MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Caliper Conversion

Board,
just wanted to share my experience swapping from the stock TR6 brake calipers, to the Toyota 4-piston caliper. The caliper bolts on with no problems: you must shave 2 quarter inch pieces (about the size and shape of your thumb nail) from the dust shield, but that's about it. I was able to do this with tin shears. The hardest part was fabricating a piece of hard line to go from the flexible hose to the caliper itself. After a few attempts, I managed to make one that didn't conflict with the front springs at full lock. The result: a car that stops MUCH quicker. Brake pedal is a little more "modern" in that it is not so hard. Pedal travels a bit more, but that is to be expected.
Geoff

Geoff,

I'm very interested as i've got a pair of seized calipers on my restoration project, would like to uprate, but can't afford moss prices. Which Toyota model(s) did you use?
Peter

Peter,
go to any auto parts shop and ask for the calipers from a 1983 Toyota 4x4 Pickup Truck (Non Disel) they will know what you're talking about. Here in the States, I paid about $70 for both calipers(approx 50 quid) and had to turn in my old one's as a core. With new pads, slide rails and hard brake line, the total cost of the project was $83. I don't know what Moss charges back home, but here in the U.S they charge about $100 + shipping for one caliper. Don't get me wrong Peter, I'm quite a purist, but when you can make this sort of unobtrusive safety/perforance upgrade to your TR6, I think it's for the better.
Regards
Geoff
Geoff


i have used rover sd1 calipers, i found that there was excessive pedal travel,s i asked for help on this site the outcome was that i fitted a master cylinder from a 1980's jaguar.the problems i had to overcome fitting this master clinder were that the brake ppe connections had to changed to a metric thread and that the connections are on the opposite side of the cylinder.If anybody is interested i have carried out a rear disc(rotor) conversion,if anybody needs this information i will post it on this site

simon
simon connolly

Simon,

Are the SD1 calipers a direct bolt on? Do they improve overall braking performance once you have sorted the travel? I'm replacing the entire brake pipe work so the metric imperial issue isn't to important. Would you do it again or any other suggestions welcome.

Geoff

Thanks for your reply

Board

Anyone got any other views on how to make them stop in a "modern" distance without spending £870 on Moss 4 pot caliper, x drilled disks etc.

Thanks everyone

Peter
Peter

peter
i had to elongate the fixing holes on the caliper from 8.5 cm to 9 cm so that the fixing holes lined up with the tr6's caliper mounting bracket ,i had to fit spacers between the caliper and the mounting bracket to centralize the caliper with the disc(rotor),finally i fitted spacers on the wheel studs so that the inside of the road wheels clears the caliper.the fitting of the sd1 caliper does improve the braking
simon connolly

Simon,

Could you tell me a bit about the rear disc conversion? What type of caliper, mounts, parking brake, and such. Look forward to hearing from you on this.

Steve
Steve Pike

Hello:
This is an interesting topic and here is my two cents worth. I have considered doing the toyota conversion but I decided against it for a few of reasons:
1. I was planning on buying some lightweight alloy wheels for looks and performance (by reducing unsprung weight) and I read somewhere that these calipers are real heavy! If you know otherwise please let me know!
2. I find the braking to be really good. I have gone out and done very hard braking tests from 60, 70 and 80 miles an hour and I have to say I can find no fault with the stock braking.
3. Like any good tinkerer though Im never satisfied so I am going to put some good performance brake pads on anyway. Like Hawk brand and as I am informed from various web resources this can make a dramatic difference for very little money!
M.McLaughlin

M,
it is true that the toyota calipers are a tad heavier than stock, maybe by half a kilo or so. However, it's just one of those benefit-to-loss situations, and I personally don't watch my weight that carefully (on the car, that is!!!). When I did the conversion, there was nothing wrong with my TR6's braking - the toyota conversion was just an improvement on something that was already good. With the calipers I got some regular semi-metallic pads, but there is so much more contact area with these pads over the stock ones because they are much larger. I believe it is the larger pad area, coupled with the fact that there are 4 pistons working to apply pressure (rather than 2) evenly that makes the reduction in braking distance so much better.
Hope this helps
Geoff
Geoff

The weight difference between a 16P caliper as used on the early TR6 and the four piston Toyota truck caliper is 1.88 lb (.851 Kg) according to the scale I used. The 16P caliper weighed in at 9 lb 7 oz (4.284 Kg) while the Toyota caliper weighed in at 11 lb 5 oz (5.136 Kg).

Anyone have any rear disc brake conversion information they can share? From fitting a rear hub assembly to a trailing arm it looks like the caliper braket could be made from .250" plate material. The ID of the disc hat section would need to be 6" min and the depth of the hat from the wheel/disc interface to the back side of the disc would be on the order of 1.5". The trick would be selecting the disc and caliper to use. For a street car application, an emergency brake would be a must. Maybe something like one of the two piston 914 rear calipers? Those had a mechanical actuator that pressed the pucks against the rotor. Another option would be two calipers, one hydraulic for brakes, one a small mechanical one.
Steve Pike

This thread was discussed between 23/04/2001 and 11/05/2001

Triumph TR6 index