180 to 185 drum (hand)brake conversion - anyone?

[szacsi72]

So basically, most newer BMWs have a 185mm drum and the E28 has 180mm (for the rear disc eq. cars).
If we could convert to 185, we could have a lot more options for rear brake discs.
I have heard of custom lining them but the companies I found were not happy to make such a thick coat.

Is there perhabs a part number for a thicker/larger brake shoe to do this?

Thanks for your input.

I would hope to run E60/E46 320mm discs.

[szacsi72]

There's this solution:

https://www.6shopuk.com/product-page/e3 ... e-adapters

But I would prefer not welding some brake shoes

[Mike W.]

Interesting, when I found out my E28 had trashed E brake shoes I got junkyard replacements and replaced them. That is now a generation ago and irrelevant. But I wonder, could you take 185MM shoes, if they are otherwise compatible, grind in some notches 2.5MM on each and be good? Yes, I understand you wouldn't get full contact, but might it be enough? Or perhaps with mild tapering on the ends? I don't know, I'm just talking out loud here, I may be full of it, or maybe not.

Now, while not as common as they were for a while, there are big brake conversions. E32/E34 mostly IIRC and I might be wrong, but what about them? Would those rotor/drums be 185 and compatible?

[stuartinmn]

The M535i.org site has a list of the common bolt on brake upgrade solutions, although I guess today they are all older models - e32, e34 and e31.  http://www.m535i.org/officers/ra/frame.html (click on e28 tech FAQ)

[szacsi72]

I did decide against the 320x20mm brakes for now as I have found a set of 312x20mm E36 M3 rotors. But this is still interesting to me, because the next time I want to change the rotors in ~5 years, I'm sure they won't be available (I am upgrading from 300x20 E34 M5 rotors, and I bought the last set in my country that is not OEM BMW)

I have found a couple of guys cutting and welding up the shoes, as it looks like they are quite different, unfortunately. I really would have hoped for a plug and play solution