Bigger Brakes
With an MoT passed, the car on the road and enthusiasm rising it’s inevitable that I’ll end up thinking “what if....”
And the first “what if ?” concerned the brakes. Despite the fact that in 30+years the single circuit brakes have never let me down, failed to stop the car or caused any practical concerns, the nanny state mentality had finally gotten to me and I began to ponder about dual circuit brakes.
Researching on the LotusElan.net forums led me to more questions, “do I really need a servo ?” followed by “why not +2 calipers with larger pistons ?”
So we need a plan.
Old and New, P14 vs P16 Calipers
The first step was to buy some new type 16 calipers and discs as used on the +2, Triumph GT6 et al. That part is easy but the mounting brackets required are no longer available so eventually I bought some s/h ones from a Triumph breaker.
Hub clearance tight but 13" wheels are fine
The first shot shows the old and new calipers and discs side by side.
Hmm, they look big, I wonder if the guys on the forum are right about this ?
But shame on me for not having faith because yep, they fit. Very tightly, but they do fit with millimetres to spare.
It’s an easy move if you have the knock-on wheels because the stub axle, hubs and bearings are identical to the Triumph GT6 which has the same system. From what I read the bolt-on hubs use smaller bearings and stub axles so if you need to change these you’ll have a longer shopping list.
So, do they work ? Well, yes. I’ve got to say it’s not an earth shattering revelation because the previous brakes with Greenstuff pads were quite good as far as stopping the car was concerned.
But I do like the slightly longer pedal travel (same master cylinder with larger pistons means more fluid displacement) as I think this gives them greater feel.