Mk3 disc side swap

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Boxerfan

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Hi all,
I'm planning to drill and lighten my discs with an asymmetric drill pattern. This wouldn't matter, but I've never been overly happy with the look of the leading caliper position on the Mk3, so I need to decide about swapping the caliper to the Mk2, trailing position before I drill the discs. Am I right in thinking that it is a pretty straightforward job of swapping the fork legs over, and that there are no ill effects to steering/handling (contrary to the reported reasons for the swap was back when)?

Does anyone have first-hand experience of the change?

Thanks, Jon
 
This is sort of a replica pattern that OldBritts does. It is symetrcal and works great. I slip it over the center hub, tape it in place and transfer to spots with a center punch. Drilling these disks is way easy and a touch of a counter sink cleans up any burr.
Swapping the brake from one side to the other is as straight forward as you might.

Mk3 disc side swap
 
My MkII had the disk in the Mark III position and I switched it back to the original position. It was pretty straightforward and I'm not that great a mechanic. I can't tell any difference in the handling or steering although I'd read articles about the bikes pulling to one side (mine doesn't). Hope that helps.
 
Ah, thanks chaps, Candyapplered, that's just what I was after. Pere, I've done much the same thing, and it's only a visual thing to do with the way the 'vanes' appear.

Cheers, Jon.
 
lightest proven safe pattern of late Heinz Kluger saves ~1.6 lb off ~6.5 lb rotor which is that much less inertial to slow before cycle and less fork chatter prone. How many holes to fill the Albert Hall, 128 + 5 kidney bean slots.

Mk3 disc side swap
 
And if you swab the holes with a Q-tip dipped in silver Rustoleum, they won't corrode.
 
Danno said:
And if you swab the holes with a Q-tip dipped in silver Rustoleum, they won't corrode.
Click to expand...
Hey, I like that! I painted my entire disc, installed some old brake pucks, then rode slowly around the neighborhood while lightly applying the brake. You can then carefully wedge the pucks back and pull the caliper, install new pucks, and only the wear surface is exposed.

Nathan
 
I solvent cleaned Peels holey disc and masked center then sprayed gold paint on both sides then rag wiped and wiped till essentially gone then final damp solvent rag to finish. Brake dust and road grime make the gold dull but only the fresh friction surface rusts between uses. I Q-tip gold painted Z plate holes in same gold paint but would have to keep cleaning with Q-tips to keep tint showing and same with the surround of TS cover screws which looked trick till cooked grimed dark again. Each hole ball peened in a dash but not otherwise relieved. Glad side mounts is undetectable and will be less so with lighter rotor. I am thinking can drill 3-4 holes in puck for a bit more edge bite too. Hope ya can notice the quicker response to squeezes on yours and straight forward conversion.
 
Nater_Potater said:
Danno said:
And if you swab the holes with a Q-tip dipped in silver Rustoleum, they won't corrode.
Click to expand...
Hey, I like that! I painted my entire disc, installed some old brake pucks, then rode slowly around the neighborhood while lightly applying the brake. You can then carefully wedge the pucks back and pull the caliper, install new pucks, and only the wear surface is exposed.

Nathan
Click to expand...

I had my youngest do the job. She's very artsy and loves little detail work.
 
I hate to rain on your "easy just swap sides" and be done thing but if I remember correctly there is a difference in the MKlll front wheel bearing retaining nut or something that was changed to a Left hand thread so the wheel rotation wouldn't undue it. So, if you just turn the wheel around like a MKll it may come loose on its own.. Get answers from a MKlll expert before ridding it. Glenn .
 
the MK3 bearing is retained by a circlip so it doesnt matter which way the MK3 wheel is fitted. different story for pre MK3.
 
gtsun said:
I hate to rain on your "easy just swap sides" and be done thing but if I remember correctly there is a difference in the MKlll front wheel bearing retaining nut or something that was changed to a Left hand thread so the wheel rotation wouldn't undue it. So, if you just turn the wheel around like a MKll it may come loose on its own.. Get answers from a MKlll expert before ridding it. Glenn .
Click to expand...


The hubs are slightly different, the Mk. 111 has a circlip instead of a bearing lockring, so nothing will come loose.
However, I turned one of my MK.111 front wheels round a couple of years ago and the bike pulled over particularly at low speed, it was very disconcerting. In the end I went back to standard and all was ok again. It seems some bikes are fine to reverse and some aren't . I have another Mk.111, and one day I will see how that one shapes up .
sam
 
Hi Sam,
That's very interesting... was the effect only felt during braking? My daily ride is an '88 BMW with the caliper in the leading position, as was the case with lots of bikes back then. These days, I get the impression that the calipers are generally behind the fork. I wonder what the subtlety of moving 1.25kg of mass forwards or backwards about 6" is all about??
 
Yes, just at low speed braking. I never found out why, the bike handled just as well as always when riding on.
sam
 
I switched my MK3 around in order to fit the Madass kit. No issues.

Glen
 
Hm like the song, some do some don*t and some its just as well. I have noticed with front wheel off ground the fork flops over to that side so I think that is a factor on hands off drift, more so going slower w/o as much wheel spin gyro stability. Someone might experiment with similar or even bigger mass opposite brake to see if noticed or not. Isolastic hands off drift is greatly effected by tire condition so the drift factor may swing to either side of brake depending on state of tires. Anywho another controversial factoid that seasoned owners have reported opposite findings, some drift some do not and others just can*t tell.
 
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