
Jump on the pedal with both feed hard and fast and it will react big time.

 

[Ozroder]

Very nice old friend.................Ozroder:goodjob:

 

[Pete22]

Those brakes of Aussie's look the goods and would be ideal for bitumen running. However, I definitely wouldn't put then on a ute that is frequently used off road as it wouldn't take too long for those cross drillings to fill with mud and glaze over with the heat. My experience is that slotted rotors are OK for off road use as the slots tend to clear of the crap pretty quickly. I already have a set of slotted DBA rotors and bendix titaniam stripe 4x4 pads in the shed ready to fit once the factory ones wear out. No problem with the factory braking capability mind you but that shiteloads of black dust just gives me the irrits..

 

[Aussie Frontier]

the other problem with drilled rotors is small rocks can and do get stuck in the holes and can cause havoc.
Anyone going off offroad type deal as Pete says go the slotted not the drilled .
Hey what could I do they was free lol

 

[andrewg]

I scored DBA drilled/slotted rotors with Ceramic pads by Hawke Racing in the US.The guys at Compfriction hooked me up.

What is the size of the brake rotor? stock size ? how many mm?

 

[Orrsum]

i have the same as Aussie, they are 295.6mm Dia,38.3mm height & 28mm thick. its abit of a pain in the *** to clean the holes out but i didnt think of that at the time. just means if you use it you clean it before it dries out too much.

 

[jimefam]

Bumping this old thread because my father in Colombia has a 2009 Navara and he has drum brakes in the rear. I live in the US and he asked me to find a way to send him what he needs to fit the frontier rear discs onto his Navara. I can get most of these parts at below dealer costs and I travel frequently to visit so cost wouldn't be quite as high as for some of you who are much further. Did anyone ever attempt this conversion with the items on this list? Thanks for the help trying to get him this for Christmas.

 

[Bluenavara]

If it' s a Thai built (most African/Latin American/Caribbean models are) front rotors will have different hub height than US Frontiers and the Spanish Navaras they mostly get in Australia.

 

[jimefam]

Thanks for the info. I was actually looking to upgrade the rears though, would you know if they are the same rear end as the US frontier?

 

[Bluenavara]

Years ago, a number of forum members looked into doing a rear disc swap. About a thousand dollars in parts and a few ABS related issues to solve.

Since that time, however, I've driven drum braked Navaras and disc braked US Frontiers back to back, and the difference in braking is minimal in normal road use, I can assure you of that. In large part this has to to with the amount of rear brake involvement on truck without much bed load.

Bottomline: Not worth it, IMO.